+ alcoholism, childhood, family, fiction, forgiveness, grief, loss, love, marriage, memory, mental illness, motherhood, Psychological fiction, review, therapy, thriller
Arrietty by Abby Davies
Our loved ones protect us.
So what if you woke up one day to find yours gone? Your mum, your friends, your freedom – all gone. And the one person you trust may be hiding a terrible secret.
#Arrietty @Abby13Richards #RandomThingsTours @annecater @RandomTTours
Welcome to Arrietty’s life.
My Review
So what if you woke up one day to find everything you thought you knew was turned on its head. Not once or twice but again and again. You can’t trust anyone. You maybe can’t even trust yourself.
Arrietty is almost impossible to review because everything is a spoiler. Suffice to say that one night at midnight her mum walks out and is never seen again. There is only her father, who won’t tell her what happened, and her little brother Eddie. Eddie is four years old and Arrietty adores him.
The story is told in two timelines – now and two years earlier. There was significant trauma in her life, but we don’t know what it was. We hear from her mum Sofia’s point of view as well as from Arrietty’s.
Then it all changes and we start seeing something totally different. Is Arrietty a reliable narrator? Then it changes again and – oh my goodness – it turns into something so dark and terrifying, I was literally blown away. Good job I don’t have a cliff with a thirty foot drop at the bottom of my garden or I’d be down there. An amazing third book from a bright, new author.
Many thanks to @annecater for inviting me to be part of #RandomThingsTours
Abby Davies was born in Macclesfield in 1984. She grew up in Bedfordshire in a seventeenth century cottage near Flitton Moor and started writing ‘thrillers’ when she was seven years old. After reading English Literature at Sheffield University and training to be an English teacher, she wrote novels in her free time.
She was shortlisted for the Mslexia Novel Competition in 2018 and longlisted for the Blue Pencil Agency First Novel Award in 2019. Her debut Mother Loves Me was published by HarperCollins in 2020. The Cult came out in 2021. Arrietty is her third novel.
She lives in Wiltshire with her husband, daughter and two crazy cocker spaniels.
+ family, feminism, fiction, grief, Historical fiction, lies, literature, London, loss, love, marriage, mental health, mental illness, motherhood, music, obsession, psychiatrist, relationships, review, secrets, sisters, therapy, twins
The Crooked Little Pieces: Volume 3 by Sophia Lambton
Dreams are a red flag for the danger-prone.
Postwar van der Holts. Sophistication sticks to Head of Music Isabel – and so does new headmaster, the mysterious and semi-dictatorial Richard Schneider. Dissent from doctorly conventionality leads Anneliese into digressions deviant even for her as she squares off not just against Susanna but a serial offender of the law. Sparks fly between old flames; new fears prove equally exciting. Loyalties are switched and cravings itched in this compendium of the forbidden driven by foreboding: a mere taste of the temptations still to come.
Treats are aplenty for the reader who prefers vicarious living in The Crooked Little Pieces: Volume 3: a world abundant in the traps of passion’s shackles.
Into the higher stakes we go.
My Review
As I’ve said in my previous reviews:
‘…. it’s very different. Don’t expect straightforward historical fiction. It’s more about emotions and the relationship between two women, who even though they are twins are disparate and diverse.’
So here we are again. We are approaching the 1950s and the twins are almost 30 years old. I am not going to recap volumes 1 and 2, because I am assuming you have read them. If you haven’t, then you should.
Psychiatrist Anneliese is still married to barrister Stephen, though they never seem to spend any time together. But then Anneliese has no interest in being a mother or having a physical relationship with her husband or anyone.
Isabel has been apart from her husband Steven (is there a reason they are both called Stev/phen?) for a number of years, their sado-masochistic games having gone too far. They were no longer games and Isabel had to escape before she was seriously hurt. She now concentrates on her position as Head of Music at Croham Hurst girls school, where Richard Schneider is the new headmaster. Isabel is horrified that they have appointed a man. He must be a pervert.
I can’t help liking Richard even though I probably wouldn’t in real life (no not because he’s a pervert – he isn’t). He’s cultured and interesting, but what secrets is he hiding behind that oh-so respectable demeanor? Vincent, on the other hand, would give me hayfever.
Once again another nod to my mother – the tenor Gigli, who she loved, and who Richard hates.
In the meantime, Anneliese becomes obsessed with the lawyer who defended the killer – allegedly – of her psychiatrist Susanna’s daughter Lily, many years earlier. She inveigles herself into his home by helping to treat his schizophrenic young daughter, Rosalind.
Another great book in this fantastic series. It’s so brilliantly written in its own inimitable style. Many thanks to the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
About the Author
Sophia Lambton became a professional classical music critic at the age of seventeen when she began writing for Musical Opinion, Britain’s oldest music magazine. Since then she has contributed to The Guardian, Bachtrack, musicOMH, BroadwayWorld, BBC Music Magazine and OperaWire, and conducted operatic research around the world for a non-fiction work set to be published in 2023. Crepuscular Musings – her recently spawned cultural Substack – provides vivid explorations of tv and cinema together with reviews of operas, concerts and recitals at sophialambton.substack.com.
The Crooked Little Pieces is her first literary saga. This is volume 3. She lives in London.
+ Australia, community, grief, loss, love, Magical realism, motherhood, relationships, review, Scottish Highlands, supernatural, superstition, whimsical, witches
Salt & Skin by Eliza Henry Jones
Grief-stricken and on the verge of a breakdown, photographer Luda Managan leaves Australia for a commission, bringing her two teenage children to a remote, weather- ravaged but beautiful Scottish island.
