The Late Train to Gypsy Hill – Alan Johnson

Something a little different from me today which I am really excited to share with you. I am usually the last person to hear about new books but I am delighted to bring you an early notification of a forthcoming release which will be hitting our bookshelves in September. The author will be familiar name to many but not (yet) as a crime writer.

Alan Johnson is the former Home Secretary and, more recently, political commentator. Alan currently hosts a brand new Podcast series called How To Change the World, guests will include Caitlin Moran, James Dean Bradfield and Stuart Lee. Alan has a monthly column in Saga Magazine acting as their first ever Agony Uncle, as well as a regular slot on ‘Steph’s Packed Lunch’, Steph McGovern’s show on Channel 4.

Due for release on 2 September 2021, The Late Train to Gypsy Hill is Alan’s first crime novel. Alan himself will be along in a moment to tell you about his new novel but first the important details…cover and blurb.

The Late Train to Gypsy Hill

Gary Nelson has a routine for the commute to his rather dull job in the city. Each day, he watches as a woman on the train applies her make up in a ritual he now knows by heart. He’s never dared to strike up a conversation . . . but maybe one day.

Then one evening, on the late train to Gipsy Hill, the woman invites him to take the empty seat beside her. Fiddling with her mascara, she holds up her mirror and Gary reads the words ‘HELP ME’ scrawled in sticky black letters on the glass.

With a little bit of internet trickery and the kind support of Vicky at Headline I can also bring you this short video of Alan introducing his first crime novel: The Late Train to Gypsy Hill

You can get your order in early with this handy pre-order link: https://smarturl.it/TheLateTrain

Keep abreast of updates through social media by searching for the hashtag or keeping an eye on the publisher social accounts:

#TheLateTrain

@headlinepg

@CrimeFilesBooks

I love how the cover has the feel of an old railway poster and the teaser blurb had me hooked – that was before the extra detail which Alan shares in the video!

Get your orders in early as I suspect we will be hearing a lot more about this one as September draws near.

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March 27

The Murder House – Michael Wood

They were the perfect family. It was the perfect crime.

It’s the most disturbing crime scene DCI Matilda Darke has ever seen…

The morning after a wedding reception at a beautiful suburban home in Sheffield, the bride’s entire family are stabbed to death – in a frenzied attack more violent than anything DCI Matilda Darke could have imagined.

Forensics point to a burglar on the run across the country. But cracks are starting to appear in Matilda’s team, someone is playing games with the evidence – and the killer might be closer to home than they thought…

I recieved a review copy from the publisher through Netgalley.

I have been falling behind with my reading. I go through periods where the day job can change a couple of times in a year. When this happens the books I want to read don’t get picked up as quickly as I would like. This is particularly problematic when I am following a series and before I read the newest book I suddenly find there is a new “newest” book and I have slipped back and find myself two books behind where I want to be.

While Matilda Darke has been moving on with her life and getting into new scrapes I was firmly stuck at the end of the magnificent The Hangman’s Hold. I was too far behind and I promised myself I would visit The Murder House without further delay – a good decision! Michael Wood has an unflinching approach to his stories and The Murder House is not pulling any punches. Matilda and her team are called upon to investigate the brutal murders of a family, slain in their home on the day of their daughter’s wedding. The murders appear frenzied, multiple stab wounds and one victim’s head has practically been severed. Not one for the faint hearted.

Despite the carnage the police are able to find evidence which points to a suspect. A known petty thief and burglar who appears to have gone on the run around the time the murders took place. Matilda has her doubts that a small time crook would escalate so suddenly to multiple killer but the evidence cannot be disputed, the suspect had escaped from a jail in Barnsley and vanished. His recapture is imperative. For the reader we get to see the suspect’s flight from Sheffield and his attempt to reach the South Coast. He is fleeing and he wants to make it to mainland Europe, knowing full well that the police are on his tail.

Although Matilda is the star of the show, Michael Wood makes lots of time for the rest of her team too. The brutality of the murder they are investigating is taking its toll and Matilda will need to be the best of all bosses if she is to keep her colleagues focussed. However, one of her most trusted colleagues has had enough and confirms his intention to resign. Matilda is now fighting to save a promising career, keep the core of her team intact and trying to find time to catch a killer. What she really doesn’t need is her past cases to catch up with her – of course that’s exactly what is about to happen.

Returning readers will know that Matilda is plagued by her high profile failure when she botched the handover of a ransom payment when she was meant to recover a kidnapped boy. The boy, Carl, has haunted her since – presumed dead but the constant doubt remains that he may be out there somewhere and desperate to be reunited with his mother and father. Now Carl’s mother has received a telephone call and the voice on the end (she is sure) is Carl’s. There is no new evidence other than a voice on the other end of the phone but Carl’s mother wants someone to help. Matilda has no time but reaches out to an old colleague, now retired, to spend time with Carl’s parents.

These scenes are also traumatic. The feeling of loss and frustration for the boy’s parents are hard to enjoy. Their son is gone and their marriage is in trouble, I could not help but hope they would get some comfort and resolution or even just respite from their worry. No spoilers but the case which has haunted Matilda for five books isn’t going to quiety slip into the background.

I have missed out a lot in my brief overview of The Murder House, there’s lots to enjoy in this book and (as I always do) I enjoyed my return to Matilda Darke’s world. This really is one of the best new ongoing series, five books in and the stories are going from strength to strength. A few nods to past events which may go over the head of new readers but it should not stop anyone picking up The Murder House as a stand-alone thriller and finding themself lost in a pacy page-turner.

