The Adventure Of The Christmas Pudding by Agatha Christie

 

The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding by Agatha Christie.

This edition published 11th November 2021 by Harper Collins.

From the cover of the book:

Agatha Christie’s seasonal Poirot and Marple short story collection in a new hardback special edition.

First came a sinister warning to Poirot not to eat any plum pudding… then the discovery of a corpse in a chest… next, an overheard quarrel that led to murder… the strange case of the dead man who altered his eating habits… and the puzzle of the victim who dreamt his own suicide.

What links these five baffling cases? The little grey cells of Monsieur Hercule Poirot!

Contains the stories:

• The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding

• The Mystery of the Spanish Chest

• Four-And-Twenty Blackbirds

• The Under Dog

• The Dream

Plus, the Miss Marple adventure: Greenshaw's Folly

************

This little collection begins with the main event, the festive short story The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding featuring my favourite little Belgian detective Hercule Poirot.

Poirot finds himself called upon to help out a foreign prince locate a precious ruby that has been stolen by a young woman he foolishly became entangled with, and thus head off a diplomatic incident. To retrieve the gem, Poirot wrangles an invitation to Kings Lacey, the family seat of Colonel Lacey and his family, where the thief in question may be staying with her accomplice.

During a stay which involves lots of festive goodies, and family amusements in the traditional English style, the ruby puts in an appearance in the Christmas pudding, and Poirot cleverly uses it to trap the guilty parties by way of a put-up murder arranged by the children of the house to fool him. In doing so, he also makes friends of the domestic staff, sorts out some tricky relationship issues, and ties up all the loose ends in a very satisfying bow. It is deliciously festive, lots of fun, and one of my favourite Poirot short stories.

The collection continues with four other Poirot short stories that involve a a mix of spontaneous, passion driven murders, and carefully calculated demises motivated by avarice. Poirot solves them all without too much trouble, and although they are devilishly tricky they are less endearing that the Christmas story - The Mystery of the Spanish Chest, Four and Twenty Blackbirds, The Under Dog, and The Dream.

Interestingly, this edition is completed by a Miss Marple short story, Greenshaw's Folly, which has the honour of being one Christie later reworked as inspiration for the full length mystery starring Poirot, Dead Man's Folly. This is an entertaining little story in which Miss Marple typically uses her extensive knowledge of human nature drawn from village life (in this case the foibles of a Mr Naysmith) and solves the crime from the comfort of her arm chair. It is fascinating to tease out the plot details and themes that gave rise to the later Poirot story too!

This collection is my December choice for the #ReadChristie2022 challenge, and is the final one of the year. I have had such fun discovering facets of Christie's writing that were completely new to me, as well as revisiting some favourites, as part of the challenge this year. I cannot wait to get started on a whole new theme for #ReadChristie2023!

About the author:

Agatha Christie is known throughout the world as the Queen of Crime. Her books have sold over a billion copies in English with another billion in over 70 foreign languages. She is the most widely published author of all time and in any language, outsold only by the Bible and Shakespeare. She is the author of 80 crime novels and short story collections, 20 plays, and six novels written under the name of Mary Westmacott.

A Little Christmas Panto (Audio Book) by Angela Britnell

 

A Little Christmas Panto by Angela Britnell.

Narrated by Laura Kirman.

Released 30th November 2022 by Ulverscroft Ltd.

From the cover:

Can a little Cornish village panto convince a troubled Hollywood heart throb to act again? Oh no it won't! At least that's what Zach Broussard initially thinks when the eccentric Anna Teague tries to railroad him into helping out with her community pantomime production in the run-up to Christmas.

Zach has his reasons for leaving Hollywood behind, and his retreat to the remote village of Polcarne in Cornwall signals the start of a new acting free life for him. But when Zach meets Anna's daughter, Rosey - an ex concert pianist who has swapped Mozart for panto tunes - he starts to wonder whether he could change his mind, and not just about acting. If nothing else, will the residents of Polcarne ensure Zach has a Christmas he never forgets? Oh yes they will!

***********

The tiny village of Polcarne is an unlikely place for a Hollywood star to go to ground, but Zach Broussard has his reasons for choosing to be as far away from the limelight as possible right now, and a rented barn conversion in Cornwall seems just the spot for him to find a way to heal from the heartache that plagues him.

Zach cannot see himself ever returning to the world of acting, but Polcarne's eccentric impresario Anna Teague has other ideas. She is in the full throes of organising this year's community pantomime and is determined to help along the friendship that has sprung up between him and her former concert pianist daughter Rosey, who is back in the village after the break up of her marriage.

Zach and Rosey are definitely attracted to each other, but will an amateur production of Aladdin create the magic they need for their own happily ever after?

A Little Christmas Panto provides just the right setting for two worlds to collide, as Hollywood heartthrob Zach, and Cornish pianist Rosey fall in love against the backdrop of more than your average community extravaganza. At first it seems that they cannot possibly be a good fit for each other despite the spark they feel, but under the surface they have more in common that they think, and I love the way they discover this ever so slowly over the course of the story.

In true rom-com style there are, of course, many hiccups to be overcome before the curtain comes down, with some tricky 'yes, they will/no they won't' moments, until Zach and Rosey are ready to fully open their hearts. In the mean time, the equally bumpy journey towards a panto that is suffering from a suspicious number of mishaps drives the tale, and the vivid cast of characters both on stage, and off, keeps you very entertained. 

The biggest character of all is the wonderful Anna, whose distinctive sartorial style is second to none, but there are a lot of other players to get you cheering (and booing), with story lines that bring in all manner of human emotion and some knotty real world issues  - especially around relationships, and the dynamics of small communities. I enjoyed how Britnell throws in all the elements you need from a rollicking rom-com, with lots of sentiment, laughter, and a quirky little Cornish community to take to heart, while blending in the more weighty storylines, and tying everything up nicely with an ending that brought a lump to my throat. There is also a very subtle mystery element that pops its head up in the odd goings on at the panto, which adds to the fun.

