The Death of Me – Michelle Davies

Is one of music’s greatest mysteries about to be solved?

‘He was a massive star until he did a headline grabbing retreat from the spotlight – but his disappearing act was FAKED. Fans won’t be happy when they find out – his reputation was dead in the water.’

When Isaac Naylor committed suicide after a teenage fan was found dead in his hotel room, the world thought it had lost one of the greatest rock stars of a generation. Naylor, lead singer of The Ospreys, had been arrested for causing the girl’s death and was on police bail when he drowned himself in the sea off the Devon coast.

Now, eight years on, music journalist Natalie Glass stumbles across a blind item on a US gossip website that suggests Naylor’s death wasn’t quite what it seemed – and he might in fact still be alive.

But as she delves deeper into what happened, Natalie finds she has a stark choice: give up trying to find out what happened to Naylor or risk her own obituary ending up in print.

I recieved a review copy of The Death of Me from the publishers through Netgalley.

Natalie Glass is a music journalist. She is a freelancer and hugely respected in the industry but in The Death of Me we find her at a low ebb. Her marriage is over, her young son is living with his father who can provide a more stable home life than Natalie who keeps irregular hours and has inconsistent income. She is desperate to get some stability in her life to allow her a better chance at being allowed more access to her son but until the family home is sold she is living in fear of bills arriving and relying upon the kindness of friends.

While browsing online gossip sites for potential stories she stumbles upon a story which suggests Issac Naylor, once the biggest name in music, may be writing songs anonymously for other artists to record. This in its-self would be big news but Naylor died eight years ago under the scandal of facilitating the death of a fan and there is absolutely no possibility he is helping new artists record successful songs.

Natalie is on the phone to her best friend and remembers the story about Naylor. As she relays the story her friend, who works at a recording studio, has an unusual reaction. Rather than laugh it off she seems started, edgy and implores Natalie not to repeat the story or to look into it further. She makes Natalie promise to ignore the gossip but Natalie is confused by the reaction, there couldn’t be any truth in this could there?

With no other projects demanding her time Natalie does start to look into Naylor’s story and his past and she begins to question whether there may have been any truth behind the gossip column’s claims. When she logs back onto the site to read the story again she discovers that post has been taken down; but why? More outrageous gossip has been allowed to run unchecked but the Isaac Naylor story has been removed.

Following her instincts there is a story to be found Natalie starts asking questions but her interest doesn’t go unnoticed and it isn’t long before her home and her friends are coming under attack. With her world collapsing around her Natalie is convinced she is getting closer to the most explosive story of the year but what would be the cost of uncovering the truth?

I blasted through The Death of Me in just a couple of days. I haven’t read any of the previous books by Michelle Davies but I found this to be a brilliantly told story which flowed and rewarded the reader with unexpected twists and shocks. This is exactly what I look for in a story, a tightly plotted drama with characters which I found engaging and wanted to keep reading about.

No better feeling for a reader than finding a gem on the bookshelves. Seek this one out!

The Death of Me is published by Orion and is available in paperback, digital and audiobook format. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B093XZYCZ4/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

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February 18

Decades – Compiling the Ultimate Library with Tina Baker

Having a few days off from the day job has really knocked out my body clock. It’s a good job I remembered Tina Baker is joining me to share her Decades selections, I’d have hated for you to miss out on these cracking recommendations.

A quick explanation about the Decades Library for any new visitors. Imagine having to start a new Library from scratch. You have no books but only want the very best books on the Library shelves so visitors know whatever they choose to read it’s a book someone else loved.

Each week I ask a guest to join me and nominate new books to add to the Library shelves. They must follow two rules when making their choices:

1- Pick Any Five Books
2- You May Only Select One Book Per Decade From Five Consecutive Decades

It’s as easy as that – five books, five decades. So time to turn over to Tina Baker to get this week’s recommened books…

Tina was brought up in a caravan after her mother, a fairground traveller, fell pregnant by a window cleaner. After leaving the bright lights of Coalville, she came to London and worked as a journalist and broadcaster for thirty years. She’s probably best known as a television critic for the BBC and GMTV, but after so many hours watching soaps gave her a widescreen bum, she got off it, lost weight and won Celebrity Fit Club. When not writing she now works as a fitness instructor. She also rescues cats, whether they want to be rescued or not.

Call Me Mummy, Tina’s first novel, partly inspired by her own unsuccessful attempts to have a child, was a Number 1 Kindle bestseller. Its as also sold in Tesco as well as bookshops, which thrilled Tina as she and her family cleaned the floors of supermarkets for many years.

Her second novel, Nasty Little Cuts (be careful how you say it) is published by Viper Books on February 24th. She would be THRILLED if you pre-ordered it from all the usual places because Bertie the Emotional Support Kitten had major surgery just before Christmas. He’s now fine. The bank balance isn’t. Nasty Little Cuts is another psychological thriller in the domestic noir vein. It’s the story of how a marriage can break down to the point where no one might get out alive.

