Born in 1931, artist and Philosopher Tony Wilson has kept diaries since the 1980s and for the first time ever, a selection is being published. With philosophical musings and artworks, and an insight into the workings of an artistic and extraordinary mind, Life is Like a Banana will be published by Anthony Eyre in June.
Tony Wilson’s life and artistic development is documented through paintings, sketches and intellectual reflections, and in Life is Like a Banana, the reader accompanies him on his travels through the decades; whether it’s around Bradford-on-Avon, or further afield in Turkey and Ireland. The simplicity of Tony Wilson’s watercolour paintings, where at times only a few brushstrokes are used, perfectly convey the fullness of living.
The book reveals Tony’s personal life – the documentation of his life’s loves, whether that’s his grandchildren, his wife Pat or his dog Rufus. But it also captures global concerns, such as his thoughts on the pandemic or his commitment to understanding how society functions.
The book is filled with quotes, diagrams and observations, many of which highlight his Assembly and Performance Thinking – the basis of his previous book The Wheels of Society, which the TLS described as an ‘erudite critique of individualistic political philosophy… short and wise, lithely grasping three ideas that academia is belatedly struggling to digest.’
Life is Like a Banana is a journey through space and time, and with Tony Wilson’s arresting watercolours on every page, this is a collector’s item for art and philosophy lovers alike.
My Thoughts
The watercolours and drawings are so simple, yet so striking. The handwritten musings give them depth and personality. I particularly like the restaurant, the children and the dogs.
I have included a few examples of my favourites. The one on the right below reminds me of a restaurant where my husband and I had lunch in Rhodes in 1981, which I still think about fondly. The child above with his hands over his face ‘Oscar being shy‘ shows so much expression without even seeing his features.
The dog sketches at the bottom are ‘smudge first with finger then draw with pen‘. So simple but effective. My husband said to me ‘you could do that’, but I couldn’t and I wouldn’t because this is Tony’s inimitable style. The emotion behind the sketches and painting would be missing.
Tony is so talented. I’d never heard of him before and I’m surprised.
Many thanks to Grace Pilkington Publicity for inviting me on the #LifeIsLikeABanana blog tour
About Tony
Tony Wilson was born in Dublin in 1931 and studied economics at Trinity College before qualifying as a chartered accountant. After six years in Paris with Price Waterhouse he went to England working as financial controller in the Avon Rubber Company, GKN, and British Oxygen. He lives near Bath where he paints, writes and makes beer. He has had five one-man exhibitions and has shown in the RA Summer Exhibition. He is the author of Universe on a Bicycle (2007) and The Wheels of Society (2021) which were both published to critical acclaim.
+ 1970s, adoption, Catholic Church, family, female friendship, fiction, friendship, grief, Historical fiction, Ireland, loss, motherhood, rape, religion, review, secrets, seventies
The Walk by Emma Marns
‘The two girls sat in the back of the car, their destination unknown and their crimes worse than murder.’
In November 1979, Ailbe and Maire disappear from their rural village in Ireland, never to return. Pregnant out of wedlock, they are now outcasts from society.
Genre: Historical fiction / Literary fiction / Contemporary
Publisher: Cranthorpe Millner Publishers
Believing they will at least have each other, the girls are devastated when Ailbe is dumped at the gates of a place known only as ‘Bessborough’, whilst Maire is forced to continue on to Dublin, to be cared for by the relatives of her married lover.
What follows is an enduring tale of family, love, friendship, secrecy, self-sacrifice and the extraordinary endurance of women in the most appalling of circumstances.
My Review
This was heartbreaking. And the worst part is that while the story of best friends Maire and Ailbe is fictional, this happened in Ireland over many decades. Teenage girls who became pregnant out of wedlock – even if they were raped like Ailbe – were sent away to places like Bessborough, where they would give birth to their babies and then forced to hand them over to a good Catholic couple, who would often take them to another country. Sometimes the mothers didn’t even see their babies, but at Bessborough they had to feed and care for them, often until they were toddlers, and then give them away, the babies crying for their Ma.
I was taught by the nuns at our local Convent School, and while they were strict, they weren’t evil like ‘Sister’ at Bessborough. The pregnant girls had to endure the pain of labour and loss as punishment for their terrible ‘sin’. If they had murdered someone, they would probably have been treated better. They were dangerously ignored, sometimes resulting in the death of mother or baby, or even both. The bodies were buried without recognition. Anyone who has seen the film Philomena with Judi Dench will understand what I’m talking about.
Nineteen-year-old Maire was in love with Fionn, not knowing that he was already married with two young children. He arranges a car to take her to Dublin to stay with his Aunt Bridget, a trained midwife, who will keep her safe and deliver the baby. Poor Maire thinks Fionn is then going to come for her and marry her.