The narration by Laura Kirman is wonderful. She really takes you between the soft drawl of southern USA and the depths of rural Cornwall with her voice talents, keeping the pace going and packing in all the feeling you need to catch you up in the story. I absolutely loved listening to her, and now have a new name on my list of narrators to look out for. 

This was the perfect little story to set me up for Christmas. Yes, it was!

A Little Christmas Panto is available to buy now in paperback, ebook and audio formats.

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

About the author:

Angela grew up in Cornwall and returns frequently from her new home in Nashville, Tennessee to visit family and friends, drink tea and eat far too many Cornish pasties!

A lifelong love of reading turned into a passion for writing contemporary romance and her novels are usually set in the many places she's visited or lived on her extensive travels. Thanks to over three decades of marriage to her wonderful American husband she's a huge fan of transatlantic romance and always makes sure her characters get their own happy-ever-after.

She is a member of the Romantic Novelists' Association.

The White Priory Murders (Audio Book) by Carter Dickson

 

The White Priory Murders (Audio Book) by Carter Dickson.

Narrated by John Telfer.

Released 1st December 2022 by Ulverscroft Ltd.

Published in print and ebook 10th October 2022 by British Library Publishing Ltd.

First published in 1934.

From the cover: 

James Bennett, nephew of Sir Henry Merrivale (the cantankerous yet genius sleuth), has been invited to stay at White Priory for Christmas, among the retinue of the glamorous Hollywood actress Marcia Tait. Her producer, her lover, her playwright and her agent are all here along with the haughty master of the estate, Canifest and his daughter.

So many suspects they become when Marcia Tait is found dead on Christmas morning in the lakeside pavilion, having been left there alone the night before and with a distinct lack of footprints in the snow to reveal any possible killer. 

When Henry Merrivale arrives to piece together what appears to be an impossible crime, John Dickson Carr, writing under the pseudonym Carter Dickson, treats the listener to sensational twists, febrile tension between the closed circle of suspects and one of the most perfect solutions in the history of the genre.

***********

Young American diplomat James Bennett is invited for a Christmas sojourn at the stately White Priory, the former hideaway of Charles II, after becoming acquainted with a group of eccentric characters on a transatlantic voyage. However, something about the dynamic between them makes him unsettled. He decides to consult his uncle, the famous sleuth Sir Henry Merrivale (familiarly known as HM), for his opinion, and armed with his wisdom he sets off in the snow for what proves to be a very un-festive break.

At the centre of the circle is charismatic and headstrong Hollywood actress Marcia Tait, in England to star in a new play, The Private Life of Charles II. To establish some historic vibes, the oddball author of the play and master of White Priory, Maurice Bohun, has arranged a Christmas gathering. This is encouraged by his brother John, who is in love with Marcia - although John is less happy about the inclusion of the backer of the play and rival for the hand of the fair maiden, the domineering Lord Canifest. Throw in a famous male lead actor, Marcia's American producer, her stressed agent, Katherine the lovely niece of Maurice and John, Lord Canifest's brow-beaten daughter Louise, with a few loyal domestic servants, and you have the makings of a likely group of suspects for a murder. So it is not really a surprise when someone is killed on the first night of the festive revels, or that the victim is the manipulative Marcia herself, whose body is found brutally battered in the secluded pavilion where King Charles II entertained his lovers. 

Unfortunately for Chief Inspector Masters, who is given the unhappy task of finding the murderer after co-incidentally being in the neighbourhood to play Father Christmas, this is a 'locked room' murder like no other. The pavilion is sited in the middle of a frozen lake, which can only be accessed via a causeway, and there is an undisturbed covering of snow surrounding it. The clues simply do not add up, and as more violence unleashes itself on the party goers at White Priory, Masters is at a loss - until the genius of HM comes to his rescue. 

The format of this mystery is rather unconventional, as you are introduced to the cast of characters through Bennett's consultation with HM, which forms your expectations about their personalities before you meet them - but do not be fooled, as there are surprises to come. You are then tipped headlong into a knotty murder investigation, after Bennett arrives at White Priory in the early hours to discover Marcia Tait has been murdered - and it is clear from the start that the 'locked room' murder scene is going to be tricky to solve. Most delicious of all, is the fact that the one character that sits at the middle of the web, Marcia Tate, is someone you only ever see through the testimony of others - most of whom confess to holding a grudge against her as the threads twist and twist again.

This is very much a book that 'tells' rather than 'shows, and while it is devilishly devious and full of red herrings, it does lack the subtle story-weaving that marks my beloved Agatha Christie as the queen of the country house mystery. However, if you enjoy mystery stories that are driven by clever dialogue then there is a lot here to entertain, and the creepy setting of a snowy White Priors is gloriously atmospheric. I very much enjoyed how every theory about the murder crops up organically through conversation between the characters - both in private moments of disclosure, and through interviews with the adorably bumbling Chief Inspector Masters. My own solution was dashed about half-way through, which left me completely at a loss for how this crime could be solved - until of course, the cantankerous HM enters into the fray, and clears everything up with his sharp insight. 

The jury is out for me on HM's character, as he is quite difficult to warm to. His ways are shockingly brusque and rude (Hercule Poirot would not get far calling his suspects "fat heads" to their faces), but there is no doubt that he has an uncanny ability to get to the heart of the matter in double quick time, and the action certainly hots up a lot once he is on the scene. My favourite characters were James Bennett and Katherine Bohun, who are the most likeable of the bunch, and there is a lovely romantic plotline between them that is much more Agatha Christie than the rest of the novel. This is a good point to shower praise up the narrator John Telfer, because in a book this wordy and dialogue heavy it is no easy task to keep the complex plot flowing, but he does a remarkable job. At no point does this get bogged down, and he carries each character along beautifully, which is vital when you need to concentrate on who says what. 

This is a book that will appeal to the connoisseur of quirky Golden age crime. It is not the most accessible of stories, but I found myself completely caught up in the twists and turns, and the intense attention it demands was ultimately well rewarded. This is so much a 'play for voices' that there is no doubt in mind that listening to the audio format played a big part in this. I highly recommend trusting yourself to the capable talents of John Telfer, and sitting back to enjoy a story-telling ride as the best way to tackle this novel. 

