The Killing Kind – Jane Casey

Ingrid will never forget what John did.
The people he hurt. The way he lied about it so easily. The way she defended him.

Now he’s back.
He says a murderer is after her. He says only he can protect her.

Would you trust him?
The clock is ticking for Ingrid to decide. Because the killer is ready to strike…

I received a review copy of The Killing Kind from the publishers. My thanks to Anne Cater of Random Things Blog Tours for the opportunity to join this tour.

The Killing Kind made me tense as I read. Properly unsettled and uncomfortable. Long before I reached the end of the book I knew I would be looking back on it favorably as The Killing Kind does achieve the tension you look for in a psychological thriller which some books just fail to achieve.

Ingrid is a formidable and confident lawyer. At the start of The Killing Kind we see her shred apart the defence put forward by a woman that claims she is a victim of a dominating and controlling man. Ingrid picks holes in her story and leaves enough doubt for the jury to believe John isn’t a controlling manipulator but she implies the woman is obsessed with him – he is attractive and charming and she has clearly shown feelings for him.

The case ends with success for Ingrid but the police officer that helped arrest John makes her aware he still thinks John is dangerous and tells Ingrid this may have been the best chance to put him in jail.

The timeline of the story does shift through over three years of Ingrid’s life and readers can see how her life pivots from the point she secures John’s freedom. He turns his attention to Ingrid and any feeling of “normal” she may have had is gone.

The Killing Kind shares chapters where Ingrid is experiencing pressure, where she is confronted by her predator, suspects a random incident may he his doing or when she returns home to find the most horrific of discoveries. There are also chapters which are just written logs of harassing telephone calls or a statement taken to support a claim she makes against John. It all becomes increasingly upsetting and you see Ingrid’s confidence whittled away.

I don’t want to dwell too much on events within the book as that takes us too far into spoiler territory. Suffice to say there may be more going on in Ingrid’s life than she realises. You may feel she is making some bad choices and when she talks with John it never seems a good idea. But when you hear his side of some stories you feel he believes there is a twisted logic in his thoughts but you also feel you cannot trust a single word he says. Clever writing and so frustrating when a character doesn’t say or do what you feel is “right”.

The Killing Kind was a terrific read (if uncomfortable at many points). Jane Casey nails the dilemma, terror and absolute vulnerability of Ingrid to make readers understand and sympathise with her predicament and root for her to get her life back on track. But how many will die before that can happen?

The Killing Kind is available in paperback, digital and audiobook format. You can order a copy here: https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-killing-kind/jane-casey/9780008404963

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February 25

Decades: Compiling the Ulitmate Library with Fiona Cummins

It’s time to add five new books to the Decades Library. Each week I am joined by a guest who nominates five new books to be added to my ultimate collection of essential reading.

Back in January 2021 I asked myself the question: If you had to fill a brand new library with nothing but the very best books, which books would you put on the shelves? I knew this was not a challenge I could complete alone so I invited authors, publishers, journalists and bloggers to help me. I ask each of my guests to pick five books which they feel should be included in my Decades Library.

Why do I call it a Decades Library? Although my guests are allowed to select any five books I ask that they only select one book per decade from five consecutive decades. This ensures I get a broad range of titles as it’s highly unusual for one author to have a backlist so extensive it covers five decades. There is one fellow though, King his name is, he pops up quite often…in fact stick around there’s another King novel making its debut in the Library this week.

This week it is my pleasure to welcome Fiona Cummins to Grab This Book. Regular readers will know I love the stories with a dark edge to them so it’s a real thrill for me to be able to share Fiona’s selections and add her chosen books to my library…

Fiona Cummins is an award-winning former showbusiness journalist and a graduate of the Faber Academy’s Writing A Novel course, where she now tutors in Writing Crime.

Her bestselling novels – RATTLE, THE COLLECTOR, THE NEIGHBOUR and WHEN I WAS TEN – have received widespread critical acclaim from authors including Ian Rankin, Val McDermid, Lee Child, Martina Cole and David Baldacci. Her fifth book INTO THE DARK will be published in April 2022. She is published in more than 15 languages.

When Fiona is not writing, she can be found on Twitter at @FionaAnnCummins, walking her dogs or indulging her love of nature photography.

When I was Ten released in paperback on 30/12/21 and the hardback of Into The Dark publishes on 14/4/22.