You can order Nasty Little Cuts here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0984N2N8W/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i1
Or Call Me Mummy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08FNHJB4P/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

DECADES

I’m rubbish at choosing my favourite books. I usually go with whatever I’m reading at the time. But, in a miraculous plot twist, 5 of my actual favourites effortlessly spanned 5 decades, so IT WAS MEANT TO BE!

SHUGGIE BAIN, DOUGLAS STUART, 2020

I adore Shuggie. I wanted to adopt him, but Shuggie loves his alcoholic mammy, so that wouldn’t be fair. I also love Douglas Stuart. It was one of my proudest moments as a newbie author when he followed me back on Twitter.

I knew I wanted to read this book before it was published. When it became a Booker Prize winner I cried, I was so thrilled.

It touched me so deeply. Real, heart-breaking, beautiful and stark. One of the reasons I felt for Shuggie was because I too was a working class kid growing up in a pit town, Coalville, where all the pits closed. I’ve also loved alcoholics.

I’ve put this book on my Top Horror and Top Crime lists even though it’s more literary, because real life horror is scarier to me than vampires, and what Thatcher did to communities like Shuggie’s and mine was a bloody crime.

WE ARE ALL COMPLETELY BESIDE OURSELVES, KAREN JOY FOWLER, 2013

This is an ear wetter of a novel – I sobbed so much in bed that my ears were soaked with tears. I had to have one book about animals on my list. I have had closer relationships with my pets than many people.

This is a gut-wrenching story about love, families, jealousy and what it means to be human.

I’m still loathe to give away the twist (It’s Fingersmith level gobsmacking) but it involves some hideous experiments scientists have done on animals. I love science (yay, vaccines!) and wanted to be one, briefly, until I realised what I’d be required to do to rats.

BLONDE, JOYCE CAROL OATES, 2000

I would read a shipping list written by this author. I love her work. I’ve read this hefty novel several times. It’s a fictionalised version of Marilyn Monroe’s life, and, no spoilers, it does not end well.

Somehow, I felt I was inside Marilyn’s heart and mind, hearing all her inner secrets and vulnerabilities. It’s also a scathing examination of fame and how a person can struggle with being a disposable commodity and an icon others project so much onto, while wrestling their own demons.

THE VAN, RODDY DOYLE, 1991

I had to have at least one funny book, although it takes a lot to make me laugh in print. I adore Doyle’s dialogue and his working class characters. Two mates going into business together is often a recipe for disaster, but the warmth here is fabulous.

This was also shortlisted for the Booker Prize. I’m a bit of a reading snob I suppose.

Unusually for me, I also loved the film, and ditto The Commitments – books are always better than films. Fact.

Another fact, he was born on May 8^th, my brother’s birthday.

THE HANDMAID’S TALE, MARGARATE ATWOOD, 1985

This feminist dystopia was actually cited in my first divorce. True story. The ex whined that he’d wanted to see ‘anything’ but’ at the cinema, but I’d ‘made him’ see this. To be honest, the TV series is way better than the film.

I had nightmares about the world of Gilead, where women are treated as brood cows and all their rights taken from them. Look around the world, it’s already happening, has always been happening. It’s chilling.

Huge thanks to Tina for five storming recommendations. Nobody has turned around their five selections quicker than Tina did – even people who have told me they had given some thought to which books they may select before I had contacted them couldn’t match her speed. Given her five books smoothly fitted into the five decades it also makes it more likely there was less cursing at me than I have experienced in the past.

DECADES WILL RETURN

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February 11

Decades: Compiling the Ultimate Library with Quentin Bates

Welcome to Decades, an ongoing quest to assemble the Ultimate Library filled with books that were recommended by booklovers.

It began back in January 2021 when I asked the question: If you had to fill a brand new library with nothing but the best books ever written, which books would you put on the shelves? I realised I could not possibly answer that question on my own so each week I am joined by a bookloving guest (authors, publishers, journalists and bloggers) and I ask them to help me put great books into my Decades Library.

Why do I call it my Decades Library? Well each guest has to follow two simple rules when nominating books to go into the Library:

Rule 1 – Pick Any Five Books
Rule 2 – You May Only Select One Book Per Decade From Any Five Consecutive Decades

The Decades Library does exist as a Bookshop.Org shop so if you fancy seeing which books have been selected in the past you can click through this handy link: https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/grab-this-book-the-decades-library

This week it is my pleasure to welcome Quentin Bates to the Decades Library. I first became aware of Quentin’s work through his association with Orenda Books and have read several of the novels he has translated for them, most recently Cold As Hell by Lilja Sigurdardottir. But I have also been picking up some of his own novels which I also highly recommend. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Quentin-Bates/e/B004JZ8EZA?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_3&qid=1644531511&sr=1-3

