From The Bookshelf – Page 15

The Stone Song (Audiobook) – Tom Bale

A dystopian sci-fi thriller set in a small Sussex village.

On a sweltering summer’s night, teenage siblings Jack and Lily witness a helicopter crash on the main road between Brighton and London. The next morning they wake to find their village has been sealed off from the entire world. A terrorist cell is holed up in Stenhurst – or at least that’s the official story, put out by sinister government agent Wynter and his vicious sidekick, Major Kellett.

But later that day, Lily and Jack stumble on the truth: the authorities are hunting for a mysterious creature, labelled CatX, who escaped during the crash. Together with their friends, Erin and Oliver, Lily and Jack take it upon themselves to defy the lockdown and protect the creature, no matter what the risks.

The stakes are raised still further when a team of American agents arrive with their own unique technologies. Nobody who sees the CatX must be allowed to survive, and yet it soon becomes clear that there is a much bigger secret here…one that threatens the entire world.

With four teenagers pitted against deadly opposition, this is a story of supernatural menace that will appeal to fans of Stephen King and Stranger Things.

I received a review copy from the author in exchange for a fair an honest review.

First review of 2020 and I get to chat about the audiobook which kept me company through what was a challenging festive period. Apologies to Tom Bale for taking slightly longer than anticipated to listen to this Audible Exclusive story – I had to take a few unexpected breaks from bookish things.

Now the New Year is in full flow and I am able to give my focus back on the stories (a very welcome treat) and I can share my thoughts on this delicious science fiction thriller. Delicious? A strange choice of words perhaps but I savoured the time I had listening to the plight of an alien creature which escaped captivity and sought safety in a small Sussex village.

I am very much a fan of rooting for the underdog (I think we Scots need to be born with this trait) and from the first chapters I found myself rooting for the CatX as, following the crash of a military helicopter which had been transporting CatX, it fled from the military and tried to escape from the only life it had known. CatX sought refuge in secure locations but became trapped in the chimney of a large house in the village of Stenhurst. Help would soon appear in the form of 4 teenage kids and a deadly game of hide and seek begins.

The children soon realise that CatX can communicate with them and an alliance is formed. CatX needs the help of the children to continue to hide from the military forces who are souring Stenhurst to find it. The village is shut down and a total media blackout has been imposed. But tracking an alien life form which is small enough to hide in a rucksack and climb down a chimney is no easy task and the longer the government take to locate their lost asset the more attention they bring to their activities in Stenhurst. Naturally desperation begins to set in and the arrival of American government agencies the pressure to get a prompt resolution to the situation leads to an overspill of aggression from the soldiers on the ground.

The Stone Song is a David vs Goliath tale which kept me thoroughly entertained. Tom Bale sets a vivid scene as he depicts the military oppression of a seemingly sleepy English village. There was a slow reveal throughout the story of what CatX may be, some clever clues passed me by as the story progressed and it was only with the benefit of hindsight I realised I should have been a bit quicker to spot some of the surprises which interweave through the book.

As with every audiobook review I need to comment on the narrator. In this case we are treated to the skills of Raza Jeffrey and he delivers a great performance. There is quite a large cast for The Stone Song and a range of accents are required – all handled perfectly. Raza is very “listenable” which is a trait you would expect to be found in all audiobook narrators but (sadly) this is not always the case.

The Stone Song is only available in Audiobook format and it clocks in at around 11 hours (slightly vague on the run time as the download includes an interview with Raza Jeffrey as a bonus for the listener). I always assess the success of a story on whether I would pass it to my family to read. My teenage son is looking for more fantasy type stories to enjoy and I have recommended he tries The Stone Song. The balance of adventure, alien life, military intervention and the conspiracry theories thrown out to deflect the world media tick all his boxes. First finished book of 2020. A good start!

The Stone Song is and Audible Original and only available as an audiobook. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07XVPLLFK/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i3

Category: Audiobook, From The Bookshelf | Comments Off

December 12

A Window Breaks – C.M. Ewan

If your family was targeted in the middle of the night, what would you do?

You are asleep. A noise wakes you.
You stir, unsure why, and turn to your partner.
Then you hear it.
Glass. Crunching underfoot.
Your worst fears are about to be realized.
Someone is inside your home.
Your choices are limited.
You can run. Or stay and fight.
What would you do?

