Decades: Compiling the Ultimate Library with Alison Belsham

Welcome back to the Decades Library- my ongoing quest to assemble nothing but the very best books in a single collection. All thriller (and literary fiction, science fiction, horror etc) and no filler. Okay that one got away from me…

Why is it callled the Decades Library? Each week I invite a booklover to join me and I ask them to nominate five books which they believe belong on the shelves of the very best library, unmissable stories, memorable ones or simply books they consider to be the very best. When making their selections I ask my guests to follow just two rules:

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

If that sounds easy then please take some time to put together your own list. I love hearing about wonderful new books. The best thing for a blogger is to be able to feel you have been influential in introducing a reader to a new book they loved. Every week a new Decades post is released I get some wonderful feedback about the selections I have just shared. TBRs grow as a result of the recommendations my guests make.

This week I am thrilled to be joined by Alison Belsham – and it’s Alison’s publication week too. The Girls on Chalk Hill released this week (it’s the first in a new series) and you can get your copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Girls-Chalk-Hill-completely-Detective-ebook/dp/B0BZ8Y2C5Zhttps://www.amazon.co.uk/Girls-Chalk-Hill-completely-Detective-ebook/dp/B0BZ8Y2C5Z

www.alisonbelsham.com

Twitter: @AlisonBelsham

Facebook: @AlisonBelshamWriter

Instagram: alisonbelsham

DECADES

When Gordon invited me to submit my selection of books for Decades, I was hard at work on the first draft of the third book in my new police procedural series – and over the next few weeks as I continued writing, random book titles kept popping up in mind that absolutely had to be included.

But there was one big problem – either my chose titles seemed too many decades apart, or I had to make an impossible choice between favourites that had been published in the same decade. Ouch!

But finally, I whittled the list down to these five:

Silence of the Lambs – Thomas Harris (1989)

Surprisingly for someone who writes serial killer thrillers, I only got around to reading this a year ago. The film had so terrified me that I’d never dared to pick up the book, and when I started writing crime I tended to avoid reading in the same genre. However, I’m so glad I did read it – an absolutely outstanding book that sets the bar for all who followed in its footsteps. But is it a thriller or a love story?

The Vintner’s Luck – Elizabeth Knox (1998)

The Vintner’s Luck is very definitely a love story. On a summer night in Burgundy in 1808, vintner Sobran Jodeau is visited by a beautiful male angel called Xas – and they continue to meet here on the same night every year for the rest of Sobran’s life. The love story between Sobran and Xas is beautifully complemented by the love story of Sobran and the Countess. The writing is incandescent, and the characters live long in the memory after book is finished. Ravishing!

Modern Ranch Living – Mark Jude Poirier (2004)

Hands up if you’ve read Modern Ranch Living? I thought not. This little-known book really deserves a much wider readership. If you like to embrace your inner weird, this could be the book for you. Set over a blistering summer in Arizona, teenage body builder Kendra is alarmed when her pothead boyfriend mysteriously disappears. Her 30-year-old neighbour Merv manages a water park and lives with his insomniac mother. As the temperature rises, they join forces to hunt for the missing boy… More observational than plot-driven, it’s an absolute delight.

The Art of Fielding – Chad Harbach (2011)

When I suggested to my book club that they should read this, they all declined, saying they didn’t want to read a baseball book. Well, it was their loss, because although the main character is a college baseball star, it’s about so much more than that. In fact, it’s one of the best coming-of-age books I’ve ever read, full of wonderful characters that make compelling reading. Yes, there’s been some controversy about this book – a suit against Harbach claiming ‘large-scale misappropriation’ was dismissed – but don’t let that stop you from enjoying this riveting read.

The Last House on Needless Street – Catriona Ward (2021)

I’m an unforgiving reader – if I come across something I don’t like in a book, I have no compunction about stopping reading. One of my bugbears is giving sentient voices to things that don’t speak. For example, the speaking foetus in Kate Atkinson’s Behind the Scenes at the Museum made me bin the book almost immediately. So, when it became apparent that one of the characters in The Last House on Needless Street is a cat, my reading faltered. But…something kept me going and thank God it did. Billed as horror, this is actually anextraordinary exploration of a troubled mind. Terrifying, gripping and highly intelligent, for me this has been the standout novel of recent years.

Amazing choices – Alison I cannot thank you enough for these gems.

I don’t often get any suggestions from the current decade but I know The Last House on Needless Street will be an extremely popular addition to the collection.

