A Duke Of One's Own by Emma Orchard

 

A Duke of One's Own by Emma Orchard.

Published 22nd April 2024 by Boldwood Books.

From the cover of the book:

Summer, 1816. A notorious rebel is about to meet her match...

Lady Georgiana Pendlebury is no stranger to breaking the rules of polite society. But when a so-called ‘friend’ invites her to a clandestine party, Georgiana is shocked to discover the event is more scandalous than even she could have imagined. So when a mysterious stranger offers help, she accepts, not realising their encounter will turn her life upside down.

Later that summer, Georgiana is invited to attend a house party at an infamous castle in Yorkshire. The gathering is a loosely veiled effort to arrange a marriage for the Duke of Northriding, who desperately needs an heir. Duke Gabriel Mauleverer has a terrible reputation as a rake, and Georgiana is happy to be a guest purely for the entertainment, but upon arrival, she is shocked to discover that the Duke is none other than the stranger who rescued her weeks earlier.

As the other ladies vie for the Duke’s attention, Georgiana is desperate to avoid their shocking secret getting out. But she finds herself caught, unable to avoid Gabriel’s gaze. Are they a threat to each other? Or could they be the answer to each other’s greatest desires?

***********

Summer, 1816. Lady Georgiana Pendlebury's rebellious nature has got her into a scrape or two, but her next adventure might just be a scandalous step too far. Having shrugged off her chaperone, she dons a mask and man's clothing to attend a private gathering, but it is not until she arrives that she realises this is much more of a risque affair than she was prepared for. To put it bluntly, this is an orgy. Having been abandoned by the 'friend' that invited her here, she knows she should flee, but is frozen to the spot. A handsome man with silver streaked hair offers to rescue her from her predicament, and in a moment of unrestraint she finds herself leaping over the bounds of propriety in a most enlightening way.

Later that summer, Georgiana is invited to a house party at the Yorkshire castle of an infamous duke, in the company of a friend of the family. She is surprised to discover that a bevy of marriageable young ladies have also been invited. The word is that Gabriel, Duke of Northriding, known for his rakish reputation, is looking for a wife to provided him with an heir, and Georgiana looks forward to watching the marriage game play out from the side-lines - until the moment she meets the Duke. Their eyes lock, and they both realise that this is not their first encounter.

As the competitive young ladies of the haut ton vie for the Duke's attention, Georgiana is desperate to protect her secret. She attempts to keep her distance, but the powerful attraction between them cannot be denied. Is she in real danger, or could this man be just what she has been looking for?

I am not a big reader of Regency romances, but in search of a light read, this book caught my eye, and I decided to take the plunge. The story follows the enjoyable course of the will-they-won't-they, Bridgerton-esque love story of Georgiana and Gabriel, who have unexpectedly met their match in each other, set against a lovely Gothic backdrop.

Orchard hits the sexy Regency vibe from the word go, having a ball with time and place. She gets into her stride with atmospheric lingering glances, and heaving bosom moments as the cat and mouse romance proceeds in the Yorkshire wind and wuthering, while the back-biting theatrics of the ton plays out. Inevitably, passion overflows, and events overtake the couple, leading to a change of venue and dramatic scenes in Regency York that are the consequence of Georgiana's rebellious past, which added a lovely bit of intrigue.

The dynamic between Georgiana and Gabriel is full of sexual tension, and their relationship develops emotional depth as they get to know each other, upping the swoon-worthy factor. There are several, moderately spicy, open-door scenes, which I thought were well written, and just graphic enough not to be cringeworthy - with a sprinkling of coy language to evoke the Regency feeling. Orchard cleverly subverts the 'rogue overpowers innocent young thing' trope too, exploring consent in a historical setting and putting Georgiana very much in charge of her fate. She also touches on some interesting themes about the double standards for men and women in Regency society, family, friendship, legacy, loss, motherhood, and different shades of sexuality to set you pondering.

As the story unfurled, referencing past events, I was occasionally struck by the feeling that this book was not the first one to feature Georgiana and her family.  A little light research told me that there are earlier books too, which I look forward to seeking out, but you can easily read this one as a standalone.

This was such a fun and engaging Regency romp, full of wit, humour, romance, and raunch. It was just the job as a rainy weekend read. Emma Orchard, you have a new fan! 

A Duke of One's Own is available to buy now in paperback, ebook and audio formats.

About the author:

Emma was born in Salford and studied English Literature at the universities of Edinburgh and York. She was a copy editor at Mills & Boon, where she met her husband in a classic enemies-to-lovers romance. Emma has worked in television and as a Literary Agent, and started writing in 2020.

The Secret Orchard by Sharon Gosling

 

The Secret Orchard by Sharon Gosling.

Published 12th September 2024 by Simon and Schuster.

From the cover of the book:

Can a return to the past be the start of something new?

Bette and Nina Crowdie have never been close – the ten-year age difference doesn’t help, and Bette’s rarely been home since she left for university at eighteen.