I received a copy of A Window Breaks from the publisher through Netgalley.

Reading A Window Breaks is like riding a rollercoaster. You purchase your ticket (buy the book) and climb into the car (start reading). As your rollercoaster car starts to move you are filled with the anticipation of the shocks, twists and surprises that will soon follow.

But rollercoasters don’t just launch you into those breakneck speeds or hurl you round a sharp twist – there is a period of build up as you winch up an incline, the car getting ready for that point where you are tipped over the edge of a shocking drop and the real rush begins.

When reading A Window Breaks there is the same steady winch period where the reader gets introduced to the family at the heart of the story. You have time to take in your surroundings and get comfortable while out of sight there are cogs whirring and slowly drawing you to the top of the incline.

Then in the story A Window Breaks.

That is the point where this book tips you over the edge of that first rollercoaster incline and you, as a reader, are plummeting forward on an unstoppable thrill ride of twists, shocks and surprises. It is an adrenaline filled rush and you will not want to get off the ride are you are now fully committed to the whole experience. You can’t stop, you are compelled to keep moving forward, drawn along by the events which are unfolding and you want to be there at the end so you can proudly proclaim “I did it” and then you will recommend to your friends that they make the same journey and read A Window Breaks. It’s a rush.

So what’s the story actually about? Well I can tell you some of it but not too much as that takes us too deep into spoiler territory and I am not keen to do that. A Window Breaks follows a family who have endured too much personal trauma of recent times. The Sullivan family were originally a family of 4, the eldest son has recently died in a car crash (the car taken before he was legally entitled to drive). Parents Tom and Rachel are devastated and start to drift apart, their young daugher is keeping them together. Then further trauma occurs – a mugging as they leave a work event sees daughter, Holly, receive a nasty injury and the fragile family security takes another impact.

To allow healing time Tom, Rachel and Holly are invited to spend a few days in a remote lodge in the Scottish Highlands. The idyllic retreat will allow them time to relax and hopefully repair some of the cracks which have appeared in Tom and Rachel’s marriage. All seems well…until A Window Breaks.

I really, really enjoyed the latest thriller from C.M (Chris) Ewan. He can take the reader through an emotional wringer and his plots always carry a satisfying punch. Definite five star read for me, a proper page turner.

A Window Breaks is currently available in digital format and will release in paperback on 20 February 2020. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Window-Breaks-Nerve-shredding-Pulse-racing-Thriller-ebook/dp/B07S1TS6L6/ref=sr_1_1?qid=1575661790&refinements=p_27%3AC.+M.+Ewan&s=digital-text&sr=1-1&text=C.+M.+Ewan

Category: 5* Reviews, From The Bookshelf | Comments Off

November 3

Ghoster – Jason Arnopp

Kate Collins has been ghosted.

She was supposed to be moving in with her new boyfriend Scott, but all she finds after relocating to Brighton is an empty flat. Scott has vanished. His possessions have all disappeared.

Except for his mobile phone.

Kate knows she shouldn’t hack into Scott’s phone. She shouldn’t look at his Tinder, his texts, his social media. But she can’t quite help herself.

That’s when the trouble starts. Strange, whispering phone calls from numbers she doesn’t recognise. Scratch marks on the door that she can’t explain.

And the growing feeling that she’s being watched . . .

My thanks to Tracy Fenton at Compulsive Readers for the chance to join the blog tour and to Orbit for my review copy.

Ghoster is the most impressive contemporary horror tale I have read. It also seamlessly blends the traditional themes of a strong horror tale, loss, isolation, obsession, terror and paranoia and drops it into a modern day tale with social media, smart phones and our societies expectations. Clever, chilling stuff.

Kate Collins is looking for her soul mate. On Valentines Day she is browsing Tinder looking for possible matches when one profile picture leaps out at her. This guy has a handsome but vulnerable look and Kate feels an immediate connection. She clicks on the super-like and waits. And waits. But when she gets a like back it is not from the guy she clicked on. Instead she ends up with a disasterous match which subsequently forces her off social media.