Luda, isolated from her two resentful teenagers, turns her attention to the records from the 17th century island witch hunts and the fragmented life stories of the executed women. Min, her daughter, restless and strong, tries to fill up the space in their family left by her father. She soon finds comfort in both the sea and an unlikely friendship.
#SaltandSkin @elizahenryjones @septemberbooks #RandomThingsTours @annecater @RandomTTours
But the only thing that beautiful and gifted Darcy cares about is getting marks high enough for entry into university – one very, very far away from his mother. Until he meets the wild foundling, Theo, who is slowly self-destructing in a community that is both protective and violent towards him.
But when a tragic accident unleashes ghosts and the echoes of long-ago violence and betrayal into their lives, the Managans must confront their unspoken histories in order to survive.
Luminously-written, Salt & Skin is a compelling modern family drama, threaded with folklore and building to an incredible, climactic ending. It’s a story of wild landscapes, incomers, outsiders and changelings, and a meditation on the absence of women’s voices in stories and history. And like a hymn to the sea, it is unpredictable, startling and beautiful.
My Review
I’ve only ever read two books that I can compare this with, and they are She Never Told Me About The Ocean by Elizabeth Sharp McKetta and The Unravelling by Polly Crosby. They all have that same whimsical, magical unworldliness, and the first two became my top books of the year in 2021 and 2022. I have a feeling Salt & Skin will be in my top books of 2023.
It’s hard to describe what Salt & Skin is about, because it’s so much more than a story. It’s beautiful, lyrical and filled with superstition and magic. It’s about a family and their journey across the world to find a new beginning, but it’s also about motherhood, grief, love and community. It’s about the witches who were executed in the 17th century and the religion that fears them and would still persecute them if they could.
Following the tragic death of her husband Joshua, Luda Managan leaves her home in Australia, taking her two teenage children with her, having accepted a commission to photograph the natural surroundings on a remote Scottish isle. The Managans are distantly related to an old lady named Cassandra who lives there. They are to lodge in ‘the ghost house’, where there is barely room for them all to sleep. And there are markings on the wall that are of interest to local archeologist, Tristan.
The children hate the move, until Min becomes a friend to Cassandra and finds going out on a boat and deep diving in the cold sea far more interesting than school, while her older brother Darcy is only interested in getting the grades to go to University. Then Darcy meets the luminous foundling Theo, wild and untamed, an abandoned child with webbed fingers. He was found washed up on the beach when he was around seven years old and is now seventeen. No-one knows where he came from. In the meantime, Luda alienates the whole community because of a photo which she took and published.
This book is so beautiful, I can’t get it out of my head. It will remain with me for many years to come. It made me gasp and it made me cry and its profound effect will ripple through my life like the waves on the beach at Seannay.
Many thanks to @annecater for inviting me to be part of #RandomThingsTours
About the Author
Eliza Henry-Jones is a writer and academic based on a little flower farm in Victoria, Australia. Her previous novels have been listed for multiple literary awards including the ABIA, NSW Premier’s Literary Awards and QLD Literary Awards. Her work has also been published widely, appearing in places such as the Guardian, Country Style, The Big Issue and The Age. Eliza has qualifications in psychology as well as grief, loss and trauma counselling. @elizahenryjones
+ alcoholism, crime fiction, family, family drama, fiction, grief, Iceland noir, jealousy, lies, loss, marriage, murder, Nordic noir, review, secrets, thriller
You Can’t See Me by Eva Björg Ægisdótti (Forbidden Iceland #4) translated by Victoria Cribb
The wealthy, powerful Snæberg clan has gathered for a family reunion at a futuristic hotel set amongst the dark lava flows of Iceland’s remote Snæfellsnes peninsula.
Petra Snæberg, a successful interior designer, is anxious about the event, and her troubled teenage daughter, Lea, whose social media presence has attracted the wrong kind of followers. Ageing carpenter Tryggvi is an outsider, only tolerated because he’s the boyfriend of Petra’s aunt, but he’s struggling to avoid alcohol because he knows what happens when he drinks … Humble hotel employee, Irma, is excited to meet this rich and famous family and observe them at close quarters … perhaps too close…
#YouCantSeeMe @evaaegisdottir @OrendaBooks @victoriacribb
#RandomThingsTours @annecater @RandomTTours #IcelandNoir #NordicNoir #ForbiddenIceland
As the weather deteriorates and the alcohol flows, one of the guests disappears, and it becomes clear that there is a prowler lurking in the dark.
But is the real danger inside … within the family itself?
My Review
In the previous three books, Detective Elma was the central character, but in You Can’t See Me, the leading investigators are Sævar and Hordur – it’s the prequel so Elma hasn’t appeared yet – though to be honest they don’t figure that much at all.
The story focuses around the wealthy family Snæberg who have booked an ultra-modern and hugely expensive hotel in the Lava fields for some kind of reunion. There will be lots of wonderful food and drink (and boy do they drink – they all seem half pissed nearly all the time), plus trips out including one on a boat and evening fun for all.
There are numerous points of view – from teenager Lea, to her mum Petra, Tryggvi, the partner of Aunt Oddny (who almost dies because of her alcohol abuse), and hotel employee Irma, whose disadvantaged childhood makes her want to meet this famous lot.
There are lots of other characters whose points of view we don’t hear, including Petra’s cousins Viktor and childhood bosom pal Steffy, the dreadful, though film-star handsome, cousin Hakon who chucks cocaine into the mix, Petra’s brother and parents, Harpa, who is almost 18 and encourages Lea to drink, and Edda who runs the hotel.