When their father passes away and unexpectedly splits the family farm between them, Nina is furious and afraid. She’s been working at the farm for the past five years. It’s the only home her young son, Barnaby, has ever had, and she’s convinced that Bette will sell at the first chance she gets. When they discover the huge debt their father has been hiding, Bette reluctantly agrees to help her sister. But that means they have to find a way to work together, and Bette must face up to the real reason she left all those years ago.

Could a long-forgotten diary and the discovery of a secret orchard on their land help save the farm – and the sisters’ relationship?

***********

Sisters Bette and Nina have never been close. The ten year age gap between them when growing up on their father's Scottish farm was insurmountable, and their lives have taken very different paths - Bette leaving as soon as she could to pursue a legal career in London, and Nina staying behind to work on the farm, where she now lives as a single mother with her young son, Barney.

Now their father has passed away, and his funeral brings Bette back to Scotland, where she has not been in years. Nina feels nothing but resentment and bitterness about Bette's long absence, wishing her gone before she even arrives - and Bette plans to stay no longer that necessary, plagued with memories of her youth she would rather forget. 

But the sisters' reunion is going to be longer than they anticipated. Once the funeral is over, they find that rather than leaving the farm to Nina, their father has split ownership of the property between them. And the surprises continue to come when they learn he has left considerable debts that somehow need to be settled. Feelings are running high, and prospects of saving the farm look bleak - until they discover the existence of a secret cliff-top orchard on their land, that they had no idea was there.

It turns out that this is a very special orchard indeed, with a very unusual history. Could this be the solution to their troubles, and a way to breach the distance between them at the same time?

The Secret Orchard is an enchanting, and immersive, story that combines a historical mystery with heart-wrenching family dramas, and all the romantic suspense of not one, but two smashing love stories!

The tale begins with an intriguing prologue that hints at the complicated history of the orchard, and then unfurls through the twists and turns of the emotionally supercharged story of Bette and Nina's attempts to save the farm. Spending time together in their joint crusade gradually brings them closer together, aided by the presence of the adorable Barney, and there are heart-warming moments galore as their relationship thaws - especially once they are able to open up to each other about their separate heartaches, and forgive each other for years of perceived slights. 

Alongside the transformation in their relationship, the opportunity for second-chance love comes calling for both sisters, in an enjoyable mix of enemies to lovers AND friends to lovers storylines that hit that magic sweet spot - once the necessary rocky trials of misunderstandings, challenging set-backs, and unforeseen disasters perpetrated by the unscrupulous, have been overcome, of course. 

This is character-led gorgeousness of the type Gosling does so well, and it works beautifully with the clever threads of mystery about the orchard's past, and the care needed to bring it back to life. There is so much engaging detail about cider making and its history too, which I found absolutely fascinating. The location oozes atmosphere, and you can almost smell the sea and taste the apples. The characters and community are fabulous, and the echoing themes weave into so many parts of the story with accomplished flair. 

Utter escapist loveliness, and another winner from Sharon Gosling. 

The Secret Orchard is available to buy now in paperback, ebook and audio formats.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster 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: 

Sharon started her career as an entertainment journalist, writing non-fiction books about film and television. She is also the author of multiple children's books. Sharon and her husband live in a small village in northern Cumbria.

The Friend Zone Experiment by Zen Cho

 

The Friend Zone Experiment by Zen Cho.

Published 8th August by Pan Macmillan.

From the cover of the book:

From the outside, Renee Goh’s life looks perfect. She’s thirty and beautiful, running a glamorous–and successful–fashion company in London, and dating a hot pop star.

Until she’s dumped. Estranged from her family in Singapore, too, happiness soon feels a world away. A chance encounter with her first love, Yap Ket Siong, makes her question what she really wants. Then Renee’s father calls from Singapore and offers her the chance to become the successor of the family business, one of the largest conglomerates in Southeast Asia. Her father’s approval would mean everything - if she can fight off the competition of her unpredictable older brothers.

Just as she’s focusing on her future and a possible move back to Singapore, sparks seriously start to fly with Ket Siong, shaking her resolve to keep him in the friend zone. But he left her heartbroken at university - will either of them dare to share their feelings the second time around? Or will family business mean they can’t bank on each other...

***********

Renee Goh's life appears picture perfect. At just thirty-years-old she is running her own successful fashion company in London, and seems to be living the high life. However, appearances can be deceptive. She lives to work, is estranged from her wealthy family in Singapore, and has been unceremoniously dumped by the Taiwanese pop star she thought was 'the one'. 

But Renee does not have time to mope about the downturn in her mostly non-existent love life. Just as she is wiping her tears, her father calls to say that he is stepping down from running his business empire, the Chahaya Group, and he is considering her as the next CEO - providing she can prove that she is able to work alongside her unscrupulous brothers... the very brothers who tried to ruin her business prospects when she still lived in Singapore.

This will be a challenge, but the need to have her father's approval lingers. She is going to have to disregard past grievances if she wants this opportunity, but is it asking too much of her when she discovers this will also mean schmoozing with a controlling ex she has not seen for ten years?