Incidentally, there is a fascinating introduction to the story by Martin Edwards, which helpfully puts Carter Dickson's unusual detective in context before you begin, and I was delighted that this was included in the audio edition.

The White Priory Murders is available to buy now in paperback, ebook and audio formats.

Thank you to Ulverscroft for sending me an audio version of this book in return forvan honest review, and for inviting me to be part of this blog tour.

About the author: 

Carter Dickson was the pseudonym used by the American author John Dickson Carr (1906–1977) for his novels starring Sir Henry Merrivale. Carr was a prolific writer of highly regarded mysteries, many featuring Merrivale or Dr Gideon Fell. He moved to Britain in 1932 and was admitted to the Detection Club in 1936.

Christmas At The Little Knitting Box (New York Ever After Book One) by Helen Rolfe

 

Christmas At the Little Knitting Box (New York Ever After Book One) by Helen Rolfe. 

Published 31st May 2022 by Boldwood Books.

From the cover of the book: 

The Little Knitting Box has been in Cleo’s family for nearly four decades, and Cleo’s to manage for four years - ever since she arrived in New York, fresh off the plane from the Cotswolds. But instead of an early Christmas card in the mail this year, she gets a letter that tips her world on its axis. New York was supposed to be her second chance, do people get third chances?

Dylan has had a tumultuous few years. His marriage broke down, his mother passed away and he’s been trying to pick up the pieces as a stay-at-home dad. All he wants this Christmas is to give his kids the home and stability they need. But when he meets Cleo, he begins to see it’s not always so easy to move on, especially when his ex seems determined to win him back.

When the snow starts to fall, both Cleo and Dylan realise life is rarely black and white, and both have choices to make. Will Dylan follow his heart or his head? And will Cleo ever allow herself to be a part of another family when her own fell apart at the seams?

Full of snow, love and the true meaning of Christmas, this novel will have you hooked until the final page.

***********

Cleo has run her grandparents' store The Little Knitting Box in New York for four years, after escaping the heartache of a failed marriage in the UK. She loves the life she has made here, but the arrival of an unexpected letter has suddenly thrown all her plans into disarray. Where does her future lie now, and what should she do about the attraction she feels for Dylan, the man she has just met, who comes with complications of his own?

Dylan is a divorced single father, caring for his two small children after his wife walked out on them. Just when he thinks their lives are on an even keel, his ex-wife says she wants to try to pick up the pieces of their failed marriage and start again. But can they still be a family after all that has happened, and while he feels a strong attraction to Cleo? Should he follow his heart, or his head?

This is such a lovely little story about second (or even third) chances, and facing your fears to find a way to move on with the curved balls that life can throw at you. The story is told through the eyes of Cleo and Dylan as they try to deal with the very real dilemmas they face, with the added charm of a delightful meet-cute that unexpectedly strikes them both with Cupid's arrow. In true rom-com style, this meeting tips them headlong into a romantic adventure that is filled with the potential for something very special, if they are brave enough, but there are, of course, knotty situations and misunderstandings to be worked through before there can be a chance of a happy ending.

The setting of New York is a goldmine for a love story, and this has all the festive magic you could want - with a gorgeous nod to You've Got Mail. I loved the setting of a knitting shop, with so much detail about the wonderful yarns available, which really set my fingers twitching - this book needs yarn stockists listed in an appendix!

If you are after great multi-generational characters too, then there are more than enough to poke a stitch-holder at in these pages. I particularly loved how the relationship between Cleo and her step-mother Teresa develops over the course of the story, and how this changes Cleo's perspective on the direction she sees her own life taking. Tears were shed! 

There is something very interesting about the wealth of relatable depth that Rolfe brings to the soul-searching decisions that Cleo and Dylan must face when considering their future, which makes it more than your average rom-com tale. It is not always easy to know the right choice to make, especially if emotion and logic are pulling you in different directions, and Rolfe nicely explores how the weight of grief, marital breakdown, and heavy responsibilities come into play. I was struck with how she goes to great lengths to make this a story with shades of grey, showing many sides of the characters rather than resorting to caricatures, just like real life. It was a nice touch, and it makes the joyful ending all the better.

This is the perfect book to settle down with a cuppa and a mince pie in the run up to Christmas, and I lapped it up in one satisfying sitting. What a treat!

Christmas At the Little Knitting Box is available to buy now in paperback, ebook and audio formats now.

Thank you to Boldwood Books for sending me an ecopy of this book in return for an honest review, and for inviting me to be part of the festive readalong.

About the author: 

Helen Rolfe is the author of many bestselling contemporary women's fiction titles, set in different locations from the Cotswolds to New York. Most recently published by Orion, she is bringing sixteen titles to Boldwood - a mixture of new series and well- established backlist. Her first new title will continue her Heritage Cove series and be published in May 2022. She lives in Hertfordshire with her husband and children.

A Deadly Covenant (Detective Kubu) by Michael Stanley

 

A Deadly Covenant by Michael Stanley.

Published 8th December 2022 by Orenda Books.

From the cover of the book:

While building a pipeline near the Okavango Delta, a contractor unearths the remains of a long-dead Bushman. Rookie Detective David ‘Kubu’ Bengu of Botswana CID and Scottish pathologist, Ian MacGregor, are sent to investigate, and MacGregor discovers eight more skeletons.

Shortly after the gruesome discoveries, the elder of a nearby village is murdered in his home. The local police are convinced it was a robbery, but Kubu isn’t so sure … and neither is the strange woman who claims that an angry river spirit caused the elder’s death.

As accusations of corruption are levelled and international outrage builds over the massacre of the Bushman families, Kubu and his colleagues uncover a deadly covenant, and begin to fear that their own lives may be in mortal danger…

***********

When the remains of a long dead bushman are found during the excavations for a water pipeline near the Okavango Delta, young Detective David 'Kubu' Bengu of the Botswana CID finds himself in the middle of a tricky situation. In the company of Scottish pathologist, Ian MacGregor, things are about to get even more complicated when their examination of the scene turns up more remains, some of them belonging to children. 

