The Heart Of The Sun Warrior (Celestial Kingdom Duology Book Two) by Sue Lynn Tan

 

The Heart of the Sun Warrior (Celestial Kingdom Duology Book Two) by Sue Lynn Tan.

Published 10th November 2022 by Harper Voyager.

From the cover of the book:

The stunning conclusion to the Celestial Kingdom Duology.

An unspeakable terror is sweeping across the realm as the Celestial Emperor tightens his grip on power. The fragile peace Xingyin fought so hard for when freeing her mother is under threat.

Forced to flee her home, Xingyin ventures into the unexplored lands of the Immortal Realm to seek aid in her fight, but, with alliances shifting quicker than the tides, she has to overcome past grudges and enmities to forge a new path forward, seeking aid where she never imagined.

Xingyin must uncover the truth of her heart and claw her way through devastation – to rise against evil before it destroys everything she holds dear, and the worlds she has grown to love … even if doing so demands the greatest price of all.

The stunning sequel to the Sunday Times bestselling Daughter of the Moon Goddess delves deeper into beloved Chinese mythology, concluding the epic story of Xingyin – the daughter of Chang’e and the mortal archer Houyi – as she battles a grave new threat to the realm, in this powerful tale of love, sacrifice, and hope.

***********

The battle that Xingyin fought to free her mother Chang'e, the Moon Goddess, is behind her, and she hopes that they can now enjoy peace in their quiet corner of the Immortal Realm. But trouble is stirring in the Celestial Kingdom. A powerful enemy is whispering in the ear of the Celestial Emperor, and his eye has turned towards the forest of Xingyin's home, where a mysterious magic lies sleeping. 

Despite the continued affection and support of Liwei, the heir to the Celestial throne, court intrigue means that Xingyin and her mother are no longer safe. War is on the horizon once more, and when Xingyin and her mother are forced to flee the Pure Light Palace, their only chance of survival is to find allies among the divided lands of the Immortal Kingdom. This means asking for support from many with divided loyalties, like Prince Wenzhi of the Demon Realm, the former lover who betrayed her. However, they also have an unexpected ally from the land of the Mortal Realm, who has finally returned to them...

Many trials lie ahead for Xingyin as she attempts to save everyone from the evil danger that now threatens them. What is she willing to sacrifice in the endeavour?

The Heart of the Sun Warrior in the concluding second volume of the epic fantasy adventure the Celestial Kingdom, following on from Daughter of the Moon Goddess. It continues shortly after the events of the first book, following a brief period of peace for Xingyin and her mother. However, the Celestial Kingdom has not finished with them yet, and they find themselves caught up in events that threaten the safety of not just the Immortal Realm, but the mortals below too.

Sue Lynn Tan builds nicely on the story in Daughter of the Moon Goddess, weaving a tale that is ignited by revenge and boundless ambition before it explodes into an ambitious fantasy extravaganza that splits nicely into three parts that are almost like three separate quests. There are delicious themes of penance, sacrifice, and forgiveness that run through each of them, which contrasts nicely with the motives that fuel the evil parties in the story, and a good solid kick of the part love, loyalty and family play in how lives turn out. 

There are lots of lovely descriptive scenes, and vivid characters (many of whom appeared in the first book), drawing on the magic and mysticism of Chinese mythology, and from the very first page you find yourself tied to the fates of Xingyin and her compatriots. There is also a very interesting love triangle that plays out between Xingyin, Linwei, and Wenzhi that it is almost impossible to see an easy resolution to - in fact, there is nothing easy about the way Tan plays with your expectations, and emotions, in this romantic element of the tale. She keeps you guessing about who Xingyin will ultimately choose to give her heart to, right up to the thrilling confrontation between good and evil, when she breaks your own heart in two. 

It has been a while since I immersed myself in a fantasy world as exciting, and enormously satisfying, as this one, and I am sorry to have reached the end of the duology - especially given the surprise ending, which made me shed more than a tear or two. If you have yet to discover the wonderful writing of Sue Lynn Tan yet, then you are in for an absolute treat. I cannot wait to see what she writes next!

The Heart of the Sun Warrior is available to buy now in hardcover, ebook and audio formats.

Thank you to Harper Voyager for sending me a proof of this book in return for an honest review.

About the author:

Sue Lynn Tan writes stories inspired by the myths and legends she fell in love with as a child. After devouring every fable she could find in the library, she discovered fantasy books, spending much of her childhood lost in magical worlds.

​Daughter of the Moon Goddess is her debut, the first in the Celestial Kingdom duology – a fantasy of immortals, magic and love, inspired by the beloved legend of the Chinese moon goddess, Chang'e. Its sequel, Heart of the Sun Warrior, is also out now.

When not writing or reading, she enjoys exploring the hills, lakes, and temples around her home. She is also grateful to be within reach of bubble tea and spicy food, that she unfortunately cannot cook.

Mad Honey by Jodie Picoult and Jenifer Finney Boylan

 

Mad Honey by Jodie Picoult and Jenifer Finney Boylan.

Published 15th November 2022 by Hodder and Stoughton.

From the cover of the book:

Olivia fled her abusive marriage to return to her hometown and take over the family beekeeping business when her son Asher was six. Now, impossibly, her baby is six feet tall and in his last year of high school, a kind, good-looking, popular ice hockey star with a tiny sprite of a new girlfriend.

Lily also knows what it feels like to start over - when she and her mother relocated to New Hampshire it was all about a fresh start. She and Asher couldn't help falling for each other, and Lily feels happy for the first time. But can she trust him completely?

Then Olivia gets a phone call - Lily is dead, and Asher is arrested on a charge of murder. As the case against him unfolds, she realises he has hidden more than he's shared with her. And Olivia knows first-hand that the secrets we keep reflect the past we want to leave behind ­­- and that we rarely know the people we love well as we think we do.

***********

Olivia runs the family bee-keeping business in Adams, New Hampshire, where she lives with her son Asher who will soon be off to college. She often reflects on where life has brought her since she returned home to escape an abusive marriage, when Asher was only six years old, and marvels at the popular and sporty young man he has grown into - a young man so clearly in love with his girlfriend Lily.

Lily is the new girl in town, having recently moved to Adams with her mother, and they are both hoping for a new start. Lily has never been happy, and she suddenly finds herself in a relationship with a young man that seems to really care about her. But is she ready to share her secrets with him?

Then, Olivia's settled life comes crashing down with a phone call. Lily is dead, and Asher has been arrested on a charge of murder. As the case gets underway, Olivia realises that there are things that Asher has not told her about himself and his relationship with Lily. Does she really know him at all? And is Asher like his father, despite all she has done to separate him from his influence?

Mad Honey is one of those books that has taken social media by storm, in part because of its bold attempt to address some issues that are not only timely, but also tricky to incorporate in a book intended for a mass market audience. I would like to begin by saying that I greatly admire Jodie Picoult as an author for the way she often brings sensitive topics into the stories she writes, and has a talent for making people think about the issues that surround them - often in ways that make them uncomfortable. Long may she do so.