In the meantime, Ailbe travels in the car with her, but instead of carrying on together, Ailbe is dumped at the gates of Bessborough and her nightmare begins. When Maire finds out about Fionn, she is heartbroken, but Bridget takes good care of her and loves her like a daughter. While it’s a terrible story, it doesn’t compare to that of Ailbe and the others, who must suffer every kind of punishment and indignity.
It’s a wonderful book, but be prepared to be shocked and saddened.
On another note, if I ever mention something being expensive, my brother always says ‘you can’t take it with you’. My Irish friend told me that in Ireland they say ‘there are no pockets in a shroud’. In The Walk, Bridget tells Maire ‘what am I going to do with it, have pockets sewn into my shroud?’ I had to have a little chuckle.
Many thanks to @lovebookstours for inviting me to be part of #TheWalk blog tour
About the Author
I always wanted to be a writer, and when studying Heaney and Friel at A-Level and then James Joyce at university, I felt an unexplainable pull towards Ireland and the stories I suspected were there! After completing my undergraduate degree at UEA (it’s wonderful) and an NCTJ qualification in Sports Journalism, I enjoyed a brief but fruitful career writing about football and other pursuits much too energetic for me in real life.
I then embarked on an M.Phil. in Irish Writing from the truly magnificent Trinity College Dublin as a mature student (27 is mature?! News to me) and it was there that I first had the idea for The Walk. It took ten months to write and two YEARS to sign a publishing contract – so if you are in the pursuit of something worthwhile right now and facing a good deal of rejection and setbacks, please don’t give up!
In my day job I work at East 15 Acting School as their administrator / doer-of-all-the-things / resident coffee-maker and friendly person, which is a joy and I love it dearly. I have a lovely husband (Bradley) and a beautiful daughter (Melody) who keeps me busy when I’m not working, writing – and definitely not sleeping.
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Right. Wrong. Life is lived somewhere in between.
Duchess Day Radley is a thirteen-year-old self-proclaimed outlaw. Rules are for other people. She is the fierce protector of her five-year-old brother, Robin, and the parent to her mother, Star, a single mom incapable of taking care of herself, let alone her two kids.
Walk has never left the coastal California town where he and Star grew up. He may have become the chief of police, but he’s still trying to heal the old wound of having given the testimony that sent his best friend, Vincent King, to prison decades before. And he’s in overdrive protecting Duchess and her brother.
Now, thirty years later, Vincent is being released. And Duchess and Walk must face the trouble that comes with his return. We Begin at the End is an extraordinary novel about two kinds of families—the ones we are born into and the ones we create.
My Review
There are thousands of ratings and reviews of this book, so I’m not going to try and precis it. It’s been done so many times already and there is nothing I can add.
But as for my feelings – well there were so many moments when I cried. Especially towards the end. Duchess tries her best to protect her little brother Robin, but everything she does makes his situation worse. One thing she says results in the saddest moment of the whole story for me.
Sometimes she drove me mad, other times I wanted to hug her. I wanted to remove her bitterness, without damaging her strength and spirit. ‘I am the outlaw Duchess Day Radley,’ she says. And five-year-old Robin is a prince. Except she is really a vulnerable thirteen-year-old who has lost everyone who could take care of her.
I loved her grandfather Hal, her neighbour Dolly, chief of police ‘Walk’, Shelley the social worker, and her only real friend Thomas Noble. I hated the Prices – how did they ever get to care for children, creepy Milton the butcher (he hunts – that’s enough), and Dicky Darke, though I felt a bit sorry for him later. The jury is out on Vincent King and Star Radley – they weren’t always easy to like.
There are so many twists and surprises at the end, things I never expected. One of my favourite books of the year so far and the Audible narration by George Newbern was brilliant and enhanced my positive experience.
About the Author
Chris Whitaker is the award-winning author of Tall Oaks, All the Wicked Girls, We Begin at the End, and The Forevers (YA). His debut Tall Oaks won the CWA John Creasey New Blood Dagger Award. An instant New York Times and international bestseller, We Begin at the End was a Waterstones Thriller of the Month, a Barnes & Noble Book Club Pick and a Good Morning America Buzz Pick. The novel won the CWA Gold Dagger Award, the Theakston Crime Novel of the Year, the Ned Kelly International Award, and numerous awards around the world.
We Begin At The End has been translated into twenty-nine languages, with screen rights going to Disney, where ‘Hamilton’ director Thomas Kail and producing partner Jennifer Todd will develop the book for television. Chris lives in the UK.