DECADES

I was thrilled when Gordon of the brilliant Grab This Book blog asked if I’d like to take part in Decades, his Desert Island Discs for books. Imagine filling an empty library – what joy that would be! That said, I found it incredibly difficult to narrow down my choices because there are so many fantastic stories in the literary cosmos. With that in mind, I haven’t necessarily chosen the best books but the books that made the most profound impression on me.

The Borrowers – Mary Norton – 1952

I was obsessed with this series about the Clocks, a tiny family who live in the walls and under the floorboards of the Big House, borrowing from ‘human beans’ to survive. As a child, I remember scouring the library shelves for these stories, burning to find out more about the adventures of Pod, Homily, and most importantly, 14-year-old Arrietty, a fellow book lover with a curious streak.

The Magic Toyshop – Angela Carter – 1967

I read this novel in my teens after a boyfriend bought it for me one birthday. I wasn’t familiar with Angela Carter’s work until then but it started a lifelong love affair with her writing. I was captivated by this coming-of-age story dealing with the complexities of family dynamics and blossoming sexuality through the prism of magical realism.

The Stand – Stephen King – 1979

I can’t remember the first book I read by Stephen King but I do know that once I’d discovered him, I devoured everything I could lay my hands on. In this epic post-apocalyptic dark fantasy, the world has been decimated by a weaponised virus (too close to home right now?!) and the survivors fall into two camps, driven by Good and Evil. King is truly a master at making the reader care about the fate of his (many) characters. His ability to bring them to life on the page is nothing short of genius.

Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit – Jeanette Winterson – 1985

Another coming-of-age story (I seem to have a weakness for these) about Jess – adopted into a strict Pentecostal family – who rejects her future as a missionary when she begins to have feelings for another girl. As a teenager reading this for the first time, this book, which Winterson describes as partly autobiographical, had a profound impact on me, opening my eyes to unfamiliar worlds, doing what the very best fiction should do. I later played Jess in a university drama production and this novel has been a fixture throughout my life.

American Psycho – Bret Easton Ellis – 1991

American Psycho blew my mind the first time I read it. This bleak satire allows us a first-hand glimpse into the mind of Patrick Bateman, a sophisticated, handsome and charming Wall Street investment banker who also happens to be a vicious and narcissistic serial killer. The brutality and sadism – the sheer scale of violence – stunned me, but I could not put it down. This was perhaps the first time I recognised the power of writing, that compulsion to read on, even though the subject matter was distasteful, because his storytelling had snared me in its iron grip.

And there we are for another week. Five fabulous books, some I instantly recognise, two I have read and one new name which I will need to investigate further. My thanks to Fiona for taking time to make her selections. Decades continues thanks to the support and kindness of all my guests who give their time to share the booklove.

DECADES WILL RETURN

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February 23

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 15

Decades: Compiling the Ultimate Library with Russell Brown

Decades on a Tuesday? What on earth is happening? Well sometimes (hardly ever) the stars align and I can get some time to do a sneaky extra guest spot. In this case the stars which aligned were: I have a few days off work, I have had some Decades guests waiting in the wings for far longer than I would have liked (a flurry of replies does this), it is pouring and the dog is already walked.

Welcome again to my Decades Library. I am trying to assemble a library which has nothing but the best books on the shelves. I invite a guest to join me and I ask them to nominate five of their favourite books which they feel I should include in my Decades Library. Why do I call it a Decades Library? Well there are two simple rules which govern the selection of books my guests can choose:

1 – Nominate Any Five Books
2 – They May Only Pick One Book Per Decade From Five Consecutive Decades

My guest this week has a day job which I would love (it involves books) and was very much put on the spot when I rocked up on his doorstep asking if he would like to take on my Decades Challenge. To my delight Russell not only agreed to make his selections but he also picked my own favourite book which FINALLY makes it into my Library.

Russell Brown is the author of three novels: The Playground, War of the Wolves (book 1 of the Demon Gatekeeper Trilogy) and Chasing the Beast. Born in Sheffield during the Dark Ages, long before there were such things as smart phones and the internet, he now lives in Scotland, spending his time writing, avoiding doing any real work and digging holes.

