May 2023 – Grab This Book

20 Books For Summer

For the last few years I have followed the progress of other readers as they tried to complete the 20 Books For Summer reading challenge. This excellent initative was devised by Cathy at 746Books and the aim for the participants is to read 10 or 15 or 20 books between 1 June and 1 September. I have not taken part in any of the previous challenges but this year I am decidedly light on blog tour commitments and have far too many books in my TBR which I really want to make time to read.

I’ve identified all twenty I plan to read and will go through each of them here, briefly explaining the reason for adding them to the mix – some reasons will be much more sensible than others! Lets get stuck in…

Getting through all 20 books will be challenge enough so I don’t plan to tackle them in any particular order. I am a mood reader so if the mood is horror it means Lawrence Block will not be my first choice. Consequently there is no structure to this summary of my choices – lets start with Mr King and go from there.

Doctor Sleep and Elevation – Stephen King

The only author that features twice. Ten percent of the whole list. I have been trying to revisit lots of the King stories I read years ago (long before I started blogging) and I realised I have missed quite a few releases since I began blogging. I’ve picked up quite a few of the titles I haven’t read yet so this felt like the ideal time to phase some of the unread books into my reading plans.

When I Was Ten – Fiona Cummins

A book I saw many others reading (and loving) so I picked up a copy. I’ve read a couple of Fiona’s books previously and enjoyed them immensely so this was another easy choice to add to the mix. Plus…what’s the deal with the scissors???

The New Kingdom – Wilbur Smith

There’s going to be a fair few Wilbur Smith books featuring on the blog in the coming weeks. I will explain more in due course but The New Kingdom is not one of the many Smith books I read when I blitzed his back catalogue when I was in my 20’s – lots of more recent books for me to discover. This will be the first.

Strong Female Character – Fern Brady

I don’t read many non-fiction books but I have been looking forward to reading Fern Brady’s story of her autism diagnosis, her stories of growing up (not a million miles from where I live) and the other things she took pains to redact from the blurb. Expecting this to be shocking and hilarious in equal measure.

Moon Over Soho – Ben Aaronovich

Back in September I was on the panel of the Bloody Scotland Book Club. I had recommended we read Rivers of London – the first in the Peter Grant series which combines crime, fantasy and horror. Moon Over Soho is the second book in the series and I’ve been looking foward to reading my copy for ages – I had the good fortune to meet the author when he did a signing in Glasgow so it is time to (Carefully) read this book. My Bloody Scotland thoughts on Rivers of London can be seen here: https://youtu.be/sh2gxl_tY2A

Confidence – Denise Mina

A book I have been meaning to read but just have not found time for. I will often pick up a book purely down to who the author is. I haven’t read the blurb for Confidence and I have no idea what the story is about so I will be going in blind – I am expecting fun!

Nation – Terry Pratchett

It’s a Pratchett book I haven’t read. It isn’t a Discworld novel (which is why I didn’t immediately read it) but I bought this on release day and for some reason I never quite picked it up to read. Alarmingly it seems I have had this on a shelf for over fifteen years. IT IS TIME.

Containment – Vanda Symon

Love this series but I didn’t read Containment during the launch window as I didn’t want to do a review which clashed with the bloggers taking part in the blog tour (I always try to avoid official blog tours when sharing a review). I think it should be safe enough to read and review this book now.

Emily Noble’s Disgrace – Mary Paulson-Ellis and Life Science – A.K. Turner

Why are these two books grouped together? Two more books with a Bloody Scotland connection and both books in the pictures are my signed copies. The first panel I attended at the 2022 Bloody Scotland festival was Mary, Ali and Doug Johnstone talking about death. It was a lot more fun than it sounds and after the event was over I met all three authors and bought their books. I wanted to read them at the time and, if anything, I want to read them even more now.

The Secret of Cold Hill – Peter James

Back in the 1990s I discovered horror stories and I read all the chiller thrillers written by Peter James. This was long before Roy Grace became a fixture in our bookshelves. I always enjoyed Peter’s chilling tales so when The House on Cold Hill and then The Secret of Cold Hill slipped into the release schedules I was delighted.