Then one of the guests goes missing (though who is it – we don’t know till almost the end) and there also appears to be a prowler about. This was an unusual and very clever twist as I didn’t guess who was missing right up to the point of being told who it was.
The hotel is in the middle of nowhere with snow and storms all around – no wonder untoward things happen – and virtually no escape. It’s all very complicated and it takes a while to remember who is who (though sometimes it doesn’t matter with the more minor characters), and I found it fascinating. Money may not be the root of all evil in this case, but it doesn’t always make you happier.
Many thanks to @annecater for inviting me to be part of #RandomThingsTours
About the Author
Born in Akranes in 1988, Eva Björg Ægisdóttir studied for an MSc in Globalisation in Norway before returning to Iceland and deciding to write a novel – something she had wanted to do since she won a short-story competition at the age of fifteen. After nine months combining her writing with work as a stewardess and caring for her children, Eva finished The Creak on the Stairs. It was published in 2018, and became a bestseller in Iceland. It also went on to win the Blackbird Award, a prize set up by Yrsa Sigurðardóttir and Ragnar Jónasson to encourage new Icelandic crime writers. It was published in English by Orenda Books in 2020. Eva lives in Reykjavík with her husband and three children and is currently working on the third book in the Forbidden Iceland series. Follow her on @evaaegisdottir
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.
+ coming-of-age, Dogs, family, fiction, friendship, grief, literature, loss, love
Reflections On The Boulevard by LJ Ambrosio (Reflections of Michael Trilogy Book 2)
Michael’s story continues from A Reservoir Man (2022) where we find him teaching at a university ready to retire. He unexpectedly meets a young man named Ron who becomes his protégé and journeys with him in a haphazard adventure throughout America and Europe. In Michael’s final journey in life, each twist and turn of the road brings unexpected adventures. The journey taken is one of joy, friendship, and discovery.
Excerpt
“As the ferry entered the river, one would barely know they were sailing. The breeze brushed against his face; he saw the water pass him just as life had. He looked at the stern of the ferry seeing all his relationships, career, and spirituality disappear in an endless stream of the river, moving them away but not forgotten. Michael felt as if the bow moving upriver was pushing towards his future with the thrust of a young man stealing second base.
“From the corner of his eyes, he saw a well-built, nice looking young man, nerdy, longish dirty blonde hair that either needed cutting or a ponytail. He was talking to himself, no, Michael thought, “he is talking on the phone.” But no, the young man was actually talking to himself, or a bird. Suddenly, the young man saw Michael and flashed a small smile.
“Oh no I have been here too many times; those moments are up the river,” thought Michael. The young man approached Michael asking if he knew him.
“I could not imagine how,” said Michael, in disbelief.
“Yes,” the young man said, “in the park near the university. You were always reading on that same bench. I remember when the pigeons shit on your book and once on your jacket; the whole bench was full of shit,” the young man said with a slight devilish smile.
“Right!” said Michael. “Are you getting off here?”
“In the middle of the river, how could I?”
“You could always try,” said Michael, with a slight but cold smile.”
Competition
The author will award a $20 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner and an autographed copy of the book to a second randomly drawn winner.
Enter to win a $20 Amazon/BN GC or an autographed copy of your book – a Rafflecopter giveaway
My Review
This was so emotional. I read and reviewed A Reservoir Man last year but it didn’t affect me like this. I think it’s partly because of Rhonda, so let me explain.
Rhonda is a dog. She’s a wire-haired Jack Russell. ‘She had a squatty little body with long hair and a mostly white body. Her little head was brown and there was a sad look in her eyes.’ Ron adopts her as a stray, shortly after meeting Michael. We’ve had two Jack Russells – Cookie who crossed the rainbow bridge eight years ago, and Pancake who we lost in September 2021, aged 17. I therefore fell in love with Rhonda from the first time she is introduced into the story.
Ron meets Michael on the ferry and tries to engage with him. He’s lost and doesn’t know which way to turn. Michael is understandably nervous – he’s in his late sixties and here is a young man who may pose a threat to him. He leaves him a couple of streets away from his house, but Ron finds him and knocks on his door. They talk. Michael realises that Ron isn’t a threat and their friendship blossoms.
Ron learns a lot about life from Michael, who becomes his mentor. Eventually he moves in with him and returns to college to finish his degree. It’s when he first moves in that he adopts Rhonda. Michael soon grows fond of the little dog – who wouldn’t.
Together they embark on a trip around America, visiting many cities, states and places of natural beauty. They go to Death Valley and Yosemite. Rhonda is always with them.
But Michael knows he is not well. He has always had stomach problems and acid reflux, but he knows this is something worse. His decline is gradual. He tells Ron that when his time comes, he wants him to leave the window open for a couple of hours so he can ‘leave’, and asks that Ron and Michael’s family prepare his body for burial.
Michael talks a lot about religion, and the part it plays in his life. ‘Religion is good.’ he says, ‘It makes us feel hopeful.’ Not organised religion though, but the spirit of Jesus as the embodiment of goodness. He also explains about the Reservoir Men.
‘They would dart into the bushes and disappear for a time,’ Michael continued,’ they lived in untruths. Lies to themselves and to their families. They were dangerous, they are dangerous, they want you, too, to hide your truth.’
This is a wonderful book, full of truth and love and friendship. Michael tells Ron to always forgive and not to hang on to hatred, because that’s how hatred wins. It shows us how love can be so much bigger than physical love – the love of friends and family and even of a dog. We are all part of something, we are one with each other.
