Welcome to my personal book blog - Brown Flopsy's Book Burrow!!
I am mad about books in all their forms - paper books, e-books and audio books - they are all good to me!
I review books in their many forms - both new and old - and share the bookish love. You may also see me talking about books on Twitter and Instagram (@brownflopsy).
I always try to give honest reviews and the views expressed here are completely my own.
Search This Blog
Tuesday, December 31, 2030
Thursday, March 28, 2024
Crow Moon (A Martha Strangeways Investigation Book One) by Suzy Apsley
Crow Moon (A Martha Strangeways Investigation Book One) by Suzy Apsley.
Published 14th March 2024 by Orenda Books.
From the cover of the book:
When the crow moon rises, the darkness is unleashed…Martha Strangeways is struggling to find purpose in her life, after giving up her career as an investigative reporter when her young twins died in a house fire.
Overwhelmed by guilt and grief, her life changes when she stumbles across the body of a missing teenager – a tragedy that turns even more sinister when a poem about crows is discovered inked onto his back...
When another teenager goes missing in the remote landscape, Martha is drawn into the investigation, teaming up with DI Derek Summers, as malevolent rumours begin to spread and paranoia grows.
As darkness descends on the village of Strathbran, it soon becomes clear that no one is safe, including Martha…
Both a nerve-shattering, enthralling and atmospheric thriller and a moving tale of grief and psychological damage, Crow Moon is a staggeringly accomplished debut and the start of an addictive, unforgettable series.
About the author:
Originally from the north east of England, former journalist Suzy Aspley has lived in Scotland for almost 30 years. She writes crime and short stories often inspired by the strange things she sees in the landscape around her.Tuesday, March 26, 2024
The Lagos Wife by Vanessa Walters
The Lagos Wife by Vanessa Walters.
Published 29th February 2024 by Hutchinson Heinemann.
From the cover of the book:
THE PERFECT WIFE. THE PERFECT MURDER.Nicole Oruwari has the perfect life: a handsome husband, a palatial house in the heart of Lagos and a glamorous group of friends. She left London and a troubled family past behind to become part of a community of expat wives.
But when Nicole disappears without a trace after a boat trip, the cracks in her so-called perfect life start to show.
Friday, March 22, 2024
Deliverance by James Dickey (Audio Book)
Deliverance by James Dickey.
Narrated by Will Paton.
Audio book released 31st October 2011 by Audible Studios.
From the cover:
The 1970 smash-hit best seller that inspired the acclaimed 1972 film starring Jon Voight, Burt Reynolds, Ned Beatty, and Ronny Cox is now available in unabridged audio for the very first time.The setting is the Georgia wilderness, where the state's most remote white-water river awaits. In the thundering froth of that river, in its echoing stone canyons, four men on a canoe trip discover a freedom and exhilaration beyond compare. And then, in a moment of horror, the adventure turns into a struggle for survival as one man becomes a human hunter who is offered his own harrowing deliverance.
This classic tale is vividly read by movie and TV star and Audie Award-winning narrator Will Patton.
***********
Deliverance by James Dickey is a novel that has long been on my list of books to read, since seeing the 1972 film adaptation directed by John Boorman (screenplay written by Dickey and Boorman). It is a film that tends to linger in the imagination for a number of reasons, not least the beautifully conjured atmosphere, the iconic 'duelling banjos' sequence, and the shocking 'piggy' scene.
I have finally got around to this one via the awesome voice talents of actor Will Paton through the unabridged Audible Studios audio book, which is an incredible listen - and better in every way than the film (of course), which is saying a lot.
The story follows a group of four city dwelling friends, who decide to take a canoeing trip down the Cahualawasee River valley in Northern Georgia, before the valley is dammed and turned into a lake. Alpha male Lewis persuades his bestie Ed and two other pals Bobby and Drew that they can reconnect with their lost inner male essence by pitting themselves against nature for a weekend in the wilderness. However, despite Lewis' reassurance that he knows the area well and admires the grit of the 'friendly' locals, having hunted and fished along the Cahualawasee, they are soon out of their depth in more ways that one.
The run up to the weekend, the fateful trip itself, and the aftermath of the terrifying events that mark them for ever, are all narrated from the point of view of Ed. His story is one filled with fear and menace, as events go steadily awry and tip them into a battle for survival that not all of them will make it through, but it is also a beautifully written account of raw emotion, as he voices his thoughts about experiences they have never been confronted by before... or ever wish to be part of again. This is the kind of story that grips you tight, holding you in the moment as the characters face life and death decisions, and although I have not read any of the poetry for which Dickey is better known, you can really feel the skill of a poet in his writing.