As professional as Renee is, her emotions are all over the place. So when she unexpectedly bumps into another face from the past, Yap Ket Siong, her first love who broke her heart, and discovers the connection between them is just as strong as it used to be, passion boils over. But Ket Siong is dealing with dangerous problems of his own, pursuing vengeance for wronged friends and family. Neither of them is in the right place for a relationship, but could they be still be friends?

I came to this story expecting a simple rom-com affair, but it actually turned out to be a highly enjoyable page-turner along the lines of Crazy Rich Asians meets Succession meets K-Drama, threaded with a tender romance - and let me tell you that I am definitely here for this winning combination!

Renee is a great character, who has had to break away from her super-wealthy Singaporean family, going against tradition and the wishes of her domineering father to pursue her dreams. She lives a glamorous, hard working, successful (if lonely) life in London, despite the interference of her despicable, wayward brothers. Now she has to rethink her entire future if she wants a shot at taking on the big prize - the chance to take over her father's huge business empire.

Her story burgeons with themes around family estrangement and dysfunction, ambition, and sibling rivalry of the worst kind, set against swish locations in London, with a cast of beautiful, very rich characters from the world of Southeast Asian big business. She has a lot of challenges to navigate, which highlight issues around being a female in a male-dominated corporate world mired in double standards - particularly when it comes to the behaviour of wastrel older brothers, and sleazy ex boyfriends. But Renee is not to be underestimated. Zen Cho engineers some lovely twists and turns as she journeys towards what she really wants - and there are some truly magnificent moments that will have you punching the air with glee!

Layered on top, comes an intriguing thread around corruption, corporate misdeeds, activism, and what can happen when dreams are shattered from Ket Siong's side of the story, which adds an unexpected thriller element. There is lots of mystery and menace of the K-drama kind around this part of the tale, and Zen Cho really keeps you guessing about where the shady shenanigans will lead. I really enjoyed how she also contrasts the family dynamics of Renee and Ket Siong through this thread - they could not be more different, and there are some heartwarming developments that come with the final payoff.

The clever love story between Renee, and the adorable Ket Siong, ties everything together and follows the second chances/friends-to-lovers trope to my heart's desire - albeit that the bumps in the road on their will-they-won't-they journey to happiness are more dramatic than those served up in a more conventional rom-com plot. Flashbacks to their university days are used beautifully too to give you all the back story you need about the sleazy ex, why Renee and Ket Siong parted, and the events that dashed Ket Siong's dreams. 

I really was not sure what to expect from this book, but it gave me all the laughter, tears, and story that I wanted. I took Renee and Ket Siong completely into my heart, and there are some fabulous supporting characters. There is scope for a sequel, so my fingers are crossed that Zen Cho will revisit their tale to tell us what happens next!

The Friend Zone Experiment is available to buy now in hardcover, ebook and audio formats.

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

About the author:

Zen Cho was born and raised in Malaysia and now lives in Birmingham. She was a finalist for the Astounding Award for Best New Writer for her short fiction and won the Crawford Award. Her debut novel, Sorcerer to the Crown, won the 2016 British Fantasy Society Award for Best Newcomer. She is also the author of The True Queen and Black Water Sister.

Skelf Summer: The Opposite Of Lonely (Skelfs Book Five) by Doug Johnstone

 

The Opposite of Lonely (Skelfs Book Five) by Doug Johnstone.

Published 14th September 2023 by Orenda Books.

From the cover of the book:

Even death needs company…

The Skelf women are recovering from the cataclysmic events that nearly claimed their lives. Their funeral-director and private-investigation businesses are back on track, and their cases are as perplexing as ever.

Matriarch Dorothy looks into a suspicious fire at an illegal campsite and takes a grieving, homeless man under her wing. Daughter Jenny is searching for her missing sister-in-law, who disappeared in tragic circumstances, while grand-daughter Hannah is asked to investigate increasingly dangerous conspiracy theorists, who are targeting a retired female astronaut … putting her own life at risk.

With a body lost at sea, funerals for those with no one to mourn them, reports of strange happenings in outer space, a funeral crasher with a painful secret, and a violent attack on one of the family, The Skelfs face their most personal – and perilous – cases yet. Doing things their way may cost them everything…

Tense, unnerving and warmly funny, The Opposite of Lonely is the hugely anticipated fifth instalment in the unforgettable Skelfs series, and this time, danger comes from everywhere…

***********

The Skelfs are trying to get their lives back on track after the events of Dark Hearts that nearly claimed their lives. Having rebuilt following the fire that damaged their home, Dorothy, Jenny, and Hannah have taken time to reflect on what the future holds for them. Dorothy has ideas about taking the funeral business in an eco-friendly direction, Jenny is dealing with the fallout of the conflict with her sister-in-law Stella over Craig's remains, and Hannah is looking towards the stars...

On the private investigations front, cases come their way that tap into their reflections - Dorothy is determined to find the person behind a case of arson aimed at a travelling community; Hannah is embroiled in finding someone responsible for harassing a famous female astronaut; and crucially for Jenny, she is compelled to track down Stella to fulfil a deathbed request. The threads of these investigations are about to lead them all into danger once more...