Time to hand over to Quentin…

Best known as the translator of some of Iceland’s smartest and coolest authors*, Quentin Bates has also written a few books of his own, and with a bit of luck there might be a few more to come.If you really need to know more, his website is at www.graskeggur.is, and he’s on social media as gráskeggur.*Lilja Sigurðardóttir, Einar Kárason, Sólveig Pálsdóttir, Óskar Guðmundsson, Guðlaugur Arason, and more to come

DECADES

Just to be awkward, I’d like to take these in reverse order, stepping back in time a decade at a time…

2000s

Mýrin by Arnaldur Indriðason

This one was published in Icelandic in 2000, and it was a few years before it appeared in English as Jar City. This was Arnaldur’s breakout book, the one that made him an international name. I’m fairly sure I read this one in Icelandic first and was struck by how much of a leap it was compared to his previous books. It brings together a wonderful Nordic darkness with the backdrop of the seedy side of Reykjavík, and fine interplay between the very different characters of Erlendur and his colleagues Sigurður Óli and Elínborg.

This one absolutely led the way, demonstrating that this lump of volcanic North Atlantic rock could be the backdrop for outstanding crime fiction, with all of the elements adding up to something much more than the sum of their parts. It’s also a great movie and it’s a mystery why Erlendur hasn’t made more appearances on the screen.

1990s

Dead Horsemeat, by Dominique Manotti

I found one of Dominique Manotti’s books more or less by chance, devoured it almost immediately, and then did the same with all the rest that were available in English.

These are books that not only didn’t shy away from taking on tough themes before they became controversial, they positively grabbed them by the horns and were way ahead of their time.

Thirty years after they were published, this is still razor sharp stuff, some of the sharpest, smartest crime fiction with a strong political edge. These are another mystery. One of Dominique’s books won an International Dagger (Lorraine Connection, in 2008) and Dead Horsemeat (originally published in French in 1997) was shortlisted in 2006. So these books are clearly held in high regard, so why aren’t they better known?

1980s

Earthly Powers, by Anthony Burgess

I’ve just noticed that this is the only one of my five that isn’t a translation… The 1980s were when I was a seaman, and hefty books were just what was needed for long spells at sea. All the same, this vast (650 page) tale, spanning six decades, just flew past.

Anthony Burgess seems to have dropped out of fashion, but he’s very much worth discovering. The prose sparkles with wit, erudition and wordplay, deftly told, and Earthly Powers has one of the most brilliant opening paragraphs there is.

1970s

The Flounder, by Günter Grass

OK, it shouldn’t be called The Flounder, as the magical fish in question is actually a turbot, but The Flounder is a better title. This is a substantial book, and this one spans centuries rather than just a few decades, telling in terms of magic, gastronomy, politics and social upheaval the story of chunk of the Baltic coast, a part of the world that has been subject to more or less constant upheaval for as long as humans have lived there. It’s a complex and engrossing tale, or set of stories within a story, with many voices and a huge cast of characters, in addition to the those of the fisherman and his wife, and peppered with food, sex, joy and tragedy all the way through.

1960s

Asterix in Britain, by Goscinny and Uderzo

This was a birthday present when I was just starting to read. It was like a comic, but it was so much cooler and cleverer than the Beezer, and it opened up a whole new world. Of all the Asterix books, this one remains a favourite, poking gentle and affectionate Gallic fun at the Rosbifs across the Channel with their passions for boiled food and warm beer, the fact that it’s always raining (except when it’s foggy), and the ancient Britons carrying around with them portable roofs to stop the sky from falling on their heads.

Of course, I didn’t appreciate this when this arrived on my eighth birthday, but the first Asterix books were translated by Derek Hockridge and the extraordinary Anthea Bell, who brought to the translation a neatly humorous light touch that I suspect may equal (or even surpass…?) the original. The jokes and puns have to be theirs – as these are notoriously untranslatable – and the names… Calling the pub landlord Dipsomaniax is just a stroke of brilliance.

One of the things I love most about sharing the Decades selections each week is that it helps readers find new books to love. I don’t know if may of us will know all five of these selections but I have been investigating already and I am definitely going to be seeking out Jar City and getting it into my TBR.

What really made my heart sing though was seeing Asterix gain a place in the Library. My own childhood was a series of weekly trips to the village library where I would always take out an Asterix or Tintin book to include in my reading. Huge thanks to Quentin for the wonderful mix of old and new.

DECADES WILL RETURN

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January 28

Decades – Compiling the Ultimate Library with Anne Cater

Time for another trip to the Decades Library. As you may know by now; each week I invite a booklover to join me and aid my ongoing quest to assemble the Ulitmate Library. It all began with the question: If you had to assemble the best collection of books for a new library but had exactly zero books to put on the shelves, which books would you choose?