Many thanks to Goddess Fish Promotions and the author for inviting me to be part of the review tour.
About the Author
Louis J. Ambrosio ran one of the most nurturing bi-coastal talent agencies in Los Angeles and New York. He started his career as a theatrical producer, running two major regional theaters for eight seasons. Ambrosio taught at seven universities. Ambrosio also distinguished himself as an award-winning film producer and novelist over the course of his impressive career.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ljambrosioauthor/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/authorlambrosio
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/louis.ambrosio
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Blog: https://ljambrosio.blogspot.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCI2XkCETDOj_VUtCFcB74ig
Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/reflections-on-the-boulevard-lj-
ambrosio/1143396462
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Reflections-Boulevard-LJ-Ambrosio-
ebook/dp/B0C2F31BLW/ref=sr_1_1
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Vivlio: https://shop.vivlio.com/product/9798985965162_9798985965162_10020/reflections-on-
the-boulevard
For fans of The Lost Apothecary or the Mermaid and Mrs Hancock, a deliciously atmospheric historical novel about the rivalry between two female mediums during Victorian London’s obsession with Spiritualism.
Mrs. Violet Wood is London’s premier medium. Her ambition and work ethic are relentless, and her unique abilities have earned her quite the reputation among London’s elite. Mrs. Wood knows just how to read her wealthy patrons and deliver them exactly the messages they long to hear from their loved ones visiting from beyond the grave.
However, one London newspaperman is on a quest to expose the false mediums among them, just as the pressure increases to outperform the upstart Americans—who, to Mrs. Wood’s horror, are promising their audiences more and more fantastical visions. When Mrs. Wood learns her own finances are in crisis, she realizes she must raise her own profile to secure her career and her place in society, or risk being quickly replaced by the next big thing.
Her solution? Accepting as an apprentice the sweet young girl who appears at her door, who carries an uncanny talent for the craft. But is Miss Finch everything she appears to be? And will she be Mrs. Wood’s salvation, or her downfall?
My Review
This was a cracking read! And such a lot of fun. A few months ago I attended a ‘seance’ as part of a podcast recording, where we attempted to debunk some of the myths around mediumship. It was fascinating. Seances were always held in pitch darkness – not to prevent the spirits from getting upset – but to allow the medium to perform their ‘tricks’ without being seen. You’d never get away with it today, but in those days the participants were far more impressionable. Especially when celebrities such as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle were firm believers (though this is set earlier in 1873).
Widowed Mrs Violet Wood is London’s most famous – and trusted – medium. She performs elaborate Grand Seances, private readings and visits to her patron’s houses, with the assistance of her friend Miss Newman. While there is some trickery involved (illusion is everything), she really believes she is helping people overcome their grief, by contacting the spirit of their dead loved one and letting them know that they are happy. She goes into a trance and receives messages from the other side. And people are genuinely made to feel better.
But for many it’s not enough. They want sensationalism and full spirit materialisation, as is happening in America. Mrs Wood does not want this, but with her finances failing she needs to put herself back on the map. She needs something new. Then one day she encounters a girl who has been hanging around her house for weeks. Sixteen-year-old Emmeline Finch begs Mrs Wood to teach her to become a medium, tells her how much she admires her, believes she has talent. And for the first time ever, Mrs Wood agrees.
The girl is pretty and clever and learns quickly – too quickly. Editor of The Spiritual Times, Magnus Clore is fascinated by ‘Emmie’, but he also wants to expose false mediums. Mrs Wood warns Emmie not to try and impress too fast, but she soon finds out that the girl is not to be trusted and the rivalry begins.
What a brilliant read this was, full of intrigue, warmth and humour. I have always been fascinated by reading books about mediums and seances (yes I have done it – haven’t we all?), and The Other Side of Mrs Wood is up there with the best.
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole, the author and my fellow Pigeons for making this such an enjoyable read.
About the Author
Lucy Barker was the runner-up for the Curtis Brown First Novel Prize with an early extract from The Other Side of Mrs Wood. She holds an MA in Victorian Studies from Birkbeck College and is a Curtis Brown Creative and Novelry alumna. Lucy worked for years as a PA in theatre and heritage, including coordinating the Solstice celebrations at Stonehenge, before moving into social media management. She is currently a freelance copywriter and lives in rural Hampshire with her husband, two young children and the dog.
Join happy helpful Dorothy on her magical adventures as she secretly tidies up after the messy Lees family home every night, but with a mischievous twist
From putting things in the wrong places to discovering newfangled contraptions like mobile phones and washing machines, Dorothy’s antics are sure to tickle your funny bone.
#DorothyDustbucket @christi87942442 @Zooloo’s Book Tours @zooloo2008 #ZooloosBookTours #blogtour #childrensfiction
This hilarious poetry picture book is perfect for kids aged 2-6 who love a good laugh and don’t mind a bit of dust in their fairy tales. So grab your wand and get ready to laugh with Dorothy Dustbucket!
My Review
I wish my dust was fairy dust and Dorothy could come and help with the housework. I used to tell my kids that there is no such thing as the underpants fairy, but now there is.
While everyone is asleep, Dorothy goes from room to room tidying and cleaning. But she doesn’t always get it right from ‘putting things in the wrong places to discovering newfangled contraptions like mobile phones and washing machines’. Ha ha Dorothy – washing machines are not exactly newfangled – they’ve been around for decades.
This is such fun. Hilarious pictures of Dorothy rushing around the house. Kids aged 2 – 6 will adore it.