Unpresidented – Jon Sopel

From one horror to another. The end of the (first?) Trump Presidency as captured by Jon Sopel who was the BBC correspondent in America at the time of this extraordinary period of American political history.

A Lesson in Violence – Jordan Harper and The Chalk Circle Man – Fred Vargas

Why are these two grouped together? These two books were recommended by two fabulous authors so I bought them. A Lesson in Violence was a recommendation made by Dom Nolan. Dom wrote Vine Street, my favourite book of last year, so when he started praising Jordan Harper’s novel I paid attention. The Chalk Circle Man was recommended by Sarah Hilary when she penned this piece for my Serial Heroes feature: https://grabthisbook.net/?p=1898

I Am Dust – Louise Beech

Just before the first Covid Lockdown I attended an Orenda Roadshow in Glasgow. I heard Louise talking about I Am Dust and the idea of a chilling tale set in a theatre really appealed…I just needed to actually get around to reading it. Can you see a theme developing here? Why are there so few hours in the day available for reading?

Chemical Code – Fiona Erskine

The only book in the twenty which isn’t officially published at the time I pulled my selections together. I wasn’t prepared to miss the chance to read the new Jaq Silver novel – Fiona Erskine’s an absolute gem and I love her writing. I am really looking forward to this one. Plus that cover is lush!

The Cabin at the End of the World – Paul Tremblay

A book which was getting overlooked too often when I plucked the next read from the shelf. I never watch horror films but I was aware of the buzz surrounding the movie which was based on this story. It made me realise I hadn’t read the book yet and as I will never see the film I can know the book is always better!

The Guards – Ken Bruen

Ken Bruen’s books were recommended by Paul Gadsby when he took part in my Decades challenge. When I shared Paul’s Decades choices there was a lot of love for Mr Bruen’s work – as I had never read any I picked up The Guards. I find I pick up quite a few books as I share more Decades posts.

The Burglar Who Traded Tad Williams – Lawrence Block

Finally the book which has been on my TBR pile longer than any of the other 19 titles. A Lawrence Block Burglar book. Fun guaranteed. I discovered this series while I was still at school, I will turn 49 during the course of this reading challenge. That’s a long pause for me to have between two titles in a single series.

I will tweet my progress as we go – follow me @grabthisbook

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May 22

The Roanoke Girls – Amy Engel

EVERYONE WANTS TO BE A ROANOKE GIRL. BUT YOU WON’T WHEN YOU KNOW THE TRUTH.

The girls of the Roanoke family – beautiful, rich, mysterious – seem to have it all. But there’s a dark truth about them that’s never spoken. Either the girls run away… or they die.

Lane is one of the lucky ones. When she was fifteen, over one long, hot summer at her grandparents’ estate in rural Kansas, she found out what it really means to be a Roanoke girl. Lane ran, far and fast. Until eleven years later, when her cousin Allegra goes missing – and Lane has no choice but to go back.

She is a Roanoke girl.
Is she strong enough to escape a second time?

I had received a review copy from the publisher through Netgalley but I also bought a copy of the book and it was the paperback I actually read.

I went looking for my review of The Roanoke Girls and discovered I hadn’t written one. But I clearly remember writing a review as I loved this book and I wanted to shout about it – so where’s my review? How very odd. But if that’s odd then brace for The Roanoke Girls, there’s something very, very odd going on in this story and it’s down to Lane to take the reader through her family history and unpick what’s happening at her childhood home.

The Roanoke’s are a rich and highly influential family (old blood) and the daughers of the family conduct themselves with a regal air over the other local kids. Lane’s mother was a Roanoke Girl but she didn’t want to continue to live the life – she left home and raised Lane away from her family, just the two of them. However, at the start of the book we find Lane at a real low point, her mother has died. Lane is still at school and she can’t carry on alone. So the only real option is to return to Roanoke and live with her grandparents. It’s not too bad as her cousin Allegra is there too and the two girls form a strong bond. Sort of.

I say “sort of” as the relationship between Allegra, very much queen of the town, and the unknown quantity of the new-girl being welcomed to the fold does create some tensions between the two. Allegra appears jealous of Lane and yet at the same time acts out like she is much more mature and knowledgable than her cousin. It creates an interesting dynamic which keeps the story bubbling along nicely. Which Allegra will Lane encounter, what secrets is she hiding and what was happening in their large house before Lane arrived to shake up the Roanoke lifestyle?