In this case, there are storylines covered in Mad Honey (which a fear of spoilers prevents me from stating here) that Picoult confesses she did not feel were entirely hers to tell, and as result, this is an intriguing collaborative project with Jennifer Finney Boylan. I leave you to decide for yourselves whether this is ultimately a book that is the better for this, or not, but her honesty is commendable nonetheless.

The story takes the form of two narratives from the points of view of Olivia and Lily, which jump back and forth in time. Obviously Lily's account can only cover her history, and the events leading up to her demise in Adams, but in Olivia's case there is a lot more ground to be examined in terms of before, during, and after the court case - including moments from her abusive marriage. In between, there is a lot of information about honey, bee-keeping and the mythology/mysticism connected with bees too, which is absolutely fascinating.

For the most part, this is a book that keeps you turning the pages, as any Picoult novel normally does, with cleverly crafted suspenseful story telling, and unflinching descriptions of distressing scenes that are hard to read. As expected, this story has you frequently confronting ideas you may hold around the subjects addressed, and asks you to look at things in a different way. There are many elements here that work well - most strikingly, the way the authors examine the difference between things that are 'secret' and those which are 'private', and how we decide what we share about ourselves to others. Although the characters are mostly unlikeable, even at the end of the book, I did like Elizabeth very much, who it seems to me is the only person here to really show any wisdom or compassion, and deserved a much bigger part in the story. I very much enjoyed the clever twist at the end too.

Although, as the tale progresses more moments tend to raise their heads that are just a little too contrived to fit of the plot the authors have mapped out, and there is way too much going on. During these times there is a marked loss of authenticity, and it is hard to see exactly what the authors want you to focus on. I cannot decide if this is a by-product of the co-authorship, a factor of where the book is aimed at readership-wise, or simply an attempt to find parallels between the stories. This is a novel packed to the gills with family drama, and well-timed reveals, but sometimes an intelligent exploration of the nitty-gritty of the subject matter is lost in pursuit of making it a tense court-room/crime story affair, which I think is a shame. Incidentally, there is very little connection between any of the female characters in this tale as they are all horribly isolated. If you are at the beginning of your journey considering the issues raised in these pages, then you may well find yourself mulling over some interesting topics, but for me it proves to a more of a superficial scratching of the surface of multiple issues rather than something to really get your teeth into. 

I do feel that this is a book that would also benefit from suggested further reading, and an appended list of organisations to contact if you have been affected by the issues touched upon, but neither are included.

I think this was a bold and interesting choice of book for a Tandem Readalong, and even though it did not quite live up to my expectations, I am glad to have finally read it. It certainly has a lot of merit in attempting to undertake a difficult task, and I hope it proves useful in promoting healthy discussion.

A note on content warnings: Having inadvertently seen the extensive list of of warnings that came with this book as part of the readalong, the major plot reveal was completely spoiled for me before I even began reading. This has inevitably coloured my opinion of the book, which makes me rather sad. This is neither the time, nor the place, for a conversation about the value of content warnings vs the psychological benefits of using stories that address our triggers as a tool which can help us grow and move forward. However, I would like to make the point that not everyone wants, or needs, to see them - especially when they contain massive spoilers that ruin the carefully thought out intentions of an author (or authors), so please be mindful of this when you are sharing them in a way that potential readers cannot avoid seeing. 

Mad Honey is available to buy now hardcover, ebook and audio formats.

Thank you to Hodder and Stoughton for sending me a hardcover copy of this book in return for an honest review, and to Tandem for inviting me to be part of this readalong.

About the authors:

Jodi Picoult is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of twenty-eight novels, including Wish You Were Here, The Book of Two Ways, A Spark of Light, Small Great Things, Leaving Time, and My Sister's Keeper, and, with daughter Samantha van Leer, two young adult novels, Between the Lines and Off the Page. Picoult lives in New Hampshire.

Jennifer Finney Boylan is the author of sixteen books, including GOOD BOY: My Life in Seven Dogs. Since 2008 she has been a contributing opinion writer for op/ed page of the New York Times; her column appears on alternate Wednesdays. A member of the board of trustees of PEN America, Jenny was also the chair of the board of GLAAD for many years. She is currently the Anna Quindlen Writer in Residence and Professor of English at Barnard College of Columbia University.

Jenny is a well known advocate for human rights. She lives in Maine with her wife Deirdre. They have two children.

The Cornish Cream Tea Bookshop by Cressida McLaughlin

 

The Cornish Cream Tea Bookshop by Cressida McLaughlin.

Published 10th November 2022 by Harper Collins.

From the cover of the book:

Ollie Spencer has started a new life in the idyllic Cornish seaside town of Port Karadow. Throwing herself into her job at the town’s bookshop, A New Chapter, is one way to make friends. 

The shop is glitzing up for first Christmas and Ollie hopes her inspired ideas will give the shop the edge it needs to dazzle the town.

But far from being the Sugar Plum fairy the place needs, Ollie is fast becoming its Christmas pudding. With the bookshop’s success at stake, Ollie turns to twinkly-eyed café owner Max for help. 

Can he help Ollie to turn the page, and put the sparkle back into her Cornish dream?

***********

Ollie Spencer is ready for a change. Ollie's London life has come to a bit of an ignominious end after an unfortunate accident with a scaffolding pole, that badly injured her, provoked her less than supportive boss to unfairly sideline her at the bookshop where she worked, and exposed the hitherto unforeseen shortcomings in her boyfriend. 

Fortunately, Ollie now has the means to make a fresh start in the idyllic Cornish seaside town of Port Karadow, and she begins by throwing herself into her new job at the town's bookshop, A New Chapter. Ollie finds herself falling for Port Karadow and its little community, especially the very handsome cafe owner Max, and there is something magical about the folklore tales that tell of its exciting history. Not everyone is quite as keen on her ideas to drum up trade as she would like, but hopefully the events she has planned in the run up to Christmas will do the trick.

Just as things seem to be coming together, her hopes are suddenly put in jeopardy. Can Ollie pull off a Christmas miracle and keep her Cornish dream alive?

New beginnings always make for a great rom-com adventure, and this book runs with the idea of Ollie's fresh start in suitably winning style, combining a community of great characters, a bookshop setting, and picturesque surroundings - with the added sparkle of some Christmas magic!

Ollie throws herself into her new life with enthusiasm that does not necessarily win over everyone in Port Karadow at first sight, but the swoon-worthy Max certainly helps things along. As expected, the course of a new start, and true love, do not always run smooth, and there are mishaps and misunderstandings to be navigated before the threads all wrap up nicely. McLaughlin also throws in a charming extra dimension with a bit of a mystery story around the identity of an author who wrote gripping tales about Port Karadow some years ago, which allows her to make the entertaining best of tales of legend and folklore that go hand in hand with a Cornish setting - and which she weaves beautifully into the delightful ending in a way that made my heart sing.