DECADES WILL RETURN

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June 23

Decades: Compiling The Ultimate Library With Eve Smith

Welcome back to the Decades Library, my ongoing quest to assemble a collection of the very best reading recommendations.

Back in January 2021 I pondered the question: If I had a brand new library and was faced with empty shelves, which unmissable books should I put into my new Library to ensure only the very best books were available for the readers. This was far too great a challenge to undertake on my own so I have been inviting guests to join me and asking them to nominate five of their favourite books which they believe should be added to my library shelves. My guests have included authors, publishers, journalists and bloggers – all booklovers and the variety of titles they have suggested has been astonishing.

Why is my Library called the Decades Library? Although I said my guests are asked to nominate five of their favourite books I haven’t quite made it as straightforward as that. I ask my guests to follow two rules when making their selections:

1 – Choose Any Five Books
2 – You Can Only Choose One Book Per Decades From Five Consecutive Decades

The oldest book to feature (so far) was Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland which was first published in 1865. The most recent release was published in 2022 – Sinead Crowley’s The Belladonna Maze. There have been many, many titles published in between these two which have also found their way to the Library shelves. I hope to be able to add many more too.

And now that we have been reminded of the rules and the ultimate aim of my Decades Library it is time for me to hand over to my guest: Eve Smith.

Eve Smith writes speculative thrillers, mainly about the things that scare her. She attributes her love of all things dark and dystopian to a childhood watching Tales of the Unexpected and Edgar Allen Poe double bills.

Longlisted for the Not the Booker Prize and described by Waterstones as “an exciting new voice in crime fiction”, Eve’s debut novel, The Waiting Rooms, set in the aftermath of an antibiotic resistance crisis, was shortlisted for the Bridport Prize First Novel Award and was selected as a Guardian Book of the Month. It was followed by Off-Target, about a world where genetic engineering of children is routine. Her latest thriller, One, is set in a near-future Britain ravaged by the climate crisis where a one-child policy is ruthlessly enforced. Eve’s previous job at an environmental charity took her to research projects across Asia, Africa and the Americas, and she has an ongoing passion for wild creatures, wild science and far-flung places.

You can order One and purchase Eve’s other books from all good retailers or directly from Orenda Books: https://orendabooks.co.uk/product/one www.evesmithauthor.com Twitter @evecsmith Instagram, Facebook and TikTok: evesmithauthor

DECADES

The Shining, Stephen King 1977

This has to go down as one of the most frightening books I’ve read. Then I watched the Stanley Kubrick film adaptation which really did (and still does) scare the pants off me. I put it to the test with my daughters last year, and despite all the CGI and technical wizardry they’re accustomed to, they still said it was the most terrifying thing they had ever watched. Now they just need to read the book…

The Handmaid’s Tale, Margaret Atwood 1985

I remember watching the original film of The Handmaid’s Tale with my sister. We’d never seen anything like it. I rushed out and bought the book and then proceeded to read everything by Margaret Atwood that I could get my hands on. I love the way she dramatises important issues in thrilling alternative worlds that feel chillingly plausible. Her work has been a major inspiration to me.

The Poisonwood Bible, Barbara Kingsolver 1998

I read The Poisonwood Bible with a local book club. The novel is about a missionary family who settle in the Belgian Congo. I don’t know how many times I cried, but it has to be one of my all-time favourites. Such a powerful story about family and motherhood, and the tragedies we unwittingly let loose on those we love most, despite our best intentions.

Under the Skin, Michel Faber 2000

Under the Skin is probably one of the most surprising books I have read. I mustn’t give any spoilers, but it almost changes genres part-way through. A tantalising mystery intrigues from the first page with tight, atmospheric writing and beautiful descriptions of the Scottish countryside. I thought it was brilliant.

Station Eleven, Emily St. John Mandel 2014

Station Eleven is a stunning speculative novel that conveys a haunting vision of a post-pandemic world that we never could have imagined might become our reality. Beautifully written, with lyrical prose sweeping across continents, you are drawn into each character’s plight as they attempt to navigate the crisis.

Five terrific reads to welcome Decades back. Another week where i have not read all five of the books recommended so I add two to my ever growing wishlist. Huge thanks to Eve for bringing back the Decades Library with these top reading recommendations. Don’t miss out on One – Eve’s new book – which releases in July from Orenda Books and can be ordered here: https://www.waterstones.com/book/one/eve-smith/9781914585746 or at your favourite independent bookstore.