This is only a short book, at 252 pages (7 hours and 31 minutes of utterly compelling moments in audio), but it is brutal, haunting, and intense. There is something very powerful about the way Dickey uses a wild valley, soon to be lost for ever under a deluge by water, as a metaphor to represent the four men overwhelmed by the creep of middle age, and how he plays off their mid-life crisis worries against actual danger. At times, this reminded me of Conrad's Heart of Darkness, and it is a shame that Dickey's career as a novelist did not really take off after this, his first and most successful, book.
Highly recommended if you love a story that has you on a knife edge, and deftly explores the group dynamics between the four men pushed to their very limits... and beyond.
Deliverance is available to buy now in paperback and audio formats.
About the author:
James Dickey was born in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1923 and published his first book of poetry, Into the Stone, in 1960. In 1966 his Buckdancer's Choice won the National Book Award. His first novel, Deliverance, appeared in 1970. Dickey's magnificent poetry, criticism and fiction rank him among the seminal authors of our time.Thursday, March 21, 2024
A Clash Of Kings (A Song Of Ice And Fire Book Two) by George R.R. Martin (Audio Book)
A Clash of Kings (A Song of Ice And Fire Book Two) by George R.R. Martin.
Audio book narrated by Roy Dotrice.
Released 3rd November 2015 by Harper Collins.
From the cover:
The complete, unabridged audiobook of A Clash of Kings.Throughout Westeros, the cold winds are rising.
From the ancient citadel of Dragonstone to the forbidding lands of Winterfell, chaos reigns as pretenders to the Iron Throne of the Seven Kingdoms stake their claims through tempest, turmoil and war.
As a prophecy of doom cuts across the sky - a comet the colour of blood and flame - five factions struggle for control of a divided land. Brother plots against brother and the dead rise to walk in the night.
Against a backdrop of incest, fratricide, alchemy and murder, the price of glory is measured in blood.
HBO’s hit series A Game of Thrones is based on George R. R. Martin’s internationally best-selling series A Song of Ice and Fire, the greatest fantasy epic of the modern age. A Clash of Kings is the second volume in the series.
Wednesday, March 20, 2024
The Bordeaux Book Club by Gillian Harvey
The Bordeaux Book Club by Gillian Harvey.
Published 15th March 2024 by Boldwood Books.
From the cover of the book:
Love books? The Bordeaux Book Club is seeking new members!When Leah and her husband moved to France, it was with the dream of becoming self-sufficient. But in truth, it’s not the ‘good life’ she’d imagined, as three hours of digging barely yield a single straggly carrot. Worse, her teenage daughter is acting up, and her husband seems to find every strange excuse under the hot French sun to disappear.
So when her friend entreats her to join the new bookclub she’s forming, Leah decides it’s something she will do for herself. The chance to make new friends, to drink a few glasses of wine, and to escape into stories that take her miles away from the life she’d thought would be her own happy-ever-after.
But the book club is a strange group of misfits. There’s prickly Grace, who lives alone and seems to know everybody and like no-one. Buttoned-up Monica, who says her husband is away and appears to be parenting her baby all alone. Handsome builder George, who has barely read a book before. And Alfie – who is a full two decades younger than everyone else, and is hiding a devastating secret…
As the stories they read begin to bring the new friends closer together, Leah is about to discover that happy-ever-afters don’t always look how you expect them to…
Monday, March 18, 2024
The Big Four by Agatha Christie
The Big Four by Agatha Christie.
This edition published 3rd March 2008 by Harper Collins. Originally published in 1927.
From the cover of the book:
A ruthless international cartel seeks world domination…Framed in the doorway of Poirot’s bedroom stood an uninvited guest, coated from head to foot in dust. The man’s gaunt face stared for a moment, then he swayed and fell.
Who was he? Was he suffering from shock or just exhaustion? Above all, what was the significance of the figure 4, scribbled over and over again on a sheet of paper?
Friday, March 15, 2024
The Mystery Of Haverford House by Rachel Burton
The Mystery of Haverford House by Rachel Burton.
Published 14th March 2024 by Aria.
From the cover of the book:
A captivating and moving tale of love, the true meaning of home, and the haunting secrets that can bind generations.1933. Annie Bishop is sixteen years old when she first climbs the steps of Haverford House ready to take service as a maid. She knows her place until, during a summer of high society, she crosses paths with wealthy America heir, Thomas Everard. In his arms, Annie dares to dream of a different life.
Until she vanishes without a trace.
2003. Viola Hendricks knows what it's like to dream big. So when she reads about Annie's disappearance shortly before she sees an advert for a job at Haverford House, it seems fate is at work. Five years later, when the house faces closure, Viola is determined to do everything she can to keep it open. What's not in her plans is enigmatic American Chase Matthews, with an agenda of his own…
If they want to save Haverford House, they must look for answers together - but are they prepared for the truth about what really happened to Annie Bishop?