Doug Johnstone has done it again, with a cracking fifth instalment of this series that throws a whole new set of trials and tribulations at the Skelf family we have come to know and love. Dorothy is once more opening her arms to waifs and strays, which adds a great new character to the Skelf fold in the form of Brodie, a young man carrying the burden of unacknowledged grief, and which gets her into literal deep water in a crusade against those who abuse their powers. In an unexpected turn, Hannah finds herself caught up in a case which has unsettling undercurrents of off-kilter power dynamics, which she is slow to appreciate under the spell of one of her idols. Meanwhile, Jenny has to confront her demons, and sees the disturbing truth about controlling influences in the process too.

This book is a slickly conceived culmination of all that has come before, and as the storylines from the perspective of all three generations of Skelf women play out, Johnstone spins his magic to have them looking forward to a potentially more positive future. Of course, this being a Johnstone novel, the transition is far from easy, and it is marked with heart-rending emotional turmoil in the way he does so well. There are all the twists and turns you could want, with murky mysteries to be solved, caustic confrontations with authority, bruising brushes with danger, and the grittiest of crime stories, set against an Edinburgh that comes alive at the hands of someone who knows all her many faces. This is glorious storytelling.

The theme of abuse of power runs rife through this book, sometimes in ways which are not easy to detect beneath facades of wealth, celebrity, and positions of trust; along with Johnstone's trademark examination of the lives of those on the fringes of society; but what strikes me most about this fifth book is the overwhelming message he imparts about human connection. From grand notions of the insignificance of humankind in the big, wide cosmos, to the most intimate moments of kindness and understanding between strangers, Johnstone touches on so many ways in which we are all connected with each other. This resonates beautifully with the lovely title, The Opposite of Lonely, with all its shades of meaning.

A little mention here too for the truly brilliant way Johnstone shines a light on loss, grief, and the whole process of what happens to our remains after death in the Skelf books - I went down a rabbit whole about eco-funerals and water cremation after reading this story, and it provoked a really interesting family conversation about the many issues involved. Death can be a difficult topic to talk about with loved ones, so well done Mr Johnstone.

I consumed this book from cover to cover, and it is my favourite of the Skelf series so far. I cannot wait to see what fate holds for this family next.

The Opposite of Lonely is available to buy now in paperback, ebook and audio formats. You can support the very best of indie publishing by buying direct from Orenda Books HERE.

**Review originally published September 2023.

About the author:

Doug Johnstone is the author of sixteen novels, many of which have been bestsellers. The Space Between Us was chosen for BBC Two’s Between the Covers, while Black Hearts and The Big Chill were longlisted for the Theakston Crime Novel of the Year. Three of his books – A Dark Matter, Breakers and The Jump – have been shortlisted for the McIlvanney Prize. 

Doug has taught creative writing or been writer in residence at universities, schools, writing retreats, festivals, prisons and a funeral home. He’s also been an arts journalist for 25 years. He is a songwriter and musician with six albums and three EPs released, and he plays drums for the Fun Lovin’ Crime Writers, a band of crime writers. 

He’s also co-founder of the Scotland Writers Football Club and lives in Edinburgh with his family.

The Murmers (The Annie Jackson Mysteries: Book One) by Michael J. Malone - Book Blitz

 

The Murmers (The Annie Jackson Mysteries Book One) by Michael J. Malone.

Published 14th September 2023 by Orenda Books.

From the cover of the book:

In the beginning there was fear.
White-hot, nerve-shredding fear.
Terrifying premonitions of deaths.
And then they started…
The Murmurs…

On the first morning of her new job at Heartfield House, a care home for the elderly, Annie Jackson wakens from a terrifying dream. And when she arrives at the home, she knows that the first old man she meets is going to die.

How she knows this is a terrifying mystery, but it is the start of horrifying premonitions … a rekindling of the curse that has trickled through generations of women in her family – a wicked gift known only as 'the murmurs'…

With its reappearance comes an old, forgotten fear that is about to grip Annie Jackson.
And this time, it will never let go…

A compulsive gothic thriller and a spellbinding supernatural mystery about secrets and small communities, about faith, courage and self-preservation, The Murmurs is a startling and compulsive read from one of Scotland’s finest authors…

***********

When Annie Jackson begins a new job at a care home for the elderly, she is plagued with first day jitters, but she has no idea that this fresh start will bring with it a nightmare. When meeting a resident called Steve, Annie is overwhelmed with the feeling that he is going to die very soon, but when she tries to share her fears with him, he brushes her concern aside. The very next morning brings news that Steve has died in the very way Annie has foreseen.

A terrifying ability has awakened within Annie, and as she tries to cope with a stream of visions of death that will not leave her in peace, she begins to wonder if this power is somehow related to the childhood she cannot remember. With the help of her twin brother Lewis, Annie searches for clues to help her unlock the mystery of the years before a fateful crash that killed her mother and left her with amnesia. What they discover harks back to family secrets, and a curse that has inflicted her female bloodline with terrifying premonitions, bringing with it the danger of madness, fear and suspicion.