Join Diesel on his enchanting adventures through the snowy wilderness and into the magical forest, where kindness, friendship, and heroism shine brightly.
In this captivating children’s book series, readers of all ages will be transported to a world filled with wonder and excitement as they follow Diesel and his friends on their thrilling quests.
Published by: Blossom Spring Publishing
Genre: Children’s adventure
Length: 31 pages
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Each heart-warming tale is packed with valuable life lessons, promoting the importance of compassion, teamwork, and bravery. Prepare to be whisked away on an exciting journey that will leave you and your little ones spellbound with joy and delight!
My Review
Some years ago I used to write articles freelance for a magazine. The publisher had a Husky called Shadow. When he got married (the publisher, not the dog), we were invited to the wedding. Shadow was dressed in a tux with a bow tie and everything. When I see Diesel, I see Shadow milling about with the guests.
Diesel is a Husky. Everyone knows him. He loves speed and adventure. Then one day he discovers he has magical powers and knows he can use them to help him run even faster. But he also realises that it’s more important to help others.
For those of us old enough to remember, there was a TV series called The Littlest Hobo where a German Shepherd dog wanders across the land and helps people he meets along the way who are in distress. I loved that series, and I think Diesel’s adventures will be popular with children everywhere. And there’s always a moral in the tale about helping others and showing compassion and courage.
Many thanks to @ZooloosBT for inviting me to be part of this blog tour.
About the Authors
Perry is a 31-year-old author from Somerset. He has always struggled with dyslexia, but was always fascinated with books. He dedicated his free time, to learning to read through his disability, and in spite of the challenge. He gained custody of his two children the same year he met his partner, Rosie. Rosie at the time had two children, the youngest being home schooled, due to no spaces in local schools. So, along with their three youngest children, Rosie helped Perry with his reading and, understanding of the English language. Even though it took some time, he, along with their children fell madly in love with books, and the adventures of reading.
Rosie is a 35-year-old author from Somerset. She is the youngest of three girls, and has two children (now four.). Her favourite books are the Night world series by L.J Smith, although she is still, keenly awaiting the final book. She met her partner in 2018, and moved her little family to Somerset, including her beloved husky, Diesel. She loved teaching her children to read, and now watching them fall in love with stories and literature.
Together they turned their love of reading, to creating. Always having loved animals, now having five cats and two huskies. So basing adventures around their pets, mainly their cherished boy. Keeping his memory alive forever. Comprising a series of short stories, to help other children learn to read, or parents to enjoy fun bedtime stories.
Children eventually grow up, and no longer want bedtime stories. Parents and children alike will always cherish the memories, and stories that were read the most. Eventually passing the same books, memories and characters down to the new generations. Like Biff and Chip. Debut books, The Magical Adventures of Diesel the Husky.
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TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dieselthemagicalhusky
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Website: https://www.blossomspringpublishing.com/
Book Links
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/200758671-the-magical-
adventures-of-diesel-the-husky
Purchase Link: https://mybook.to/dieselthehusky-zbt
+ adventure, crime fiction, dark humour, family, fiction, Finland, friends, friendship, humour fiction, murder
The Beaver Theory by Antti Tuomainen (translated by David Hackston) Paperback Out Now
This brilliant and hilarious book is now out in paperback.
Available to buy on Amazon.
www.amazon.co.uk
Henri Koskinen, intrepid insurance mathematician and adventure park entrepreneur, firmly believes in the power of common sense and order.
That is until he moves in with painter Laura Helanto and her daughter…
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As Henri realises he has inadvertently become part of a group of local dads, a competing adventure park is seeking to expand their operations, not always sticking to the law in the process…
Is it possible to combine the increasingly dangerous world of the adventure-park business with the unpredictability of life in a blended family? At first glance, the two appear to have only one thing in common: neither deals particularly well with a mounting body count.
In order to solve this seemingly impossible conundrum, Henri is forced to step far beyond the mathematical precision of his comfort zone … and the stakes have never been higher…
My Review
And Henri Koskinen is back! Everyone’s favourite actuary and his Adventure Park ‘YouMeFun’. All the usual suspects are here too – artist Laura Helanto and her daughter (they have just all moved in together) – the staff at the park (see The Moose Paradox review), and Detective Inspector Pentti Osmali of the Joint Division of the Helsinki Organised Crime and Fraud Units, with his tiny, too small, brown, leather shoes and his love of art. Osmala is almost my favourite character (Schopenhauer the cat is up there too) – I picture him a bit like a smartly dressed version of Columbo, minus the glass eye. Osmala that is, not the cat.