The Roanoke Girls is very much a story you need to read. The dynamic of the family. The flashbacks to other family members, long since gone, who help flesh out the readers understanding of what happens in this quite wee town. It’s not a story you want to read too much about as the impact of events can only best be enjoyed when you have taken the journey that Amy Engel wants you to take – no shortcuts and no clues, just hear Lane’s story.

This was, quite simply, a terrific read. One where I was barely aware of turning the pages and when I did finally uncover the secret of The Roanoke Girls I wished I hadn’t – that way I could have the joy of reading this all over again without knowing the fate of the characters. It’s not a book I will forget any time soon.

The Roanoke Girls is available in paperback, digital and audiobook format. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01INGSY0A/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

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May 11

Bastard Verdict – James McCrone

You don’t have to win, just don’t lose.

High stakes and low politics combine with deadly effect in the new thriller, Bastard Verdict, by James McCrone.

A second referendum on independence looms, and a Scottish official enlists elections specialist Imogen Trager, a by-the-numbers, if rarely by-the-book investigator, to look into irregularities in the 2014 Scottish Independence referendum. Imogen uncovers a trail of criminal self-dealing, cover-ups, and murder leading to the highest levels of power. None but a very few know the truth. And those few need it to stay hidden at any cost.

Imogen will risk what’s left of her standing, her career–and maybe her life–to get at the truth.

I received a review copy of Bastard Verdict via Netgalley and was invited to host this leg of the blog tour by Anne Cater of Random Things Blog Tours.

In the United Kingdom if you mention a contentious referendum result most people will immediately think of the 2016 “Brexit” vote. If, however, you live in Scotland then your first thoughts may well shift to the 2014 Independence Referendum. This YES/NO vote split the country, families disagreed, friends fell out and the media first showed their true colours by brazenly ditching any suggestion of impartiality…you see! It still causes high emotion.

The “Indy Ref” is almost 9 years in the past (a generation if you’re Irish but apparently not if you’re Scottish) the outcome still raises passions and many, many people believe there were significant trust issues surrounding the vote and the result. In Bastard Verdict James McCrone turns attention to the turmoil, incorporates the suspicions and unusal practices into a cracking thriller He brilliantly taps into the paranoia which his protagonists will experience as they look to see if there was Governmental interference in the vote and it makes the story a tight and tense affair.

Imogen Trager is an FBI agent but she is working at Glasgow University as a guest lecturer following her involvement in an extremely high profile case in the US where she exposed vote tampering in the Amercian elections. Imogen became toxic at home as the fallout from her investigations cast huge ripples through the American political system. She is in Scotland where she will be safely out of the way! But soon after her arrival Imogen is approached by a high ranking official of the Scottish Government. He indicates he would like Imogen to spend some time looking at the 2014 Independence referendum, she is a specialist in identifying election irregularities and he says the 2014 election “was stolen”. But his request comes with a warning, if Imogen is going to look at the vote she must be very careful – if she does find any evidence of wrongdoing then this can only have been orchestrated by some very powerful people. Those people would not want anyone to shine a spotlight on their interference.

McCrone has also tapped into live political issues. In Bastard Verdict there is a strong suspicion the UK Goverment is seeking to announce a new policy initiaive to make Great Britain stronger. This patriotic excercise in London would also seriously undermine the authority of the devolved governments and would see several key areas which are legislated in Edinburgh cede back to London’s control. If Imogen can identify interference in the Independence Referendum it will seriously undermine any London attempts to wrestle control away from Scotland – suddenly a vote nine years ago has a very real and imminent deadline if doubt is to be cast upon the outcome.

As someone that closely followed the 2014 election I was very aware of some of the “unusual” elements surrounding the vote. James McCrone uses real questions (never fully answered) as fictional plot points which drive Imogen’s investigations forward. When there is suspicion of sensitve infomration being revealed people start to die. But the forces working against Imogen and her small cohort of colleagues are worried and mistakes are being made – the reader gets to follow both sides of the process we see when robberies are arranged, when surveillance is deployed and who is calling the shots. Knowing Imogen is getting deeper into danger keeps the reader turning the pages.