In this intricately plotted mystery, Michael J. Malone skilfully blends the boundaries between past and present, echoing through time the shattering legacy of both Jacobean witch trials and the Highland Clearances on Annie Jackson's family. Annie knows little of her family history, as her parents both died in tragic circumstances, and her own memories have been wiped clean by the car accident that killed her mother. However, when haunting nightmares of drowning herald the onset of premonitions of death, she begins to question whether she has been told all there is to know about her family, and embarks on journey that reveals far more about sins of the past than she could ever imagine.

Told through the tense chain of events that follow Annie's realisation that she has the ability to foretell death, flashbacks to family conflict between Annie's mother and her two sisters, and excerpts from the memoir of Annie's distant relation Moira Mclean written in 1818, this story oozes Gothic vibes. Malone delves into history to bring alive episodes within Annie's family tree that show how passion, jealously and fierce rivalry entwined with age old suspicion gave birth to a hatred that cursed future generations. And in a stroke of pure genius, he embroiders the effects into a gripping mix of domestic drama and cracking crime story in the present.

As the separate storylines in time and place unfurl, Annie finds herself embroiled in a search for the truth about the murders of young women in the Scottish Highlands which leads her into terrible danger. In parallel, the secrets that lie thick around her own parentage, and the origin of the curse that has left such a toll on her, and the women before her, are revealed. Everything comes together in a mighty collision as the tangled threads resolve themselves in a powerful moment of shocking clarity - with a glorious little parting kick in Moira's memoir.

Malone's themes run thick and fast, and a sense of foreboding holds you tightly throughout. He explores faith, deeply held superstition, madness, fear, and an unwillingness to confront the truth, through every part of this tale. I particularly enjoyed how he plays with power, charisma, and the subversion of religion to ramp up that disquieting feeling in the pit of your stomach, and cleverly uses themes of different kinds of witch hunts appropriate to each time period.

This book hits the all-consuming sweet spot between being terrified by what you are reading and yet unable to look away for a second. It gave me the absolute chills, in the best possible way. I am delighted to find that this is the first in a series of mysteries for Annie too, as I desperately need more of this fabulous Tartan Noir in my life.

The Murmers is available to buy now in paperback, ebook and audio formats. You can support the very best of indie publishing by buying direct from Orenda Books HERE.

**Review originally published September 2023.

Thank you to Orenda Books for sending me a proof of this book in return for an honest review, and to Random Things Tours for inviting me to be part of this blog blitz.

About the author:

Michael Malone is a prize-winning poet and author who was born and brought up in the heart of Burns’ country. He has published over 200 poems in literary magazines throughout the UK, including New Writing Scotland, Poetry Scotland and Markings. Blood Tears, his bestselling debut novel won the Pitlochry Prize from the Scottish Association of Writers.

His psychological thriller, A Suitable Lie, was a number-one bestseller, and the critically acclaimed House of Spines, After He Died, In the Absence of Miracles and A Song of Isolation soon followed suit.

A former Regional Sales Manager (Faber & Faber) he has also worked as an IFA and a bookseller.

Michael lives in Ayr.

Dallergut Dream Department Store by Miye Lee

 

Dallergut Dream Department Store by Miye Lee.

Translated from the Korean by Sandy Joosun Lee.

Published in paperback 1st August 2024 by Wildfire.

From the cover of the book:

In a mysterious town hidden in our collective subconscious there's a department store that sells dreams. Day and night, visitors both human and animal shuffle in to purchase their latest adventure. Each floor specializes in a specific type of dream: childhood memories, food dreams, ice skating, dreams of stardom. Flying dreams are almost always sold out. Some seek dreams of loved ones who have died.

For Penny, an enthusiastic new hire, working at the store is the opportunity of a lifetime. As she uncovers the workings of this whimsical world, she bonds with a cast of unforgettable characters, including DallerGut, the flamboyant and wise owner, Babynap Rockabye, a famous dream designer, Maxim, a nightmare producer, and the many customers who dream to heal, dream to grow, and dream to flourish.

A captivating story that will leave a lingering magical feeling in readers' minds, this is the first book in a bestselling duology for anyone exhausted from the reality of their daily life.

***********

Somewhere deep in our collective subconscious there is a town where people and animals go to purchase their dreams. The Dallergut Dream Department Store, owned and run by the larger-than-life Dallergut, is 'the' destination for those desiring somnolent adventures. Its five floors offer dreams of many kinds, and its staff are always on hand to find something that fits your needs, even if you are not quite sure what they are. But be quick, as the best dreams sell out fast!

New hire Penny has a lot to learn about how the dream business works. As she navigates the complexities of dream design, marketing, and steering customers towards the experiences right for them, she becomes part of the Dallergut family.

This charming, speculative novel, which has been a best-seller in South Korea, has two beautifully constructed elements that weave together perfectly. The first is the magical setting that exists to provide humans and animals alike with dreams. It is a backdrop filled with vivid characters, some of whom are drawn from the realms of fantasy, all working together in a bustling, if unconventional, economy that runs on the capacity of dreams to provide an emotional pay-off. And the second, is the philosophical exploration of the power of dreams in helping us deal with our journey through life.