I’m not quite sure how there is so much crime in an adventure park (Alton Towers is hardly a seat of lawlessness and felony), or how Henri manages to accidentally get involved in murder. It all starts when a new adventure park called Somersault City opens up nearby and tries to put him out of business by offering free entry and free food. Of course Henri knows that the maths doesn’t add up and it’s only a matter of time before they go bust.
But now to the Beaver of the book’s title. Beavers are definitely playing second fiddle to horses, but The Horse Theory just doesn’t have quite the same ring to it. Neigh it does not (sorry). The Beaver is actually ‘eighteen metres high, and its countless activities include a foam DIY dam, a tail with a bouncy castle and a network of slides. It’s the number one attraction at Somersault City’ and it’s where all the ‘fun’ begins.
I do still wonder if I have a warped sense of humour (along with the author), but this really tickled me: ‘We cautiously approach the Banana…..Even if Joonas’s box is in fact a bomb, I can’t imagine him using his explosives to blow up the bare interior of a seven-metre-long plastic fruit and, thereby, himself too.’ No-one is that dedicated.
I’m really sorry this is Henri’s last outing. He’s been great fun and I shall miss him.
Many thanks to @annecater for inviting me to be part of #RandomThingsTours
About the Author
Finnish Antti Tuomainen was an award-winning copywriter when he made his literary debut in 2007 as a suspense author. In 2011, his third novel, The Healer, was awarded the Clue Award for Best Finnish Crime Novel and shortlisted for the Glass Key Award. With a piercing and evocative style, Tuomainen was one of the first to challenge the Scandinavian crime-genre formula, and his poignant, dark and hilarious The Man Who Died became an international bestseller, shortlisting for the Petrona and Last Laugh Awards and now a Finnish TV series. Palm Beach, Finland (2018) and Little Siberia (2019) were shortlisted for the Capital Crime/Amazon Publishing Readers Awards, the Last Laugh Award and the CWA International Dagger, and won the Petrona Award for Best Scandinavian Crime Novel. The Rabbit Factor, the first book in the trilogy will soon be a major motion picture starring Steve Carell for Amazon Studios, and the first two books were international bestsellers. Antti lives in Helsinki with his wife.
Orenda Books is a small independent publishing company specialising in literary fiction with a heavy emphasis on crime/thrillers, and approximately half the list in translation. They’ve been twice shortlisted for the Nick Robinson Best Newcomer Award at the IPG awards, and publisher and owner Karen Sullivan was a Bookseller Rising Star in 2016. In 2018, they were awarded a prestigious Creative Europe grant for their translated books programme. Three authors, including Agnes Ravatn, Matt Wesolowski and Amanda Jennings have been WHSmith Fresh Talent picks, and Ravatn’s The Bird Tribunal was shortlisted for the Dublin Literary Award, won an English PEN Translation Award, and adapted for BBC Radio Four ’s Book at Bedtime. Six titles have been short- or long-listed for the CWA Daggers. Launched in 2014 with a mission to bring more international literature to the UK market, Orenda Books publishes a host of debuts, many of which have gone on to sell millions worldwide, and looks for fresh, exciting new voices that push the genre in new directions. Bestselling authors include Ragnar Jonasson, Antti Tuomainen, Gunnar Staalesen, Michael J. Malone, Kjell Ola Dahl, Louise Beech, Johana Gustawsson, Lilja Sigurðardóttir and Sarah Stovell.
+ abuse, Australia, child abduction, child abuse, childhood, dark humour, family, fiction, grief, rabbit, relationships, review
The Little Clothes by Deborah Callaghan
Thirty-eight-year-old lawyer Audrey is tired of not being seen.
Not seen by her mother, who always preferred her golden brother. By her sleazy boss, who works her to the bone, without reward or recognition. By her self-obsessed colleagues, who want her to help them fix their lives without any acknowledgement of her own. Her social life consists of late nights in the office, visits to her ageing parents, trivia nights with a group of relative strangers, and evenings at home with her pet rabbit Joni.
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One night, unable to get the attention of the bartender in her local, she walks out without paying for her wine. This small rebellion leads to another, and more. Liberated by her invisibility, Audrey wreaks havoc in the lives of her friends and workmates.
Until a painful reminder from the past pushes her into a reckoning, and things really start to spiral out of control.
My Review
I’m still a bit in shock after reading this. I was a bit nervous when I started, probably because of a review that gave it one star and said it was too disturbing. Isn’t that the whole point? I hope that same person doesn’t read Strange Sally Diamond – I found some parallels in the way the story starts out quite humorous, and then becomes very dark indeed. Yes it was hard to read at times, but life isn’t all Mills & Boon and Barbara Cartland. I actually read it in two sittings in the end.