The Murder House is published by One More Chapter and is available in paperback and digital format. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07TNPVC25/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i5

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March 23

The Reacher Guy (Audiobook) – Heather Martin

Jack Reacher is only the second of Jim Grant’s great fictional characters: the first is Lee Child himself. Heather Martin’s biography tells the story of all three.

Lee Child is the enigmatic powerhouse behind the bestselling Jack Reacher novels. With millions of devoted fans across the globe, and over a hundred million copies of his books sold in more than forty languages, he is that rarity, a writer who is lauded by critics and revered by readers. And yet curiously little has been written about the man himself.

The Reacher Guy is a compelling and authoritative portrait of the artist as a young man, refracted through the life of his fictional avatar, Jack Reacher. Through parallels drawn between Child and his literary creation, it tells the story of how a boy from Birmingham with a ferocious appetite for reading grew up to become a high-flying TV executive, before coming full circle and establishing himself as the strongest brand in publishing.

Heather Martin explores Child’s lifelong fascination with America, and shows how the Reacher novels fed and fuelled this obsession, shedding light on the opaque process of publishing a novel along the way. Drawing on her conversations and correspondence with Child over a number of years, as well as interviews with his friends, teachers and colleagues, she forensically pieces together his life, traversing back through the generations to Northern Ireland and County Durham, and following the trajectory of his extraordinary career via New York and Hollywood until the climactic moment when, in 2020, having written a continuous series of twenty-four books, he finally breaks free of his fictional creation.

Having read the book before Christmas I then bought the audiobook through my Audible membership – this is an audiobook review with an explanation as to why I doubled up!

I don’t really read non-fiction. There are a number of reasons behind this but key ones are that I am a speed/skim reader and I really struggle to focus on non-fiction books for any length of time (see also short story anthologies). Secondly, I am TERRIBLE at remembering names so when books dwell on people, as biographies tend to do, I quickly get confused about the players in the chapter and lose interest. Third, I seldom find a person or subject I want to read about in depth. If those issues were not enough to contend with, I have a fiction TBR which is screaming to be read.

Some time ago, when I was a good deal younger than I am today, I picked up a new book called Killing Floor. As many people have since discovered it was a brilliant read and the twenty-three subsequent Lee Child novels were pretty darned fine too. Lee Child has been a regular go-to reading choice in our house and only a new Terry Pratchett Discworld book could rival the anticipation of the next Jack Reacher book.

Over twenty years of Reacher Fandom was a pretty good reason to read The Reacher Guy. I wanted to know more about the man who came up with all those exciting stories, the man who calculates the physics in a fight scene and the man who has a cover quote on quite a few of the books featured in this blog – how can he read so prolifically and still have time to write? The Reacher Guy answered my questions and gave a remarkably frank insight to the character who is Lee Child and the man he was before the books began.

Heather Martin has been extremely thorough when it comes to getting to the core of James Grant. The early chapters of the book focus on his childhood years and the family around him. His grandfathers, his parents who let him down at a young age and the friction which seems to have never abated throughout his life, school friends, old teachers – all are explored and there are examples of how their relationship with the young Mr Grant formed the man he would become and influenced the characters he would create.

The early years and Grant’s background are expanded by the author to take in much of the social history of the time and if Jim Grant lived in Coventry then Heather Martin went to Coventry to see where he lived. It seems to bemuse Lee Child that Dr Martin would visit Jim Grant’s house but that gives you some idea of how this book addresses the relationship between the biographer, the author, his alter-ego and his internationally recongised lead character.

I found the tangents taken in the narrative to be fascinating. One page you are reading about a family photograph taken by a brick wall then the next page could be about men returning from the war and how they were patched up or left to fend for themselves. The book takes many unpredicable turns and the only comparison I could draw (from my limited exposure to non-ficti0n) was the narration style of Bill Bryson who can comfortably steer the reader from a paragraph about an attic to five pages on churchyard burial practices in the 18th century. It is engaging and informative and when you have the story being narrated by the wonderful Juliet Stevenson you don’t really want these narrative deviations to end.

As Jim Grant grows older his experiences change and readers are treated to stories of The Beatles and gigs which the music loving Grant was able to attend. Then comes the meeting with his future-wife and the need to settle and get a job to support a family. He excelled in his professional career too and hearing how he secured a job he loved and then mastered is oddly abosorbing. Who enjoys hearing about someone else’s day job?

What struck me throughout The Reacher Guy was the constant reminder that Lee Child makes up stories for a living. He attends many events and has to answer many questions about his background. The book does make it clear that many tales he tells are likely to have been somewhat embellished down the years. Heather Martin meets old acquintances of Grant/Child and these old friends are quite happy to pop the fictional bubble which has been blown around some of these recollections and clarify some more practical detail. Nevertheless there is no doubting that Jim Grant had a fascinating life before he first took readers to Margrave, Georgia.

The final third of the book is where we leave Jim Grant and join Lee Child. The mentions of Jim are much less frequent as once the writing begins Jim Grant is moved to the background and only Lee Child gets to meet publishers, editors and producers. These are the pages the Reacher fans will be lapping up. Hearing how the books were formed, how characters got named, where hard work and grafting got a substantial manuscript down to a page-turning sensation.

When I read The Reacher Guy I skimmed too much of the detail. I picked up the audiobook as you can’t skim details in audio – you need to let every word be heard. What a great decision that turned out to be. Juliet Stevenson has a wonderful voice and she perfectly captures the mood of each chapter. There are times where Jim Grant does not always come out of a situation looking in the best of lights – Stevenson’s narrative sounds sharp and disapproving almost as though she is not happy with what she is having to relay to us. Yet in times of success and celebration the light congratulatory tones are uplifting.