Many thanks to @zooloo2008 for inviting me to be part of this blog tour.
About the Author
Christina has had a successful career in the Art, Design and TV Industry before owning her very own Art Gallery. Inspired by her love of reading and doodling, Christina decided to put pen to paper and create ‘Dorothy Dustbucket.’ Splitting time between Europe and the UK, she lives in the beautiful county of Cheshire, along with her husband and two children, who provided much of the inspiration for the children’s books.
Christina’s Links:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/christi87942442
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christina_b_bianco_/
Tik Tok : https://www.tiktok.com/@1christinabbianco
Book Links
Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/156737966-dorothy-dustbucket
Buy Link – https://mybook.to/DorothyDustbucket-zbt
+ bullying, Canada, fiction, France, Historical fiction, magic, Paris, review, satanism, supernatural, witchcraft
The Bleeding by Johana Gustawsson translated by David Warriner
1899, Belle Époque Paris. Lucienne’s two daughters are believed dead when her mansion burns to the ground, but she is certain that her girls are still alive and embarks on a journey into the depths of the spiritualist community to find them.
1949, Post-War Québec. Teenager Lina’s father has died in the French Resistance, and as she struggles to fit in at school, her mother introduces her to an elderly woman at the asylum where she works, changing Lina’s life in the darkest way imaginable.
#TheBleeding @JoGustawsson #RandomThingsTours @annecater @RandomTTours @OrendaBooks #blogtour #historicalfiction
2002, Quebec. A former schoolteacher is accused of brutally stabbing her husband – a famous university professor – to death. Detective Maxine Grant, who has recently lost her own husband and is parenting a teenager and a new baby single-handedly, takes on the investigation.
Under enormous personal pressure, Maxine makes a series of macabre discoveries that link directly to historical cases involving black magic and murder, secret societies and spiritism … and women at breaking point, who will stop at nothing to protect the ones they love.
My Review
As part of the religious studies module of my Open University degree, we studied modern Wicca and the history of witchcraft, spiritualism and theosophy in the early 19th century. I became fascinated by some of these concepts, the darkest of which was the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. It was founded by three Freemasons in 1888 (hence why some people believe there are links between the Masons and black magic).
*”The Order of the Golden Dawn is a Hermetic Society whose members are taught the principles of Occult Science and the Magic of Hermes.” I haven’t thought about it for years, but I noticed in the acknowledgements at the end of this book, the author mentions it as one of the influences for the book. I have included some further reading about it at the end of this review for anyone who is interested.
But back to the review proper. The Bleeding is dark, very dark. Not at first, when it dabbles in rituals and spiritualism, but as the three stories of Lucienne in Paris in 1899, Lina in 1949 post-war Quebec and Detective Maxine Grant in 2002 progress and come together, it becomes increasingly scary. With a twist at the end, which as they say, I really didn’t see coming.
It’s 2002 and Maxine, partner Jules and forensic psychologist Gina are investigating a horrific murder. Ex school-teacher Pauline Caron is accused of stabbing her husband 31 times in a most violent and frenzied fashion. But why should she do that? They were a devoted couple, who mainly kept themselves to themselves. She was loved at school by her pupils. But she has secrets and they are far worse than anyone could imagine.
In 1899 Lucienne’s house burns down and her two young daughters are killed in the blaze. Lucienne believes they are still alive and uses her friend to introduce her to spiritualism – if they are dead they will surely let her know.
In 1949, teenager Lina is being bullied by classmate Tamara. Can the old lady at the asylum where her mother works help her to defeat Tamara? And just how far is she prepared to go to make it happen?
All three stories are terrifyingly macabre – one in particular will remain with me for a very long time. This book was absolutely brilliant, evoking both fear and dread. The questions I asked myself at the end were, ‘How could they and how far would you go?’.
*https://www.llewellyn.com/encyclopedia/article/570
Many thanks to @annecater for inviting me to be part of #RandomThingsTours
About the Author
Born in Marseille, France, and with a degree in Political Science, Johana Gustawsson has worked as a journalist for the French and Spanish press and television. Her critically acclaimed Roy & Castells series, including Block 46, Keeper and Blood Song, has won the Plume d’Argent, Balai de la découverte, Balai d’Or and Prix Marseillais du Polar awards, and is now published in 28 countries. A TV adaptation is currently underway in a French, Swedish and UK co-production. The Bleeding – number one bestseller in France and the first in a new series – will be published in 2022. Johana lives on the west coast of Sweden with her Swedish husband and their three sons.
As an aside the following extract is very interesting:
**”Why should anyone in today’s world care about what the Golden Dawn did? What did its members achieve? Well, if you have any regard for literature, you might be interested to know that one important member of the Golden Dawn, William Butler Yeats, won the Nobel Prize for Literature. Yeats, who was one of the greatest poets of the 20th century, stated that next to his poetry, the Golden Dawn was the most important pursuit of his life. If you love the theater, it might surprise you to learn that another member of the Golden Dawn, Annie Horniman, built and funded Ireland’s famous Abbey Theater, and was considered a driving force behind the Irish Literary Revival. If you love art, it might interest you to learn that a leading member of the Order, Moina Mathers, was one of the first to employ the art form of collage, and William Horton was a prominent graphic artist in the Art Nouveau movement. In fact, many members of the Golden Dawn wrote a number of books on a variety of subjects, from many aspects of occultism to poetry, fiction, bibliography, medicine, and entomology. Among these authors in the Golden Dawn Arthur Machen and Algernon Blackwood are perhaps best known.