The locals are less than co-operative, and no one seems interested in the massacre of a group of bushmen many years ago, especially since the investigation is holding up progress with the much needed water project that is supposed to bring prosperity to this desert wilderness. 

When a local elder is murdered, the bigoted station commander is desperate to lay the crime at the door of Selelo a bushman who has come in search of his ancestors, but Kubu's instincts tell him that he is innocent, and he calls on his mentor Assistant Superintendent Jacob Mabaku for aid. As Kubu and his colleagues go about searching for clues about what is really happening in the Kalahari, they begin to see that there is more at stake here than water politics. The sins of the past refuse to stay hidden, and the dead demand a reckoning.

A Deadly Covenant is my first visit to Botswana in the company of Kubu Bengu and his colleagues, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The story begins with the gruesome discovery of the resting place of a massacred group of bushmen, and burgeons into a mystery tale that brings in all manner of dark deeds to get your teeth into. This is small town Botswana, and although this is a new location for a crime story for me, there are all the delicious elements I look for in a sun-baked noir mystery, and its not long before Kubu and his friends begin to see that this investigation is going to be a lot more difficult to handle than expected.

There are so many lovely threads here around corruption, extortion, and revenge that twist and turn until all the nasty secrets of this community are exposed, and the way Kubu and co gradually tease them apart from the knotty mess infused with spiritual undertones presented to them is wonderful. I really enjoyed the relationship between the young Kubu and the dour older Scot MacGregor, which provided some charming moments as Kubu learns many things he did not know before - including how to drink. Kubu's association with his boss Makabu also develops nicely here, as he gains wisdom at the knee of his mentor. I particularly liked the episodes nearing the end of the investigation when MacGregor and Makubu are clearly on the same wavelength, and rookie Kubu has yet to catch up.

Many of my favourite things about this book go beyond the cracking mystery story though. This tale explores some really deep, and thought provoking, themes along the way. You cannot fail to be affected by the examination of prejudice against the indigenous bushmen, and I found the stark delineation between black, white, and bushmen quite upsetting - small town bigotry is well and truly alive out in the sticks of Botswana. Stanley uses the contrasting attitudes between the local and city cops beautifully to illustrate this too. Injustice is key to everything that happens, but Stanley also grapples with water politics, and the less than admirable qualities of big business rather nicely, blending all these complex themes into the myriad of factors that motivate the villains of the piece.

I cannot finish without a little word about the adorable Kubu. He is a delight - naive and raw, but with solid instincts that make him a force to be reckoned with. I adored how this fits so cleverly with his nickname - a hippo may indeed look harmless, but beware, as it may well pull you down to your doom. There is such an enchanting little romantic strand to the story too as he agonises over the future of his relationship with his 'love interest' Joy.

This book brought Botswana alive as a hot-bed of cunningly contrived criminal shenanigans, and I am really looking forward to delving into more stories about Detective Kubu! 

A Deadly Covenant is available to buy now in paperback, ebook and audio formats from your favourite book retailer, or direct from Orenda Books HERE.

About the author:

Michael Stanley is the writing team of Michael Sears and Stanley Trollip. Both were born in South Africa and have worked in academia and business. 

Stanley was an educational psychologist, specialising in the application of computers to teaching and learning, and is a pilot. Michael specialises in image processing and remote sensing, and teaches at the University of the Witwatersrand. 

On a flying trip to Botswana, they watched a pack of hyenas hunt, kill and devour a wildebeest, eating both flesh and bones. That gave them the premise for their first mystery, A Carrion Death, which introduced Detective ‘Kubu’ Bengu of the Botswana Criminal Investigation Department. It was a finalist for five awards, including the Crime Writers’ Association Debut Dagger. The series has been critically acclaimed, and their third book, Death of the Mantis, won the Barry Award for Best Paperback Original mystery and was a finalist for an Edgar award. Deadly Harvest was a finalist for an International Thriller Writers’ award. A Death in the Family and Dying to Live are the latest in the Detective Kubu series, published in 2017 by Orenda Books. Dead of Night the standalone thriller, was published in 2018.

The Secrets Of Rochester Place by Iris Costello

 

The Secrets of Rochester Place by Iris Costello.

Published 24th November 2022 by Penguin.

From the cover of the book:

Spring 1937: Teresa, a young Basque girl, is evacuated to London in the wake of the Guernica bombing. She thinks she has reached safety in the lofty halls of Rochester Place and the soothing arms of Mary Davidson, but trouble seeks her out wherever she goes...

Autumn 2020: Corrine, an emergency services operator, receives a call from a distressed woman called Mary. But when the ambulance arrives at Rochester Place - the address the woman gave them - she is nowhere to be found. No matter how hard she tries to forget, memories of Mary's raw fear haunt Corinne and secrets, long-hidden in Corinne's family tree, begin to surface.

Is Mary calling from beyond the grave? And what actually happened at Rochester Place all those years ago?

Set between the dusty halls of Rochester Place and the bustling streets of modern-day Tooting, this emotive, intricately layered mystery tells the spellbinding story of two people, separated by time, yet mysteriously connected through an enchanting Georgian house and the secrets within its walls. The perfect escapist read for fans of Kate Morton, Eve Chase and Lulu Taylor.

***********

London 1937: A young Basque girl called Teresa is evacuated to London in the wake of the destruction of Guernica, during the Spanish Civil War. Fearing she will never see her sister again, she finds a home with Mary and her husband at the faded Georgian grandeur of Rochester Place. But war has not yet finished with Teresa.

London, 2020. When Corinne, an emergency services operator, receives a distressing call from a woman called Mary, desperately pleading for help, she has no idea that it will open up a mystery surrounding a place that she never knew existed in her Tooting neighbourhood - for when the ambulance crew arrive at Rochester Place, all they find is a long neglected garden, with no house in sight.