Every week a guest Library Curator is asked to add some of their favourite books to the shelves of the Decades Library.

Why do I call it a Decades Library? Well there are just two rules governing the selection of books they can make:

1 – Nominate ANY five books
2 – You may only select one book per decade from five consecutive decades.

This week I am delighted to welcome one of my best blogging pals to Grab This Book. Anne Cater will be a familiar name for many in the bookish world and will likely need no introduction…but I asked her to write one anyway…

Fifty-something, living in rural Lincolnshire, surrounded by books, a husband and a cat.

I’ve been blogging at Random Things Through My Letterbox for around eleven years.

I review ‘commercial women’s fiction’ for the Express, and my reviews are usually featured in their S Magazine on a Sunday.

I’ve been a judge for the Crime Writer’s Association Dagger Awards – International Dagger (translated fiction) for the past three years, and was a judge for the British Book Awards (Pageturners category) in 2021.

As well as reading and writing about books, I organise Blog Tours on the behalf of publishers and directly for authors. I now do this full time after a long career in the NHS and the voluntary sector.

I have presented training sessions for Road Scholar in the US, for students at Lincoln University and spoken at the Conference for Self Published Authors.

When I am not reading, I am eating, or planning my next holiday.

Twitter @annecater

https://randomthingsthroughmyletterbox.blogspot.com/

DECADES

A Woman of Substance by Barbara Taylor-Bradford (1979)

I don’t really remember moving up from children’s fiction to adult fiction. I don’t remember Young Adult fiction being around when I was in my teens. I seemed to be reading The Famous Five one day and then, all of a sudden, I was in the middle of sweeping sagas and bonkbusters!

I still have my original paperback copies of The Woman of Substance trilogy of books. They are battered and torn and so well-loved. Recent interviews have shown me that I probably wouldn’t actually get along with this author as a person, but by God she can write a story!

The rags-to-riches story of Emma Hart is one that myself, my Mum and my Nana all read and all loved. Set in the North and featuring a strong willed woman, determined to succeed at all costs. Unlucky in love and betrayed many times, Emma was my ultimate heroine.

The Handmaid’s Tale by Maragaret Atwood (1985)

I was nineteen years old and my reading diet comprised bonkbusters, crime fiction and lots of romance. I spotted the cover of this one as I browsed in the Library on my lunch break and thought I’d give it a go.
This was so far out of my comfort zone and took me ages to read. I think I had to renew my loan at least twice. However, I was totally compelled and utterly horrified by the story. It’s not easy to read, the style is complex and the themes are emotionally draining.

I have never ever forgotten it and recently re-read it. It is still a masterpiece, but it felt like a totally different book, reading it with my years of experience, instead of a fairly innocent young girl.

Our greatest living author. No doubt.

Lady Boss by Jackie Collins (1990)

This is the third book in the Lucky Santangelo series, the sequel to ‘Chances’ and ‘Lucky’, and only just sneaks into the 90s. However, I have to include Jackie ‘The Boss’ Collins.

Most women of my age will have devoured these books too. Lucky Santangelo is a ball-breaker business woman, on her fourth marriage by the time Lady Boss is out.

What a woman! For a young woman who lived in a tiny village in the middle of England, this was totally and utterly eye-opening ….. and eye-watering in parts.
The glamour, the fashion, the parties, the sex!
Truly magnificent.

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini (2007)

By this time, my choice of reading had expanded dramatically. I was reading more literary fiction, more fiction set in other countries and I was learning more.

I’d read Hossieni’s first novel, The Kite Runner and had been blown away by it. I was desperate to get my hands on this one.

What is so very special about this book is that Hosseini tells the story from a female viewpoint. Maybe this would be frowned upon today, I don’t know, but what I do know is that it is heartfelt and beautifully done. I was very ignorant of what was happening in Afghanistan then, I knew little about the Taliban or how women were treated.

There’s a scene in this story that still haunts me, all these years later. I see the news this year and I think of Mariam; the lead character, and it chills me. Hauntingly beautiful and just as relevant today as it was then.

Breakers by Doug Johnstone (2016)

I had read Doug Johnstone before I read this one. I’d always enjoyed his books, but Breakers, for me, took his writing to another level.

It is probably one of the hardest hitting, contemporary stories that I’ve ever read. At its heart, it is a crime novel, but it is also an expressive and insightful story about modern family life. With a mixture of humour, violence and community spirit, it is a book that totally encapsulates what it is to be different and how hard it is to overcome the constraints of your natural environment.

Beautifully and perfectly crafted.

When I started my blog back in 2014 I don’t think I ever envisaged a time when Barbara Taylor Bradford would appear on these pages. But in the context of a library of the best books out there then it is absolutely right BTB appears – I sold barrowloads of her books back when I was a baby-faced bookseller. My thanks to Anne for finding time away from her spreadsheets to make her Decades choices.