Although this is the seventh book in the Cornish Cream Tea series, and some of the characters here do appear in earlier stories (which I have not read), this tale is contained and can easily be read as a standalone. I will however, definitely be picking up the earlier books (especially Book Six, which is also set in Port Karadow), as I loved everything about this from start to finish. Who does not love a bookshop/books, romance, mystery, AND Christmas combo? I know I do!

My heartstrings have been plucked, and my love of a story that is flooded with Christmas magic has been indulged to the max. The perfect choice for snuggling up on the sofa with a cuppa and a mince pie to get in the festive mood!

The Cornish Cream Tea Bookshop is available to buy now in paperback, ebook and audio formats.

Thank you to Harper Collins for sending me a paperback copy of this book in return for an honest review, and to Random Things Tours for inviting me to part of this blog tour.

About the author:

Cressy was born in South East London surrounded by books and with a cat named after Lawrence of Arabia. 

She studied English at the University of East Anglia and now lives in Norwich with her husband David. 

When she isn’t writing, Cressy spends her spare time reading, returning to London or exploring the beautiful Norfolk coastline.

The Automobile Assassination (The Erdington Mysteries Book Two) (Audio Book) by M.J. Porter

 

The Automobile Assassination (The Erdington Mysteries Book Two) by M.J. Porter.

Narrated by Matt Coles.

Released 1st December 2021 by M.J. Porter.

From the cover:

Erdington, September 1944.

As events in Europe begin to turn in favour of the Allies, Chief Inspector Mason of Erdington Police Station is once more prevailed upon to solve a seemingly impossible case.

Called to the local mortuary where a man’s body lies, shockingly bent double and lacking any form of identification, Mason and O’Rourke find themselves at the Castle Bromwich aerodrome, seeking answers that seem out of reach to them. The men and women of the Royal Air Force stationed there are their prime suspects. Or are they? Was the man a spy, killed on the orders of some higher authority, or is the place his body was found irrelevant? And why do none of the men and women at the aerodrome recognize the dead man?

Mason, fearing a repeat of the cold case that dogged his career for two decades and that he’s only just solved, is determined to do all he can to uncover the identity of the dead man and to find out why he was killed and abandoned in such a bizarre way, even as Smythe demands he spend his time solving the counterfeiting case that is leaving local shopkeepers out of pocket.

Join Mason and O’Rourke as they once more attempt to solve the impossible in 1940s Erdington.

***********

When Chief Inspector of Mason of Erdington Police Station is called into get to the bottom of an unusual case involving a body that has been discovered naked, and bizarrely bent double, in the woods on a local RAF base, he has no idea how he is going to make any headway in the case. Although the man has clearly been murdered, his lack of papers, and the fact that no one at the base recognises him, does not give Mason much to go on, and this seems doomed to become another dead-end investigation.

However, in the company of the intrepid Sergeant Clara O'Rourke, who proved to be a very valuable partner-in-solving-crime in their previous adventure together, Mason begins to see a way forward - and it somehow relates to the odd goings in with the local branch of the Automobile Association. Can Mason and O'Rourke solve this seemingly impossible case against the backdrop WWII England?

This is my first adventure with Mason and Rourke, following their debut outing in the deliciously named The Custard Corpses, and it works well as a stand-alone mystery. The greater part of the story is taken up with Mason and O'Rourke going on rambles through the suburbs of Birmingham in pursuit of clues to identify the dastardly criminals behind the very unusual murder. Along the way Porter cleverly contrives to bring in lots of lovely historical detail about the situation on the home front in 1944, when things appear to be going very well for the Allies in Europe but the grinding years of shortages are taking their toll. As the investigation develops, Mason and O'Rourke discover that this case has far more reaching consequences than they thought, with links to counterfeiting and some very shady characters. 

I really enjoyed the relationship between Mason and O'Rourke, especially the mutual respect they show each other and the way they work so well to thrash out the significance of every little clue they discover. The story twists and turns nicely, and although there is violence involved, this is actually much more of a gentle and cosy mystery than I was expecting, which made it right up my AA patrolled street. And while we are in the matter of the AA, there is such a lot about the history of the Automobile Association packed into this tale and it was rather fascinating. Who knew?

The narration by Matt Coles was delightful to listen to, and he handles all the characters with ease - especially the local accents and turns of phrases. He keeps the pace going well, from start to finish, and through all the little surprises that crop up in between.

This is just the kind of story that appeals to lovers of quirky and nostalgic crime stories. It is easy to listen to, full of fun characters, and keeps you guessing, all of which make for a charming audio experience. Highly enjoyable - with a cracking bit of word play in the title!

The Automobile Assassination is available to buy now in hardcover, paperback, ebook and audio formats.

Thank you to M.J. Porter for granting me copy of this audio book in return for an honest review, and to Rachel's Random Resources for inviting me to be part of this Book Birthday Blitz.

About the author:

MJ Porter is the author of many historical novels set predominantly in Seventh to Eleventh-Century England, as well as three twentieth-century mysteries. Raised in the shadow of a building that was believed to house the bones of long-dead Kings of Mercia, meant that the author's writing destiny was set.

The Weather Woman by Sally Gardner

 

The Weather Woman by Sally Gardner.

Published 10th November 2022 by Apollo, Head of Zeus.

From the cover of the book:

Neva Friezland is born into a world of trickery and illusion, where fortunes can be won and lost on the turn of a card.

She is also born with an extraordinary gift. She can predict the weather. In Regency England, where the proper goal for a gentlewoman is marriage and only God knows the weather, this is dangerous. It is also potentially very lucrative.

In order to debate with the men of science and move about freely, Neva adopts a sophisticated male disguise. She foretells the weather from inside an automaton created by her brilliant clockmaker father.

But what will happen when the disguised Neva falls in love with a charismatic young man?

It can be very dangerous to be ahead of your time. Especially as a woman.

***********

Neva Friezland was born to parents who ran a travelling show, and from a very young age was familiar with a world in which trickery and illusion invited fortunes to be won or lost on a wager. But the luck of her parents ran out amid the chaotic aftermath of the Thames Frost Fair in 1789. If only they had listened to tiny Neva's warnings... For Neva has been born with a rare talent - an ability to predict the weather.

Adopted into an unconventional household where her intelligence and thirst for knowledge are encouraged, Neva learns the brutal lesson that for a woman to desire anything beyond marriage and motherhood in Regency England is to court censure and contempt. She longs to be able to put her innate talent to use, as her weather predicting skills could be potentially lucrative, but to admit her uncanny ability openly could be very dangerous.

In order to obtain the freedom she wants so badly, Neva adopts a male alter ego to go where women cannot, and do the things society deems unsuitable for a lady. She and her clockmaker father also employ a little trickery and illusion to find a way to allow Neva to use her talents through the conduit of an automaton called The Weather Woman. All is going well for them, until their success attracts the attention of some very unwelcome parties who want what they believe they are owed... and until Neva falls in love while disguised as a man.