As Corinne begins to look into the mystery, she learns about the history of Rochester Place and the fate of its inhabitants Mary and Teresa, during World War II. Can it be possible that she received a message from beyond the grave? There are secrets to be uncovered here, and little does she know that some of them lead back to the history of her own family.

This is a beautifully contrived time-slip mystery that moves back and forth between wartime and modern day Tooting. The wartime thread brings alive the tales of Teresa, a refugee child from the Spanish Civil War, and Mary, an Irish emigrée who has made London her home under unusual circumstances. In parallel, we follow the thread of Corinne's life in the present, as she uncovers the secrets of Rochester Place to discover that they relate to her own family's past.

Costello beautifully echoes a number of themes around family, identity, bigotry, and rebellion, through both timelines, bleeding them together with the use of delicious evocative scenes, places, and items from the past, in and around Rochester Place. She does not shy away from the horrors of war, and the human toll that comes with it - including suspicion, hatred, and misplaced revenge, but there is a lot of love too. Everything weaves together seamlessly, fully investing you in the triumphs and troubles of the characters in the past and the present. For most of the story, you cannot see where this is going, but gradually the threads come together in a lovely ending that ties them all together with a gorgeous bow of reconciliation, understanding and forgiveness that brought a lump to my throat and a tear to my eye.

One of my favourite things about this book is the way Costello underlies the modern strand of the story with a whisper of the supernatural, and how the lives that have come before can seep into the fabric of the buildings left behind. There is something of the ghost story about this that gives it an enchanting extra dimension, and she plays with this very cleverly in how those ghosts are laid to rest at the conclusion of the tale.

I read this book in a single glorious sitting. It celebrates love, survival, and the strength of the human spirit - especially women. It is the perfect read for those who adore compelling historical fiction that ties elegantly into the present, in a way that teaches you a thing or two about the circular nature of history. 

The Secrets of Rochester Place is available to buy now in paperback, ebook and audio formats.

Thank you to Penguin 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:

Iris Costello is the pseudonym of Nuala Ellwood, who was born in 1979. She has a BA Hons degree in Sociology from Durham University and a Master's in Creative Writing from York St John University where she is a visiting lecturer in Creative Writing. The author of six highly acclaimed novels, Nuala has a teenage son, Luke, and is based in York and South London.

Lady In The Car With Glasses And A Gun (Audio Book) by Sébastien Japrisot

 

Lady in the Car With Glasses And A Gun (Audio Book) by Sébastien Japrisot.

Translated from the French by Helen Weaver.

Narrated by Jenn Lee.

Released 11th August 2022 by Gallic Books.

From the cover:

Dany Longo is blonde, beautiful—and thoroughly unpredictable. After doing a favour for her boss, she finds herself behind the wheel of his exquisite Thunderbird on a sun-kissed Parisian morning. On impulse, she decides to head south.

What started as an impromptu joyride rapidly takes a turn for the chilling when strangers all along the unfamiliar route swear they recognize Dany from the previous day. But that’s impossible: She was at work, she was in Paris, she was miles away...wasn’t she?

From the author of A Very Long Engagement comes a tangled, terrifying psychological thriller worthy of Georges Simenon, Paula Hawkins, or Patricia Highsmith.

***********

One holiday weekend, Dany Longo, beautiful, blonde, secretary at a Parisian advertising agency, finds herself doing some extra work at the home of her boss, despite giving the impression to her colleagues that she has exciting plans for the weekend. The next day, after dropping her boss and his family at the airport, she is struck with a sudden dilemma - should she return the shiny, white Thunderbird she has been granted permission to drive, back to their home as arranged, or should she take off on a real adventure for once? She chooses the latter option, heading south in search of the sea, which she has never seen.

However, she soon becomes unsettled by reports from people she meets on her journey that they have met her before - the day before, in fact How can that be? As Dani heads closer to the coast, with events becoming ever more bizarre, she begins to question her sanity. Was she really in Paris yesterday, or is she the lady in the car, with the glasses, from the stories that people keep telling her they saw?

What a fabulous, Hitchcock-esque story this is! Part compelling 1960s road trip adventure, and part delicious noir crime story, this slow burn tale is a many layered conundrum that sucks you in. Told almost entirely through the account of Dany herself, it is pretty clear from the the start that she is a less than reliable narrator, especially since she admits creating a fictional image that she likes to portray to outside eyes to cover up her loneliness. 

When Dany suddenly has a serendipitous opportunity to head off on an adventure that allows her to play out some of her fantasies, she gets a lot more excitement that she bargains for. There is something strange about this road-trip, and as the surreal story unfolds, it enmeshes her in the fallout of a shocking crime. Her less than stable mental state is exposed, and as she takes us through the events of the moment and the fractured pieces of her memories, she begins to question reality. Has she done these things that people keep telling her she has? 

It is a long time before we find out whether she has or has not, and you are never quite sure of the truth of the matter until the delectable denouement. At each turn, you meet a likely cast of characters whose intentions may be good or otherwise, and your theory about what is really going on here flips back and forth as Dany's encounters with them add new information to the mixing pot. With lashings of mystery, and the most wonderful 60s noir vibes, this really does keep you guessing!

There are some lovely themes explored along the way in this story, especially around obsession, desire, pretence, guilt, and sins that come back to haunt us. There is a cleverly employed thread to the story around children and motherhood too, that slowly reveals itself as one that has a big impact on the unpredictable way Dany behaves. Although it is all very French, the transatlantic drawl of Jenn Lee works beautifully with the Hollywood star mystique that comes with a captivating blonde woman cruising the highways in an iconic Thunderbird, and her voice holds your attention with hypnotic power.

This story was voted one of the Sunday Times Best 100 crime novels, and although I had not heard of Sébastien Japrisot before listening to it, I can tell you that it certainly deserves its place on the list. If audio books are your thing, then I recommend listening to this as the best way to experience it. This is simply brilliant, and it held me spellbound. 

Lady in the Car with Glasses and a Gun is available to buy now in paperback, ebook and audio formats.

Thank you to Gallic Books for giving me an audio copy of this book in return for an honest review.