Election vote counting doesn’t sound like the most likely backdrop for a crime thriller but James McCrone steps up and makes it an utterly absorbing read. I loved this story and have already been recommending it to many of my friends.

Bastard Verdict publishes on 18 May 2023 and you can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0999137743/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i3

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May 5

Moscow Exile – John Lawton

Charlotte is a British expatriate who has recently settled in Washington, D.C. with her second husband, but enviable dinner parties aren’t the only thing she is planning. Meanwhile, Charlie Leigh-Hunt has been posted to Washington as a replacement for Guy Burgess, last seen disappearing around the corner and into the Soviet Union. Charlie is surprised to cross paths with Charlotte, an old flame of his, who, thanks to her gossipy parties, has a packed pocketbook full of secrets she is eager to share.

Two decades later, in 1969, Joe Wilderness is stuck on the wrong side of the Iron Curtain, held captive by the KGB, a chip in a game way above his pay grade – but his old friends Frank and Eddie are going to try to spring him out of the toughest prison in the world. All roads lead back to Berlin, and to the famous Bridge of Spies…

My thanks to Ayo Onatade for the opportunity to join the blog tour for Moscow Exile.

My introduction to John Lawton’s books. First impressions of a new author are always important and I very much enjoyed the story and the style of the telling when I read Moscow Exile. The narrative zipped along and there always seemed to be something happening to push events forward. What I did find perplexing was when I looked at the blurb and found it was the fourth book in the Joe Wilderness series – I think I was around the half-way mark in the story before the lead character rocked up. Not that I was too conerned, I was enjoying the exploits of Charlotte Mawer-Churchill.

Charlotte,for me, was the vibrant and entertaining character I wanted to read about. We first join her in England in 1939 where she’s working in the background of parliament, helping her older husband steer his way through political waters and making a large contribution towards the thinking of government. During the course of the early war years she happens to cross paths with a dashing American, Mr Avery Shumacher. Charlotte didn’t mean to fall in love with Mr Schumacher but these things happen and her husband, recognising Charlotte needs to leave their marriage, helps co-ordinate a divorce. Charlotte Mawer-Churchill becomes Coky Shumacher and will be a post-war socialite hostess in Washington DC. She brings black musicians to play for the wealthy white families at her parties and ensures her home is a hub of engagement.

Washington is where the action is. Charlie Leigh-Hunt was living a life of fun in London, leaving a trail of one night stands in his wake until Burgess and McLean were discovered to be sharing information with the Russians. Their unexpected defection leads to Charlie being posted to Washington – get to America and report to Kim Philby – is the order he receives and before he can catch up on himself he is the sole agent in the American capital as Philby gets recalled to London. Charlie is the main man on the ground and the actions of his former colleagues have cast a shadow over the UK’s presence in Washington, he will have to do some serious damage limitation before he can even contemptate doing his job – if he knew what his job was supposed to be.

I really enjoyed the nuanced behavoiur of the central characters and their conversations are witty, serious and suitably cautious for a spy thriller. John Lawton slickly blends real people (I refer you to Philby and Burgess) with his fictional cast and it sells the perception of authenticity which great spy stories have.

Lawton’s lead character does make his appearance as the story develops – Joe Wilderness is in captivity, held by the enemy in foreign lands so there are plans afoot to get a rescue sorted. Charlies and Coky (she doesn’t like Charlie and Charlotte) will play a key role in the story and I easily felt myself slipping into their world as the story unfolded around me.

Returning readers will certainly have some advantage over new readers (like myself) as these are complex and well established players in a complicated diplomatic game which plays out over a number of countries. There are plenty of characters to keep track of, plots and situations which create dilemma and tension and the whole story is terrific fun to read. I enjoyed Moscow Exile, it reminded me I should be reading more spy thrillers – I always enjoy them but seldom get the oppotunity to get stuck into a new series. I’ll certainly be on the lookout for more books by this author.

Moscow Exile is published by Atlantic Books and you can order a copy of the book here: https://www.waterstones.com/book/moscow-exile/john-lawton/9781804710098

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