DECADES WILL RETURN

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January 24

Dead Souls – Angela Marsons

When a collection of human bones is unearthed during a routine archaeological dig, a Black Country field suddenly becomes a complex crime scene for Detective Kim Stone.

As the bones are sorted, it becomes clear that the grave contains more than one victim. The bodies hint at unimaginable horror, bearing the markings of bullet holes and animal traps.

Forced to work alongside Detective Travis, with whom she shares a troubled past, Kim begins to uncover a dark secretive relationship between the families who own the land in which the bodies were found.

But while Kim is immersed in one of the most complicated investigations she’s ever led, her team are caught up in a spate of sickening hate crimes. Kim is close to revealing the truth behind the murders, yet soon finds one of her own is in jeopardy – and the clock is ticking. Can she solve the case and save them from grave danger – before it’s too late?

An addictive, sinister crime thriller that will have readers on the edge of their seat.

My thanks to Bookouture for the review copy I received through Netgalley

It is almost five years since Dead Souls released. I have been meaning to read and review this book for a long old time but *somehow* five years slipped by and the book remained on my kindle calling to me. Obviously the series has moved on somewhat since this sixth book was released so I am behind. This is excellent news for me though, it means there are lots more Kim Stone books to look forward to and there are fewer bloggers posting spoilers on the next title in the series as they post cryptic reactions to the latest Kim Stone cliffhangers

Although Bloggers do try to share reviews of new and upcoming books, good books never get old and an unread book will always be new to someone. Dead Souls is a great book and well worth the wait I put myself through to return to a favourite series.

Stone is reunited with her former partner. The two fell out some years before and relations remained tense ever since. They had worked for two different forces but now a body has been found in a field which sits on the boundary between the two different authorities and the pair will be brought together. It’s going to be a distraction from the investigation which is managing to grow arms and legs of it’s own (literally) as the body in the grave has more limbs than a body should – a mass grave? Multiple victims?

The centre of focus for Stone must be the two families that share the land. It’s an odd relationship as the landowners are allowing a second family to live on their land seemingly free of charge…what could have occured in the past for such a generous offer to be made?

Meanwhile Kim’s colleagues are stepping up to cover the other cases which Stone cannot assist with. There are a series of racially motivated attacks taking place and investigations suggest there may be links between the crimes. This is a difficult read as there are BNP and white supremacist characters who do not bring joy or entertainment to my reading. Their hatred is toxic but the police have to deal with the abuse and the anger of their suspects as they try to extract information through calm and patient questionning.

Angela Marsons does a great job of balancing the toxic elements of her supporting cast with a thoughtful and pertinant response. It gives this novel a much more gritty feel and you really want to see the bad guys get their comeuppance. Shocks in store on that front!

A great series and Dead Souls was a delight to return to after my extended hiatus.

Dead Souls is published by Bookouture and is available to order here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B06XFZYNM1/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i10

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January 19

Football She Wrote: An Anthology of Women’s Writing on the Game

From the doyenne of football writing Julie Welch’s brilliantly illuminating story of the first women’s international match after a 50-year ban to the madcap tale of two black radio rookies in China… From the trials of covering the soap opera that is Newcastle United to the glamour of establishing Real Madrid TV… From the making of the magnificent Emma Hayes to the equally amazing Mums United FC… FOOTBALL, SHE WROTE is a first: a unique collection of 20 women’s voices on the game they love. Penned by a group of experienced and new writers, and embracing memoirs, profiles, interviews and talking points taking in sexuality, diversity and inclusion, it is an anthology to make you think and feel, laugh and cry.

Contributors: Kehinde Adeogun, Isabelle Barker, Kate Battersby, Alison Bender, Jade Craddock, Hayley Davinson, Molly Hudson, Tracy Light, Renuka Odedra, Fadumo Olow, Katie Mishner, Christina Philippou, Jane Purdon, Ali Rampling, Louise Taylor, Julie Welch, Julia West, Cassie Whittell, Katie Whyatt and Suzanne Wrack.

My thanks to Anne Cater of Random Things Blog Tours for the opportunity to join this tour. I recieved a review copy of Football She Wrote from the publishers.

A football book? The last time I considered reviewing a football book was before the 2016 European Championships. I bought a book about the tournament and thought it may be fun to review it ahead of the competition starting. Half an hour later it was in the recycling and I had left a 1 star explaining why the authors were racist. So it’s not a high bar for Football She Wrote to improve upon!

Fortunately this anthology of articles and stories, all written by women, is both informative and heartwarming.

The book opens with a couple of stories covering the history of women’s football, the struggles for recognition and being taken seriously. The slow emergence of structure and competition and then the prolonged period where it wasn’t permitted. It gives a good background and allows better understanding of the hurdles which would lie ahead – often touched upon in subsequent chapters.