About the author:

Sébastien Japrisot (4 July 1931 – 4 March 2003) was a French author, screenwriter and film director, born in Marseille. His pseudonym was an anagram of Jean-Baptiste Rossi, his real name. Japrisot has been nicknamed “the Graham Greene of France”.

One Deadly Summer was made into a film starring Isabelle Adjani in 1983. A Very Long Engagement was an international bestseller, won the Prix Interallié and was later also made into a film starring Audrey Tatou in 2004.

Animal Life by Audur Ava Olafsdottir

 

Animal Life by Audur Ava Ólafsdóttir.

Translated from the Icelandic by Brian Fitzgibbon.

Published 8th December 2022 by Pushkin Press.

From the cover of the book:

In the days leading up to Christmas, Dómhildur delivers her 1,922nd baby. Beginnings and endings are her family trade; she comes from a long line of midwives on her mother's side and a long line of undertakers on her father's. She even lives in the apartment that she inherited from her grandaunt, a midwife with a unique reputation for her unconventional methods. 

As a terrible storm races towards Reykjavik, Dómhildur discovers decades worth of letters and manuscripts hidden amongst her grandaunt's clutter. Fielding calls from her anxious meteorologist sister and visits from her curious new neighbour, Dómhildur escapes into her grandaunt's archive and discovers strange and beautiful reflections on birth, death and human nature. For even in the depths of an Icelandic winter, new life will find a way.

***********

Dómhildur proudly follows a long tradition of midwives in her mother's family, and in the days running up to Christmas delivers her 1,922nd baby. Named for her formidable midwife grandaunt, she even lives in the apartment she inherited from her, but has been unable to bring herself to sort through all the possessions she left behind following her death year ago.

As a massive storm approaches Reykjavik, Dómhildur battles through the ice and snow to work through the night delivering babies and helping parents through times of joy and heartache, while trying to come to terms with where life has also brought her. Between the times she is immersed in her vocation, dealing with calls from her anxious meteorologist sister, and a embarking on a developing friendship with a tourist who has moved in upstairs, Dómhildur realises she has fallen between the cracks: the moment has come for her to tackle the things left behind by her grandaunt - and she discovers something unexpected.

Tucked away in a box in the wardrobe, her grandaunt has left behind a treasure trove of papers and manuscripts that show there was a lot more to her than her considerable midwifery wisdom. As she delves into the thoughts her namesake committed to paper, Dómhildur comes to understand so much more about, birth, life, and death; and how light can return, even in the darkest times - and she finds a way to move forward herself.

What a truly beautiful little book. I began to read this expecting a family tale about Icelandic midwives and their history, and although this is indeed what I have found, there is so much more!

The format of the book is somewhat unconventional, broken up between moments from Dómhildur's calling as a midwife, the time she spends in her apartment, snippets of wisdom from her grandaunt, conversations with her apprehensive sister, and the visitor upstairs - and, as the tale develops, the literary reflections taken from her grandaunt's writings. It does take a little while to get your head around the rhythm of the story, but you soon become lost in the way the scattered pieces come together.

"Everything connects..."

There is so much here about love, loss, fragility, and the philosophical questions that we ask ourselves as we navigate the triumphs and tragedies of life, and Ólafsdóttir does a magnificent job of weaving these themes throughout the very intimate moments she describes as well as the more abstract passages. My absolute favourite thing about this book is the way Ólafsdóttir uses light, in its many forms, to express the idea of hope in despair, which fits deliciously with the long days of Icelandic darkness that are once again brought alive by the return of the sun. However, she also expands the scope of this piece to bring in a myriad of meditations on connection, nature, and the environment too, which explore humanity, and climate change in the most thought provoking of ways.

This book completely worked its way under my skin in a way I did not foresee. It is tender, impassioned, and deeply moving, while also being esoteric, uplifting, and inspirational. It is a stirring combination, and I take my hat off to the translator Brian Fitzgibbon for deftly preserving the subtlety of the concepts explored in Olafsdottir spellbinding story. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

Animal Life is available to buy now in paperback and ebook formats.

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

About the author:

Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir is a prize-winning novelist, playwright and poet. Audur Ava's novels have been translated into over 25 languages, and they include Butterflies in November, Hotel Silence and Miss Iceland, also published by Pushkin Press. 

Hotel Silence won the Nordic Council Literature Prize, the Icelandic Literary Prize, and was chosen Best Icelandic Novel in 2016 by the booksellers in Iceland. Miss Iceland won the Prix Médicis Étranger and the Icelandic Booksellers Prize. 

Audur Ava lives in Reykjavik.

Dashboard Elvis Is Dead by David F. Ross

 

Dashboard Elvis is Dead by David F. Ross.

Published 8th December 2022 by Orenda Books.

From the cover of the book:

Renowned photo-journalist Jude Montgomery arrives in Glasgow in 2014, in the wake of the failed Scottish independence referendum, and it’s clear that she’s searching for someone.

Is it Anna Mason, who will go on to lead the country as First Minister? Jamie Hewitt, guitarist from eighties one-hit wonders The Hyptones? Or is it Rabbit – Jude’s estranged foster sister, now a world-famous artist?

Three apparently unconnected people, who share a devastating secret, whose lives were forever changed by one traumatic night in Phoenix, forty years earlier.

Taking us back to a school shooting in her Texas hometown, and a 1980s road trip across the American West – to San Francisco and on to New York – Jude’s search ends in Glasgow, and a final, shocking event that only one person can fully explain…

An extraordinary, gritty and tender novel about fate and destiny, regret and absolution – and a road trip that changes everything…

***********

Let us begin with a rainy Glasgow in 2014, reeling from the aftermath of the failed bid for Scottish independence, where American photo-journalist Jude Montgomery is searching for something, or is it someone? The answer to this mystery lies way ahead in the story, and David F. Ross leads us ever so slowly to the truth via a long and twisted path that throws absolutely everything at you in shades of gritty realism (from both sides of the Atlantic), road trip adventure, coming of age tale, band biopic, and gut-punching trip down memory lane. 