In a bid to purge her obsessive online fascination with her ex-boyfriend’s activities Kate books into a weekend retreat digital detox clinic. Also booked onto this course is Scott, the handsome guy she had Super Liked on Tinder. He doesn’t recognise her, why would he? But Kate certainly recognised him and over the weekend the pair find themselves drawn together and they seem to click.

Moving forward a few months and Kate is leaving Yorkshire to move to Brighton where she is moving into Scott’s house. She has given up her paramedic’s role in Leeds and making full commitment to their deepening relationship. So imagine her horror in arriving at Scott’s house to find it entirely empty. No Scott, no furniture and no indication as to where he may have gone. Scott has totally vanished. Is he Ghosting her? Is he dead? Has she been dumped or is she the victim of an elaborate hoax? Kate’s life is in turmoil and she has no idea where to turn. The only clue she may have is that Scott’s mobile phone is found hidden outside his flat on his balcony. Can Kate somehow piece together the life Scott was leading while she was still in Leeds?

Narrative swings between the current day as Kate tries to juggle her investigations and her new job in the Brighton paramedic team and then back to six months earlier as we read how Kate and Scott’s relationship grew while they spent time together.

Kate goes through an emotional wringer and she makes some shocking discoveries about the man she thought she knew but seemingly massively misjudged. Kate needs to know the truth and her quest to uncover Scott’s secrets threaten everything she holds dear. But where is Scott?

I was kept guessing on Ghoster and at times I wasn’t even sure I was reading a horror tale. Well until a ghost appeared that it. Kate’s story was one of loss and personal drama but where does the horror lie? Everywhere. And at times it is so normal I didn’t even see it for what it was.

This is sublime, clever and chilling writing. Ghoster is a modern horror classic. If you love this genre then you need to read this book.

Ghoster is published by Orbit Books and is available in paperback, digital and audiobook format. You can order your copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B06X3V9VSX/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

Category: 5* Reviews, Blog Tours, From The Bookshelf | Comments Off

October 25

Haverscroft – S.A. Harris

Kate Keeling leaves all she knows and moves to Haverscroft House in an attempt to salvage her marriage. Little does she realise, Haverscroft’s dark secrets will drive her to question her sanity, her husband and fatally engulf her family unless she can stop the past repeating itself. Can Kate keep her children safe and escape Haverscroft in time, even if it will end her marriage?

Haverscroft is a gripping and chilling dark tale, a modern ghost story that will keep you turning its pages late into the night.

My thanks to Salt Publishing for my review copy and the chance to join the blog tour.

A halloween blog tour and what could be better than reaing a chiller about a haunted house? Haverscroft is the house in question and Kate Keeling and her family have just moved in. It’s not long before Kate begins to feel unsettled in their new surroundings.

Haverscroft is an old home which had been owned by the same family for many years. Circumstances forced the last surviving family member to sell the property yet the elderly lady who reluctantly parted with the house has been actively deterring families from moving in. Kate’s husband arranged the purchase as Kate hadn’t been in the best of health. He sheltered her from the warnings and it is only after they move into Haverscroft that Kate begins to realise their home may not be the sanctuary they sought

The author does get the chill factor right. Strange noises, doors which will not stay closed, a loft filled with memories and belongings of a family long gone and a room which nobody can stand to spend any time in.

If the chilling house isn’t enough foe Kate to contend with, her personal life is also going through the wringer. Kate’s husband is a junior member of a successful law firm. He has been asked to work away on a big case and is not around when Kate needs him. Kate is convinced he is having an affair with one of his colleagues and his increasingly erratic behaviour fuels her fears.

As events in Haverscroft start to escalate we see Kate’s mental health start to suffer. Her focus remains keeping her kids safe but she can’t watch them around the clock and the house holds many dangers.

Haverscroft is a cracking read, an atmospheric chiller and compelling family drama. Perfect halloween reading.

Haverscroft is published by Salt and is available in digital and paperback. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1784632007/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

Category: Blog Tours, From The Bookshelf | Comments Off

October 22

The Snow Killer -Ross Greenwood

‘Fear the north wind. Because no one will hear you scream…’

A family is gunned down in the snow but one of the children survives. Three years on, that child takes revenge and the Snow Killer is born. But then, nothing – no further crimes are committed, and the case goes cold.