Anyway, as I was saying, there is a lot of humour to start with. Audrey can be very sarcastic and inappropriate. ‘You’re so funny Audrey,’ everyone tells her, even if she doesn’t mean to be. But she’s not a team player they tell her.
Pros in her life: it’s quite simple really. She’s a very good lawyer, (though never made a partner, or given her own office – see team player), she owns her own house with a nice garden, and has an adorable pet rabbit called Joni (after Joni Mitchell).
Negatives in her life: well, her brother Henry died and her mother always loved him more (though her father adores her), she has a new ‘nayba’ called Greg who is very dodgy, as are his friends, and he keeps an aggressive dog he calls ‘Shit-for-brains’ or Maximus. She’s scared stiff of both. And he seems to be stalking her. Then there’s TV Tom on the pub trivia team – don’t even get me started – her boss Alec who seems to sleep with or have slept with everyone in the office including Audrey, and has more kids than Boris Johnson, and her own lack of relationships/kids.
But as she re-evaluates her life, memories come flooding back about things that happened when she was a child, and the way her family dealt – or rather didn’t deal – with it. It impacted on her whole life (one thing she did at school really upset me), and I think ultimately resulted in her lack of self-worth. Poor Audrey. I was rooting for her all the way through, though she did make some bad choices. And why is it called The Little Clothes? It’s to do with something that she collects throughout the book, but I’ll leave you to find out.
And yes, I admit it, I did take a peak at the ending to see if Joni was OK.
Many thanks to @annecater for inviting me to be part of #RandomThingsTours
About the Author
Deborah Callaghan worked as an interstate train stewardess, a librarian, and freelance journalist before starting a thirty-five-year publishing career. She was a book publicist, a publisher, and a literary agent. She lives in Sydney with her husband, two daughters and three lovely dogs.
+ crime fiction, Detective novel, fiction, kidnapping, murder mystery, mystery, police drama, police procedural, psycopath, revenge, review
The Crucifix Killer by Chris Carter (Robert Hunter #1)
When the body of a young woman is discovered in a derelict cottage in the middle of Los Angeles National Forest, Homicide Detective Robert Hunter finds himself entering a horrific and recurring nightmare. Naked, strung from two parallel wooden posts, the victim was sadistically tortured before meeting an excruciatingly painful death.
All the skin has been ripped from her face – while she was still alive. On the nape of her neck has been carved a strange double-cross: the signature of a psychopath known as the Crucifix Killer. But that’s impossible. Because two years ago, the Crucifix Killer was caught and executed. Could this therefore be a copycat killer? Or could the unthinkable be true?
Is the real killer still out there, ready to embark once again on a vicious and violent killing spree, selecting his victims seemingly at random, taunting Robert Hunter with his inability to catch him? Hunter and his rookie partner are about to enter a nightmare beyond imagining.
My Review
First of all, let me just say that in my humble opinion the series has improved over the years. I enjoyed this but not as much as Written In Blood, which I read a couple of years ago, and I found was a lot more sophisticated.
In this one I guessed the killer quite quickly and I wasn’t convinced they would be physically capable of doing what they did. And while everyone raves about the ending, it wasn’t what I expected.
There is quite a bit of ‘info-dump’ about the way things work in California, which was useful, but a bit odd in the telling.
Finally, all the women are blonde and beautiful, the men muscular and toned, but I guess it’s California and that is what we expect, but I hope we have moved on a bit.
But to the positives, and there are loads. I like Robert Hunter and his new partner ‘rookie’ Garcia. Robert lives alone, doesn’t have a girlfriend, or even a cat (thank goodness), as I would spend the whole book worrying about it. The killer has no boundaries after all. The murders are very gory (yes that’s a positive), there are other secondary stories to give more depth and interest, and it moves at a cracking pace. Without sounding sexist, I feel it would be more suited to a male audience, but then it was written 15 years ago. It didn’t really ‘speak’ to me. Hence 4 stars, but I gave Written in Blood 5 stars.
About the Author
Born in Brazil of Italian origin, Chris Carter studied psychology and criminal behaviour at the University of Michigan. As a member of the Michigan State District Attorney’s Criminal Psychology team, he interviewed and studied many criminals, including serial and multiple homicide offenders with life imprisonment convictions. He now lives in London. Visit his website www.chriscarterbooks.com
+ 1970s, crime fiction, dark humour, fiction, humour fiction, murder, murder mystery, review, Shakespeare
The Croaking Raven by Guy Hale
DC Toby Marlowe has just landed his dream posting but the quiet streets of Shakespeare’s Stratford are about to suffer a reign of terror.
A name from the past has returned, intent on revenge. A series of murders go unsolved but Toby realises that the killer seems to be following the plot of Hamlet.