It’s a weighty book and a lenghty listen but both can be considered time well spent. The paperback will be out later in the year but a savvy shopper can currently pick up the hardback at less than half of the cover price. For a guy that doesn’t read non-fiction, I read the Hell out of this book. Will be recommending this for some time to come.

The Reacher Guy is published by Constable and is available in hardback, digital and audiobook format. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B086L3VD1T/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

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March 22

Decades: Compiling the Ultimate Library with Noelle Holten

When I first started blogging I knew I needed people to help me. I could do the reading and I knew what I wanted to say about the books but once you start releasing content into the world you do want to check that the delivery and promotion elements are correct. Also, getting established in the blogging community and Book Twitter needs a wee bit of understanding – I enlisted the help of a few bloggers that I felt were doing what I (one day) wanted to be able to do.

One of these very helpful souls was the CrimeBookJunkie – Noelle Holten. Noelle was supportive, generous with her time and her advice and helped me to shape this blog into the award winning ramble it has become. When I started my Decades project I knew Noelle was one of the booklovers I wanted to have in my team of curators helping to build my Ultimate Library.

A quick recap for new visitors. I am building the Ulitmate Library from a starting point of zero books. I am asking booklovers to help me select the books I should include in the Library. There are just two rules governing their selections…pick any five books…only one book per decade over any five consecutive decades.

Enough from me, you want the books. I will hand over to Noelle and allow her to introduce herself and her work and then she will share her (excellent) selections.

Decades

Hi! My name is Noelle Holten and I live in a small village in North Warwickshire. My author bio states I am an award-winning blogger at www.crimebookjunkie.co.uk and I have won a few awards so I guess that’s true! I am a PR & Social Media Manager for Bookouture, a leading digital publisher in the UK, and before this I worked as a Senior Probation Officer (for eighteen years), covering a variety of risk cases as well as working in a multi-agency setting. I have three Hons BA’s – Philosophy, Sociology (Crime & Deviance) and Community Justice, a Diploma in Probation Studies and a Masters in Criminology. My hobbies include reading, attending as many book festivals as I can afford and sharing the #booklove via my blog. In 2017 I started writing my first crime novel and in 2019, Dead Inside – my debut novel with One More Chapter/Harper Collins UK was published and is an international kindle bestseller. It is the start of a new series featuring DC Maggie Jamieson – Dead Wrong and Dead Perfect followed and Dead Secret is now available for pre order.

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I hear Sharon Bairden set the bar for this, so I hope I can meet those expectations. The fabulous Gordon of Grab this Book asked me to pick five of my favourite books, one from each decade over five decades – WTAF? So simple then, right? It’s a lot harder than you think, especially as I just wrote a piece which some of the same books fall into – but I am going to choose different ones because I love so many. So here goes – My range is the 1970’s through to present day and it was tough – but I focused on books that had memorable characters to me – as characters are what keep me hooked on a book/series!

1970- 1980

(Published 1974) Mystery of The Glowing Eye – Carolyn Keene (Nancy Drew Mystery series)

I was a HUGE Nancy Drew fan and this book creeped me right out as I read it on a family trip to our cottage in the summer. I was probably eight or nine, and we had no tv so books were how we entertained ourselves. This book made me slightly afraid of the dark and every time I had to go outside to the loo (no indoor plumbing) I was convinced I saw that damn glowing eye! This book was ahead of it’s time for sure as it touched upon robotics but it is the characters and how they work together that really brings this story and series to life. There was danger, abduction and a good old fashion mystery to solve and I was addicted despite my fear.

1980 – 1990

Pet Sematary – Stephen King (published 1983)

Just thinking of this book sends shivers down my spine. The whole idea of bringing back our loved ones in theory is a nice thought – but what they may return as – well they are better off dead for ebveryone’s sake. I loved the dynamics of the characters in this story – a lovin family find what they think could be their dream home – and then of course…the cemetery for loved pets…a phenomenal read and one of my favourites. As the tagline says: Sometimes dead is better…

1990 – 2000

The Silence of the Lambs – Thomas Harris (Published 1991)

OMFG what can I say about this book that hasn’t already been said. A crime thriller with one of the best serial killers ever created – Hannibal ‘The Cannibal’ Lecter. I have read this book a zillion times and watched the movie just as many times. The sheer fear I had as I raced through the pages was addictive. I wanted to be Clarice Starling and even looked into what I needed to do to become an FBI agent – no joke. She was living my dream! This book has everything – psychological, crime, horror – really set my heart racing. I had always had a fascination with serial killers and loved how this book almost showed the process in tracking and arresting those elusive killers. The characterisation was everything I could hope for and so much more.

2000 – 2010’s

Fleshmarket Close / Alley by Ian Rankin (published 2008)

Another one of my favourite series – I particularly liked Fleshmarket Close (also known as Flesh Market Alley) because of the setting (the darker side of Edinburgh is brought to life) and how we see a different Rebus and Siobhan to the ones we are first introduced to in earlier books in this series. Issues of racism, illegal immigration, and corruption are all tackled along with so much more. What I love about this book is it is quite complex and the characters complement each other even when conflict arises. If you haven’t met one of the grumpiest, old school detectives going – you really need to as he gets under your skin and you’ll find you will be hooked.