You can follow Russell on Twitter @brown_author and Facebook @russellbrownauthor

Copies of his books can be purchased at all good book shops (real and online) or via the publisher’s website https://www.blkdogpublishing.com/

You can find him on Goodreads too: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16357816.Russell_Brown

DECADES

1960s
Dune – Frank Herbert

I first read Dune as part of a project while a uni. I can’t remember what the project was, but the book left a big impression. I remember getting lost in the world of Arrakis and the tale of Paul Atreides and his journey on the desert plant. Despite being written over half a century ago the book remains fresh, covering big issues we can all relate to like climate change, poverty, equality, and greed. Not to mention everyone’s favourites: love and revenge.

1970s
Falling Angel – William Hjortsberg

I’m a huge horror fan and Falling Angel is one of the best horror novels I’ve read. It’s a dark, suspense-filled roller coaster ride of a story, exposing the reader to the darkness that lives in all our souls. Harry Angel is an anti-hero, but you don’t realise this until well into the story and long after you’ve invested in his character. At the same time this book manages to be a true crime, New York detective story – based partly in the American deep south and a journey into the occult – go figure. Oh, and watch out for Louis Cyphre.

1980s
IT – Stephen King

I was given a copy of IT as a Christmas present from my brother when I was 16. I can still remember that amazing new book smell even now. I’m a big King fan and this is one of his best. Like all his novels it considers a vast swath of issues from friendship and family to bullying and racism. But it’s the undertow that gets you. Those hidden stories King loves to reveal bit by bit. Here it’s the idea of that hidden evil, often ignored and sometimes encouraged by adults, that lurks in every town. Agatha Christie’s wonderful Miss Marple, once said, ‘In an English village, you turn over a stone and have no idea what will crawl out.’ It’s the same here only this time the evil has a name – Pennywise the Clown.

1990s
Chocolat – Joanne Harris

In my opinion Joanne Harris is one of the best writers this country has ever produced and she’s from Yorkshire too, the lucky soul. I salivate every time I read Chocolat. The descriptions of food and drink and particularly chocolate, in the novel, are amazing. I swear I can smell the steaming cups of hot chocolate Vianne makes in her chocolaterie when I’m reading the book. I fully recommend reading this on a full stomach. But it’s not just a story about food, Harris’s characters are full of life and the little French town of Lansquenet sous-Tannes is as real as any you could ever visit. Like all good stories there’s a little twist or two as well. One of them is under the surface from the very beginning. Read the book and see if you notice it. I didn’t until I watched the film!

2000s
The Hunger Games – Suzanne Collins

I love books that take a well-trodden path and find a new way to walk down it. The Hunger Games is definitely one of those. At first it seems like yet another teenage dystopian fantasy story. But look closer and you’ll fine it’s much more than that. Imagine a world where we must subject our children to the possibility of a gruesome death, just to survive? And that’s the starting point! Those familiar subjects are there again, family, friendship, loyalty, and love. But they are set against a backcloth of dictatorship, cruelty, suppression, and death. Oh, let’s not forget greed, that’s there too. You’re automatically drawn to comparisons with Nazi Germany, but these issues are unfortunately alive and kicking today, as we’ve seen recently in Syria and Iraq. The central character, Katniss Everdeen, is a hard-nosed survivor who you route for from the very beginning. But there’s subtlety in her too and she slowly falls for her companion and rival Peeta Mellark. It’s one of those rare books that you can’t put down until you reach the end. Or the second book of the series in this case.

After 13 months of Decades it is hard to believe that Chocolat and The Hunger Games are only just making their debut. Five cracking selections and my sincere thanks to Russell for his patience and his wonderful choices.

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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February 10

A Loyal Traitor – Tim Glister

Duty or honour. Which would you betray?

It’s 1966. London is swinging, and the Cold War is spiralling.

Clear cut lines have faded to grey areas. Whispers of conspiracies are everywhere. Spies on both sides of the iron curtain are running in circles, chasing constant plots and counterplots. And MI5 agent Richard Knox is tired of all of it.

But when Abey Bennett, his CIA comrade in arms, appears in London with a ghost from Knox’s past and a terrifying warning that could change the balance of power in the Cold War for good, he has to fight to save the future.

He must also face an agonising choice: who will he believe, and who will he betray – his duty to his country or his loyalty to his friends?

I received a review copy from the publishers through Netgalley. My thanks to Anne Cater at Random Things Blog Tours for the opportunity to join this tour.

