Tag Archives: Frances Colville

The House at Baker Street by Michelle Birkby Reviewed By Frances Colville

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The House at Baker Street by Michelle Birkby Reviewed By Frances Colville

It’s a growing trend to write fiction about the women behind famous men, and a brilliant idea to extend this to write about the women behind fictional characters too; in this case the women connected to Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson.  The House at Baker Street by Michelle Birkby puts together the scraps of information we learn about these ‘background’ women in the Arthur Conan Doyle stories and gives them a detective adventure of their own.

Both Martha Hudson and Mary Watson are believable characters and the plot is a good one, though not perhaps quite of the standard of an original Conan Doyle.  The book doesn’t have the same period feel as the Conan Doyle stories either, but then why should it?  It was written a hundred years later and doesn’t make any pretentions to be the same as the originals.

As far as I can tell, without extensive knowledge of the Sherlock Holmes books, it fits in well and I didn’t come across any annoying anomalies.  In short, it could have happened!  I enjoyed it very much and I particularly liked the way the scene is now set for further adventures by the same pair of intrepid female detectives.

The House at Baker Street by Michelle Birkby is published by Pan Macmillan and will be available in paperback from 25 February 2016

 

 

Journey to Death by Leigh Russell Review by Frances Colville

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Journey to Death by Leigh Russell Review by Frances Colville

The first of a new series by established crime writer Leigh Russell, Journey to Death is set on an island in The Seychelles.  Lucy Hall arrives on the island with her parents for a holiday following the traumatic break-up of a relationship, but soon becomes aware that all is not as it seems.  Behind the warmth and tranquility of a popular tourist destination lies a dark and mysterious threat to the safety of Lucy and her family.  Is someone trying to frighten or even kill them, and if so, why?

 

Lucy is an appealing if rather naive character who steps up to try  to solve a crime in which the authorities are not particularly interested.  I enjoyed the setting, and the descriptions of the island and its beaches and thought the book was generally well plotted.  There were a few occasions when it was all a bit slow and tedious and I wanted things to speed up and get sorted.  But overall it’s a good read – uncomplicated and easy to follow.  And intriguing enough to make you want to get to the end and discover how it all works out.

 

Journey to Death is a stand-alone book but the seeds are sown within it for a new crime series featuring Lucy Hall.  Published February 2016 by Thomas & Mercer (an imprint of Amazon Publishing) and available in paperback and e-book versions.

 

 

Not Working by Lisa Owens Reviewed by Frances Colville

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NOT WORKING by Lisa Owens Reviewed by Frances Colville

Which of us hasn’t dreamed of quitting an unsatisfactory job to find out what we really want to do with our lives and careers? This is just what Claire Flannery decides to do, but despite excellent intentions to get fit, improve her general knowledge, read Moby Dick, get to grips with modern art and the world economy, she soon finds that having too much time on her hands is not entirely a good thing and that without a job to define her and map out her daily routine she is floundering.

The opening pages – a bizarre conversation with a passing stranger about the buddleia growing on the roof of her house – set the tone well for this first novel from author Lisa Owens. It’s a funny, observant and very perceptive view of the mundane ordinariness of daily life. And at the same time a poignant and intelligent discussion of some of the bigger issues we face.

Written almost like a diary and broken up into chunks of various lengths often with amusing headings, it’s easy to read and very easy to enjoy. But there is more to it than that and as you read it you’ll be left pondering questions and answers, and relating the narrative to your own life.

My first impression was that the ending didn’t work as well as it might have done. I’d expected something more definite to happen; for there to be a bit more resolution. But on second thoughts not knowing all the answers is just what real life is like – isn’t it?

Either way, it would be hard not to appreciate this novel. And I’ll look forward to the next from Lisa Owens.

Not Working is published by Picador and will be available in hardback on 21 April 2016.

Not Working by Lisa Owens is available here.

 

 

The Secret of the Cathars by Michael Hillier Review by Frances Colville

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The Secret of the Cathars by Michael Hillier Review by Frances ColvilleThis book is an intriguing mix of fact and fiction.  Based on the history of the Cathars, a religious heresy of the medieval period in France, and with references to the Knights Templar, there is enough information to whet the appetite of those interested in such things without turning into overkill for those who just want a good story and don’t care too much about the setting.  After a rather slow start and a lengthy list of characters to get to grips with, the story moves along at a good pace with some interesting twists and turns on route.  A sort of archaeological treasure hunt with competitors ranging from a TV presenter through a religious group to members of the mafia.  Some of the characters are stereotypical and didn’t really come to life for me, but others – including the two main – were more convincing.  I was initially somewhat disappointed by the ending which didn’t seem to tie up all the loose ends, but then I realised that this book is intended as the first of a trilogy and all became clear.  And the over-long list of characters was also explained.  All in all a good enough read to make me look out for the next instalment at some stage, but not one which completely wowed me.