Fifty years later, has the urge to kill been reawakened? As murder follows murder, the detective team tasked with solving the crimes struggle with the lack of leads. It’s a race against time and the weather – each time it snows another person dies.

As an exhausted and grizzled DI Barton and his team scrabble to put the pieces of the puzzle together, the killer is hiding in plain sight. Meanwhile, the murders continue…

My thanks to the publishers for my review copy which I received through Netgalley

The blurb announces that The Snow Killer is the first in a new series – a welcome confirmation as the lead detective, DI Barton, comes across very well and I would absolutely seek out the next titles as they release.

First things first…The Snow Killer. A police procedural but one where the reader gets to see the murderer from the outset. We know what motivates the killer, what he is thinking and why he has chosen the path he has. We also get to see the police trying to make sense of the murders as they occur (and there are plenty of them).

The Snow Killer is targeting local drug dealers. Not just the street pushers but the two sisters who run Peterborough’s drug network. Police have not been able to get close to a conviction on the two young women who took over their father’s empire but they know full well who controls the flow of illicit substances in the city. The Snow Killer does too and is on a mission to resolve matters to his own satisfaction.

Protecting potential victims becomes part of the investigative process and Barton and his team will be stretched. The tension and frustration comes through and this feeds well into the urgency Barton feels to identify their killer.

Very importantly for any police procedural is not just the lead character but the supporting cast in the squad room. This is where I was sold on the The Snow Killer – I loved the good guys. They have character, depth and are fun to read about. I was happy to leave the murders and the investigations to hear about their private lives too – relatable and engaging characters make for a better reading experience.

A couple of minor niggles around dialogue becoming a bit too formal and forced mid conversation. It just took a little pace out of some scenes. Also I got the impression the author is a big fan of Peterborough, lots of positives about the town were peppered through the story which was a wee bit unexpected. Minor issues as this was a damned good read and it caught me with the good surprises which were set up very well.

The Snow Killer is published on 12 November 2019 and is available in paperback and digital format. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07XLFWZ7D/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

Category: From The Bookshelf | Comments Off

October 6

Many Rivers to Cross – Peter Robinson

Monday 7 October is the First Monday of the month and readers who can easily get to London will have the chance to hear Peter Robinson join a fabulous panel of authors at

Peter will (I assume) be discussing his latest DCI Banks novel: Many Rivers to Cross

You can see Peter along with Nicci French (both of them) and the terrific Marnie Riches (there’s only one Marnie Riches) if you follow this link: https://www.firstmondaycrime.com/

Want to know a little more about Many Rivers to Cross? Read on…

Many Rivers to Cross

A skinny young boy is found dead – his body carelessly stuffed into wheelie bin.

Detective Superintendent Alan Banks and his team are called to investigate. Who is the boy, and where did he come from? Was he discarded as rubbish, or left as a warning to someone? He looks Middle Eastern, but no one on the East Side Estate has seen him before.

As the local press seize upon an illegal immigrant angle, and the national media the story of another stabbing, the police are called to investigate a less newsworthy death: a middle-aged heroin addict found dead of an overdose in another estate, scheduled for redevelopment.

Banks finds the threads of each case seem to be connected to the other, and to the dark side of organised crime in Eastvale. Does another thread link to his friend Zelda, who is facing her own dark side?

The truth may be more complex – or much simpler – than it seems . . .

My thanks to the publishers for my review copy.

Many Rivers To Cross is the 26th volume in the hugely successful DCI Banks series. 26th!!! I have been reading this series for more years than I can keep track of and it is always a treat to return to characters I feel I know well.

In this outing Banks and his colleagues are investigating the murder of a young boy who has been found stuffed into a bin. The callous dumping of this child’s body adds further frustration for Banks and team who are struggling to identify their victim. He appears to be of Middle Eastern origin and, as is pointed out in the story, should be more likely to be noticed in Yorkshire. Yet despite this the police will struggle to trace him to a family.

Running alongside this investigation is a story about Banks’s friend Zelda. She is helping authorities identify criminals from old CCTV footage as she has the rare ability (or curse) of never forgetting a face. Zelda has previously been forced to work as a prostitute and knows more than she would ever want about the abuse of vulnerable children and women by gangs of traffickers and organised criminals.