DECADES WILL RETURN

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June 19

The Hotel – Louise Mumford

Four of them went to the hotel

Four students travel to Ravencliffe, an eerie abandoned hotel perched on steep cliffs on the Welsh coast. After a series of unexplained accidents, only three of them leave. The fourth, Leo, disappears, and is never seen again.

Only three of them came back

A decade on, the friends have lost contact. Oscar is fame-hungry, making public appearances and selling his story. Richard sank into alcoholism and is only just recovering. Bex just wants to forget – until one last opportunity to go back offers the chance to find out what really happened to Leo.

Ten years later, they return one last time

But as soon as they get to the hotel things start going wrong again. Objects mysteriously disappear and reappear. Accidents happen. And Bex realises that her former friends know far more than they are letting on about the true events at Ravencliffe that night…

I received a review copy from the publishers through Netgalley

It’s publication week for The Hotel as I sit to write my review. I will cut straight to the chase on this – I really, really enjoyed this thriller/chiller by Louise Mumford and I’m recommending you seek it out. Seriously entertaining. My kind of book which gave me feels of a Dean Koontz tale. Shades of horror, a thumping good mystery and plenty of cryptic suggestions as to what may have ocurred in an old (possibly haunted) buiding which four teenagers felt compelled to visit one dark evening – lives were changed forever.

Ten years ago four friends made a trip to Ravencliffe. High on the rocks above the Welsh coast sat an old hotel, long since abandoned, but fabled to be haunted with stories of a murder on site and strange stories of former residents. The friends (Bex, Richard, Oscar and Leo) took a video camera with them. As horror fans they planned to record their trip and make a feature from it. Little could they know their film would become a cult horror classic – one of their number (Leo) never returned from the expedition and the three surviging friends could not explain much of what occurred that fateful evening.

Ten years on we meet Bex, living in the bustle of London where the crowds give her a degree of anonymity. Oscar is boucing between public appearances at various “cons” where fans of their film regularly gather to discuss the film which told the story of that night at Ravencliffe. Having one of the friends there is a big deal for the fans but Oscar, for reasons which become clear, isn’t the draw which Bex or Richard would be. Richard has battled his own demons over the last Decade – at the time the film was recorded he and Bex were an item but that created a degree of friction within the group.

The defining image of the movie, which had been watched in the minutest detail by an army of fans was that of Leo vanishing from the sheer cliff steps in a flurry of blurred pictures, shouts of panic from Bex and then nothing. What happened to Leo? He hasn’t been seen since that fateful evening and no body was ever found either. It’s had fans speculating for ten years, theories on what happened to Leo, could Bex have treated him better? Did Richard have a problem with Leo? All incredibly difficult for Bex to cope with as Leo had been her oldest friend. She dreads the tenth anniversary of Leo’s disappearance and suspects someone may try to make something of the event.

Bex’s instincts are correct – the film company want to bring the three friends together, back at the Ravencliffe, to make a follow up feature which will revisit their adventure and address some of the speculation. Bex is reluctant until something arrives at her house. Something only one of the four friends could have known about and something which hasn’t been seen for ten years. Steeling all her resolve Bex agrees to participate in the reunion fiming and we go back to the Hotel with a new film crew in tow.

Through a narrative set in present day and also in flashback the reader will hear more about what the four friends faced on their first visit. We also experience shocks and unexplained incidents in the present day. It’s a really effective use of a dual timeline and Louise Mumford makes this a terrific read as you just want to keep reading so you can get to the bottom of what actually ocurred.

As I said at the top of this review – The Hotel comes highly recommended. Not a full on horror tale but a chilling thriller that I gobbled up in quick time.

The Hotel is published on 22 June 2023 and you can order your copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0BXGPL8GJ/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

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June 13

Twenty Books For Summer 1 of 20 – Elevation (Stephen King)

Castle Rock is a small town, where word gets around quickly. That’s why Scott Carey wants to confide only in his friend Doctor Bob Ellis about his strange condition: he’s losing weight, without getting thinner, and the scales register the same when he is in his clothes or out of them, however heavy they are.

Scott also has new neighbours, who have opened a ‘fine dining experience’ in town, although it’s an experience being shunned by the locals; Deidre McComb and her wife Missy Donaldson don’t exactly fit in with the community’s expectations. And now Scott seems trapped in a feud with the couple over their dogs dropping their business on his lawn. Missy may be friendly, but Deidre is cold as ice.