 

The Secret of the Cathars is published by Matador and available in paperback and as an e-book.

Vintage Home by Judith Miller Reviewed by Frances Colville

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VINTAGE HOME by Judith Miller Reviewed by Frances Colville

Judith Miller, of Antiques Roadshow fame, begins her new book Vintage Home with a very useful definition of the word vintage: ‘For the purposes of this book, the term ‘vintage’ covers the many decorative styles of the 20th century’.  And indeed this beautiful book does just that, providing a wealth of information on designs, designers, trends and styles with reference to buildings, whole rooms and individual items.  Whether you are interested in getting an overall view of a style, discovering who designed what, working out what innovations appeared when, investigating the value of a particular item, or indeed putting together a whole new look in your own home, there is something in this book for you.

 

But this is so much more than just a reference book and what stands out above everything are the stunning photographs on every page.  If what you want is a book filled with images to enjoy and admire, then you need look no further.  I can personally vouch for the number of hours you can happily while away just turning the pages.

 

Vintage Home by Judith Miller was published in this hardback edition by Jacqui Small in November 2015.

 

 

Month 12 of my reading challenge By Frances Colville

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The Secret of the Cathars by Michael Hillier (published Matador 2015) is the first of a new trilogy of books based on the history of the Cathars, a medieval French religious sect.  Lots of different groups of people hunting for various treasures and all a little bit confusing with quite a few loose ends by the end of the book though no doubt that is at least in part because books two and three are still to come.  I think I will read them – it was a good enough plot to hold my interest and I do want to know how it all works out.             Month 12 of my reading challenge By Frances Colville1

Ian McEwan is one of my favourite authors and his latest book The Children Act (Vintage 2014)didn’t disappoint, although at the same time it didn’t quite measure up to my absolute favourite, On Chesil Beach.  The Children Act tells the story of Fiona, a high court judge who is going through a personal crisis at the same time as being called on to make a hugely important judicial decision.  McEwan’s fascination with judicial issues, with music and poetry, and with the moral conundrum of how far you place your religious beliefs above the life of someone you love, all feature in this book which will leave you thinking long after you have finished it.

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The 100 year old man who climbed out of the window and disappeared by Jonas Jonasson (Hesperus Press 2012) has been recommended to me by several people over the last few years but I never quite got round to reading it.  But now I have and I’m very glad indeed.  The book tells the story – obviously – of the 100 year old man who climbs out of a window of his care home and has a succession of adventures with an ever-growing group of people.  At the same time as we progress through these escapades we are told stories about the rest of his life.  It’s absurd, ridiculous, incredible and very funny indeed.  And it has in passing a lot to say about the twentieth century, its events and many of its main characters, and also about the treatment of the elderly.

 

Not Working by Lisa Owens (Picador 2016) was another quick read.  Easy (because it is told in bite-size chunks) to pick up and put down in between enjoying a house full of Christmas visitors.  It’s the story of  Claire who decides to take some time out from work to decide what she really wants to do with her life.  The ending was disappointing, I thought.  It sort of fizzled out as if the author couldn’t quite work out how to finish it more definitively.  I enjoyed it though – I empathised with the main character and I liked the mix of humour and more serious issues.

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Jill Mansell has long been an author I turn to when I want something light and cheerful. Three Amazing Things About You (Headline 2015)is her latest book and I thoroughly enjoyed it as I knew I would, though I have to admit there were parts which were definitely not happy-ever-after.  A sensitive handling of some of the issues resulting from chronic ill health, and from the need for transplants.  But the happy ending I hoped for was definitely there.

 

I thought long and hard about my final choice for this month – and indeed this year – and eventually settled on The Time of Gifts by Patrick Leigh Fermor (paperback edition re-issued John Murray2004) which was given to me by my elder daughter and fellow obsessive reader.  I knew as soon as I read the introduction that it was going to work for me – not only did I discover the source of the title of another book I read and enjoyed this year (Like a Tramp, Like a Pilgrim), but there was also a quote from George Herbert, the poet I recommended last month. Very serendipitous!  The author tells the story of a walk he took as a teenager from Rotterdam to Istanbul in the 1930s.  But he wrote the book in the 1960s so has the benefit of hindsight and far more knowledge than he had at the time of the walk.  It’s crammed full of historical, geographical and cultural information and you can learn so much from it.  Or you can just read it and allow the beauty of the language to wash over you.  It’s a wonderful book.

Month 12 of my reading challenge By Frances Colville4

So here I am at the end of my year of reading.  Total of books read  = 63.  And conclusions drawn?  I love variety and I love to read all sorts of books, I admire good and original literary fiction, and – somewhat to my surprise – have become aware during the year that my absolute favourite genre is travel writing.  I also know that even if I reach the grand old age of 105 as my wonderful great-aunt did earlier this year, I will never be able to read all the books I want to read.  Life is, quite simply, always going to be too short.