Zelda arrives at her workplace and is shocked to be met by the police who are investigating the sudden death of her boss in what appears to be an unfortunate household accident. Zelda is not convinced and starts to ask questions – a dangerous path to take as she will potentially put herself into harms way in order to uncover the truth.

In a novel which reflects ongoing social issues and real-life issues it is inevitable that the UK’s political turmoil will also get a few mentions. The author makes a few pointed comments about the current political travails which are sure to upset readers who take an opposing viewpoint. I agreed with the comments made and am encouraged that authors are not shirking away and ignoring an issue which has dominated discussion in this country for the last 3 years (and more).

Fans of the series will enjoy this latest Banks adventure. Peter Robinson can tell a good story and keep the readers guessing. Many Rivers To Cross was slightly slower paced than some of my recent reads but perhaps that reflects my own reading choices. More Banks will be very welcome, I do love these characters.

Many Rivers To Cross is published by Hodder and Stoughton and is available in Hardback, Digital and Audiobook format. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Many-Rivers-Cross-Peter-Robinson/dp/1444787047/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=peter+robinson&qid=1570312301&sr=8-2

Category: Blog Tours, From The Bookshelf | Comments Off

October 3

One By One – D. W. Gillespie

The Easton family has just moved into their new fixer-upper, a beautiful old house that they bought at a steal, and Alice, the youngest of the family, is excited to explore the strange, new place. Her excitement turns to growing dread as she discovers a picture hidden under the old wallpaper, a child’s drawing of a family just like hers.

Soon after, members of the family begin to disappear, each victim marked on the child’s drawing with a dark black X. It’s up to her to unlock the grim mystery of the house before she becomes the next victim.

My thanks to Anne Cater of Random Things Tours for the chance to close out the One By One blog tour. I received a review copy from publishers, Flame Tree Press – my thanks to them too.

October does bring out my craving to read creepy books so huge thanks to Flame Tree Press for the opportunity to read DW Gillespie’s latest release – One By One. As you will have picked up from the blurb (above) this one sounded a proper chiller…new family move into big old house. Haunted? Unusual for sure and the child’s stick drawing of a family and their pet dog (uncovered by 10 year old Alice when she peeled away a strip of wallpaper) has a sinister element rather than the cute cheery image the picture *could* have had.

Alice is the main focus for One By One, indeed it is her story we share for the most part. Though for reasons which partly fall into the “spoiler” category there are some necessary parts of the story which are told through the eyes of another.

Alice, her parents and her elder brother, Dean, have moved into their new home. It has very unusual design features, quirky and peculiar interior planning and it really needs a lot of work done. A “fixer-upper” and a bargain…but bargains usually come with a story which Alice’s father seems happy to ignore. Soon after the family move into the house things begin to change and tempers become frayed.

Alice, as the youngest, is scared by the new house not helped by the “face” she saw at her window on the first night. Her imagination runs wild but as a natural daydreamer her parents are not listening to her worries. But they cannot ignore the reality of a death in the household and a large black cross painted over the corresponding figure from the child’s drawing of the family.

I don’t want to share too much more detail about events in One By One but for Alice the danger is very real. Her family are disappearing and more crosses are appearing on the picture – can Alice save herself?

Small cast of characters, isolated location and a child terrified and unsure who to trust. A tense chiller which I zipped through in two fully captivated sittings.

One By One is published by Flame Tree Press and is available in paperback and digital format. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/One-Fiction-Without-Frontiers-ebook/dp/B07X3Q89JS/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3ETV6WWVV5DDU&keywords=one+by+one+dw+gillespie&qid=1570124437&s=digital-text&sprefix=one+by+one+%2Cdigital-text%2C759&sr=1-1

Category: Blog Tours, From The Bookshelf | Comments Off

October 1

A House of Ghosts – W.C. Ryan

Winter 1917. As the First World War enters its most brutal phase, back home in England, everyone is seeking answers to the darkness that has seeped into their lives.