The story unfurls unconventionally, with a fabulous kick of existentialism, starting towards the end and then looking backwards across time with two central threads - one following the life of Jude Montgomery; and the other, the sad history of The Hyptones and how their dramatic failure to launch affected the lives of the band members. At first, it is hard to see how these threads relate to each other, until a violent episode one night in Phoenix, during the band's first tour of America, connects them in a way that leads to massive ripples through time. Deliciously, Ross also breaks the fourth wall by inserting himself into the story in the cleverest of ways with an anecdote that brings in Jamie Hewitt and the tale of The Hyptones - and ties into the cracking ending that broke my heart to pieces.

It is hard to sum this book up in a brief review, because there is just so much wonderful stuff packed into these pages. Ross delves into an exploration of the American psyche through Jude's story, spanning both coasts and small-town USA, touching on events that highlight the massive contradictions that characterise America, particularly gun culture, racism, and twisted notions of freedom. Her tale is threaded with themes of family, both birth and found, identity, guilt, and searching for meaning. This plays against other side of the tale, with a mixed bag of characters who make up The Hyptones and their associates, in a storyline full of equal parts dark Scottish humour and tragedy that impressively echoes many of the same themes, despite the marked difference in tone.

I love how Ross floods all parts of this book with references to songs, popular and musical culture, celebrity spotlights, and the historical events that have shaped generations. For someone my age, how Ross portrays the 80s is key to connecting with what he does in these pages, progressing onwards through the 90s and beyond in a manner that takes you right back the the time and place he sets his characters against - until you come full circle once again to the fateful culmination of each and every thread in 2014. It is genius.

Imagine, if you will, a little bit of On the Road, a splash of Natural Born Killers, a twist of Trainspotting, and perhaps a touch of a more edgy Spinal Tap, distilled into a heady concoction from Ross' imagination that begs to be swallowed whole. It might be hard to get your head around at first, but then blossoms into something absolutely stunning, and vividly cinematic. If there is such a thing as the great Scottish-American novel then this is it!

Reading this book has been an experience, and I absolutely loved it. This is my first book by David F. Ross, but it will certainly not be my last.

Dashboard Elvis is Dead is available to buy now in paperback, ebook and audio formats from your favourite book retailer, or direct from Orenda Books HERE.

Thank you to Orenda Books for sending me an ebook 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:

David F. Ross was born in Glasgow in 1964 and has lived in Kilmarnock for over 30 years. He is a graduate of the Mackintosh School of Architecture at Glasgow School of Art, an architect by day, and a hilarious social-media commentator, author and enabler by night. 

His debut novel The Last Days of Disco was shortlisted for the Authors Club Best First Novel Award, and optioned for the stage by the Scottish National Theatre. All five of his novels have achieved notable critical acclaim and There’s Only One Danny Garvey, published in 2021 by Orenda Books, was shortlisted for the prestigious Saltire Society Prize for Scottish Fiction Book of the Year. David lives in Ayrshire.

Arms Around Frank Richardson by Sylvia Colley

 

Arms Around Frank Richardson by Sylvia Colley.

Published 16th June 2022 by Muswell Press.

From the cover of the book:

The impact of traumatic childhood experience reverberates into the grown-up world of Frank, Alice and Henry – children from three families suffering the fall-out from their early life. 

Frank, a working-class boy abused by his step-father, Alice, physically disabled and frustrated, Henry, the less clever son of wealthy ambitious parents. 

From a rundown estate in Eastleigh, a small town in Darlington and an affluent Cotswold home, each character grapples with the life fate has handed them. Until by chance they all come together in adulthood, the repercussions are explosive. 

Spanning 30 years the scope of this novel is ambitious and the writing beautifully honed. Character and sense of place are masterfully achieved.

***********

Spanning nearly thirty years, beginning in 1965, this is a story about three people who struggle with the impact of the trauma of their early lives. We meet Frank first, by being tipped headlong into a childhood filled with heart-breaking abuse and neglect; then become acquainted with Alice, who has a congenital hip condition that makes her feel she is forever out of step in more than just a physical way, although part of a loving family; and Henry, who feels under-valued by his wealthy parents and in the shadow of his 'perfect' brother. The book swaps back and forth between each of the three central characters, with occasional interjecting chapters from others, jumping forward in time as they make their way in the world. 

Frank's story is the most compelling, which given the title of the book, is not surprising. Many of the scenes described about his life, and that of his sister Kitty, are difficult to read and provoke a visceral response. There is so much in their part of the book that examines repeating, dysfunctional patterns of behaviour, and the difficulties of overcoming them to live a fulfilling and happy life. My heart bled for them, time and time again. The stories of Alice and Henry, are less powerful in comparison, but they still explore some interesting ground around the perception of disability, expectation, parenthood, and marriage.

For most of the book, the characters lives only touch briefly, sometimes in gorgeous emotionally charged scenes that have them meeting directly, or through connection with other characters. I really enjoyed how this builds up a frisson of suspense, as you wait for the moment when their storylines must surely come together.

I confess that there are things that I am in two minds about with this book though. Frank's story is the one that consumes you, as it has real impact, and the way the book is written means you are immediately tied to his fate in a way that simply does not come across in Alice and Henry's parts of the tale. At times, I thought this would be much better as two books - one which concentrates entirely on Frank and Kitty, and another which delves into the lives of Alice and Henry - which would have allowed for a truly deep exploration of how their childhoods affected the course of the lives, and their ability to form relationships. I very much enjoyed what Colley attempts to do in the three storylines, but this does sometimes feel rushed and superficial, especially given the big jumps forward in time. I wanted more. For me, this is one of those books that would work so much better in audio format, as it would allow the reader to forge a more intimate bond with Alice and Henry through their voices, which it needs to balance out the whole.

It is also fair to say that the length of time it takes for the three storylines to be resolved does seem an eternity, making you wonder quite where all this is going. I am not quite sure that the ending really does convey what Colley intends it to either, especially given the confusing 'love triangle' element, which does not come full circle to the promising prologue. There is too much hinted at, and it needs a more satisfying ending given the lengthy build up.