The stories (very) broadly fall into categories: the history, important figures either in the life of the contributor or an important figure in women’s football and then stories about how a contributors became involved in the sport (not necessarily as a player). The stories about how the writers became involved in their favourite sport were very much my favourites.

A couple of highlights; twin sisters travelling to China for the World Cup and offering to be media reporters (with no prior experience). Cassie Whittell’s “Anfield of Dreams” charts her early interest in football, brushes with playing, starting to visit stadiums and the full journey to acceptance within the sport – this one one is worth the cover price!

I wasn’t so fond of stories about individuals. As inspirational and determined as these people have been, I prefer the bigger picture tales.

There are no obvious affiliations with a club or country which I very much appreciated. Too many sport collections dwell on single players or clubs and this puts off readers who root for the underdogs. It’s a nicely balanced collection of articles.

With the average contribution length being around a dozen pages long this is a book you can pick up, set down and revisit at any time. It never felt too heavy or bogged down in detail and the overwhelming feeling was these are writers discussing something they love.

If you’re a football fan and want to hear something a bit different about the players and clubs then you can’t go wrong with Football She Wrote.

Football She Wrote is available in paperback and digital format and you can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Football-She-Wrote-Anthology-Writing/dp/1838030026/ref=sr_1_1?crid=32K2T0PTRN7YO&keywords=football+she+wrote&qid=1642547174&s=books&sprefix=football+she+wrot%2Cstripbooks%2C118&sr=1-1

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January 14

Decades: Compiling the Ultimate Library with Steve Cavanagh

It was around this time last year the Decades Library was first imagined. You’ve likely heard this before but to welcome new visitors I will explain my Decades Challenge and the ultimate goal.

Something happened which made me ponder the question: Where would you begin if you were asked to assemble a library but had to start with nothing but empty shelves. You have no books. None. Not one. Which books would you add to the library shelves to make sure readers would have nothing but the very best books to choose from?

I quickly realised that I could not possibly answer this question alone so I decided I would ask some guests to help me. Each week I am joined by a booklover (authors, bloggers, publishers and journalists have all lent their time to assist) and I ask them to nomimate some “unmissable” books. To make their selection process slightly more complicated I set two rules which each guest must follow:

1 – Choose Any Five Books
2 – You May Only Select One Book Per Decade From Five Consecutive Decades

And that’s the Decades Challenge. Selecting five favourite books. If you think it’s easy then try to narrow down your own five choices.

All that remains now is for me to pass the Curator’s Hat to my guest. It’s my absolute delight to welcome Steve Cavanagh to the Library.

Steve Cavanagh is a critically acclaimed, Sunday Times best-selling author of the Eddie Flynn series. All of his novels have been nominated for major awards. His third novel, The Liar, won the CWA Gold Dagger for Crime Novel of the year 2018. Thirteen won the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime novel of the year 2019. The Eddie Flynn novels have been translated into 26 languages. His latest book is The Devil’s Advocate.

You can order any of Steve’s books here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Steve-Cavanagh/e/B00OAGCA62?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1642111903&sr=8-1

DECADES

The Real Cool Killers by Chester Himes (1950)

Chester Himes had an extraordinary life of hardship and adversity. I can think of few writers who experienced half of what he had to endure. I am a huge fan of Raymond Chandler, but I think enough people will have read and marveled at Chandler already, and not nearly enough people have read Chester Himes. On his best day, Himes can make words dance. He is one of the very few writers that can turn prose into music. This novel is the second outing in the Coffin Ed and Grave Digger Jones detective series. By all means start with A Rage in Harlem, but I think some of the best prose work is in this one.

The Chill by Ross MacDonald (1964)

Ross MacDonald had his own personal troubles. He poured his heart and his empathy for his fellow human beings into his work, and specifically, his fictional hero PI Lew Archer. Writing a long-running detective series is an incredibly difficult undertaking. I remember Dennis Lehane remarking that writing a series can yield diminishing returns when it comes to the quality of each book, “how many people say the twelfth book in a series is their favourite?” This is a fair point, but some writers beat those odds. The Chill is the eleventh Lew Archer novel, and many people say it’s the best.

Ripley’s Game by Patricia Highsmith (1974)

Few authors have had such an impact on the genre as Patricia Highsmith. She was perhaps one of the finest proponents of the psychological thriller. In Strangers On A Train, she used a high concept hook as the engine for the novel and wrote many more standalones. She also wrote a brilliant short series about the killer and conman Tom Ripley. In Ripley’s game, she combines the two elements of her craft. What if you had a terminal illness? What if someone, perhaps with dark motives, came to you and offered a vast sum of money if you killed someone? You family will need that money when you’re gone. What if what began as a psychological game turned into something much more terrifying? A brilliant book, and one that I return to again and again.