At Blackwater Abbey, on an island off the Devon coast, Lord Highmount has arranged a spiritualist gathering to contact his two sons who were lost in the conflict. But as his guests begin to arrive, it gradually becomes clear that each has something they would rather keep hidden. Then, when a storm descends on the island, the guests will find themselves trapped. Soon one of their number will die.

For Blackwater Abbey is haunted in more ways than one . . .

An unrelentingly gripping mystery packed with twists and turns, A House of Ghosts is the perfect chilling read this winter.

My thanks to Tracy Fenton of Compulsive Readers for the chance to join the blog tour. I received a review copy of the book from the publishers.

A House of Ghosts is exactly that…Blackwater Abbey has many spitits roaming its halls and one or two of the guests during the course of events in the book can see them. However (important info incoming) the ghosts are not malevolent spirits intent on destroying the characters in the tale, they are passive characters. Do not pick up A House of Ghosts and expect it to be the next Amytiville Horror – it’s not that type of read.

What A House of Ghosts can offer is (I felt) closer to an espionage adventure or a puzzle in a old stately home set during the latter period of The Great War.

There are some supernatural elements to the tale, a seance to contact Lord Highmount’s sons who died in the conflict. A mirror which reflects more than the viewer but there are also undercover agents working for British security and a houseguest with murder and menace on their mind.

The characters residing at Blackwater Abbey seem to have secrets they are to keep. The house is remote and cut-off from help as a storm rages outside. The finger of suspicion points at different people throught the book and the author keeps the mystery element twisting nicely through the chapters.

I have worked my way through a few stories this year with unlikeable lead characters and they haven’t been to my liking. I found I enjoyed A House of Ghosts much more I as I became engaged with the events in Blackwater Abbey and wanted to read more about the characters in the book. More importantly I wanted to keep reading as I enjoyed the world W.C. Ryan was spinning for me. I much prefer when a story entertains rather than has to be endured.

Not the ghost story I had anticipated from the title but a great period mystery which I thoroughly enjoyed.

A House of Ghosts is published by Zaffre and is available in paperback, digital and audiobook format. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/House-Ghosts-gripping-mystery-haunted-ebook/dp/B07DDL8KKQ/ref=sr_1_1?qid=1569880277&refinements=p_27%3AW.+C.+Ryan&s=digital-text&sr=1-1&text=W.+C.+Ryan

Category: Blog Tours, From The Bookshelf | Comments Off

September 26

Bone China – Laura Purcell

Consumption has ravaged Louise Pinecroft’s family, leaving her and her father alone and heartbroken.

But Dr Pinecroft has plans for a revolutionary experiment: convinced that sea air will prove to be the cure his wife and children needed, he arranges to house a group of prisoners suffering from the same disease in the cliffs beneath his new Cornish home.

Forty years later, Hester Why arrives at Morvoren House to take up a position as nurse to the now partially paralysed and almost entirely mute Miss Pinecroft. Hester has fled to Cornwall to try and escape her past, but surrounded by superstitious staff enacting bizarre rituals, she soon discovers that her new home may be just as dangerous as her last.

My thanks to publishers, Raven Books, for my review copy which I received through Netgalley.

Now that the nights are “fair drawing in” it is very much the time to start looking for the best of the creepy, gothic stories to read on the dark and stormy nights. While I cannot deliver on the appropriate weather conditions I *can* bring a good wee story to your attention which very much meets the creepy gothic criteria.

Laura Purcell’s Bone China takes the reader to Cornwall back in the days when large residences had housekeepers, ladies maids, butlers, coachmen and a plethora of other staff to keep a household ticking over. The families who owned these homes seemed to be measured by the size of their staff, the skill of the cook etc. So when we meet Hester Why as she travels to Cornwall the reader is not sure why she is leaving a good role in London to take on a position in a rundown old home in one of the remotest parts of the country.

From the very outset it becomes clear Hester is not in a good place. Sneaking drinks of gin from a flask which she tries to conceal from other passengers and trying to ensure she does not draw any attention to herself. However, her attempts to remain unnoticed will be dashed when her carriage is involved in an accident and her skills are needed to help save the life of a fellow traveller.

Arriving at her new place of employ in a muddy and bloody state Hester is surprised to find she will be sharing room (and bed) with another staff member – a marked comedown from her previous role in one of the most illustrious homes in London.