Penny introduces you to the Dallergut Dream Department Store and the surreal world around it. As she learns her craft, you are at her side to get to know all about the personalities, foibles, and particular skills of the other staff members, as well as how the dream trade operates. The world building is intricate, and incredibly well thought out, though it does take a little brain stretching to get your head around some of the more abstract aspects - just suspend your disbelief in the spirit of the story and go with the magical realism flow... it is worth it. The personalities are especially lovely, and their interactions are full of pathos and humour.

What makes this story a cut above is the way Miye Lee gets into the nitty gritty of the philosophical aspects of the story about different kinds of dreams and the effect they have on the dreamer. There are examples of common repeating themes that I am sure we have all dreamt ourselves, and highly individual, custom designed dream packages, in all shades of light and dark - and there are intensely emotional vignettes about the dreamers who experience them, and how they impact their lives. The dreams of a darker kind (and their designers) are particularly fascinating, especially how they help dreamers work through trauma, grief and heartache.

This is book that is funny, sad, and surprisingly touching. Miye Lee has a way to evoke tears and laughter, and make you think about deep subjects all at the same time (think Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman), and Sandy Joosun Lee's translation clearly maintains every ounce of spellbinding story-telling and sentiment. 

I found this an enchanting novel. Its cultural references may be very Korean, but its themes are universal. I am really looking forward to the second half of the duology, Return to the Dallergut Dream Department Store (coming November 2024), to catch-up with Penny and the Dallergut gang.

Dallergut Dream Department Store is available to buy now in paperback, ebook and audio formats.

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

About the author:

Miye Lee was born in Busan in 1990. After graduating from the Busan National University School of Materials Science and Engineering, she worked as a semiconductor engineer at Samsung Electronics. Her debut novel Dallergut Dream Department Store published entirely funded through a crowdfunding service in Korea in 2020 and has since drawn many enthusiastic responses and favourable reviews.

About the translator:

Sandy Joosun Lee is a translator and interpreter based in Seoul. Her translations include Won-pyung Sohn's Almond (HarperVia 2020). She also works in animatronics, translating and developing animated content, which includes The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf (2021) and Star Wars: Visions (2023).

 August 2024 Reading Round-Up

Sixteen lovely books consumed in August.

You can find you way to my reviews of this selection by clicking on the pictures below.

Second Chances at the Board Game Cafe by Jennifer Page

Taken at the Flood by Agatha Christie

The Trap by Ava Glass

Cabaret Macabre by Tom Mead

Junction of Earth and Sky by Susan Buttenwieser

One Grand Summer by Ewald Arenz

The Stolen Hours by Karen Swan

Prey by Vanda Symon

Talking at Night by Claire Daverley

The Right Place by Sophia Money-Coutts

A Murder is Announced by Agatha Christie

Death in the Air by Ram Murali

Fledging by Rose Diell

Pursued by Death by Gunnar Staalesen

The Liars by Katherine Fleet

The Drownings by Hazel Barkworth

More great books on the way in September!

If you have enjoyed my pics, why not stop by my Instagram account for more?

You can find me at @brownflopsy.

The Drownings by Hazel Barkworth

 

The Drownings by Hazel Barkworth.

Published 1st August 2024 by Headline Review.

From the cover of the book:

These waters became wild centuries before this university was dreamed of. Leysham has always been a dangerous place for women . . .

Serena arrives on campus reeling from the injury that destroyed her champion swimming career. She is lost until she meets Jane, an enigmatic tutor obsessed with the historic witch trials that took place in Leysham's freezing waters.

When several young women are assaulted, the university's shadowy legacy becomes inescapable. Those in power turn a blind eye, but Jane urges Serena and her friends to rise up. As their anger builds into an inferno of female rage, Serena takes matters into her own hands.

Leysham has reawakened something within her, a dark, impossible power. In the waters, she can see what must be done - and the sacrifice it will demand.

***********

Reeling from the accident that finished her career as a championship swimmer, Serena arrives at the prestigious university of Leysham to study history. Used to total dedication to the world of swimming, and now two years older than her contemporaries, Serena does not know how to fit in to the student scene, and her awkwardness makes her feel like an outsider.

One night, while drawn to the treacherous waters of the Leysham river that runs through the grounds, an incident brings her into close contact with the enigmatic tutor, Jane. A bond is formed in that frozen darkness, and Serena becomes consumed by Jane's obsession with the stories of the women drowned in the water as part of historic, vengeful witch trials.

When stories of young women being assaulted at Leysham begin to spread, Serena gets caught up in the campaign for the university authorities to take female safety seriously, spearheaded by her popular cousin Zara, a body positive influencer who is also studying at Leysham. Urged on by Jane's passionate drive for justice, anger amongst the female students rises to fever pitch, and in response, Serena feels a stirring of dark power. A sacrifice is demanded, and Serena knows just what to do...