I don’t read many spy thrillers these days as I found too many of them were becoming tales of dry, political manoeuvres with clever writing but not much by way of thrills. But A Loyal Traitor may well bring me back to books about the Cold War as this is an exciting, engaging and exceedingly well told story which I absolutely loved.

Tim Glister takes us inside MI5 where lead character Richard Knox works. Knox will cross paths with CIA agent Abey Bennett who appears in London in the company of someone Knox never expected to see again who will thrust Knox and Bennett into a high stakes adventure.

On the opposing side there are deadly threats being dispatched with an unknown mission to keep the readers guessing. A prototype Russian submarine is lurking off the English coastline. The Brits are aware there is something out there but they don’t appear able to get a good trace on it – the Ghost Submarine is causing real concern to MI5. Also a deadly assissin is making their way around Europe, taking out people identified as threats to Russia and the KGB agents. Both sides in this covert conflict are brilliantly represented and the readers get to see how West and East are moving their players around the story. You never quite know what’s going to unfold but Tim Glister makes it clear everything is building up to an explosive conclusion – it really didn’t disappoint.

The characters feel very much like they could just step off the page from the 1960s and the authenticity they bring to the blog story got me very invested in their success (and hope they survive the experience).

A Loyal Traitor is wonderfully paced, never felt unlikely or had me suspending disbelief which really helped my immersion in the story. More of these would be very welcome.

A Loyal Traitor is published by Point Blank/Oneworld Publications and is available from today in hardback, digital and audiobook format. You can order a copy here: https://www.waterstones.com/book/a-loyal-traitor/tim-glister/9780861541669

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February 8

Hingston: Smoke and Mispers – Decima Blake

As the first door on the Advent calendar is opened, DS Hingston attempts to save the life of a teenager in a crowded London café, but ultimately fails. Seventeen-year-old Leanna Snow chokes to death.

Days later, a girl from Leanna Snow’s school is missing and another misper is found dead: his body hanging within the iconic Egyptian Avenue at Highgate Cemetery.

Working under the bombastic DCI Smythe and alongside Remi, his ex-girlfriend whom he still holds a torch for, Hingston discovers the magic of London this December is dark, deceptive and murderous.

Hingston and the Murder Squad are put to the test with this complex investigation that proves to be as mystifying as being asked by a magician to pick a card, any card, not knowing where you will be taken.

My thanks to the author for providing a copy of Smoke and Mispers for review

This was fun. After a wee run of books which didn’t really grab my attention I was glad to let Smoke and Mispers sink its hooks into me and pull me along with a tight, exciting story.

DS Hingston is on the scene when a teenage girl starts to choke on her drink. Despite his very best attempts to save her life he is unsuccessful and the girl dies. Just days later a classmate of the dead girl goes missing and Hingston is called to the school to investigate, there may be a connection between the missing girl and her dead classmate but finding out what that connection may be is going to be challenging. Perhaps not as challenging as dealing with the missing girl’s mother – even the Headteacher seems to cower in her presence. But Hingston feels her behaviour is totally wrong for a mother concerned about her missing daughter.

Hingston’s attention will be divided as in a London cemetery a body has been found hanging. Highgate Cemetry has an Egyptian Avenue and Egyptian history and the mythology of the nation will play a significant role in this book as the police find themselves investigating a number of associated incidents which all connect to this period of history. The Egyptian storyline rather caught me unaware (as I hadn’t read the blurb before I began reading) so I was totally caught up in events before I actually understood how significant some of the early clues were going to be to the story.

Perhaps if I had been better prepared I may have stood a chance in puzzling out where Smoke and Mispers may be heading? Happily for me I didn’t anticpate what Hingston and his colleagues were about to experience and I delighted in discovering the surprises at the same time as they did.

Hingston is an extremely likeable lead character and the supporting characters in the Murder Squad are nicely defined and relatable too. Two of them squabble, one is dating the boss, Hingston used to date the one now dating the boss – it all makes them more engaging and I looked forward to the briefing scenes where the sniping and niggles would play out. Quick housekeeping too – this is Hingston’s second outing but I didn’t find I was disadvantaged by not having read the first story. One or two sub-plots do seem to have a foundation in the first book but all clearly explained by the author so there is no confusion.