The narrative jumps back to Hester’s former life when she was known by a different name and when her previous mistress treated her with favours and comfort above societies norms of the time.

Back to Hester in her new role at Moroven House. It is a constantly cold place. Her new mistress is near invalid who has an unhealthy obsession with sitting by her china collection and appears terrified to leave her plates and cups unattended.

Her new mistress has a young ward in her care but the two never spend any time together and the ward is watched by another servant who has little time for Hester. The mysterious pair spend time in a different part of the house and Hester finds that the child plays in a the middle of a ring of salt – a ring which should not be broken. Hester scorns their backward belief in sprites and fairy-folk but as the story unfolds it does seem that there are strange goings on at Morvoren House.

As the blurb above indicates there is another character to feature prominently in Bone China…Louise Pinecroft. The author takes us 40 years into the past to see the mistress of the house as a young woman. Her father is a brilliant doctor who is devoting his time to find a cure to the terrible disease consumption. Louise is convinced her father is on the path to a major breakthrough but at what cost to his own health?

Laura Purcell is, without doubt, one of the best of the current crop of newly published authors who are making a real name for themselves. Few can match her when it comes to penning gothic chillers as she captures the atmosphere and feeling needed to carry off these stories. If you get the chance to pick up her terrific debut, The Silent Companions, then grab it – that one was special.

Bone China. Clever, unexpected and thoroughly enjoyable – watch out for it.

Bone China is published by Raven Books and is available in Hardback, Digital and Audiobook format. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1526602539/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

Category: From The Bookshelf | Comments Off

September 11

The Quiet Ones – Theresa Talbot

If only someone had listened…

When the supposed suicide of famous Scottish football coach Harry Nugent hits the headlines, the tabloids are filled with tributes to a charitable pillar of the community that gave so much back to sport and to those less fortunate. But something isn’t right. Normally celebrities are queuing up to claim to have had a very special relationship with the deceased, but investigative journalist, Oonagh O’Neil is getting the distinct impression that people are trying to distance themselves from Harry.

Oonagh’s investigation leads her to uncover a heartbreakingly haunting coverup that chills her to the core…and place her in mortal danger from those willing to protect their sadistic and dark secrets at any cost….

I received a review copy from the publishers.

A new Oonagh O’Neil book is very much a cause for celebration. After a debut appearance in The Lost Children (which I review here as Penance) and a return in Keep Her Silent (reviewed here) I was dying to see what Theresa Talbot had in store for investigative journalist Oonagh.

The appeal of these books is that Theresa Talbot puts a real (and distressing) story at the heart of Oonagh’s fictional adventures. The story is fictional but that core of reality and the way the author conveys the hurt the characters experienced makes the books utterly compelling.

In The Quiet Ones Oonagh is confronted with the possibility that a murdered sporting hero may have been killed because of a dark secret from his past. Can Oonagh find a way to get vulnerable strangers to open up and discuss their past horrors? Even if she can, will there be evidence she can pass to the police to ensure justice can be done?

The Quiet Ones opens with a murder. It has the appearance of a professional hit and the police are baffled. The victim is a prominent figure in Scottish football circles, he supports a number of charities and good causes and his death is a headline writer’s goldmine. Particularly when it is obvious the police have no leads, suspects or can even work out a motive.

Oonagh gets suspicious when “friends” of the deceased seem keen to distance themselves from him. She follows her instincts knowing there is a story to uncover. Her boss is not keen to give her time to chase a story which he doesn’t believe is there to be found so Oonagh is forced to play politics in the office to cut herself the leeway she needs to uncover the truth.

There are very sensitive subjects incorporated into The Quiet Ones and the author handles these superbly. In the acknowledgements Ms Talbot thanks David Gordon who “shared his story with such quiet dignity” that reflects perfectly how the more upsetting elements of The Quiet Ones are addressed within the book. It is a deeply emotive and moving read.

Despite being the third book in the series The Quiet Ones can easily be read as a stand alone thriller. It is highly recommended and once you have finished it I am sure you will seek out the first two as well. Top stuff.

The Quiet Ones will be published on 12 September 2019 by Aria and you can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1788545346/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

Category: From The Bookshelf | Comments Off