It can be very dangerous to be ahead of your time, especially if you are a woman.

I was first introduced to the marvellous books of Sally Gardner some years ago through her Carnegie Medal winning historical fiction story I, Coriander, so I am overjoyed that she is now writing for an adult audience. I loved her winter fable The Snow Song and could not wait to immerse myself in her spell-binding writing once more with The Weather Woman.

Where do I even begin to tell you how amazing this book is? Once again, Gardner pours her considerable creative skills into a story that blends historical fact and enchanting fiction into a compelling tale that highlights injustice - this time, about a young woman with rare gifts that she must keep secret, for fear of being damned by suspicion and the strictures of the time in which she lives.

Neva's start in life is a hard one, but she is lucky to fall in with people who nurture her and recognise her intelligence and, in time, the uncanny abilities she possesses - and they love and cherish her enough to know that the things she can do must be kept hidden. Gardner uses the need for secrecy to fashion this tale into one which burgeons into an adventure encompassing everything I love about historical fiction, threading it with a delicious touch of magical realism, and using the themes of trickery and illusion to utmost perfection. And yet, this story also brings with it a gritty exploration of the social mores of the time, delving particularly into the attitude towards women, and the gulf between those who exercise power in all its many facets and those who are exploited by them. It is a winning combination.

There is so much atmosphere in this story that brings time and place alive, with the whisper of the other-worldly, and the way Gardner uses water as a character in itself alongside the many vivid human (and canine) players is wonderful - especially the way life revolves around the Thames. The pages are filled with wonder, mystery, romance, and derring-do; and subversive threads of gambling, rebellion, sex and sexuality (and intriguingly the negative effect of humanity on the environment) that carry you along on the gripping tide of twists and surprises that hold you fast and keep you guessing - and there is a nod to Shakespearean storytelling that made me smile. 

Behold a myriad of themes around manipulation, control, and the dark side of human nature, especially when it comes to the treatment of women, that stir your emotions to simmering rage. I very much enjoyed how this story is used to explore how the power of women can be usurped by men, and there is something so poignant, and curiously metaphorical, in the way Neva hides her skills behind the illusion of an automaton. It was not easy to be a free-thinking woman in this era. However, this is also a story that thrums with love, both romantic and of family, contrasting the lives of those who get to enjoy the benefits of warmth and affection and those who do not, and this feeds into almost every aspect of this story - whether it be the dark machinations of those driven by greed and revenge, the need for human connection, or the consequences of both disappointments and successes.

This story kept me turning page after page as I wondered how Gardner would ultimately decide the fate of every single character - and I was not left wanting. There is a breath-taking climax to it all too, as she brings everything full circle to another Frost Fair in a way that is truly magnificent. One of my books of the year!

The Weather Woman is available to buy now in hardcover, ebook and audio formats.

Thank you to Head of Zeus for sending me a hardcover copy of this book in return fir an honest review, and for inviting me to be part of this blog tour.

About the author:

Sally Gardner gained a first class degree at a leading London art college and became a successful theatre costume designer before illustrating and writing books. 

Her debut novel I, Coriander won the Nestle Gold Award and she is also a Costa and Carnegie prize-winner. 

Her books have been translated all over the world and have sold over two million copies.

The Coming Darkness by Greg Mosse

 

The Coming Darkness by Greg Mosse.

Published 10th November 2022 by Moonflower Books.

From the cover of the book:

Paris, 2037. Alexandre Lamarque of the French external security service is hunting for eco-terrorists. Experience has taught him there is no one he can trust – not his secretive lover Mariam, not even his old mentor, Professor Fayard, the man at the centre of the web. He is ready to give up. But he can’t.

In search of the truth, Alex must follow the trail through an ominous spiral of events, from a string of brutal child murders to a chaotic coup in North Africa. 

He rapidly finds himself in a heart-thumping race against chaos and destruction. 

He could be the world’s only hope of preventing THE COMING DARKNESS . . .

***********

Paris, 2037. Alexandre Lamarque, agent of the French external security service, is on the trail of eco-terrorists. He is just in time to head off an attack in Marseille, but something about this incident pricks the rare sense of intuition that marks him out as the top of his field - and this feeling of foreboding will not go away.

Throughout the missions that follow, a certainty that something bad is on the horizon continues to worry Alex, but he cannot put his finger on why. Then a bold attempt to extract a beleaguered Prime Minister from the chaos of a military coup in North Africa goes awry, and Alex finds himself with time on his hands as he awaits the judgement on his future - time he uses to look a little more closely at the goings on of the eco-terrorists with the help of his secret lover Mariam, and his old mentor Professor Fayard who wants him to come and work for him in Internal Security.

To find out the truth, Alex must follow a trail of disparate clues connected to a series of child murders in France; the mystery of his mother's infection with a dangerous, unknown pathogen; and the worrying agenda of a shady organisation called Tabula Rosa. Can Alex's intuition save the world from the coming darkness?

Well, what an absolute little gem this turned out to be! It starts with a series of episodes across different global locations, which do not immediately seem to be related. The diverse nature of the threads make them something of a poser, and very much like our protagonist Alex you feel yourself scrabbling about to make sense of it all. However, there is a seductive, slow-burn charm about the way Greg Mosse writes, and by degrees you are pulled into a gloriously twisty tale that encompasses unsettling near-future dystopia, first-class espionage shenanigans, and a delicious mystery that zings with everything I love about noir crime stories. It is a combination that is seriously addictive.

The near-future setting is cleverly imagined, in a world where the global impact of climate change is starting to bite. Political instability; the scarcity of resources; the rising risk of untreatable viral infections; and the suspicion with which displaced people are viewed make the perfect breeding grounds for intrigue, greed, mania, and violence - and Mosse uses this simmering, melting pot of potential motivators to devious perfection in the way he plots out this complex thriller. He does his level best to throw red-herrings and misdirection at you throughout, which prove to be excellent fun to sift through at the side of Alex and his colleagues, and for most of the story you really have no idea who Alex can trust. The pace ratchets up with exquisite suspense, until the evil intentions of the villains of the piece are laid bare, and all the little pieces fall into place with shocking clarity. Mosse then treats you to a fine double climax full of James Bond-esque thrills and spills, with the action flipping between Paris and North Africa as the clock counts down to global disaster. My heart was in my throat for the entire final section of this book, and I loved every second.

This book has all the hallmarks of the first in a new series of really intelligent page-turners. Alex is an intriguing protagonist, with his almost supernatural prophetic abilities, but Mosse builds a really interesting team around him over the course of the story too - and I really want to see them working together to save the world once more. My fingers are crossed!

The Coming Darkness is available to buy now in hardcover, ebook and audio formats.

Thank you to Moonflower Books for sending me a proof of this book in return for an honest review, and to Midas PR for inviting me to be part of this blog tour.