2010 – 2020

Lennox – Craig Russell (published 2010)

I was recommended this series by a friend and fell in love with it immediately. Lennox was born in Glasgow but raised in Canada so when he returns to Glasgow in the 1950’s we see the cultural differences immediately. It’s dark and littered with dry humour and the characters are just amazing. A very raw, gritty, violent and intoxicating read. The author is a master at bringing the reader into the stories – and I’ve been a fan of his work ever since.

My thanks, once again, to Noelle for these marvellous selections. This is the closest I have come to having read all five selections made by one of my guests – I have read four of these books and the fifth is still in my TBR (so close).

You can see all the books which have been added to my Library here: https://grabthisbook.net/?p=5113

Decades Will Return

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March 18

Vermin – William A Graham

Meet Allan Linton … a detective with a difference.

It’s not exactly L.A. But dead bodies are the same wherever they turn up.

Allan Linton became a private detective by pure chance. He may not follow the rules, but he always gets the job done. Until he’s hired to track down a missing girl.

All he’s got to go on is an old photo and the help – and hindrance – of the city’s biggest drug dealer and his eccentric associate Niddrie.

Linton’s investigation yields no trace of Tina Lamont. He’s ready to throw in the towel – after all, some people want to be missing. But when a dead body turns up in London, it’s clear there’s something sinister going on. And now others are on Tina’s trail …

Tina ran away for a reason – and that reason will stop at nothing to find her.

I received a review copy of Vermin through Netgalley. My thanks to Black & White Publishing.

Vermin was published in July 2018 and is set in Dundee, a city which I feel is under-represented in Scottish crime fiction. Vermin is also a cracking story about a private detective which I really, really enjoyed. Allan Linton is the lead character and he is nicely depicted by the author as Linton comes across as friendly, decent, honourable and focussed. He has a teenage daughter who stays with her mother, an ex-wife who Linton clearly adored but their marriage wasn’t to be sustained. The family squabbles and his relationship with his daughter make Linton an engaging character to follow.

He is approached to find a missing girl called Tina Lamont (this may not be her real name) and although Linton is in Dundee his client is not sure if Tina (maybe Tina) is from Dundee. An old photograph given to Linton to assist in his search shows her in school uniform but the uniform is not one Linton recognises from Dundee or the surrounding area. He will have his work cut out but he will have the assistance of Niddrie (drug dealer and and amusingly oddball character who brightens up every scene he is in).

The investigation is well paced and narrative switches nicely between the crimes Linton is investigating and Linton’s personal life as he juggles daughter, ex-wife and a potential new love interest. As is often the way with Scottish crime fiction there is plenty of dry and wry humour on show and the reading is still fun when the narrative slows between the action scenes.

When a dead body turns up during the course of the investigation Linton and Niddrie realise there are more interested parties trying to locate Tina – stakes are raised and events take an unexpected turn.

Vermin was a book plucked at random from the TBR and I am now calling it an inspired choice – I really enjoyed this one.

Vermin is published by Black and White Publishing and is available in paperback and digital format. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Vermin-Bill-Graham/dp/1785301985/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=vermin+william+graham&qid=1616103026&s=books&sr=1-1

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March 5

Decades: Compiling the Ultimate Library with Ian Patrick Robinson

I am inviting guests to select five books which they feel should be included in my Ultimate Library. When I started this quest back in January all the Library shelves were bare so I recruited some guest curators to add the books – the only rules:

1 – Choose five books

2 – Only one book per decade over any five consecutive decades

I am told it is causing a great deal of soul searching.

So far we have had contributions from Sharon Bairden, Heather Martin and Chris McDonald – all their books are in the Library (here)

Today I am thrilled to be joined by Ian Patrick Robinson. Returning visitors will know that Ian’s books have been firm favourites of mine and How the Wired Weep made it into my Top Ten reads of 2020.

Ian’s Batford books can be bought here: http://fahrenheit-press.com/authors_ian_patrick.html
or through his own website where you can also get the phenomonal How the Wired Weep: https://www.ianpatrick.co.uk/books

His new series (Nash and Moretti) can be found here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ian-Robinson/e/B08V37PGVX?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1614897678&sr=8-1

So I leave you in Ian’s company as he makes his five selections.

DECADES

My name’s Ian Patrick Robinson, a retired DS who now writes fiction. I wrote under the name Ian Patrick for my Batford series: Rubicon, Stoned Love and Fools Gold (Fahrenheit Press) as well as How the Wired Weep, which is a standalone of mine.

I have a new crime series out at the moment under the name Ian Robinson (The Book Folks) that follows DI Pippa Nash and DS Nick Moretti who investigate murder in London. Latent Damage is the first and Cover Blown is out on the 22nd February.

I try to bring authenticity to my work as well as a character driven storyline that draws on the experience of departments I worked within while in the police.

I thought the task of selecting five books across consecutive decades would be easy – I was wrong!

Here are my five choices starting at the latest and ending at the earliest. These aren’t my top five books, but I decided to use books I own as a physical copy. (There’s an anomaly later but I’m certain you’ll forgive me)

Each book explores a flawed character within a unique world. The very aim I try to achieve with my own novels. What this exercise has shown me is the influence literature has had on my own writing experience. Something I’d recognised but hadn’t fully appreciated.

As with all these things it’s subjective and anything I say here is my own opinion and to be taken as such.

Thank you, Gordon, for the invite and I’m very proud to be part of this venture.