Thursday, March 14, 2024
No Life For A Lady by Hannah Dolby (Paperback Release)
No Life for a Lady by Hannah Dolby.
Published in paperback 14th March 2024 by Aria.
From the cover of the book:
Violet Hamilton is a woman who knows her own mind. Which, in Victorian Hastings, can make things a little complicated...At 28, Violet's father is beginning to worry she will never find a husband. But every suitor he presents, Violet finds a new and inventive means of rebuffing.
Because Violet does not want to marry. She wants to work, and make her own way in the world. But more than anything, she wants to find her mother Lily, who disappeared from Hastings Pier 10 years earlier.
Finding the missing is no job for a lady, but when Violet hires a seaside detective to help, she sets off a chain of events that will put more than just her reputation at risk.
Can Violet solve the mystery of Lily Hamilton's vanishing before it's too late?
A delightfully joyful, funny and gripping historical novel, perfect for fans of The Lady's Guide to Fortune Hunting and The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels.
However, before she can really get on with the business of deciding how to spend her life, she needs to discover what happened to her mother. Not knowing where to start, she secretly hires a private detective, only to find that the dubious Mr Knight has some very unsavoury ideas about the mystery, and is not too concerned about destroying her and her mother's reputations in pursuit of a perverse agenda of his own. This state of affairs cannot be allowed to continue...
Violet decides to try her luck at being a lady detective to see if she can locate her mother before Mr Knight, with the reluctant help of the handsome furniture seller Mr Blackthorn (also a former private detective). This unexpectedly takes her on a voyage of discovery about life for a woman in late Victorian society. Can Violet become mistress of her own fate, and solve the mystery of her missing mother before matters get out of hand?
No Life for a Lady is an absolute joy of a late Victorian caper, set within the quiet streets of Hastings. Violet has all the makings of a heroine right from the start, if only she can acquire the means to escape the determination of her boorish father to get her married off. When she decides to get to the truth about her mother's disappearance, she sets in motion a bizarre series of events that lead her into danger, and help her get to grips with relationships, sexual attraction and the mysteries of the marital bed. She finds out some uncomfortable things about her mother, and the state of her parents' marriage in the process.
This is a light and easily consumed read, packed with humorous moments that have you laughing out loud, but its genius lies is the clever way it also touches on so many intriguing themes about the lives of Victorian women. The expectation that respectable young ladies should confine their interests to becoming dutiful wives, with all that entails, is central to the story, and there are many laughs to be had at Violet's expense in the delicious scenes Dolby contrives. The double standards between the sexual freedoms enjoyed by men and women is explored beautifully, with a foray into the hidden sex trade in outwardly respectable Hastings, and Dolby brings in many aspects of sexuality and desire too.
I thoroughly enjoyed how Dolby uses the historical setting of this story to bust open some of the myths about sex in the Victorian world, and the characters are an absolute delight - particularly the women, who are the focus throughout. The mystery of Violet's mother's disappearance allows Dolby to bring in a few dastardly cads to boo and hiss at, and the melodramatic ending has you punching the air with glee. There is a quirky romantic thread for Violet too, that is pretty darned heart-warming. I loved it and cannot wait for the follow-up, How to Solve Murders Like a Lady, which is out on 6th June 2024!
Tuesday, March 12, 2024
The Collapsing Wave (The Enceladons Trilogy: Book Two) by Doug Johnstone
The Collapsing Wave (The Enceladons Trilogy: Book Two) by Doug Johnstone.
Published 14th March 2024 by Orenda Books.
From the cover of the book:
Six months since the earth-shattering events of The Space Between Us, the revelatory hope of the aliens' visit has turned to dust and the creatures have disappeared into the water off Scotland's west coast.Teenager Lennox and grieving mother Heather are being held in New Broom, a makeshift US military base, the subject of experiments, alongside the Enceladons who have been captured by the authorities.
Ava, who has given birth, is awaiting the jury verdict at her trial for the murder of her husband. And MI7 agent Oscar Fellowes, who has been sidelined by the US military, is beginning to think he might be on the wrong side of history.
When alien Sandy makes contact, Lennox and Heather make a plan to escape with Ava. All three of them are heading for a profound confrontation between the worst of humanity and a possible brighter future, as the stakes get higher for the alien Enceladons and the entire human race…
Sequel to the bestselling The Space Between Us, The Collapsing Wave is an exquisite, epic first-contact novel, laced with peril and populated by unforgettable characters, and the awe-inspiring book we all need right now…
"Reality is not things, it's the connection between things..."