About the author:

Greg Mosse is an actor, director, and writer, and husband of international bestselling author, Kate Mosse. He has lived and worked in Paris, New York, Los Angeles and Madrid. 

Having worked as an interpreter at a variety of international institutions, in 2015 Greg returned to theatre. Since then, he has written and produced 25 plays and musicals. 

He took advantage of 2020’s lockdown to fulfil a long-held ambition to write his first novel.

Nobody But Us (Paperback Release) by Laure Van Rensburg

Nobody But Us by Laure Van Rensburg.

Published on 10th November 2022 in paperback by Penguin UK.

From the cover of the book: 

He's a well-respected college professor. She's a young and eager-to-please student.

He knows she would do anything for him. She knows his certainty is his weakness

He thinks he'll get what he wants. She thinks he'll get exactly what he needs.

Two liars.
One twisted path.
A game of cat and mouse.

BUT WHO IS THE HUNTER? AND WHO IS THE PREY?

***********

Well respected college professor Stephen Harding is a man who looks good for his years, and he takes arrogant pride in the fact that he has no trouble still attracting women much younger than himself. This weekend, he is looking forward to a romantic interlude with Ellie Masterson, a college student fifteen years his junior. This will be their first holiday together, and the chance to spend a relaxed weekend enjoying uninterrupted time with each other is an exciting prospect, especially since he has surprisingly found himself falling for this young woman. Ellie is nervous about the weekend ahead, but also anticipating the surprises she has in store for her lover...

When they arrive at the chic, remote cabin that will be their home for the next few days, they quickly settle into enjoying their time away from prying eyes, but as the snow starts to fall, cutting them off from the outside world, events take a dark turn - for Stephen is not quite the respectable man he purports to be... but then Ellie is not the innocent young woman she has been masquerading as either...

Nobody But Us is a novel that holds you fast through shocking twists and turns, ramping up the tension with a delicious slow-burn that builds to a bloody reckoning as events spiral out of control. It unfolds through the narratives of Stephen and Ellie, flipping back and forth in time as Van Rensburg drops her shocking reveals with precision. She injects seductive clues about Stephen's true nature that whisper unsettling notions in your ear right from the first time you meet him, and this contrasts beautifully with the way Ellie's story unfurls ever so gradually throughout, only bringing her actions and motivation into focus well into the tale.

As this is spoiler free zone, I will keep Stephen and Ellie's secrets close, but I really enjoyed how Van Rensburg flips your perspective on their characters as she drives the plot about the events that have brought them to this remote cabin, and she doesn't shy away from visceral shock tactics to force both you, as the reader, and the characters themselves to take a good hard look at their actions. She uses the cabin location to perfection, almost as a third character alongside Stephen and Ellie, and makes the absolute most of the isolated, snowy landscape as an ideal backdrop to the chilling events that play out.

Within this cracking thriller, that begs to be read in a single, breath-taking session, Van Rensburg explores some very deep themes, particularly the abuse of positions of trust, and consent in the many shades of the #MeToo movement, and what she has to say will definitely make you think. I will leave you to discover how and why for yourselves, but can guarantee you will enjoy the ride!

Nobody But Us is available to buy now in paperback, hardcover, ebook and audio formats.

Thank you to Penguin for sending me a paperback copy of this book in return for an honest review.

About the author:

Laure Van Rensburg is a French writer living in the UK and an Ink Academy alumna. Her stories have appeared in online magazines and anthologies such as Litro Magazine, Storgy Magazine, The Real Jazz Baby (2020 Best Anthology, Saboteur Awards 2020), and FIVE:2:ONE. She has also placed in competitions including 2018 & 2019 Bath Short Story Award.

The Stars Undying (Empire Without End) by Emery Robin

 

The Stars Undying (Empire Without End) by Emery Robin.

Published 10th November 2022 by Orbit.

From the cover of the book:

LOYALTY, LEGACY AND BETRAYAL...

Princess Altagracia has lost everything. After a bloody civil war, her twin sister has claimed not just the crown of their planet Szayet but the Pearl of its prophecy, a computer that contains the immortal soul of their god. Stripped of her birthright, Altagracia prepares to flee the planet - just as Matheus Ceirran, Commander of the interstellar Empire of Ceiao, arrives in deadly pursuit. Princess Altagracia sees an opportunity to win back her planet, her god, and her throne . . . if she can win over the Commander and his distrustful right-hand officer, Anita.

But talking her way into Commander Matheus's good graces, and his bed, is only the beginning. Dealing with the most powerful man in the galaxy is almost as dangerous as war, and Altagracia is quickly torn between Matheus and the wishes of the machine god that whispers in her ear.

For Szayet's sake, and her own, Altagracia will need to become more than a princess with a silver tongue. She will have to become a queen as history has never seen before - even if it breaks an empire.

A spectacular space opera debut perfect for readers of Ann Leckie's Ancillary Justice and Arkady Martine's A Memory Called Empire, inspired by the lives and loves of Cleopatra and Julius Caesar.

***********

Born to be queen of Szayet and bearer of the Pearl (a computer that bears the immortal soul of its God Alekso), Princess Altagracia has been usurped by her twin sister in a bloody civil war. Gracia's only hope of regaining her birthright is by getting Matheus Ceirran, Commander of the interstellar Empire of Ceiao to take her side, and fortunately he has just happened to arrive on Szayet in the company of a sizeable force and his surly right-hand officer Anita on a quest of his own.

Using her considerable charms, Gracia manoeuvres her way past her sister's defences into Ceirran's bed, but he is a dangerous man, and not easy to read. For Szayet's sake, Gracia must fashion herself into a queen like no other to achieve her ambitions, and with the help of Alekso whispering in her ear, she will do what needs to be done - even if her growing affection for Ceirran, and rather unexpectedly for Anita, is distracting her from her cause.

In The Stars Undying, Emery Robin takes the historic relationship between Julius Caesar and Cleopatra, and turns it into a retelling that is as epic as it is highly creative. Here, the lovers dance around each other in an ambitious genre-busting story that is part sci-fi space opera, and part intricate fantasy adventure, that evokes so much about the stately Roman Republic and mystical Egypt - and if that was not enough, Robin cleverly brings in an extra dimension by making this a tale which celebrates queer love stories too.

The story is told in alternating first person accounts from Gracia and Ceirran, and it is not long before we realise that both are somewhat unreliable narrators, especially Gracia, which makes it doubly delicious. There are moments in the telling of this whopper of a volume when the pace wavers a little, by getting bogged down in lengthy conversational scenes, but on the whole the action builds nicely to the inevitable climax with oodles of intrigue and chess-like move and counter-move. I absolutely loved the way Robin uses so much of the story of Julius Caesar and Cleopatra in Ceirran and Gracia, bending history to her purpose in a way that works very nicely indeed, and the suspenseful sexual tension that simmers between Gracia and Anita, in her role as an unexpected Anthony, is marvellous. Gracia is the deserving star of the show throughout though, and she draws you eye, and your emotion, the most through the twisty long-game for dominance.