2010 – 2020

Drive – James Sallis No Exit Press 2011

I’m using the film tie-in edition for this as it was published in 2011. Like the film of the same name this 191p novel is just superb. I watched the film before picking up the book and, as Rubicon has been optioned by the BBC for six-part TV series, I was interested to see how close they stuck to the book’s central lead. For me the book’s opening lines are incredible. I was drawn into the world of Driver (main lead) within the first paragraph. Trust me when I say it’s a skill to accomplish for any writer and Sallis just continues with this throughout. The tagline – GET IN. GET OUT. GET AWAY, is weaved throughout the book like a charm. It surfaces in Driver’s role as wheelsman for hire and in his personal life. It’s an emotional exploration of what it is to be human and how to survive in an uncertain world.

2000 – 2010

The Road – Cormac McCarthy – Picador 2006

This book blew my mind when I first read it. The setting is as desolate as the writing. McCarthy gets away with not using speech marks throughout the book and yet the story flows so well. The book explores the journey of father and son on a road following an apocalyptic event. McCarthy was asked what the event was, and his reply went something like – What happened doesn’t matter it’s what will they do now that does. To me it’s a masterclass in storytelling. I’ve sent this book to so many people and some get it, and others don’t. That’s the beauty of the prose. The flawed character for me was the father. Although he was doing all he could to protect his son McCarthy lets the reader know that the father is struggling in both mind and body and at some point, he will need to make a choice. Sometimes he will be right other times not so.

1990 – 2000

Fight Club – Chuck Palahniuk – Norton 1996

A different writer from the first two but a phenomenal one at that. In Fight Club Palahniuk explores masculinity. It examines our cultures obsession with fame, possessions, violence, recognition, ego, affirmation and mental health. I would hazard a guess it contains some of the most quoted lines from book and film for my generation. Jim Uhls wrote the script for the film and he did an excellent job of bringing Tyler Durden to life using many of the lines Palahniuk had written in the book. This book is probably one of my favourites as I own two signed editions of it. One is a limited edition that could only be purchased in the US and Canada. I begged a relative to get it for me.

The line from the book that has stayed with me is: It’s only after we’ve lost everything that we are free to do anything.

I was diagnosed with a rare form of muscular dystrophy around 2011 and had to retire from the police in 2015 when it became physically too much for me to manage. I have this quote on my desk and this book got me through some tough times. I’m now writing my ninth novel as a result. Books are powerful tools for hope and change. We should never underestimate a book’s worth at the right time in life.

1980 – 1989

The Remains of the Day – Kazuo Ishiguro – Faber 1989

What a beautiful tale of unrequited love this book is. Narrated in the first person we’re taken on a journey of discovery through the eyes of Stevens an aging butler at Darlington hall in the fifties. I saw this as an exploration of love, friendship, missed opportunity, class and social conditioning. The setting is unique and in stark contrast to that of Du-Maurier’s Rebecca. I was taken to a time I didn’t know and felt alive within the world Steven’s inhabits. His dynamic with Miss Kenton is inspired and wonderfully told. A loving and sensual book that’s gentle on the mind but has stayed with me for so long. I read this again during the first lockdown for pure escapism.

1970 – 1979

Jaws – Peter Benchley – Bantam 1974

Last but by no means least, Jaws was probably one of the first books I appreciated reading as a youth. A change from Sven Hassell novels and I fell in love with the cover art. What boy wouldn’t fall for a book with the snout and teeth of a huge shark pointing towards a swimmer on the surface of the sea? This was another book I re-read during lockdown and I’m so glad I did. Here’s the thing with the book v the film – it’s not all about the shark! The shark story is secondary to the main tale of Chief Brody’s decaying marriage and how will he hold it all together while his wife has an affair? I found the book to be way better than the film for the human side of the narrative. It’s an exploration of one man’s grip on a life that’s falling apart. Benchley did a great job with this. Here’s the anomaly I mentioned in the beginning that you’ve forgotten if you’ve read this far – I don’t own a physical copy of Jaws only Jaws 2 written by Hank Searls.

Huge thanks to Ian for sharing these wonderful selections. Linking them with the flawed character theme added an extra level of complexity to the challenge – I think if I asked some of my future guests to link their selections it may cause a bit of a backlash!

My personal completion ratio for these selections is just 20% – I read Jaws while I was in my mid-teens and was reading every horror novel I could get my paws on.

All five books will be added to The Library.

Decades Will Return

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February 19

Decades: Compiling the Ultimate Library with Chris McDonald

As you may be aware, I am inviting guests to join me here at Grab This Book to help me curate the Ultimate Libary. It is a feature I have dubbed Decades, the reason for which will soon become apparent. Each guest gets to nominate five books which they believe should be included in the definitive collection of unmissable reads. Other than limiting my guest to five books (Rule One), I also insist that they only select one book per decade over five consecutive decades (Rule Two).

Simple!

Or apparently not as everyone who starts making a list suddenly finds choosing just five books is HARD. Then choosing only one book per decade is also HARD. But there have to be rules or anarchy ensues.

You can visit the Library HERE.

Today I am thrilled to welcome Chris McDonald. Chris grew up in Northern Ireland before settling in Manchester via Lancaster and London. He is the author of the excellent DI Erika Piper series, A Wash of Black, Whispers In The Dark as well as the forthcoming third – Roses For The Dead. He has also recently dabbled in writing cosy crimes, as a remedy for the darkness. The first in the Stonebridge Mysteries was released in early 2021. He is a full time teacher, husband, father to two beautiful girls and a regular voice on The Blood Brothers Podcast. He is a fan of 5-a-side football, heavy metal and dogs.