 

Where do I go from here?  Not sure yet, but the possibilities are endless – and the prospect so exciting.  I can’t wait.

 

All books available from www.amazon.co.uk

 

 

A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara by Frances Colville

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A LITTLE LIFE by HANYA YANAGIHARA by Frances Colville

A Little Life by American author Hanya Yanagihara is quite simply the best book I’ve read all year, and very well deserving of its Man Booker Prize short listing.  It’s  a book, I think, which will stand out for future generations in the way that Middlemarch or War and Peace or Birdsong stand out as epic studies of life in the time period in which they are set.  It hooks you in on the first page and keeps you enthralled until the very last word.  It’s one of those books which you almost can’t bear to read, and yet can’t not read.  It’s harrowing, enlightening, disturbing, haunting, uplifting and absolutely compelling.

 

A Little Life is the tale of four college friends who meet at sixteen and remain linked throughout their lives. There isn’t much in the way of plot and if you want a strong storyline this isn’t for you.  But that’s not the point of this book.  Told from various viewpoints, but with one central character throughout, it’s about friendship, love, relationships, identity, memory, grief, pain, abuse and death.  The characterisation is superb and the main characters will linger in your head long after you’ve finished reading the book.  But above all it’s the beauty and intelligence of the language which grabs you and won’t let you go.  I’m often guilty of skim reading, but I can honestly say I read every single word of this book just to make sure I didn’t miss anything.  Here’s just one example –  ‘A small memory he could contain, but as the days go by and he waits for Willem, he recognizes that this is a long eel of a memory, slippery and uncatchable, and it whipsaws its way through him, its tail slapping against his organs so that he feels the memory as something alive and wounding, feels its meaty, powerful smack against his intestines, his heart, his lungs.’

 

Beware though – it’s a lengthy book and definitely not a quick read and you’ll need to allocate a chunk of your life to it because you won’t be able to set it aside.

 

A Little Life is published by Picador and is currently available as a hardback and eBook.

 

 

Month 11 of my Reading Challenge By Frances Colville

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I found it hard to decide what to go for first this month and spent a happy hour browsing my bookshelves.  In the end I chose The Devil in the Marshalsea by Antonia Hodgson (Hodder & Stoughton paperback 2014).  Set in a debtor’s prison in 18th C  London, this is in places a grim read and the plot fell short of being 100% convincing, but the author is good on atmosphere, the main character is engaging and the book is a good choice for anyone who likes historical crime fiction.

Month 11 of my reading challenge Frances Colville

I had no idea what to expect when I began my next book A Little Life by American writer Hanya Yanagihara, knowing nothing at all about it other than it had been shortlisted for this year’s Man Booker.  But it hooked me in right from the first page.  What’s it about?  Friendship, identity, working out who you are and what your life is all about, pain, abuse, relationships, death, grief and love.  It’s challenging, harrowing and absolutely compelling.  And of all the books I’ve read so far this year, this is the one I would recommend most.  Currently available in hardback – published Picador – or on Kindle.

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What do you choose when you’ve just finished a brilliant book; one which has taken you a long time to read and which you can’t get out of your head?  For me, the solution is to turn to something familiar and reliable and completely different.  And as followers of this year of book reviews will know, that means in my case an Agatha Christie.  This time I picked up The Moving Finger – one of a batch I was given last Christmas.  I don’t think I’ve read it before though it’s hard to be sure.  Either way, I couldn’t remember the ending.  And of course neither the book itself nor the ending disappointed. Vintage Christie – and very enjoyable at that.  My copy is a Fontana paperback, reprinted 1971.

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This Little World edited by Sue Ashby is the sort of book you can dip in and out of whenever you have ten minutes to spare  It’s a collection of short stories from people who live in Dorset – some as young as 11 – and each story is located in Dorset.  Lots of variety and lots to interest anyone who knows anything about Dorset.  My personal favourite is A Smuggler’s Life by 12 year old Sam.  Available now on Amazon and will soon be published as an e-anthology.

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And I’ve also been dipping in and out this month of my copy of the works of poet George Herbert edited by W H Auden.  I studied Herbert for A level and there are certain lines from certain of his poems which still stick in my mind.  Writing in the first half of the 17th C his poems are all about religion, his understanding of it and his struggle to be worthy, but it isn’t the content of the poems which speaks to me but the beauty of the language and the strength of his belief.  Not I think a well-known or in any way fashionable poet but one who in my opinion deserves to be read more.  My edition is a Penguin paperback published 1973.

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Only one month left to go.  And so many books to choose from………………..