Trying not to share too much of the story for fear of leaking spoilers but suffice to say there is a highly entertaining investigation for Hingston which has roots in the past and a legacy of evil which is being kept alive by people who should know better. Story is tightly written with some well worked twists and surprises and, as I said at the start, I had lots of fun reading Smoke and Mispers. It’s nice to find something which felt a bit different and left me ready for more.

Hingston: Smoke and Mispers is published by Pegasus and is available in paperback and digital format. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B09N7NSV1B/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i1

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February 5

The Last House on Needless Street (audiobook) – Catriona Ward

This is the story of a murderer. A stolen child. Revenge. This is the story of Ted, who lives with his young daughter Lauren and his cat Olivia in an ordinary house at the end of an ordinary street.

All these things are true. And yet some of them are lies. An unspeakable secret binds the family together, and when a new neighbour moves in next door, the truth may destroy them all. Because there’s something buried in the dark forest at the end of Needless Street. But it’s not what you think…

From the multiple award-winning author of Little Eve and Rawblood, this extraordinary tale will thrill and move readers. A work of incredible imagination and heartbreaking beauty.

I received a review copy from the publisher through Netgalley but bought myself the audiobook to listen to and have reviewed that experience.

I have seen so many people loving this book, praising the writing and the story which caught them all unawares. I was really excited to read it and even decided to pick up the audiobook so I could get the best reading experience, by having a narrator tell me the story and ensuring I didn’t miss anything (which as a skim reader does happen quite frequently).

Sadly this just wasn’t one I enjoyed. It’s fascinating, often shocking, undoubtably cleverly written and must have been a nightmare to keep track of for the author as the timeline shifts around but you’re never clear when. Unfortunately it just didn’t click for me. Maybe it was the bible reading cat? I really don’t like cats (phobia) so to have cats play such a prominent role in the story didn’t help me get engaged with the characters.

I am delighted to have seen this title do so well for Catriona Ward and for Viper and I read enough to know that we are not going to all love the same books (life would be so dull). So I take from this the learning of something I never really understood (spoiler free review) and more than a few elements of the story which were chilling and tension packed as they helped keep me listening right ot the end.

Ultimately it wasn’t a book which worked for me but I am very much in the minority so I would still not hesitate to recommend it to readers seeking a dark, emotional story – particularly if you get a kick from an unreliable narrator.

I do want to make special mention to the brilliant narrator on the audiobook, Christopher Ragland, who brought many complex characters to life and in doing so made my understanding of events much clearer and kept me correct on which character was dominating events at any one time.

Clever, disturbing, highly recommended as an audiobook experience but sadly not a favourite with me.

The Last House on Needless Street is published by Viper in Paperback, digital and audiobook format. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08DD2RFPD/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

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February 4

Decades: Compiling the Ultimate Library with Mathew West

Welcome to Decades. For the last 12 months I have been on a mission to assemble a brand new library of wonderful books. I started this challenge in January 2021 with the question: If you had to build a new library from the ground up (and zero books) which unmissable books should I add to the library shelves?

This was a challenge I could not have undertaken alone, so each week I invite a guest to help me put books onto the shelves of my Decades Library. Why do I call it a Decades Library? That derives from the two rules which govern the selections my guests make:

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

Easy? I am told narrowing down to five books is tricky. But it’s rare someone’s first five selections fall into five consecutive publication decades and from that point the gnashing of teeth begins as my guests decide which books they need to swap out.

This week it is my absolute pleasure to welcome Mathew West to Grab This Book. Mathew is the author of the terrific chiller-thriller The House of Footsteps which published this week.

DECADES

Mathew West is an author. His debut novel The House of Footsteps is a gothic mystery-thriller set in the 1920s in a foreboding house on the English-Scottish border, and was released on 3 February 2022 by Harper North.

He lives in Edinburgh where he spends most of his time writing, listening to music that could generously be described as “eclectic”, watching bad horror films and walking around graveyards.

The House of Footsteps can be ordered here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B098M7DD71/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

1950s – My Cousin Rachel – Daphne du Maurier

I think that I have to start with a du Maurier, as she is such a huge influence on my own writing. I was tempted to pick Rebecca, of course, but that would have messed up my sequence of decades, so instead I have the chance to champion Rebecca’s slightly less-famous sister novel, My Cousin Rachel.