“But the real contribution made by the magicians of the Golden Dawn was in the area of magic and spiritual growth. Anyone with an interest in the occult, metaphysics, mysticism, and spiritual evolution, should be aware of the fact that almost all modern practical occultism came directly or indirectly from the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. In the last century, the influence of the Golden Dawn has been strongly felt in all areas of magic. Today, many magical organizations have borrowed heavily from the methods used by the Golden Dawn, but often without giving credit to the Order. The Golden Dawn was the archetype of all magical groups. No group that existed prior to its establishment could compare to it??”and no group that has come after it has ever matched its achievements.
“…the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn??”an organization which has exerted a greater influence of the development of Occultism since its revival in the last quarter of the 19th century than most people can realize. There can be little or no doubt that the Golden Dawn is, or rather was until very recently, the sole depository of magical knowledge, […] A great many other occult organizations owe what little magical knowledge is theirs to leakages issuing from that Order and from its renegade members.”
“Who were the magicians that comprised this magical fraternity? The members of the original Golden Dawn were almost all respectable middle-class people, men and women, who were interested in the occult. Some were from the upper class, and there were quite a few doctors and writers. Many members of the Order also belonged to other esoteric groups, such as the Theosophical Society. Many were Masons. They were intelligent, creative, and otherwise normal people who had a great thirst for spiritual knowledge. They sought to understand the hidden mechanics of the universe through the study of magic. In short, they were not unlike today’s practitioners of Golden Dawn magic.
“The goal of the Golden Dawn has always been the continued preservation of the magical tradition. It is the teaching of new initiates, and their continued spiritual growth. This spiritual endeavor has been referred to as the “search for the Quintessence, the Stone of the Philosophers, True Wisdom, Perfect Happiness, the Summum Bonum,” It is “the Completion of the Great Work.” The number of people who are studying the Golden Dawn’s system of magic in this day and age is steadily increasing.”
**https://www.llewellyn.com/encyclopedia/article/570
About Orenda Books
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.
+ adventure, Carcassone, Catholic Church, female friendship, feminism, fiction, Historical fiction, history, journal, literature, love, religion, review, secrets, slavery
The Ghost Ship by Kate Mosse
Piracy. Romance. Revenge. Across the seas of the seventeenth century, two seafarers are forced to fight for their lives. The sequel to The City of Tears, The Ghost Ship is the third novel in The Joubert Family Chronicles from bestselling author Kate Mosse.
The Barbary Coast, 1621. A mysterious vessel floats silently on the water. It is known only as the Ghost Ship. For months it has hunted pirates to liberate those enslaved during the course of their merciless raids, manned by a courageous crew of mariners from Italy and France, Holland and the Canary Islands.
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But the bravest among them are not who they seem. The stakes could not be higher. If arrested, they will be hanged for their crimes. Can they survive the journey and escape their fate?
A sweeping and epic love story, ranging from France in 1610 to Amsterdam and the Canary Islands in the 1620s, The Ghost Ship is a thrilling novel of adventure and buccaneering, love and revenge, stolen fortunes and hidden secrets on the High Seas. Most of all, it is a tale of defiant women in a man’s world.
My Review
When you read a book by award-winning novelist Kate Mosse, you know it’s going to be epic. And it is. I’ve read the first two books in The Joubert Family Chronicles (plus a few of her others) – each one has different protagonists, but I think Louise may be my favourite. She embodies the spirit of feminism – 300 years later and she’d have no doubt been a suffragette.
Not only did I love her, but I also loved everyone else. Minout and Piet, Marta, Alis and Cornelia, Jean-Jacques, all from the previous story, and now Gilles, brave and devoted. And the crew of ‘The Old Moon’. Apart from the captain, but we’ll come to him later.
One of the things that got me really excited was when the ship arrived at Gran Canaria. I’ve been four times and will be going back later in the year for almost two months. The familiar names of the places – Las Palmas, Galdar (we stayed there for a couple of days last October), Agaete, San Bartolome de Tirajana – I’ve been to all of them. Nowadays Gran Canaria is one of the most chilled places I’ve ever been, but then we don’t have the Spanish Inquisition in situ anymore.
We start off in France, in La Rochelle, where Louise lives with her grandparents Minou and Piet. Her mother Marta and father Louis Vidal were murdered 25 years earlier in Holland. Louise was a child and remembers seeing her mother’s body – so much blood – but can’t remember anything else.
In the meantime Gilles was living with his mother, who tormented him and physically abused him. When his twin died, he was sent away to live with his uncle where he learnt all about the wine trade and was valued and loved. But don’t imagine his mother did it out of the goodness of her heart – her motive was purely financial.
Ten years later, a tragedy forced him to leave and it was Louise who rescued him. Now we are into the main story. Louise and Gilles are aboard ‘The Old Moon’, but as a woman Louise can’t be in charge, so Henrik Joost is engaged as the aforementioned captain after his father has paid enough to keep Cornelia’s company afloat (excuse the pun). He’s not exactly popular with the crew.
The ship is to sail to the Canary Islands, owned by the Spanish (still is), but the inhabitants show their allegiance grudgingly as the Spanish took it by force. There is a museum in Galdar where you can learn more about the origins of Gran Canaria.
The book is quite long so I won’t bore you with my take in too much detail, but suffice to say that once we are at sea, the story moves at a cracking pace, a bit like ‘The Old Moon’ when the wind is in her sails.