Can Toby and his boss, DS Fred Williams, find the killer before all the actors at the RSC are dead?
The Croaking Raven doth bellow for revenge.
My Review
I first saw a Shakespeare play when I was about ten years old, on a school trip. It was A Midsummer Night’s Dream performed by the Oxford University Players in the garden of the Alveston Manor Hotel. I thought they were professional actors and asked for autographs. I was mesmerised. I still have the signed programme. A few years later I played Demetrius in the school play. And so my love of the bard was born.
For me this book is very apt, both as a fan and also because I live 27 miles from Stratford-upon-Avon and have been there many times. I have been to the main theatre, The Swan and of course The Dirty Duck. I have walked by the river and boated along its waters.
I studied Hamlet for A Level so I know the play well. It’s probably one of my favourites along with Romeo & Juliet and The Dream. I love that while reading I recognised not only the places mentioned, but also many of the quotes from the play. Luckily so does newbie DC Toby Marlowe, just arrived from Birmingham. He is partnered with maverick DI Fred Williams, a man who makes his own rules. But he has the best arrest rate in the force.
And he’s going to need it, because a body has turned up, run through with a blade and it’s only the first. Is there a killer on the loose, seeking revenge? Or is it a one-off? We’re about to find out.
The book is set in the early 70s, so the members of the force are very un-PC by today’s standards – think The Sweeney or Life On Mars and Ashes To Ashes. It’s very funny and some of the names are hilarious or a play on words like Sir Morris Oxford or Dame Suzy Tench. I love the quotes and the references to Shakespeare’s plays, not just Hamlet, but King Lear and Macbeth amongst others.
And don’t forget: “The Croaking Raven doth bellow for revenge,” though my favourite quote is: “And I looked, and behold, a pale horse; and his name was Death, and Hell followed with him.” But that’s not Shakespeare, it’s from Revelations.
Many thanks to @lovebookstours for inviting me to be part of #TheCroakingRaven readalong.
About the Author
Guy Hale was born in Worcestershire, England. His first job was as a Professional Golfer. He also played Rugby and raced motorcycles until his mid-twenties. When this failed to kill him he started writing plays, mostly two handers which he performed in pubs and assorted venues with his mate, Andy.
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+ audio book, feel-good, female friendship, fiction, fifties, friendship, gay, grief, List, loneliness, loss, love, marriage, motherhood, relationships, review, sixties
The Last List of Mabel Beaumont by Laura Pearson
The list he left had just one item on it. Or, at least, it did at first…
Mabel Beaumont’s husband Arthur loved lists. He’d leave them for her everywhere. ‘Remember: eggs, butter, sugar’. ‘I love you: today, tomorrow, always’.
But now Arthur is gone. He died: softly, gently, not making a fuss. But he’s still left her a list. This one has just one item on it though: ‘Find D’.
Mabel feels sure she knows what it means. She must track down her best friend Dot, who she hasn’t seen since the fateful day she left more than sixty years ago.
It seems impossible. She doesn’t even know if Dot’s still alive. Also, every person Mabel talks to seems to need help first, with missing husbands, daughters, parents. Mabel finds her list is just getting longer, and she’s still no closer to finding Dot.
What she doesn’t know is that her list isn’t just about finding her old friend. And that if she can admit the secrets of the past, maybe she could even find happiness again…
A completely heartbreaking, beautiful, uplifting story, guaranteed to make you smile but also make you cry. Perfect for fans of My Name is Ove, Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, and The Keeper of Stories.
My Review
When her husband dies, Mabel is left alone with only the dog for company. Except he’s not ‘her’ dog. Ollie was devoted to Arthur and just gives her the side-eye. He tolerates a walk, eats the food she gives him (of course, he’s a dog), but won’t let her stroke him.
Arthur loved his lists, but just before he died, he left her a list with just one item on it – find D. What could it mean? Mabel decides it means find Dot, her best friend, who left 62 years ago, and she never heard from again. Dot was wonderful, clever, brave, pretty – she was just ‘Dot’.
Everyone had hoped she would marry Mabel’s brother, Arthur’s best friend. But that wasn’t to be. Mabel still married Arthur though, and they stayed together ‘until death do us part’.
In her search for Dot, Mabel makes lots of new friends. There’s her ‘carer’ Julie, who Arthur hired before he died. Mabel doesn’t want a carer, but she does want a friend. Through Julie she meets dance teacher and ex-model Patty, mum-of-one Kirsty, and then there’s Erin who Mabel knows from the local supermarket.
I had my own theory about why Dot left to go to London. I was of course totally wrong, though I quite like my theory. Very different from what actually happened.