As the town prepares for its annual Thanksgiving 12k run, Scott starts to understand the prejudices his neighbours face and he tries to help. Unlikely alliances form and the mystery of Scott’s affliction brings out the best in people who have indulged the worst in themselves and others.

I am taking part in the Twenty Books For Summer reading challenge (explained here) and the first review I get to write is for Elevation by Stephen King. It is a book I have had in my TBR for over 12 months and I picked up my copy at a charity bookshop, it was pristine condition and is a gorgeous wee hardback book.

Elevation was not the first book I started from my 20 planned summer reads, it just so happened I could not find the Lawrence Block book I was reading so I grabbed Elevation from the top of the stack. On a beautiful Scottish summer evening I sat in my garden as the sun went down and the heat of the day left us and I devoured this story in a single sitting. Not that this meant I had a lot of content to read, Elevation is only around 140 pages long and the whole book took me just 90 mins to complete.

Although my copy only cost me £2 I suspect I may have had second thoughts about picking up the book on initial release when it was a slim hardback retaling at £14.99. I am a King fan but this seems a little steep for a read so brief. The Kindle version can now be claimed for £5 with the paperback retailing at £7 – that’s more manageable. Particularly as there is a lot to like in this story from a familiar King setting – we’re back in Castle Rock.

While the key thread to the story is fantastical there’s a healthy dose of King turning his attention to intolerances and prejudice as he gives a strong supporting cast the opportunity to shine. There are direct barbs to the Trumpian intolerances which are seeping back into American dialogue and I applauded how King tackled and called out those discriminatory elements.

Our lead character is Scott Carey. Scott is seeking the advice of the town’s retired doctor as Scott is losing weight. But his weight loss is not showing – on the outside he looks the same, sturdy (chunky) and people would likely say he could stand to lose a few pounds. But Scott IS losing a few pounds, one every couple of days it seems. Yet he can also fill his pockets with heavy coins or tools and they will have no impact upon the weight shown on his scales, it almost seems Scott can hold something and it will instantly become weightless. We follow Scott’s story as his weight drops and, like Scott, we will wonder what happens when he reaches zero.

My initial thought was that Elevation sounded like King’s earlier novel Thinner. A lead character in that stoty who is shedding weight after being cursed – the two tales are very different and other than the declining weight of the lead character they have little in common. Elevation stands well on its own and it gave me several cheering moments as Scott navigates the changes which are happening to his body but also to the town of Castle Rock.

A good start to my reading challenge – I never regret reading a Stephen King story.

Elevation can be ordered in digital, paperback and audiobook format: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07DNFC1C9/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i34

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June 13

The Doctor – Annie Payne

Care giver, life saver… or cold-blooded killer?

Running away from a past she’d rather forget, Doctor Alison Wilson has moved to a new town to take up the role of Medical Officer at failing hospital St Margaret’s.

Tasked with shaking things up, she quickly learns that things are worse than they initially seem: patient records are in disarray, staff morale is low, and there’s something afoot that she can’t quite put her finger on…

As Alison starts to dig into the hospital’s past, she gradually discovers a trail of lies that runs deeper and darker than she could have ever imagined.

There’s a cold-blooded killer in the hospital. And they’re hiding in plain sight…

I received a review copy from Avon via Netgalley.

Long time ago while I was still a teenager I was making the jump from reading Agatha Christie novels into “proper grown-up books” which is to say I was ready to leave behind Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys and Tintin and start buying crime stories which you didn’t find in the children’s section of our local bookshop. That said, as I draw ever closer to my 50th birthday I still love a Tintin book!

One of the first authors I discovered – one of the early few that replaced Agatha on my TBR – was Robin Cook. He wrote medical thrillers, most notably Coma, and all his murder mystery stories were set in and around hospitals and featured a wealth of sinister phsyicians or medical staff who could (quite literally) get away with murder on their wards. There are far too few medical and hospital crime stories out there these days so when I saw The Doctor and read the blurb (as above) I was hit with a wave of nostalgia and knew I had to read this book. Boy was I glad I did!

Alison is taking over as a senior administrator in a failing hospital, she is leaving a busy London hospital and moving to a smaller place as she is leaving her broken marriage (after her husband had an affair) and seeking new challenges and a fresh start. Her introduction to the hospital isn’t the best as nobody seems to have known she is arriving, then when she starts trying to suggest changes there is resistance. While a certain amount of pushback is not entirely unexpected for a “new broom” looking to shake up a chaotic/shambolic operation there seems to be something not quite right at St Margaret’s hospital.