You can (and should) visit Chris’s Amazon Page here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Chris-McDonald/e/B083VRLYPM?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_2&qid=1613758627&sr=8-2

The Archive of Blood Brothers podcasts can be found here: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-blood-brothers-podcast/id1504641524

And without futher ado – Chris’s wonderful choices…the first guest to take us up to a 2020 release

DECADES

1987 – Misery – Stephen King

I wasn’t alive when this was published! I only read my first King book last year, and very quickly read more. I’m a scaredy cat, and starting with The Shining was a bad idea! Misery was a masterclass in tension – the action happens in a house but never grows dull. Annie is a terrifying character and does some shocking things! King made it scary, funny, tense and pacy and blew my mind in the process. I ordered The Stand off the back of reading this but was overawed by the sheer size of it!! Maybe this year…

1997 – Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone – JK Rowling

Harry Potter is where my love affair with reading started. I remember the moment I set eyes on the cover – I was passing Easons in Ballymena on my way back from the toilet. I was ten years old and was entranced by the display. I ran back to my mum who gave me the money to go and buy it. I was blown away by this story, as millions were and continue to be. It led to me queuing at midnight outside Waterstones for the latter books, where I would go home with my cherished copy and read until the morning. The world was massive and main characters were frequently in peril. It was eye opening stuff and I truly believe that without this eureka moment, I wouldn’t enjoy books like I do!

2001 – Heavier Than Heaven – Charles R Ross

This is a non-fiction book. It’s a biography of Kirt Cobain and one of the books I re-read regularly. Nirvana were a massive part of my teenage years, and continue to be one of the bands I come back to regularly. Kurt was an extraordinary human being – flawed and talented in equal measure. This book is a warts and all account – it paints him in a very fair light and is a perfect read for any music fan.

2010 – Slow Horses – Mick Herron

Foolishly, I’ve waited 11 years to discover this man’s genius. The Slough House series features MI5 rejects, all of whom have made a massive mistake and ended up as Jackson Lamb’s underling. Again, the characters make this book – the plot is great, but I could easily read 300 pages of the cast having a chat over a cup of coffee! As the series has worn on, Herron has tackled bigger political issues, though the characters have remained as acerbic as ever!

2020 – We Begin At The End – Chris Whitaker

We Begin At The End blew me away. It won our Blood Brothers book of the year award and was my vote. It’s a story set in small town America. The story is wonderful, but the book will be remembered for the characters – Duchess Radley in particular. Chris’s writing is just so, so good and will be fully deserving of all the awards he will inevitably win!

My thanks to Chris for these brilliant selections – I have read three of the five which is my highest personal completion percentage so far! I will add all five books to The Library where they join the ten books selected by Sharon Bairden and Heather Martin.

Decades Will Return

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February 18

The Decades Library

I have been inviting guests to select five books which should be included within the Ultimate Library.

Each guest may only select one book per decade over five consecutive decades.

At the foot of this Library you can access the original posts to learn more about my guests and why they chose these titles.

Here are the selections

1890s

Bram Stoker, Dracula
Selected by Danny Marshall on 21 May 2021

1900s

Arthur Conan Doyle, The Hound of the Baskervilles
Selected by Danny Marshall on 21 May 2021

1910s

John Buchan, The 39 Steps
Selected by Danny Marshall on 21 May 2021

1920s

Erich Maria Remarque – All Quiet on the Western Front
Selected by Paul Cuddihy on 4 April 2021

Agatha Christie, The Mysterious Affair At Styles
Selected by Danny Marshall on 21 May 2021

Anita Loos, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
Selected by Imogen Church on 30 April 2021

1930s

Federico García Lorca 1898-1936

Three Tragedies: Blood Wedding, Yerma and The House of Bernarda Alba
Selected by Heather Martin on 12 February 2021

George Orwell, Keep The Aspidistra Flying
Selected by Chris McVeigh on 26 March 2021

John Dickson Carr, The Hollow Man
Selected by Danny Marshall on 21 May 2021

John Steinbeck, The Grapes of Wrath
Selected by Paul Cuddihy on 4 April 2021

William Faulkner, As I Lay Dying
Selected by Tim Baker on 23 April 2021

Stella Gibbons, Cold Comfort Farm
Selected by Imogen Church on 30 April 2021

Raymond Chandler, The Big Sleep
Selected by Douglas Skelton on 7 May 2021

1940s

Simone de Beauvoir 1908-1986

The Second Sex
Selected by Heather Martin on 12 February 2021

Herman Hesse, The Glass Bead Game
Selected by Chris McVeigh on 26 March 2021

Daphne du Maurier – The King’s General
Selected by Louise Fairbairn on 10 April 2021

Paul Bowles, The Sheltering Sky
Selected by Tim Baker on 23 April 2021

Jack Schaefer, Shane
Selected by Douglas Skelton on 7 May 2021

John Hersey, Hiroshima
Selected by Paul Cuddihy on 4 April 2021

George Orwell, 1984
Selected by Imogen Church on 30 April 2021

1950s

Nevil Shute, A Town Like Alice
Selected by Helen Fields on 14 May 2021

E. B. White, Charlotte’s Web
Selected by Heather Martin on 12 February 2021

Eric Frank Russell, Wasp
Selected by Imogen Church on 30 April 2021

Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451
Selected by Chris McVeigh on 26 March 2021