The jury is still out for me on the Alekso thread to the tale, as it sometimes becomes more of a distraction from the more compelling intimacy between the three main characters in Ceirran, Gracia and Anita, but I can see exactly how and why Robin weaves this strand into the whole - it certainly provides an intriguing perspective on the historical and philosophical conflict between the warring parties, lends an interesting sci-fi kick to the proceedings, and provides a welcome injection of sardonic humour in the interactions beteeen Gracia and Alekso. 

What strikes me most about this tale is its highly entertaining originality, particularly in terms of the stunning world building that Robin fashions as the backdrop that her characters play their parts against. The physical landscape is so beautifully described, but she also takes great pains to thoroughly get to grips with the political, economic, military, and spiritual elements of this world too, which is quite remarkable for a debut.

This book took me by surprise with its sheer scope and well considered depth. I sincerely hope that there is at least one follow-up adventure on the horizon, as I really want to know what happens next!

The Stars Undying is available to but now in paperback, ebook and audio formats.

Thank you to Orbit for sending me a copy of this book in return for an honest review, and to Compulsive Readers tours for inviting me to be part of this blog tour.

About the author:

Emery Robin is a paralegal, recovering Californian, and sometime student of propaganda and art history living in New York City.

Finding Happiness At Penvennan Cove (Penvennan Cove Book Three) by Linn B. Halton

 

Finding Happiness at Penvennan Cove (Penvennan Cove Book Three) by Linn B. Halton.

Published 10th November 2022 by Aria, Head of Zeus.

From the cover of the book:

Escape to Cornwall with this beautiful page-turning novel set in Penvennan Cove – third book in the Cornish romance series by bestselling author Linn B. Halton!

Kerra Shaw's happiness should be complete when the love of her life moves into her cottage. But there is trouble in her beloved Penvennan Cove and Kerra knows she won't be able to enjoy her new start with Ross until she's put things right.

Two struggling businesses threaten to change the beach at Penvennan Cove forever. The Lark and Lantern, an inn at the heart of the community, is struggling and a corporate chain is trying to redevelop the site. Meanwhile, The Salvager's Yard nearby is becoming an eyesore that brings down the area.

Kerra knows she can find the perfect solution, but with her eyes on the community, will Kerra miss the tensions in her own life? Can Kerra find her own happy ending, or could putting others first cost her what she deserves most?

***********

The life that Kerra Shaw has dreamed of since she returned home to Penvennan Cove should be coming together nicely, now that the love of her life Ross has moved into Pedrevan Cottage with her. She hopes that this will be the place where they make a future together, but trouble is brewing in the village that is beginning to affect their relationship and make the gulf that has grown between her, and her father wider than ever.

Everyone is unsettled by the changes afoot in Penvennan Cove, as struggling businesses try to adapt and stay afloat in difficult times, and the fact that Kerra's ideas have brought in outsiders to add new life and investment to the tiny community has not gone down well with everyone. But Kerra knows this is the only way for her beloved village to survive. Hopefully her determination can smooth over the cracks that are appearing in this beautiful little corner of Cornwall, but can she also find the happy ending she craves in her personal life too?

Finding Happiness at Penvennan Cove is the final book in this heart-warming trilogy about life in a tiny little coastal village in Cornwall. I am always up for a cosy story about life in a community such as this, so was really looking forward to getting stuck into the trials and tribulations of all the characters - despite the fact that I have not read the first two books in the series. 

It did take me a while to get my head around who was who, and to navigate the extensive backstory Halton has crafted between them, as there are references galore to earlier events throughout this story - and a lot has clearly happened since Kerra made the decision to sell her successful London business and return to Cornwall. However, I soon started to warm to them and the parts they played in both the wider community, and in Kerra's life. There are so many interesting characters of all ages among both the longstanding and newer residents in the village, and their individual personalities carry the story along nicely as you get to know their quirks, and the intimate details of the dynamics of their friendships, family and relationship troubles, as well as the simmering rivalries between them. 

There is a lot to delve into here, as to be expected in any small community that is suspicious of how outsiders might influence their way of life, and I really liked how Halton explores many of the issues that affect small villages like this through the dilemmas that face her characters - especially around how to keep the charm and essence of Penvennan while moving with the times. But for me, the real beauty of this story is simply the way Halton examines the complexities of her characters, and ties you up in the emotional side of their lives. There are no bangs and whistles, just ordinary people living, loving, and finding ways to come together, and yet their personal journeys are more than enough to keep you absorbed. Halton's Penvennan Cove seems so real that you can almost taste Mrs Moyle's saffron buns, and feel the sea breeze in your face as you stroll along the beach before stopping for a pint at the Lark and Lantern to get the gossip from Zacky. Who would not want to live among them?

I thoroughly enjoyed this homey, quiet story with its gentle romance, evocative location, and charming celebration of second chances. It carried me away to such a lovely Cornish community for some uplifting escapism, and made for perfect snuggle on the sofa reading.

Finding Happiness at Penvennan Cove is available to buy now in paperback, ebook and audiobook formats.

Thank you to Aria for sending me a Netgalley copy of this book in return for an honest review, and for inviting me to be part of this blog tour.

About the author:

Linn B. Halton is a #1 bestselling author of contemporary romantic fiction. In 2013 she won the UK Festival of Romance: Innovation in Romantic Fiction Award. Originally from Bristol, she now lives in the Welsh Valleys with her husband and Bengal cat, Ziggy.

For Linn, life is all about family, friends and writing. She is a self-confessed hopeless romantic and an eternal optimist. When Linn is not writing, she spends time in the garden weeding or practising Tai Chi. And she is often found with a paintbrush in her hand indulging her passion for upcycling furniture.

Her novels have been translated into Italian, Czech and Croatian. She also writes as Lucy Coleman.

The Prisoner by B.A. Paris

 

The Prisoner by B.A. Paris.

Published 3rd November 2022 by Hodder and Stoughton.

From the cover of the book:

THEN

Amelie has always been a survivor, from losing her parents as a child in Paris to making it on her own in London. As she builds a career for herself in the magazine industry, she meets, and agrees to marry, Ned Hawthorne.

NOW

Amelie wakes up in a pitch-black room, not knowing where she is. Why has she been taken? Who are her mysterious captors? And why does she soon feel safer here, imprisoned, than she had begun to feel with her husband Ned?

In true B.A. Paris style, The Prisoner is a gripping survival story, a twisted tale of love and at its dark heart a thriller to keep you up all night.

***********

When Amelie's father died leaving her homeless and alone at sixteen years old, she took herself from Paris to London, aware that she had to rely on opportunitues she could create for herself. With a little help from a kind-hearted person who gave her a chance when her life was at its lowest point, things took an upward turn, but Amelie has never forgotten the dark time that shaped her. Amelie's new career in the magazine industry has been looking promising, but meeting the magazine's wealthy owner Ned Hawthorne, and being persuaded to enter into a marriage of convenience with him, has proved to be a dangerous mistake. 