We follow Alison as she tries to integrate the new controls and measures which are badly needed to make St Margaret’s a more efficient operation but it is clear something isn’t right. Her meetings are inexplicably cancelled, reports she requests don’t arrive, colleagues are waiting for guidance on issues they brought to her yet Alison isn’t aware of their requests. She is blaming tiredness, mixups and she knows she is turning to a calming glass of wine far too often. These slips are undermining her self-confidence but they are also making her colleagues question her competence.

More alarmingly is the reader knows there is a killer in the hospital. We shadow them as they usher some patients to their deaths. It’s chilling and unsettling. The medical staff at our hospitals aren’t meant to bring death to their charges. Equally chilling is that the killer has their eye on Alison – she’s a threat and is going to be turned into a scapegoat or possibly even a victim.

Annie Payne is serving up a mystery, a thriller and a tense pageturner which I really enjoyed. As I alluded to at the start of my review, there are too few medical or hospital thrillers and I will always lap them up. More like this would be very welcome thank you.

The Doctor was published by Avon Books on 25 May 2023 and can be ordered here: https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-doctor/annie-payne/9780008562007

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June 9

Bloody Scotland 2023

BLOODY SCOTLAND REVEALS STAR LINE UP FOR PROGRAMME LAUNCH TAKING PLACE AT NOON IN STIRLING ON 22 JUNE 2023

The Bloody Scotland International Crime Writing Festival returns to the historic city of Stirling on 22 June with local celebrity, BBC Radio Scotland presenter, Nicola Meighan interviewing Ambrose Parry aka bestselling crime writer Chris Brookmyre and consultant anaesthetist turned medical historian turned ‘powerful new voice in crime fiction’ Marisa Haetzman live on stage in The Golden Lion Ballroom. They will be launching their new historical crime novel, Voices of the Dead, which will be published by Canongate later this month.

Stirling Council Leader, Chris Kane, will say a few words then Festival Director, Bob McDevitt, will reveal the 2023 programme at The Golden Lion Hotel at noon on 22 June immediately prior to the Ambrose Parry event. Tickets are deliberately priced at only £5 to encourage a local audience who might normally not attend the festival to give it a go. Anyone unemployed or on a low income can attend for free.

Other guests at the programme launch will be the shortlisted authors for the Bloody Scotland Debut Prize and the longlisters for the McIlvanney Prize for Scottish Crime Fiction who will be revealed live on BBC Radio Scotland Afternoon Show on 15 June.

Following questions regarding the prize criteria last year the rules and judging process have been amended to encourage as much diversity as possible. The biggest change has been the rule regarding how Scottish you have to be with authors no longer being required to be resident in Scotland for 7 years before being allowed to enter the prize and authors who can prove a long and enduring connection with Scotland (for example parents) automatically allowed to enter.

In previous years the longlist has been determined by a panel of readers. This year the reader scores have been referred to an academy led by crime reviewer Ayo Onatade, Waterstones category manager for crime fiction Gaby Lee and journalist and author, Craig Sisterson. Their team includes crime reviewers / influencers Gordon McGhie, Zoe Venditozzi, Mary Picken and Suze Clarke-Morris; librarians Jonathan Kaney (Stirling), Steven Gough (Orkney) and Pearl Morrison (Aberdeenshire), booksellers Steve Poulter (Waterstones Bluewater), Marjorie Marshall (The Bookmark, Grantown), Cecile (Portoboello Bookshop), Sarah (The Book Nook Stewarton), Ewan Wilson (Waterstones Glasgow) and the winner of last year’s Bloody Scotland Debut Prize, Tariq Ashkanani.

The shortlist for the Bloody Scotland Debut Prize will be revealed on 15 Juneand the shortlist for the McIlvanney Prize for Crime Fiction will be revealed at the end of August.

The opening reception which offers an opportunity to rub shoulders with famous crime writers will be at 6.30 – 7.45pm in the Church of the Holy Rude. Authors shortlisted for each of the prizes will lead the torchlit procession from Stirling Castle to the Albert Halls where the winners will be revealed and interviewed on stage.