Boris Pasternak, Doctor Zhivago
Selected by Tim Baker on 23 April 2021

Josephine Tay

Daughter of Time
Selected by Chris Lloyd on 12 March 2021

Alistair MacLean – HMS Ulysses
Selected by Louise Fairbairn on 1o April 2021

Robin Jenkins, The Cone-gatherers
Selected by Paul Cuddihy on 4 April 2021

William Goldman, The Temple of Gold
Selected by Douglas Skelton on 7 May 2021

1960s

Harper Lee
To Kill a Mockingbird
Selected by Sharon Bairden on 20 January 2021

Jorge Luis Borges 1899-1986, Labyrinths
Selected by Heather Martin on 12 February 2021

John Le Carré, The Spy Who Came in from the Cold
Selected by Chris Lloyd on 12 March 2021

Muriel Spark – The Prime Of Miss Jean Brodie
Selected by Louise Fairbairn on 10 April 2021

Henri Charrière, Papillon
Selected by Helen Fields on 14 May 2021

Derek Raymond, A State Of Denmark
Selected by Chris McVeigh on 26 March 2021

Joseph Heller, Catch 22
Selected by Paul Cuddihy on 4 April 2021 and
Imogen Church on 30 April 2021

Jean Rhys, Wild Sargasso Sea
Selected by Tim Baker on 23 April 2021

Ed McBain, Fuzz
Selected by Douglas Skelton on 7 May 2021

1970s

William Styron 1925-2006, Sophie’s Choice
Selected by Heather Martin on 12 February 2021

Ted Lewis – Get Carter (aka Jack’s Return Home)
Selected by Louise Fairbairn on 10 April 2021

William Goldman, Marathon Man
Selected by Douglas Skelton on 7 May 2021

Stephen King, The Shining
ected by Sharon Bairden on 20 January 2021

Peter Benchley

Jaws
Selected by Ian Patrick Robinson on 5 March 2021

Douglas Adams, The Hitch-Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
Selected by Chris Lloyd on 12 March 2021

Robertson Davies, The Deptford Trilogy
Selected by Chris McVeigh on 26 March 2021

Carolyn Keene, The Mystery of The Glowing Eye
Selected by Noelle Holten on 22 March 2021

Maj Sjöwall & Per Wahlöö, The Abominable Man
Selected by Raven on 16 April 2021

William Gaddis, JR
Selected by Tim Baker on 23 April 2021

Hunter S Thompson, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
Selected by Helen Fields on 14 May 2021

Gabriel García Márquez, One Hundred Years of Solitude
Selected by Nicolas Obregon on 28 May 2021

1980s

Margaret Atwood, The Handmaid’s Tale
Selected by Helen Fields on 14 May 2021

Stephen King, Misery
Selected by Chris McDonald on 19 February 2021

William Gibson – Neuromancer
Selected by Louise Fairbairn on 1o April 2021

Stephen King, Pet Sematary
Selected by Noelle Holten on 22 March 2021

William McIlvanney, The Papers of Tony Veitch
Selected by Sharon Bairden on 20 January 2021

Kazuo Ishiguro, The Remains of the Day
Selected by Ian Patrick Robinson on 5 March 2021

Umberto Eco

The Name of the Rose
Selected by Chris Lloyd on 12 March 2021

Mark Timlin, A Good Year For The Roses
Selected by Raven on 16 April 2021

Thomas Harris, The Silence of the Lambs
Selected by Nicolas Obregon on 28 May 2021

1990s

Martina Cole, The Ladykiller
Selected by Sharon Bairden on 20 January 2021

J K Rowling, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone
Selected by Chris McDonald on 19 February 2021

Chuck Palahniuk

Fight Club
Selected by Ian Patrick Robinson on 5 March 2021

Robert Harris, Fatherland
Selected by Chris Lloyd on 12 March 2021

Thomas Harris, The Silence of the Lambs
Selected by Noelle Holten on 22 March 2021

Tim O’Brien, The Things They Carried
Selected by Raven on 16 April 2021

Louis de Bernieres, Captain Corelli’s Mandolin
Selected by Helen Fields on 14 May 2021

Natsuo Kirino, Out
Selected by Nicolas Obregon on 28 May 2021

2000s

Lin Anderson, Driftnet
Selected by Sharon Bairden on 20 January 2021

Don Winslow, The Power of the Dog
Selected by Raven on 16 April 2021

Charles R Ross

Heavier Than Heaven
Selected by Chris McDonald on 19 February 2021

Cormac McCarthy, The Road
Selected by Ian Patrick Robinson on 5 March 2021

Ian Rankin, Fleshmarket Close / Alley
Selected by Noelle Holten on 22 March 2021

Judith Mayne, Le Corbeau (The French Film Guides
Selected by Nicolas Obregon on 28 May 2021

2010s

Mick Herron

Slow Horses
Selected by Chris McDonald on 19 February 2021

James Sallis, Drive
Selected by Ian Patrick Robinson on 5 March 2021

Craig Russell, Lennox
Selected by Noelle Holten on 22 March 2021

Antonin Varenne- Retribution Road
Selected by Raven on 16 April 2021

Fernando Aramburu, Patria
Selected by Nicolas Obregon on 28 May 2021

2020s

Chris Whitaker

We Begin at the End
Selected by Chris McDonald on 19 February 2021

The Curators

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January 26

My Best Friend’s Murder – Polly Phillips

There are so many ways to kill a friendship . . .

You’re lying, sprawled at the bottom of the stairs, legs bent, arms wide.
And while this could be a tragic accident, if anyone’s got a motive to hurt you, it’s me.

Bec and Izzy have been best friends their whole lives. They have been through a lot together – from the death of Bec’s mother to the birth of Izzy’s daughter. But there’s a darker side to their friendship, and once it has been exposed, there is no turning back.