Why is it called The Ghost Ship though, I hear you ask. It’s because for months ‘The Old Moon’ has been hunting ‘pirates to liberate those enslaved during the course of their merciless raids, manned by a courageous crew of mariners from Italy and France, Holland and the Canary Islands’. But no one sees it come and go, it gains a mystical reputation, hence being known as the ghost ship.
Piracy, the slave trade, murder, romance, intrigue and secrets galore, this is Kate Mosse at her very best. Wonderfully written and perfectly researched, I hope there will be a fourth book to continue with the story as hinted at in the last chapter.
Many thanks to @annecater for inviting me to be part of #RandomThingsTours
About the Author
Kate Mosse is an international bestselling author with sales of more than five million copies in 42 languages. Her fiction includes the novels Labyrinth (2005), Sepulchre (2007), The Winter Ghosts (2009), and Citadel (2012), as well as an acclaimed collection of short stories, The Mistletoe Bride & Other Haunting Tales (2013). The Taxidermist’s Daughter was published in 2014.
Kate is the Co-Founder and Chair of the Board of the Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction (previously the Orange Prize) and in June 2013, was awarded an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List for services to literature. She lives in Sussex.
‘For once, these men are the objects;
I am the subject. Me, me, me.’
Journalist and influencer Rosemary Mac Cabe was always a serial monogamist – never happier than when she was in a relationship or, at the very least, on the way to being in one. But in her desperate search for ‘the one’ –- from first love to first lust, through a series of disappointments and the searing sting of heartbreak – she learned that finding love might mean losing herself along the way.
This Is Not About You is a life story in a series of love stories, with each chapter dedicated to a different man. There’s Henry, with the big nose and the lovely mum, with whom sex was like having a verruca frozen off in the doctor’s surgery: ‘uncomfortable, but I had entered into this willingly’.
There’s Francis, who was married. There’s Luke, who gave her a split condom…. And then there’s Brandin — Rosemary’s husband and the father to her son. This is Not About You is the story of one woman – and, in a way, every woman – and her quest to find her happy ever after, no matter how high the price.
Not only a gripping and humorous telling of one woman’s experiences with men, This is Not About You is also an important commentary on consent and confidence issues in young women. Witty, relatable and honest, This Is Not About You will appeal to fans of Dolly Alderton, Nell Frizzell and Bryony Gordon and is a powerful memoir menmoir from a renowned journalist, influencer and podcast host.
Guest Post
“I was born in Dublin, grew up in Kildare and then returned to Dublin as soon as I could afford to, and lived there until, in my 33rd year, I upped sticks and moved to the Midwest, to spend some time with my sister. Then I met a man and, well… here I am, with a husband, a house, a baby. I guess I live here now.
“My parents’ house in Kildare is full of books – I can’t remember a time when I didn’t read. I’ve always loved the power of a book to transform what’s right in front of us, and to transport us, too. They weren’t book snobs, by any means; my Dad will read pretty much anything (except, I hope, for my book) while my Mum is a little more selective. Nothing with animals as the main focus, mainly.
“I’ve known I wanted to write since I was little, too. I can’t quite pinpoint the moment I developed that ambition, or desire; it feels to me now as if it was always there. We lived in quite a rural setting, and in a way my early writing was all crafted with the intention of setting the protagonist, always a proxy for myself, somewhere far more exciting, with a thrilling, mysterious, adventure- filled life that was very far from my own.
“I guess it’s slightly ironic that I’ve now written a memoir.
“My book, This is Not About You, is a recounting of my life so far, confined only to my dating years. It’s my adulthood, broken down into the relationships that marked each life stage.
“I have always been absolutely obsessed with the idea of romance, of being desired, of loving and being loved and being chosen, I think, and this led to a sort of serial monogamy that feels, in hindsight, very single-minded. I wanted to write about this need of mine, but also about the myriad ways that women are conditioned, and often expected, to mould themselves to fit the desires and ideals of men. Or, at least, the desires and ideals we project onto those men.
“The book started out as a series of letters to all of the men I’ve dated, but I’d only gotten a short way in to it when I realised that I was going about this all wrong. My dating history isn’t, in fact, about any of these individual people – it’s about me. It’s always been about me. What I wanted, what I was willing to give and sacrifice to get it, how small I was willing to make myself in the process.
“I think the book shows an evolution, of sorts, a sort of kernel of wisdom that grows with each passing year – but it also shows the kind of snakes and ladders quality of life, that, no matter how wise or strong or brave we get, we’re never far from a moment where we’ll lose all of that and go sliding right back down to be the person we were in our teens or twenties. Our insecurities and perceived shortcomings are never far from the surface.
“I’d like to think the book will be relatable to a lot of women – but also, that it will be helpful for a younger generation of women who are still grappling with a lot of the issues that I grappled with, as I was going through those formative years of adolescence and young adulthood: self-worth, consent, sexual pleasure and fertility.
“I learned a lot about myself through reading the book, and not all of it was good – but it was very honest, and I’m hoping that’s something people will recognise, and maybe give me a little more grace than I gave myself.”
Many thanks to READ Media for inviting me to share a guest post from This is Not About You.
About the Author
Rosemary Mac Cabe is a journalist, writer and podcast host from Dublin, Ireland. She has written for publications including the Irish Times, Irish Independent, Irish Tatler, IMAGE, Irish Country Magazine, STELLAR and more. Her work was featured in the mental health anthology You, Me & Everyone We Know, published by Inspire Ireland. Rosemary has over 43k followers on Instagram and hosts a successful podcast with her sister: Not Without My Sister. Rosemary lives in Indiana, US with her husband and sons. This Is Not About You is her first book.