It’s a lovely story. I listened to it on Audible, which I really enjoyed. I only have one criticism. I wish Mabel was just a bit younger – maybe 80 rather than 86. I think she would therefore have a few more years left.
About the Author
Laura Pearson is the author of five novels. The Last List of Mabel Beaumont was a Kindle number one bestseller in the UK and a top ten bestseller in the US. Laura lives in Leicestershire, England, with her husband, their two children, and a cat who likes to lie on her keyboard while she tries to write.
A town under fire. A detective with something to prove. A killer hiding in plain sight.
The small town of Rislake in the picturesque Blue Mountains is about to be engulfed by a major bushfire. The order has been given for the residents to clear out.
But a last sweep uncovers one person is missing: Tracey Hilmeyer, wife of one of the firefighters tackling the blaze.
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Detective Kennard is in town to help with crowd control, but instead he finds himself driving straight towards the inferno to look for Tracey at the Hilmeyer home.
When he gets there, he finds her dead at the bottom of the stairs, and it’s clear she was murdered. With the evacuation almost complete there is barely enough time to save the living never mind the dead.
But Detective Kennard has something to prove and cannot let this one go. Can he solve her murder before the crime scene, and the entire town, turns to ash?
My Review
Just how far would you go to apprehend a killer? Into the eye of a bushfire? Not me, no way.
But Detective Alex Kennard, suffering from PTSD following a hostage situation that went disastrously wrong, is determined to prove himself fit for duty. Except that he’s really not. He’s partnered with Layton, who is a ‘paint-by-numbers’ cop according to Kennard, younger than him by quite a long way, but she has his back, and he has hers.
The book starts out with the discovery of a body, lying at the bottom of the stairs in a house that should have been evacuated with the approaching bushfire. But this is no accident, it’s definitely foul play – the victim’s head has been caved in with a blunt, heavy object. But who killed her and why?
Tracey Hilmeyer’s husband Russell is one of the firefighters. He was a talented football player with a promising career in front of him, but an injury to his knee has left him unable to play, and bitter. Tracey is an artist, but her beloved art gallery has had to close due to a lack of funds, and she is severely depressed. And self-medicates illegally it would seem.
Tracey’s sister Karen lives and works on a farm nearby, and they are not exactly on good terms. They each own half the land, but Karen has to rent Tracey’s half. With all the animals to look after, a husband and three children, it’s hard to make ends meet. However, neither of them are particularly nice or likable, to be honest.
There are so many red herrings. Just when we think we know who killed Tracey, evidence points to someone else, then back again and so on and so forth. The background of the raging bushfire is not something I have read about before, and it gives an intensity to the thrilling investigation. It’s a race against time, before the fire takes the house and all the evidence with it. Can Kennard and Layton beat the flames? Or will the crime go unpunished?
Many thanks to @annecater for inviting me to be part of #RandomThingsTours
About the Author
James Delargy was born and raised in Ireland, and lived in South Africa, Australia and Scotland before ending up in semi-rural England, where he now lives. He incorporates a diverse knowledge of towns, cities, landscapes and cultures picked up on his travels into his writing. His first novel, 55, was published in 2019 by Simon & Schuster and has been sold to 21 territories to date. It was followed by the standalone thrillers Vanished (2021) and Into the Flames (2024).
+ crime fiction, dark humour, Dogs, fiction, journalist, murder, police corruption, police drama, police procedural, review
Gallows Wood by Louisa Scarr (PC Lucy Halliday #1)
The signs are unmistakable. The dog halts, his nose up – nostrils quivering. Every inch of him is poised. Moss has a scent.
When a hand is found in Gallows Wood, PC Lucy Halliday and her specialist search dog Moss must find the rest of the body. What they uncover is a killer’s dumping ground. Like every case since her husband’s mysterious disappearance, Lucy wonders if this one will bring her closer to the truth. Nico was a journalist with a reputation for getting buried in his work; Lucy is certain that this time he delved too deep.
With new DI Jack Ellis calling the shots, Lucy struggles to keep her professionalism intact. She can’t stay away from these murders – and a killer who may hold the answers she desperately wants. But with those at the very heart of the investigation withholding secrets of their own, can more brutal deaths be prevented?
The first book in the gripping new police procedural series featuring dog handler PC Lucy Halliday. Perfect for fans of Lynda La Plante, Val McDermid and Susie Steiner.
My Review
I read this in ten staves with the Pigeonhole online book club. It was almost unbearable waiting for the next instalment. The book was so exciting, the suspense nail-biting.