Now, Amelie has been taken captive alongside Ned, the man she has come to despise for very good reasons. Imprisoned in a pitch-black room, she has no way of knowing where she is being held, who has taken her, or what they want. But strangely, she feels safer here away from Ned than in the luxurious trappings of his privileged life. Can she survive this ordeal, and get away from the husband that wants nothing more than to see her dead for knowing too much about the man he really is?

You always know you are in for a gripping ride when opening the cover of a B.A. Paris thriller, and The Prisoner proves that once again she knows how to suck you into a story that keeps you turning the pages all the way to the bitter-sweet end.

As is Paris' forte, this is a story based deliciously around themes of control, and the dark secrets people keep hidden beneath the surface. Amelie's narrative drives the action with compelling intensity as the chapters flip back and forth between the past that has brought her to this terrifying situation, and the present events that play out from the moment she and Ned are taken. Amelie appears vulnerable and naive, which seemingly makes her an ideal candidate for manipulation by the rotten-at-heart Ned Hawthorne, but she has a steely determination to survive gained through relying on her own wits and this makes her a great character to get behind. 

The tension rises notch by notch, as every moment of Amelie's heart-stopping experience of being held prisoner by the kidnappers is given in aching detail, beginning with her initial exploration of the space in which she is being kept, and taking you through her unflinching determination to keep her sanity and escape. In parallel, you put together all the little pieces of Amelie's backstory, which builds the picture of why she and Ned have been taken - and why she was a prisoner in her marriage too. This works beautifully, as you have absolutely no idea how the story will unfurl from one minute to the next. While you scrabble to make sense of it all, Paris pulls the wool over your eyes with accomplished skill, twisting the story on its unsettling axis at crucial moments to flip your perception about everything you think you know. She then hits you with a brilliantly contrived surprise or two that take things in a really intriguing direction - but no spoilers from me!

This is a highly entertaining, read in one sitting book. Pacy, claustrophobic, menacing, and totally addictive, this cements her place at the top of the psychological thriller genre. Long may she reign!

The Prisoner is available to buy now in hardcover, ebook and audio formats.

Thank you to Hodder and Stoughton for sending me a copy of this book in return for an honest review, and for inviting me to be part of this blog tour.

About the author:

B.A. Paris is the internationally bestselling author of Behind Closed Doors, The Breakdown, Bring Me Back, The Dilemma and The Therapist. Having sold over 3.5 million copies worldwide, she is a New York Times and Sunday Times bestseller as well as a number one bestseller on Amazon and iBooks. Her novels have been translated into 40 languages, and Film and TV rights to Behind Closed Doors have been optioned. She is currently based in the UK.

The Poison Machine (Hunt And Hooke Book Two) by Robert J. Lloyd

 

The Poison Machine (Hunt and Hooke Book Two) by Robert J. Lloyd.

Published 27th October 2022 by Melville House.

From the cover of the book:

1679. A year has passed since the sensational attempt to murder King Charles II. Harry Hunt - estranged from his mentor Robert Hooke and no longer employed by the Royal Society - meets Sir Jonas Moore, the King s Surveyor-General of the Board of Ordnance, in the remote and windswept marshes of Norfolk. There, workers draining the fenland have uncovered a skeleton. 

Accompanied by his friend Colonel Fields, an old soldier for Parliament, and Hooke's niece, Grace, Harry confirms Sir Jonas's suspicion: the body is that of a dwarf, Captain Jeffrey Hudson, once famously given to Queen Henrietta Maria in a pie.

During the Civil Wars, Hudson accompanied the Queen to France to sell the Royal Jewels to fund her husband s army. He was sent home in disgrace after shooting a man in a duel. But nobody knew Hudson was dead. Another man, working as a spy, has lived as him since his murder. Now, this imposter has disappeared, taking vital information with him. 

Sir Jonas orders Harry to find him. Harry's search takes him to Paris, another city bedevilled by conspiracies and intrigues. He navigates its salons and libraries, and learns of a terrible plot against the current Queen of England, Catherine of Bragança, and her gathering of Catholics in London. Assassins plan to poison them all...

***********

London, 1679. A year has passed since Hooke and Hunt managed to foil a deadly plot to murder Charles II. Harry Hunt is still trying to establish himself as a rising star at the Royal Society, but is frustrated by his lack of success. An uncomfortable distance has grown up between him and his former mentor Robert Hooke, and all it takes is one more failed experiment to cause Harry give up his place at the Society and reconsider his future as a scientist.

As fate would have it, an alternative presents itself in a lucrative offer from Sir Jonas Moore, the King's Surveyor-General of the Board of Ordnance, for Harry to aid him with a strange investigation. During the draining of the Norfolk fenland a remarkable skeleton has been found, and Sir Jonas needs Harry's rare talents to help identify the body. In the company of his friend Colonel Fields, an old soldier for Parliament, and Hooke's niece, Grace (who has invited herself along in the guise of a young man), Harry confirms Sir Jonas' suspicions that this appears to be the body of dwarf Captain Jeffrey Hudson, once famously given to Queen Henrietta Maria in a pie - and there has obviously been foul play involved in his demise.

This is rather odd, as a man claiming to be Captain Jeffrey Hudson has been living in a village near-by for some years. Clearly this dwarf is an imposter, and it seems that the discovery of the body has caused him to flee. Stories abound of the real Hudson's exploits, including his part in the disappearance of a very large diamond that has never been found. Could this imposter be in possession of the precious jewel? Could he be a spy? Sir Jonas orders Harry to find him and get him to reveal all he knows.

Harry is on the trail of dark deeds once more, and his findings lead him and Colonel Fields to the dangerous environs of Paris, where they uncover a dastardly plot to kill the current Queen of England, Catherine of Bragança, and everyone attending her upcoming gathering of Catholics in London. Can Harry foil another complex assassination attempt - this time one that involves deadly poison?

I thoroughly enjoyed the first part of this historical thriller series The Bloodless Boy, which introduced us to the unlikely crime busting pairing of Royal Society members Robert Hooke and his assistant Harry Hunt. Their first adventure was a twisty mystery around the body of a young boy, drained of his blood, that led to the discovery of a plot to kill Charles II.

Robert J. Lloyd takes us back to Restoration England to craft an even more intricately devious, literary thriller in this follow-up tale The Poison Machine, which finds Harry setting off without his former mentor to get to grips with another historical mystery cleverly based around real events. As in The Bloodless Boy, this is a setting filled with intrigue and distrust, as the battle lines based on religious and political ideology continue to cast a long shadow in the wake of civil war, but unlike the first book this burgeons delightfully out of a London setting into a story that has a much wider scope, taking in the eerie strangeness of the Norfolk marshlands, and the perilous streets of Paris where backstabbing plots also abound.