The Drownings is an ambitious novel, and I have to tip my hat at Hazel Barkworth for the way she incorporates so many luscious storylines about patriarchal control, violence against women, consent, privilege, and the power of female rage - particularly in the way she blends age-old themes with bang-up-to date topics.

Against an atmospheric dark academia setting, Barkworth weaves an eerie tale with roots in the history of women drowned as witches in the river that runs through the campus. Leysham is an ancient university that honours the gods of money and tradition more than it does the well-being of its female students and colleagues, and when concerns about safety are brushed under the carpet something sparks between the characters that make up the author's modern 'witches, setting in motion a course of events that ends in tragedy.

The story unfurls in the present, through Serena's eyes, and in the past as she relives moments from the gruelling high pressure world of competitive swimming. Barkworth goes on to use the motif of water with accomplished flair throughout to explore all manner of themes around transformation and power, and she links the past and present through the stories and experiences of Serena, Jane and Zara, who stand centre stage in a twist on the 'power of three'.

This works beautifully, with storylines that are compelling as they are tragically heart-breaking, and you find yourself torn between outrage at the timeless exploration of violence and injustice against women, and exhilaration at the way the female students find power in joining together to make their voices heard. Serena's coming-of-age, supernatural awakening is absolutely gripping too, subverting the academia trope into a novel that really gets under your skin.

I think there are moments when Barkworth strays off the path of a darned good revenge story into the dubious delights of social media. She also tries a bit too hard to make attention-seeking Zara likeable, which seems out of place in a novel where much of the drama is motivated by jealousy and spite. But these are minor distractions in the grand, page-turning scheme of things.

This was a fascinating piece of literary fiction, and I have really only touched the surface of the depths Hazel Barkworth plunges in her story - pun intended. If you are looking for a book to get your teeth into for a reading group, then I highly recommend this as one as being full of thought-provoking themes that beg to be discussed.

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

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

About the author:

Hazel grew up in Stirlingshire and North Yorkshire before studying English at Oxford. She then moved to London where she spent her days working as a cultural consultant, and her nights dancing in a pop band at glam rock clubs. 

Hazel is a graduate of both the Oxford University MSt in Creative Writing and the Curtis Brown Creative Novel-Writing course. 

She now works in Oxford, where she lives with her partner. 

Her debut, Heatstroke, was published in 2020. The Drownings is her second novel.

The Liars by Katherine Fleet

 

The Liars by Katherine Fleet.

Published 15th August 2024 by Michael Joseph.

From the cover of the book:

I thought I saw her today. Down by the water. It was her hair I noticed. Do you ever see her, Lex? Does she haunt you too?

I haven’t been back to Eos since I first met my step-sister, Lex. It’s been twenty-five years since that summer.
Since we went from strangers to sisters. Since Abigail went missing.

Since we told the first lie..

Now we’re back together on the island. So much has changed since we were teenagers. We’ve both tried to move on from the past – from each other. But the island won’t let us escape our secrets.

Only me and Lex know the truth about Abigail. We’ve been living a lie for so long. And if the truth comes out – neither of us will survive it . . .

***********

Zoe has not been to Eos since the summer her mother married Richard, and she met her step-sister, Lex. Twenty-five years have now passed, and Zoe is returning to the island for her step-father's funeral, and an uncomfortable reunion with Lex, who became a stranger after the events of those fateful few weeks.

Back together on the island, teenage memories come flooding back, heightening the already tense situation. The weight of things unsaid between Zoe and Lex is unbearable, and the island refuses to let their secrets stay in the past. They know a lot more about the case of Abigail, the girl who went missing that fateful summer, than they have admitted - and now the case has attracted fresh attention, just one wrong move may expose the lies they told, and bring their lives crashing down...

The story unfurls in simmering slow-burn in dual timelines, flipping between the events surrounding Zoe and Lex's first meeting twenty-five years ago (Then), and the story that plays out following their reunion on Eos for Richard's funeral (Now). You learn pretty soon that Zoe and Lex are keeping secrets about what happened to awkward Abigail, the girl that came between them, but Fleet keeps you guessing about the full truth until the timelines clash gloriously together.

In a masterclass of plotting, Fleet drops her reveals like the tastiest of breadcrumbs, tugging you on through dysfunctional family dramas, excruciating coming-of-age experiences, and intergenerational strife. The environment is described in lush detail, the characters are deliciously unreliable, and you can cut the tension with a knife as every intense moment commands your attention. 

Fleet knows how to pack a gripping mystery with compelling themes too, weaving in explorations of class, money, blended families, grief, trauma, consent, estrangement, guilt, envy, and memory. And I absolutely loved how she channels mythology and female rage, echoing themes and events in present and past, and examining changes in attitude. She delves nicely into the things that bind as well as those that divide too.

This was so darned good that I consumed it whole, from intriguing beginning to cracking twist and twist again ending.

The Liars is available to buy now in paperback, ebook and audio formats.

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

About the author:

Katherine Fleet is a writer and author coach for The Novelry. As a journalist, she wrote for The Guardian, Sunday Times, Red, Stella and Grazia. 