It’s a pretty straightforward setup: a young, slightly naive chap is beguiled by the widow of a beloved cousin – but does she really care for him, or is she after something else? Du Maurier does what she does best and draws her characters into ever-tightening webs while you read on, thinking that you know where it’s all going without ever quite being certain. At the centre of it all is Rachel herself – she’s constantly mysterious, enchanting and aloof, a woman born out of time who knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to go after it. The characters of Rachel and Ambrose and their mercurial relationship were never far from my mind as I created Amy and Simon in The House of Footsteps.

1960s – To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee

When I was about 14 my secondary school English class were allowed to choose between reading To Kill a Mockingbird, or Nineteen Eighty-Four. Most of the boys, myself included, opted to read the sci-fi tinged, anti-authoritarian Nineteen Eighty-Four – which I absolutely adored. But over the next several weeks we could also listen in as the rest of the class read and discussed their selection. I was fascinated by the snippets I overheard about Scout, Gem and Atticus Finch, Tom Robinson and Boo Radley. Fascinated enough that I read the book myself, at home, making this I think the first ‘serious’ novel I selected from my parent’s bookshelf and read purely for my own pleasure.

What else is there to say about To Kill a Mockingbird? Superlatives can’t do it justice. It’s a gift, and essential reading for anyone.

1970s – The Shining – Stephen King

To be totally honest I’m picking this as much for the film as the novel. They’re quite different, and having loved the film for many years I was amazed to finally read the book and discover that many of the most iconic scenes on screen don’t appear in the original text at all. Not that King’s book is lacking terrifying set pieces, of course.

There’s something so compelling about the chilling locale of the Overlook Hotel, its grisly and perverse past, and the inevitable slide towards history repeating itself when the Torrence family stay there alone over a long winter. Some of the best bits in the novel are where Jack battles the inner demons of his past, even more dangerous and irresistible than the very real spirits of the Overlook – it’s an internal torment that the film can’t quite do justice to.

1980s – Blood Meridian – Cormac McCarthy

The Shining may have been (arguably) improved by its big screen adaptation, but this is a book I hope no one ever tries to put on film. It’s a shocking, appallingly violent ‘anti-western’ that not only deconstructs but destroys the Hollywood myth of the Old West. The murders and mutilations begin almost from the first page – seriously, it’s not for everyone.

It’s brutal, bleak and harrowing, and made all the worse given it’s partly based on real events. But there’s also a strange beauty to the whole thing. McCarthy’s writing is almost shamanistic, in the landscapes he describes and the mystical, savage characters that inhabit them – most of all the enigmatic and terrifying Judge Holden. It’s not an easy novel, but immerse yourself in it and it will stick with you, like blood on the sole of your shoe.

1990s – Alias Grace – Margaret Atwood

Another novel based loosely on real events, in this case the sensationalised 19^th century murders of a young landowner and his housekeeper. But this isn’t a whodunnit: the Grace of the title has already been convicted for the killings. In telling Grace’s story Atwood has a huge amount to say about class, gender and the immigrant experience. Like My Cousin Rachel, in many ways this is the tale of what happens to a woman who tries to find her own path in a world weighted against her. But what I love most is the fluid, uneasy storytelling. The perspective shifts from Grace – the quintessential unreliable narrator, either mad or lying through her teeth to save her skin – and the doctor listening to her unbelievable story, who is sympathetic but too clouded by his own privilege to really understand. The ambiguity and unanswered questions might leave some a little frustrated, but (as I think this list shows!) I absolutely love a mystery that keeps you guessing, and my favourite evils are the ones which can never truly be understood.

And that’s my selection! I’ve had a lot of fun choosing, and it’s been an interesting challenge to spread my picks across the decades. I was surprised at how many of my absolute ‘must-have’ choices were published in the 1950s, as well as how few books from the 1970s I’ve actually read! I hope you’ve enjoyed reading this, and I’m really grateful for the chance to enthuse about some of my favourite books of all time – without which, it’s fair to say, The House of Footsteps would never have been written.

Decades can share some familiar names but unexpected books and Mathew has introduced me to two titles I had not previously heard of from authors I instantly recognise. It’s the dream combination of recognition and discovery and a perfect illustration of why I love sharing these posts.

Thank you to Mathew for taking time to make his selections. I would urge everyone to seek out his book, The House of Footsteps, which published yesterday from Harper North.

DECADES WILL RETURN

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