So when Izzy’s body is found, Bec knows that if the police decide to look for a killer, she will be the prime suspect. Because those closest to you are the ones who can hurt you the most . . .

My thanks to Anne Cater at Random Things Blog Tours for arranging my review copy and for allowing me to host this leg of the blog tour.

Bec and Izzy – friends through thick and thin for most of their lives. Their friendship is about to be shaken beyond anything the pair have experienced before and before a truce can be negotiated Izzy will be dead. It isn’t a spoiler, the blurb makes all this clear and the book opens with tragedy.

So how did these friends get to this stage? And is Bec right to think the police should be looking at her as a possible killer?

Polly Phillips shows the reader that Izzy is dead then takes us back in time to earlier in the year when the cracks in the friendship first start to show. We start with what should be a happy event as Bec has come to tell Izzy that she got engaged. However, Izzy’s reaction is not quite what Bec had anticipated and her upset at Izzy is compounded when it becomes clear Izzy had been consulted on which engagement ring should have been bought.

As we are given more background on the two friends we learn how Izzy has married a man Bec was attracted to. Izzy has the best of everything while Bec seems to be making do. Even at work Bec seems to be hesitant to put herself forward or contribute to big decision making. There is a slight shift in this when Bec discovers she may have a chance to interview a Hollywood A-List star and she makes a stand in an editorial meeting to ensure she gets to conduct and be credited for the interview piece.

Bec’s personal life and her career seem to be picking up for her. However her relationship with Izzy is on a downward spiral. The two are bickering then disagreeing and it appears each time the two are together their relationship deteriorates.

The growing animosity between Izzy and Bec is not going unnoticed so when Izzy is found lying in a bloody, crumpled heap Bec does have concern she will be a suspect. But could knowing the truth be even more hazardous?

I came to this book under a slight misconception. I half expected a police procedural (for no reason other than that’s what I normally opt to read). My Best Friend’s Murder hardly features the police. This is the story of Izzy and Bec and the toxic elements of their friendship which define the last days of Izzy’s life – seen through the eyes of Bec who can’t understand why her friend is behaving the way she does.

Uncomfortable reading at times and a few surprises along the way which I enjoy. Domestic drama with barbs – like your favourite soap opera having the Queen Bee get their comeuppance.

My Best Friend’s Murder is published by Simon & Schuster and is available in paperback, audiobook and digital format. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B087QQW3V9/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

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January 20

Decades: Compiling the Ultimate Library with Sharon Bairden

Imagine you were tasked with the impossible responsibility of stocking a library from scratch but you were only allowed to include the very best books. Where would you start? Could you do it? Would you include that book everyone loves but you don’t understand why?

I wanted to know which books would be in the Ultimate Library so I decided to find out. But I don’t get to choose – I want others to do the hard work for me. Readers, writers, bloggers, publishers – I am going to ask people to help me in my epic task but I am going to set my guests two rules:

Rule 1 – Nominate Five Books which should be included in my Ultimate Library

Rule 2 – You can only select one title per decade and the decades must be consecutive so we get a 50 year publication span

Easy!

To kick things off I asked my blogger pal, and debut author, Sharon Bairden to make the first five selections. I hand over to Sharon to introduce herself and I asked her to include some self-promotion before she speaks about other people’s books.

Hi, my name is Sharon and I live just outside of Glasgow. By day I am a manager in a small independent advocacy service and by night I have a passion for all things crime! Some of you may know me as Chapterinmylife Book Blogger https://chapterinmylife.wordpress.com where I blog about the books that I love and book festivals and launches I attend.

I have also just stepped over to the other side and my debut novel, Sins of the Father was published by Red Dog Press on 27th November 2020. It is a dark psychological thriller/suspense set in Glasgow and it explores the impact of trauma through the eyes of Rebecca Findlay – a woman who has married her husband, not out of love, but to destroy him. Book two, another standalone psychological thriller, will be out later this year.

Gordon set me an almost impossible task! He has asked me to pick five of my favourite books and tasked me to choose one from each decade over five consecutive decades, from the 60s through to the noughties! So here goes!

DECADES

1960s – it has got to be Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird. Not only is this a damn good read, it has an important message and one that resonates with me deeply. Social justice and inequality are the themes that drive this book forward and outside of reading, upholding social justice, challenging inequality, discrimination and stigma are my passions.

1970s – Stephen King’s The Shining. Before I delved into crime, horror was my go to read and there was nothing better than curling up with a good Stephen King novel. The Shining is probably the only book and film which has terrified me throughout my life, the isolation, the addictions, the supernatural, God, it still sends shivers down my spine!

1980s William McIllvaney’s The Papers of Tony Veitch, what can I say, McIlvanney was, and in many respects, still is the icon of Scottish crime fiction. I’m currently rereading this series and realise that when I read it many years ago, I did not appreciate the beauty of his writing.

1990s – Martina Cole’s The Ladykiller, this ignited a love of crime, gritty gang life and saw me down at my library on an almost daily basis to get my fix. I’d fallen away from reading as much in my later teen years and Martina Cole set me back on track!

2000 – Lin Anderson’s Driftnet. Lin’s books cemented my love of Scottish crime fiction and it was my love of her writing which led me to start to go along to book events and festivals, which in turn brought me into contact with bloggers, writers and gave me the confidence to make the first steps in realising my dream to write my own book.

My thanks to Sharon for starting the curation process. Decades will return and more books will be added to The Library.

Until then I’d recommend picking up Sharon’s book Sins of the Father. Click through this link and grab a copy today: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sharon-Bairden/e/B0899BQMJX?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1611164121&sr=1-1

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