She lives in a Cotswold valley with her two rescue dogs, where she writes and coaches full-time.

A trip to the small Greek island of Paxos was the inspiration for The Liars.

Pursued By Death (Varg Veum) by Gunnar Staalesen

 

Pursued By Death (Varg Veum) by Gunnar Staalesen.

Translated by Don Bartlett.

Published 15th August 2024 by Orenda Books.

From the cover of the book:

When Bergen PI Varg Veum becomes involved in the disappearance of a young activist, he comes up against one village's particular brand of justice … 

The international bestselling, critically acclaimed Varg Veum series returns…

When Varg Veum reads the newspaper headline 'YOUNG MAN MISSING', he realises he's seen the youth just a few days earlier – at a crossroads in the countryside, with his two friends. It turns out that the three were on their way to a demonstration against a commercial fish-farming facility in the tiny village of Solvik, north of Bergen.

Varg heads to Solvik, initially out of curiosity, but when he chances upon a dead body in the sea, he's pulled into a dark and complex web of secrets, feuds and jealousies.

***********

Bergen PI, Varg Veum has a spot of trouble when a tricky case he is working leads to his car and driving licence being confiscated on his way home to Bergen. Somewhat aggrieved at the unfair way he has been treated, Varg is forced into taking the journey home by bus, undertaking a bit of grumpy people-watching on the way.

Days later, a headline about a missing young man with a distinctive VW camper van catches his attention. He realises that he spotted this man in company of two young women at a crossroads, during his bus journey. Contacting the police to volunteer this information, he discovers that the trio were on their way to a demonstration against salmon farming in the tiny community of Solvik.

With the misunderstanding about his driving habits sorted, Varg heads to retrieve his car, and calls into Solvik to see if he can find out anything interesting about the young man's disappearance. His curiosity leads him to a dead body, and pulls him into a case mired in bad blood...

My favourite Norwegian PI, Varg Veum, is back in a brand new twisty mystery that delves deliciously into small town feuds. This is a case that takes Varg out of Bergen into the dying community of Solvik, embroiling him in the fallout of a dispute over a commercial fishing enterprise that is destroying the local economy and the environment.

In classic Varg 'gumshoe' style, dripping with Raymond Chandler vibes, he picks up the thread of a case and follows a chain of leads by inserting himself in the lives of those connected to the missing young man. As usual he manages to annoy a fair number of them with his penetrating questions and sardonic modus operandi, but the way he gets himself under people's skins is very effective. His determined tugging on loose threads is rewarded by an unravelling of mysteries as the twists and turns of the story play out. 

At first sight, this is a book all about environmental themes, and Staalesen certainly does not shy away from examining the significant damage that results from lucrative, commercial fishing operations. It is grim reading indeed. However, as Varg's tramping around Solvik and Bergen, wringing information out the locals, protestors, and warring businessmen produces results, it is the underlying, personal themes that come to the fore. Dark motivators of jealousy, betrayal, and hot-headed revenge blend cleverly into plotlines around environmental issues, dodgy business practices, and community strife, in a perfect storm of page-turning loveliness. The slow-burn beginning hots up in pace all the way to the just the kind of explosive climax and seriously slick twist-and-twist-again ending that makes Staalesen's Varg Veum series so enjoyable.

There is an undeniable melancholy strain to this latest instalment in the Varg Veum series, particularly when it comes to the relationship dynamics and stories of many of the characters here, including Varg himself. But there are touches of humour too, and Varg is as charmingly dysfunctional as ever. Translator Don Bartlett does an excellent job with pace, tone, character, to keep the story flowing nicely.  

Highly recommended for lovers of cracking Norwegian noir, from a master of the genre.

Pursued by Death is available to buy now in paperback, ebook and audio formats. You can support indie publishing by buying direct from Orenda Books HERE.

Thank you to Orenda Books for sending me an ecopy 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:

One of the fathers of Nordic Noir, Gunnar Staalesen was born in Bergen, Norway, in 1947. He made his debut at the age of twenty-two with Seasons of Innocence and in 1977 he published the first book in the Varg Veum series. He is the author of over twenty titles, which have been published in twenty-four countries and sold over four million copies. 

Twelve film adaptations of his Varg Veum crime novels have appeared since 2007, starring the popular Norwegian actor Trond Espen Seim. 

Staalesen has won three Golden Pistols (including the Prize of Honour) and Where Roses Never Die won the 2017 Petrona Award for Nordic Crime Fiction, and Big Sister was shortlisted in 2019. 

He lives with his wife in Bergen.

About the translator:

Don Bartlett completed an MA in Literary Translation at the University of East Anglia in 2000 and has since worked with a wide variety of Danish and Norwegian authors, including Jo Nesbø and Gunnar Staalesen’s Varg Veum series: We Shall Inherit the Wind, Wolves in the Dark and the Petrona award-winning Where Roses Never Die. He also translated Faithless, the previous book in Kjell Ola Dahl’s Oslo Detective series for Orenda Books. 

He lives with his family in a village in Norfolk.