The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris (1988)

There’s not much to say about this one other than it’s the book that made me love crime and thrillers. I’d read Sherlock Holmes, and detective comics, but it wasn’t until I was around twelve or thirteen that I read this one. My mum gave it to me. I know some people think Red Dragon is a better thriller, but for me Clarice Starling is an equally brilliant creation as Hannibal. This is the book that started it all for me. If you’ve just seen the movie, then do yourself a favour and read the book.

Bridget Jones’s Diary by Helen Fielding (1996)

Because life isn’t all detectives and murders, it’s good to have an injection of humour now and again. I think this is one of the great comic novels. Maybe the last great one. It is so brilliantly well written, laugh-out-loud funny and touching and made all the more real by the style and structure. Again, if you’ve only seen the movie – please read the book.

It’s hard to believe it has taken twelve months of Decades selections for Patricia Highsmith make her debut. Five terrific reads and this is what I consider the “perfect” mix of titles – some books I know and love but there are also a couple of new recommendations which I immediately felt I needed to read. A weekly assult on my TBR! My thanks to Steve for taking on the Decades challenge.

DECADES WILL RETURN

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January 11

The Midnight Man – Caroline Mitchell

‘I remember the day I died quite clearly.’

Blackhall Manor has witnessed many dark crimes, long before five teenage girls break in to play the Midnight Game. It was supposed to be a game, but only four girls come home.

Detective Sarah Noble has just returned to the force, and no one knows more about Blackhall Manor than her. Except perhaps Elliott Carter, who is only seven but has seen things in his dreams most adults could never imagine.

It’s a case that will bring them together and shake Sarah to her core. Will she be ready to meet the Midnight Man?

I received a review copy from the publishers via Netgalley.

A police thriller with a delightfully dark edge.

Sarah Noble is returning to work after a period of extended absence. She doesn’t expect an easy ride, given the circumstances which led to her absence, but Sarah does seem surprised at the animosity her colleagues are showing as she returns to duties with the police. Restricted duties and only core hours each day which is going to be a problem as her team are about to be involved in a troubling case which will stretch them and drain their resources.

The root of their problems lies within Blackhall Manor. The infamous old building (now falling to ruin) where one night, years earier, a father gunned down his wife and two children before turning the gun on himself. The building’s reputation now means it holds a fascination for the local school children. There is a “challenge” game they play where a group of kids will try to stay inside Blackhall Manor from midnight to 3.33am and avoid being found by The Midnight Man. If he should catch you then the understanding is that things won’t end well for the unfortunate player.

As we join the story there is a group of five schoolfriends planning their trip to Blackhall Manor. They have received an invitation to play the game and their nervous excitement is infectious as they consider the implications of playing and how they will ensure their parents don’t find out what their plans are.

The Midnight Man game is a great introduction to the story, particularly as readers have already been inside Blackhall Manor. The first pages of the story takes us back to that fateful night when the murders occurred – it’s a harrowing read as we hear events unfolding through the eyes of one of the children. The noise, the panic, the disbelief and incomprehension thrusts the story right into the face of the reader and it’s a powerful way to grab our attention.

In present day the game goes wrong for one of the players. She becomes seperated from her friends and discovers the game is much more real than they expected. Her friends believe she has chickened out and gone home so it is a shock the following day when news of a missing girl begins to circulate.

For Sarah and her colleagues in the police the missing girl is just the start of their problems. The girl comes from a powerful family within the small community and answers are urgently being demanded. As is the assurance the police will return her home safely. But for Sarah, work problems are just the tip of the iceberg. Someone is watching her, threatening her, taunting her and they seem to know all about Sarah – things nobody really should know. But in a small town can you really keep secrets?

The Midnight Man has a plan and he is playing his game but he also knows of Sarah and his plans may involve her too. Lives will be lost, others destroyed and any fragile trust which exists in the community will soon be shattered.

This is a tension packed read and Caroline Mitchell keeps you hooked. There are lots of great characters who feed into the story and each seem to have their own involvement in Sarah’s case but it’s never quite clear who is just quirky and who may have a hidden agenda. Dark, creepy and nicely paced to keep my attention throughout.

The Midnight Man is published by Embla Books and is available in digital format, audiobook and paperback. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B09BVGYMD3/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i2

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January 4

Demon – Matt Wesolowski

In 1995, the picture-perfect village of Ussalthwaite was the site of one of the most heinous crimes imaginable, in a case that shocked the world.

Twelve-year-old Sidney Parsons was savagely murdered by two boys his own age. No reason was ever given for this terrible crime, and the ‘Demonic Duo’ who killed him were imprisoned until their release in 2002, when they were given new identities and lifetime anonymity.

Elusive online journalist Scott King investigates the lead-up and aftermath of the killing, uncovering dark stories of demonic possession, and encountering a village torn apart by this unspeakable act.

