For Lennox Cooper, helping out a friend means gambling with her life. ‘In the rainy city of Portland, Matilda Bauer has been blackmailing her parole officer, Fulin Chen. Just when Fulin’s ready to come clean, Matilda disappears. Bad news for Fulin, because once Matilda is arrested for breaking parole she’ll show the photos…
I’m going to sound a bit bias here but I recommend ALL Simon Mawer’s books. My love of his books started with a novel I picked up a few years back called The Glass Room and continues to this day. I will only be reviewing his 2015 publication Tightrope here but please go to the…
I am delighted to host a guest book reviewer today, the wonderful Irish writer, Orla McAlinden. Orla has been published in the Fish Anthology, The Chattahoochee Review, The Ilanot Review and others. Her first collection of short stories, The Accidental Wife, will be published in Summer 2016 by Sowilo Press, Philadelphia. Her debut novel,…
‘Holly Wright has had a difficult few years. After her mother’s death, she’s become expert at keeping people at a distance – including her boyfriend, Rupert. But when Holly receives an unexpected letter explaining that an aunt she has never met has left her a house on the Greek island of Zakynthos, the…
Published in 2015 by Virago Press, Paula McLain’s Circling the Sun, was her much awaited novel, following on from her previous very successful achievement, The Paris Wife. A work of historical fiction, it portrays the true story of Beryl Markham, a woman way ahead of her time. Please read on for my thoughts on this…
I’m going to be honest from the outset & say that I struggled with these two books!!!! The Drowning Lesson by Jane Shemilt – which I borrowed from a friend. The Little Coffee Shop In Kabul by Deborah Rodriguez – which I bought myself as it had been on my reading horizon for quite some time.…
‘When Sara Wiborg and Gerald Murphy decided to get married, they set out to create a beautiful world.’ Published in 2015 by Picador, this novel is set against the backdrop of The Lost Generation in Antibes in the 1920’s. It starts off as a love story that develops between Sara & Gerald, both coming…
I saw these books for the first time in December 2015 in Waterstones Bookshop. I was immediately attracted to the storyline so (as a result of a very BIG hint!!!) I received the first two as a Christmas gift and purchased Books 3 & 4 in January….I was in love!!! There are four…
“From the country mansions of 1930s Ireland, to the decadence of 1940s wartime Paris to the courtrooms of London in modern times.” Admittedly not a book I would have immediately picked but I received a copy of The Footman from a friend of mine. Published in 2015 by Poolbeg it is an Irish…
“With a shocking true story at it’s core, The Silent Hours is an unforgettable portrayal of love and loss” These are words taken from the back cover of this book, the words that enticed me to pick up a copy in Easons bookshop and buy it. I have always been drawn to books that tell…