+ crime fiction, dark humour, female friendship, fiction, love, murder, murder mystery, relationships, review, romance, serial killer
Don’t Swipe Right by LMChilton
Finding true love can be murder.
Gwen Turner, 29, entrepreneur and part-time barista.
Likes: true-crime podcasts, cheese-based snacks (the more unnaturally orange the better) and constantly refreshing her dating apps.
Dislikes: two-day hangovers, people who refer to themselves as entrepreneurs… and discovering her latest match is actually a serial killer (probably should have put that top of the list).
They say romance is dead – but if Gwen can’t catch the mystery killer who’s targeting every man she’s ever dated – it’s about to get a whole lot more deadly…
My Review
Maybe it’s because most of us reading with Pigeonhole are a lot older than Gwen (who is 29), that we did find her really annoying. She thinks she’s funny with her throwaway comments and constant jokes, but it was all a bit lame. In fact some of us would go as far as saying she’s an idiot. I’d like to say she’s likeable in a weird kind of way, but she’s not.
However, the book is extremely funny and I loved it. I couldn’t wait to read on each morning to find out who dies next (and no I don’t dislike Gwen that much), while we all tried to work out who is the serial killer. None of them seem clever enough. Or have a motive. Other than being totally bonkers. Quite a few of my fellow Pigeonhole readers guessed, though I didn’t.
About three-quarters of the way through I began to warm to Gwen. I started to see her true vulnerability and the reasons why she always resorts to inane humour to cover up her insecurities. Just like many of us do.
As for the whole Connector app thing – I’ve never used any kind of dating app, we’re about to celebrate our Ruby Anniversary – but I know many young people who have. In fact one nephew met on one and married in 2014 and they have just had their first child. A niece met her partner on one three years ago, and another close relative is currently using Facebook Dating and Bumble.
None of them have matched with a serial killer though – yet – and I hope they never do, but there is still time! The plot is actually rather clever and the author has certainly done his research on how it uses algorithms and stuff to match. There are also more and more red herrings on every page, plus some, shall we say, interesting murders. Josh is my favourite.
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole, the author and my fellow Pigeons for making this such an enjoyable read.
About the Author
L.M. Chilton is a journalist with fifteen years’ experience working on TV shows such as This Morning, Loose Women and The One Show, as well as writing columns for Cosmopolitan, Glamour, Metro and The Mirror. He lives in London, thinking of twists for murder mysteries while practising the banjo, much to the annoyance of his neighbours. Don’t Swipe Right is his debut novel.
Follow L.M. Chilton
Twitter: @LM_Chilton
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Instagram: @lukechilts
Website: lmchilton.com
Follow Head of Zeus and Aries Fiction
Twitter: @AriesFiction
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+ abuse, alcoholism, child abuse, childhood, crime fiction, fiction, jealousy, journalist, murder, obsession, revenge, review, serial killer, thriller
Saving Grace by Cristina Slough
An ambitious reporter seeks a window into an obsessed killer’s mind—and is forced to take a hard look in the mirror, in this dark psychological thriller.
It starts when a Cornwall fisherman finds a body in the ocean. The blood of the victim has washed away, but the angry message etched deep into the victim’s back is crystal clear: Grace—Number 1.
It’s the kind of story that could make local reporter Jennifer Mack’s career—if she can keep her hypercompetitive colleague, Hayley, from undermining her at every turn.
Twitter #cristinaslough #SavingGrace @KellyALacey @lovebookstours #SavingGraceTour #Ad #LBTCrew #BookTwitter Instagram @Cristina_slough_author
When the next body turns up far away in London, another carved message makes the link unmistakable—a serial killer is on the loose.
Then, Jennifer receives a package from the killer. As she begins to communicate directly and publicly with a murderer-at-large, it appears she’s been chosen to write the headline story.
But as lines between right and wrong start to blur, Jennifer is forced to come face-to-face with her own inner darkness . . .
My Review
Wow! This was a serious page-turner. Exciting, twisted, full of turns of events and utterly mind-blowing.
There are two narrators – Jennifer Mack is an ambitious journalist, who has returned to her home town in Cornwall to write for the local rag. At least that’s how she sees it. Below her. What is there to write about in this sleepy, tourist-driven county? Until a body turns up in the sea. And there’s a message carved dep into the girl’s back – Grace Number 1. When a second body turns up miles away in an abandoned video store in London with Grace Number 2 etched into the flesh, Jennifer knows she’s on to something. This could be the making of her career, and the story is hers. Apart from her nemesis, Hayley, who is trying to undermine her at every opportunity and steal the story from under her nose.
Our second narrator is the killer. It’s written from the first person point of view. We feel every hateful, twisted emotion. This is someone who is filled with rage and wants revenge, on everyone and everything. And there are some very dark thoughts going on in their head.
Jennifer, at this point, decides to communicate directly with the killer, using the newspaper to do it. Until she receives a gruesome package from the killer (no it’s not Gwyneth Paltrow’s head or a boiled bunny), and is now as scared as she is excited. So was I.
This was so good. I wanted to bunk off work and keep reading. There’s nothing like trying to get inside the head of a serial killer in the dead of night. And I’m not just talking about Jennifer.
Many thanks to @lovebookstours for inviting me to be part of the #SavingGraceTour
About the Author
Novelist, movie addict, and animal lover, Cristina Slough is the author of Till Death Us Do Part, The Life She Left Behind and Saving Grace. Cristina is married with two children and has a passion for delivering killer plot twists.
Buy Links
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