And, as episodes of his Six Stories podcast begin to air, and King himself becomes a target of media scrutiny and the public’s ire, it becomes clear that whatever drove those two boys to kill is still there, lurking, and the campaign of horror has just begun…

My thanks to Karen at Orenda Books for the review copy I received and to Anne Cater of Random Things Blog Tours for the opportunity to join the Demon blog tour.

A new Six Stories book is cause for celebration. Matt Wesolowski’s superb chiller crime tales always skirt the supernatural but leave enough doubt in the reader’s mind that there may be a more “grounded” explanation for creepy incidents which arise in his stories.

A quick recap of the Six Stories format for new visitors. Podcast host Scott King will focus on an event which has a degree of notoriety. Over the course of six podcast episodes he interviews six different people with a connection to the focus of the series. He is not trying to convince his listeners he has “solved” or can explain a mystery, he presents these six stories and leaves listeners to form their own conclusions around what may have happened.

In Demon the subject of the new run of Six Stories is an extremely controversial event: two children murdered a school friend and were convicted for their crime. Both the boys were granted new identities and after a long period of rehabilitation were to be released back into society. It’s a highly emotive story and many feel the two killers should not be returned to society – there is even an online social media threat to leak their new identities and allow “justice” to be done.

Wesolowski tackles this controversial scenario with an astute narrative. Through one of the stories the guest explains how the child rehabilitation process works and how killers could possibly be considered for release. But this is done using the narrative from the story and readers may well find they agree there may be circumstances where young criminals could become mature rehabilitated citizens.

The murder of 12yo Sidney Parsons shocks the small Northern town but the two boys who ended his life had been terrorising the people in the village for weeks. However we learn through Kings podcast that the town has a history of dark incidents and more than one brush with witchcraft down the years.

How much of the events surrounding Sidney’s murder was down to the evil behaviour of two “Demon” children and how much relied upon external factors?

I had thought this story was clear cut but along the way there are revelations which changed my perception of the people involved and by the end of the final story my understanding of the whole episode had radically changed. It’s a terrific example of a slow reveal of information and hiding clues from the reader in plain sight.

I cannot recommend the Six Stories books more highly. Each new instalment has been a delight and Demon makes the series even stronger. Already looking forward to what comes next.

Demon is published by Orenda Books and is available in paperback, digital and audiobook format from all usual providers.

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January 1

The Curious Dispatch of Daniel Costello – Chris McDonald

Wedding bells are chiming in the idyllic, coastal town of Stonebridge. For Sam and Emily, it should be the happiest day of their lives. But, on the morning of the ceremony, the best man is found dead. The police quickly write his death off as a tragic accident, but something doesn’t seem right to wedding guest and groomsman Adam Whyte. Armed with an encyclopaedic, but ultimately ridiculous knowledge of television detective shows and an unwarranted confidence in his own abilities, Adam and his best friend (and willing Watson), Colin, set out to uncover what actually happened to Daniel Costello.

My thanks to Isis Audio for a review copy of the book ahead of today’s Audiobook Publication.

Happy New Year and Happy Audio Publication Day to Chris Mcdonald as the first of his Stonebridge books releases to a new audience as a talking book.

At time of writing there are five Stonebridge books in the series and The Curious Dispatch of Daniel Costello is the first and the first to be released as an audiobook. It’s my introduction to the series too so a perfect time for me to catch up on a series which was catching my eye last year.

This story is described as a modern cosy story and that’s not typically been my normal choice of reading but I read the blurb and it sounded fun. Good news. It WAS fun. Events surround a wedding and the wedding party are all gathered in a large (exclusive) country house hotel.

The title does rather give away who the victim in this murder tale is going to be. But within the first few chapters he stands out as a toxic character and his forthcoming demise doesn’t seem the worst outcome. However the manner of Daniel Costello’s death leads the police to conclude it was an unfortunate accident after too much drink had been consumed.

At this point Adam Whyte intercedes. He has seen far too many crime dramas to dismiss some unexplained details surrounding Daniel’s death. He ropes in his friend Colin to assist as Adam begins his own investigation into the murder(?) which has taken place right under his nose.

This was a delightful way to begin my reading for 2022. Chris Mcdonald keeps readers and listeners hanging onto the story with short and snappy chapters. Adam’s investigating makes for fun listening and although this is quite a short tale it didn’t feel light on details and there are plenty of suspects to challenge the home detectives joining in at home.

As you would expect from an Isis Audiobook, the audio version is a great listen. Narrative responsibility sits with Stephen Armstrong and I very much enjoyed being guided through this story with his voice in my ears.

Great fun and plenty of humour through the story to add to my enjoyment of a clever wee murder mystery.

The Curious Dispatch of Daniel Costello is available as an audiobook and in print and digital format. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1913331873/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_fabc_B1AVCYY25CHVHJ2ZCNDPhttps://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1913331873/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_fabc_B1AVCYY25CHVHJ2ZCNDP

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