While this is the first in a new series ‘starring’ PC Lucy Halliday, we really have two other main protagonists. The first is her new boss DI Jack Ellis, brought in from the met, but maybe the real star is DPC Moss aka Doggy PC Moss, the ‘cadaver’ dog. Moss is trained to find dead bodies, so when a hand turns up in Gallows Wood, Moss and Lucy are first on the scene to find the rest of the body.
If only it was all so simple. Lucy was actually a DI, but was demoted following various misdemeanours mainly related to her missing husband, journalist, Nico. But it’s not all bad, as she inherited Moss, a lovable spaniel, who has become her best friend. Jack also has a secret life, but we don’t find this out till much later on. Even though he seems rather cold, we all really liked him. Moss doesn’t have any secrets that we know of (maybe some ‘illegitimate’ puppies somewhere).
As the body count rises, the plot becomes more and more complicated. Are the murders related to drugs? Is someone from the police force involved? And who can Lucy trust? Pretty sure Jack is OK, Moss definitely. Others less so. After a while, you start suspecting everyone.
This is one of the best police dramas I have read this year, if not THE best.
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole, the author, and my fellow Pigeons for making this such an enjoyable read.
About the Author
Louisa Scarr studied Psychology at the University of Southampton and has lived in and around the city ever since. She works as a freelance copywriter and editor, and when she’s not writing, she can be found pounding the streets in running shoes or swimming in muddy lakes.
Free for editorial use image, please credit: James Robinson
This image is copyright James Robinson.
This image must be credited James Robinson. The author is asserting his full Moral rights in relation to the publication of this image. Rights for onward transmission of any image or file is not granted or implied. Changing or deleting Copyright information is illegal as specified in the Copyright, Design and Patents Act 1988.
Team Olaf’s Mutt Strut for Maggie’s is an illustrated, rhyming story regaling with ‘tails’ of the canine friends’ Cornish adventures as they embark on a sponsored journey to raise money for Maggie’s.
It is peppered with interactive activities including a piratical treasure hunt, and a celebrity photo shoot at the Eden Project! All the profits from this book will go to Maggie’s charity, ‘Everyone’s home of Cancer Care,’ www.maggies.org
Pets As Therapy continue to feature and benefit from this adventure series, receiving all the profits from Olaf’s previous two books in this adventure series.
To buy Team Olaf’s Mutt Strut for Maggie’s click here
My Thoughts
Such an adorable book, with a serious message, about cancer care in the UK. There are pictures of dogs dressed as pirates (it’s Cornwall after all), plus pasties, caves, mining and seagulls. There is also a lot of educational stuff, because what better way of introducing it than hiding it in the fun parts. And it’s been endorsed by the wonderful Clare Balding CBE, who we know loves dogs.
The book is written in rhyme, making it fun to read aloud with children. I’ve never written a review in rhyme, so here goes, in honour of Olaf and his friends!
In this fabulous book of adventures and snacks,
The dogs and their owners set off down the tracks.
To Cornwall they go, on the train with their cases,
Raising money for Maggie’s, with smiles on their faces.
There are games to play and pictures to paint,
Dog pics to match and new friends to acquaint.
There are pasties to eat in their flavours of choice,
Plus tents to erect and loud barking to voice.
So do support Maggie’s, I mean let’s be frank,
At £7.99 it won’t break the bank (hopefully).
And just in case you missed it, click here to buy Team Olaf’s Mutt Strut for Maggie’s.
All the profits from this book will go to Maggie’s.
About Maggie’s
Maggie’s is an independent charity that provides cancer support for people living with cancer, their families and friends. They have an excellent relationship with and work alongside the NHS. All of their centres are located near to major Oncology Centres and many of the staff are NHS trained.
Maggie’s was founded in 1996 in Edinburgh by Maggie and Charles Keswick Jencks. They used Maggie’s own experience of cancer to create a new type of cancer care – centres offering professional support, bringing people together in a calm friendly, uplifting space. Maggie believed that with the right information and support, people could change the way they live with cancer. There are now over 20 centres in the UK.
Maggie’s approach is to focus on the things that help people take control of their physical and emotional wellbeing when cancer turns their lives upside down. They offer workshops, courses, one-to-one, peer and group support, for both the person with a cancer diagnosis and everyone around them. Importantly, they support family, friends, colleagues and carers, as well as the person with a cancer diagnosis.
Olaf first discovered his local Maggie’s Centre in Cheltenham last year when one of his family members had a cancer diagnosis. Since then, Olaf has become a regular visitor, always warmly welcomed with a bowl of water and a belly run, whilst his humans have a coffee and a chat.
Maggie’s Links
Website: www.maggies.org
Twitter/X: @MaggiesCentres
Instagram: @maggiescentres
Facebook: Maggie’s Centres