However, I love the way Colley writes, and what she gets across with her words about the pivotal moments that shape our ability to navigate the world is impressive. She offers so much about real lives, hard fought little wins, learning to deal with our pasts, and trying to find happiness, that is a joy to experience. There is a lot of pain and anguish in this story, but there are many moments of true love too, and it really does make you think about what family means.

Arms Around Frank Richardson is available to by now in paperback, and ebook formats.

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

About the author:

Sylvia Colley lives in Pinner, North London and spent many years as Head of English at the Purcell School. She has published a book of poetry, It’s Not What I Wanted Though and two novels, Lights on Dark Water and Ask Me to Dance. Her poetry and a documentary, The Tale of Three Daughters, about her life and the loss of two of her children, have been broadcast on BBC Radio 4.

An Unfamiliar Landscape by Amanda Huggins

 

An Unfamiliar Landscape by Amanda Huggins.

Published 6th October 2022 by Valley Press.

From the cover of the book:

Stories from the city, the sea, the forest; stories from places where everything is not always as it first appears… 

From a rain-soaked Berlin to a neon-lit Tokyo, the midwest of North America to the Parisian backstreets, a suburban London kitchen to a fishing village on the Yorkshire coast, wherever these characters are travelling from or to, they are all navigating unfamiliar ground in search of answers. 

These are stories of yearning to belong, of the urge to escape – tales of grief and alienation, of loss and betrayal, love and hope.

***********

A new book from Amanda Huggins is always guaranteed to be a treat for the senses, so I was really looking forward to reading this brand new collection of short stories, An Unfamiliar Landscape.

Huggins likes to take her readers around the world in her short story collections, which is just what these tales do, stopping more than once in Japan, and on the North Yorkshire coast, which are my favourite locations as backdrops for her writing. 

The locations may be diverse, the characters different in each one, and the trials and tribulations they face unrelated, but there is an intriguing theme that ties them together. In each one, the characters reach a pivotal moment in their lives, when something happens to make them look at a situation, a relationship, or themselves, in a different way. The sudden change of perspective in each one hits you with emotionally charged force, whether it be a positive change towards hope and connection, or a plummet towards isolation and despair. 

They are all thoroughly compelling in their own way, especially the ones that delve deep into loss in its many forms, and I love the way Huggins plays with the pull of the sea (one of may favourite things about her stories), and the natural world, in many of them. I adored them all, but there are special mentions for these: two stories that made me sob, The Names of the Missing, and Swimming to the Other Side, which are probably the most poignant of the bunch; Eating Unobserved, set in the Parisian backstreets, and oozing with understated passion and longing; and that starkly contrasting Waiting to Fall and People Like You, which are both set in room 409 of Ragwood Hall hotel (Amanda, I am so ready for a whole series of stories about room 409!).

There are stories here to please everyone, whether you like them warm and cosy, dark, sad, or uplifting, and whatever your pleasure I defy you to get to the end without having run the whole gamut of the emotional range. That is pretty impressive for a collection packed in a book a smidge over 150 pages.

Every time I review something by Amanda Huggins I say what a huge fan I am of her work. I make no apologies for repeating these sentiments once more. I swallowed this tasty morsel whole, and think it might be my favourite Huggins' short story collection yet.

An Unfamiliar Landscape is available to buy now in paperback and ebook formats, from your favourite book seller, or direct from Valley Press HERE.

Thank you to Amanda Huggins and Valley Press for sending me a paperback copy of this book in return for an honest review.

About the author:

Amanda Huggins is the author of the novellas Crossing the Lines and All Our Squandered Beauty, both of which won the Saboteur Award for Best Novella, in 2021 and 2022 respectively. She has also published three collections of short fiction – Brightly Coloured Horses, Separated From the Sea and Scratched Enamel Heart, and a poetry collection, The Collective Nouns for Birds, which won the 2020 Saboteur Award for Best Poetry Pamphlet. Scratched Enamel Heart includes her COSTA SHORT STORY AWARD prize-winning story, 'Red'.

Amanda's work has been published in fiction and poetry anthologies, travel guides, text books and literary magazines, as well as in The Guardian, The Telegraph, Reader's Digest, Take a Break’s Fiction Feast, Traveller, Popshot, Mslexia, Wanderlust, Tokyo Weekender and Writers' Forum. Her work has also been broadcast on BBC radio.

Her travel writing has won several awards, notably the British Guild of Travel Writers New Travel Writer of the Year Award in 2014, and she has twice been a finalist in the Bradt Travel Writer of the Year Award. Her flash fiction has been shortlisted for the Bridport Prize and the Fish Prize and was included in the 2019/20 BIFFY50 list of the fifty best UK flash fictions. In 2020 Amanda won the Colm Toibin International Short Story Award, and in 2021 she won the H E Bates Short Story Prize and was a runner-up in the Fish Short Story Prize and the annual Writers in Kyoto prize.

Her next short story collection, An Unfamiliar Landscape, will be published in October 2022 by Valley Press, and her full-length poetry collection, Talk to Me about When We Were Perfect, will be published in 2023 by Victorina Press.

 November 2022 Reading Round-Up

Fourteen lovely books on the menu in November! Click on the photos below to go to my reviews.

Inside Threat by Roger A. Price

Christmas Eve at Cranberry Cross by Kate Forster

Havana Fever by Leonardo Padura

The Poison Machine by Robert J. LLoyd

The Prisoner by B.A.Paris

Finding Happiness at Penvennan Cove by Linn B. Halton

The Stars Undying by Emery Robin

The Coming Darkness by Greg Mosse

The Weather Woman by Sally Gardner

The Automobile Assassination by M.J. Porter

The Cornish Cream Tea Bookshop by Cressida McLaughlin

Mad Honey by Jodie Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan

The Heart of the Sun Warrior by Sue Lynn Tan

The 4.50 from Paddington by Agatha Christie

More great books incoming for December - which is looking like a busy month bookwise!

If you have enjoyed my pictures above, please stop by my Instagram account @brownflopsy for more!