This new murder mystery comes with a different feel. Athough it begins with a revisit to the fierce competition between the men who are keen to make names for themselves in the world of science, it becomes much more of a rip-roaring historical escapade in double-quick time, with infamous dwarves, duplicitous duchesses, glittering baubles, murder and mayhem, all fuelled by the lingering religious hatred that hangs over the affairs of men and women - whether they be highborn or low. The pace ramps up notch by notch as the whispers of an audacious plot to poison all present at the Queen's upcoming Catholic gathering are revealed, and Harry has to somehow free himself from a very sticky situation in Paris and return to London (hopefully) in the nick of time. Throw in treachery, greed, many misunderstandings, long-held secrets, and the part played by that old green-eyed monster, jealousy, and you have the making of a very exciting tale indeed.

I loved the whole page-turner of a story from beginning to end, especially every lovely little echo of Parisian intrigue that whispered of classic Dumas, with the added twist of a delicious injection of science that looks very much towards the future. What a fun combination! I cannot wait to see what Lloyd comes up with next!

The Poison Machine is available to buy now in hardcover, ebook and audio formats.

Thank you to Melville House for sending me a proof of this book in return for an honest review, and for inviting me to be part of this blog tour.

About the author:

Robert Lloyd, the son of parents who worked in the British Foreign Office, grew up in South London, Innsbruck, and Kinshasa. He studied for a Fine Art degree, starting as a landscape painter, but it was while studying for his MA degree in The History of Ideas that he first read Robert Hooke's diary, detailing the life and experiments of this extraordinary man. 

After a 20-year career as a secondary school teacher, he has now returned to painting and writing. He is the author of The Bloodless Boy, which was selected by Publishers Weekly as a Mystery Book of the Year and The New York Times as a Best New Historical Novel of 2021.

Havana Fever (A Mario Conde Investigates Book) by Leonardo Padura

 

Havana Fever (A Mario Conde Investigates Book) by Leonardo Padura.

Translated from the Spanish by Peter Bush.

Published 15th January 2009 by Bitter Lemon Press.

From the cover of the book:

Havana, 2003, fourteen years since Mario Conde retired from the police force and much has changed in Cuba. He now makes a living trading in antique books bought from families selling off their libraries in order to survive. 

In the house of Alcides de Montes de Oca, a rich Cuban who fled after the fall of Batista, Conde discovers an extraordinary book collection and, buried therein, a newspaper article about Violeta del Rio, a beautiful bolero singer of the 1950’s, who disappeared mysteriously. 

Conde’s intuition sets him off on an investigation that leads him into a darker Cuba, now flooded with dollars, populated by pimps, prostitutes, drug dealers and other hunters of the night. 

But this novel also allows Padura to evoke the Havana of Batista, the city of a hundred night clubs where Marlon Brando and Josephine Baker listened to boleros, mambos and jazz. Probably Padura’s best book, Havana Fever is many things: a suspenseful crime novel, a cruel family saga and an ode to literature and his beloved, ravaged island. 

***********

Havana, 2003: Ex detective Mario Conde left the police force fourteen years ago, and in the years that have followed his beloved Cuba has become a difficult place to ķeep body and soul together. Conde makes ends meet by scouting out antique books from the libraries of families who can no longer afford to keep them, selling them on to his rag tag collection of middle-men for collecters in Cuba and overseas.

When chance takes him to the door of a crumbling mansion in a once grand part of Havana, his intuition tells him that something to his advantage lies inside - and he is right. The library of Alcides de Montes de Oca, a rich Cuban who fled after the fall of Batista, is now in the care of the elderly children of the former housekeeper, and it is full of treasures that they are desperate to sell in order to survive.

Inside one of the precious books, Conde finds an old newspaper cutting about a stunning bolero singer of the 1950s called Violetta del Rio, who mysteriously disappeared from the public gaze just as her career was taking off. Something about the name is familiar to him, but no one seems to have heard of her, including the odd caretakers of the library. Conde begins asking questions about Violetta among his friends and colleagues, eventually tracking down a rare recording of her incredible voice, which stirs deep emotion in him. He is compelled to get to the bottom of the mystery, but can only do this by delving into the dark underbelly of Havana to search for anyone who knew the city in its heyday - and that is a dangerous business. What he discovers convinces him that Violetta's fate is connected to a deep secret in the family of Alcides de Montes de Oca - and that the answer lies in that incredible library.

Havana Fever is an evocative, slow-burn mystery novel that drags you back in time to the days when Havana was the place to see, and be seen - before the scorching night-club and casino scene came crashing down with the Cuban Revolution in 1959.

This is my first Mario Conde book, as I have not read any of the earlier ones covering his life as a police investigator, which I will admit did leave me feeling a bit at a loss when it came to some of the context of his lifestyle and quirky friends. However, the wonderful mystery about what happened to Violetta del Rio is self-contained, and it makes up in spades for the more impenetrable parts about his personal life. 

The piece revolves around a newspaper cutting about a beautiful singer from the 1950s that Conde comes across inside a book from the library of Alcides de Montes de Oca, which has been hidden for generations behind the walls of a deteriorating mansion. This leads him on a path that immerses him in the former glory days of Havana, when the pulse of boleros, mambos and jazz filled its famous night spots, and Hollywood stars rubbed shoulders with the mobsters who were ambitious to exploit the scene for every dollar they could. Along the way, Conde uncovers some very uncomfortable things about the family of Alcides de Montes de Oca and the shady characters he kept company with, including the infamous Jewish gangster Meyer Lansky. 

Padura builds lovely suspense into Conde's investigation, starkly contrasting the things he shows us about Havana's past with the hard lives that he and his fellow Cubans live in the present. There is real poignancy in the way Conde laments what Cuba has become, the disenchantment of a population that believed revolution would save them, and in his thoughts on the fate of the literary treasures he sells on. Conde is a complex and contradictory individual, not easy to get to grips with, but there is something about the way he reflects on all this that is intensely moving - and you cannot fail to admire his tenacity to get to the truth of the mystery that consumes him. I really enjoyed how the narrative of the story is broken up by very personal letters from a character who it takes time to identify too, as these add to your understanding of what lies behind the tragedy at the heart of the story - something it takes Conde a long time to piece together from his rummage into the past.

The intelligently crafted crime story held me spellbound, taking me on a very entertaining circular journey that led all the way back to the library that set Conde on his quest in the first place. Padura's writing is rich and full of depth, weaving layers of feeling into the story, that come across beautifully in the translation by Peter Bush. There is so much about the darker human emotions that drive people to act in less than honourable ways, but this is balanced with humour, warmth and friendship - and a first-class mystery!

Havana Fever is available to buy now in paperback, and ebook.

Thank you to Bitter Lemon Press for sending me a paperback copy of this book in return for an honest review, and to Random Things Tours for inviting me to be part of this blog tour.

About the author:

Leonardo Padura was born in 1955 in Havana and lives in Cuba. He is a novelist, essayist, journalist and scriptwriter. 

Havana Fever has been published in Cuba, Mexico, Spain, Portugal, Germany and France.