Follow @bloodyscotland#BloodyScotland for continued updates

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June 6

The Woman in Carriage 3 (Audiobook) – Alison James

An ordinary journey. A shocking secret. And the perfect murder…

Hattie travels on the 18.53 train home every night. She sits in the same seat, in the same carriage, and sees the same people. The unwritten rule is you don’t talk to your fellow passengers, but Hattie has been watching them all for months now to distract herself from her own troubles.

Then one night a commuter suddenly drops dead. And the terrible accident changes everything.

In the aftershock of the tragic death, the group of strangers huddled around the two tables in carriage 3 strike up a conversation. Boundaries are shattered, connections are made and Hattie becomes tangled up in the lives of her fellow passengers as they travel to and from London every day.

But Hattie has no idea what she’s letting herself in for. The ordinary people on her ordinary journey all have dangerous secrets. When another commuter is killed, Hattie suspects someone in carriage 3 is responsible. Who can she trust? And is the truth closer to home and more dangerous than she could have guessed?

An absolutely addictive psychological thriller that will keep you up late into the night. If you love Behind Closed Doors, Gone Girl and The Perfect Couple, you’ll be gripped.

I recieved a review copy from the publishers through Netgalley

One evening on a busy commuter train a passenger takes ill. The train is forced to stop to allow medical treatment to be delivered and Hattie finds herself unexpectedly in dicussion with some of her fellow commuters. Drinks are bought, names exchanged and half a dozen mis-matched commuters form an unexpected friendship group. Over the following weeks some of them will travel together, they arrange to sit together and become a small part of each others lives. Except the reader is told one of their number is going to die – how can you not keep reading when you know someone’s days are numbered?

Hattie is the focus of the story. After her relationship broke down a year earlier she has been forced to move home to live in the suburbs with her parents. Hattie finds herself engaged in a number of temporary jobs which hold little appeal. She spends time on Tinder matching with potential partners and seems to enjoy many evenings in pubs with her latest date. Her focus on her jobs will wane, hangovers become more frequent and her parents disapproval at the lifestyle choices she is making are wearing her down.

One bonus of the unexpected new friendship group is that Hattie get to know the handsome Casper, movie star good looks and more than a little charming. Even better is that he seems to welcome Hattie’s attentions. A romance could flourish. The two start exchanging more and more messages and Hattie finds her days are increasingly distracted as she waits to hear from Casper.

Unfortunately Hattie drinks far too much for her own good. She doesn’t come across as a particularly likeable character and she is far too easily influenced and prone to making terrible choices. This makes following her story a frustraing experience at times – I found myself frustrated with Hattie and I just wanted her to grasp some of the good opportunities which were clearly within her reach. But she didn’t.

I did have some frustrations with The Woman in Carriage 3 – a total lack of concern around drink driving being the main one. After their initial meeting on the train the travelling companions will often share drinks on their journey home. One of their party will have join in the drinking and then drive home, often offering others a lift home. Maybe its down to Scotland having stricter drink driving regulations than are in place in the South of England but that made me really uncomfortable. When we find out a bit more of each character’s back story the drink driving seems even more unlikely but that’s spoiler territory.

There were points in the story where I thought about stopping the audiobook and moving on to a new story. It took longer than I had anticipated for the threads which the author was sewing into the story to start to come together. Once the pace started to pick up I was curious enough to stick with the book to see how things panned out. There were some unexpected developments and the narrative definately ended up in places I had not anticipated, however, a couple of the big “reveals” were fairly easy to spot well ahead of the revelation and the story felt more pedestrian than express train.

While some of my concerns make it sound like I didn’t enjoy the book that’s not true. I liked it just fine, didn’t love it, didn’t hate it. It felt like the perfect book for a commute, I could pick it up and put it down in short reading bursts (my 30 min train journey to work) and feel it helped pass the journey. Sometimes that is all I need from a book and The Woman in Carriage 3 did keep me reading to the end, just to find out what would happen to Hattie.

The narrator of The Woman in Carriage 3 deserves a special mention. This was the first time I have heard Jan Cramer on audiobook duties but I thought her performance was excellent. Jan Cramer gave this small cast a great voice and I was more than happy – no niggles, no awkward attempts at accents (sadly something that crops up all too often in audiobooks) and a pleasant narrative voice which I felt fitted perfectly to the setting and tone of the book.

The Woman in Carriage 3 is published by Bookouture and is available in paperback, digital and audiobook format. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0BXM14TYY/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

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June 2

To Die in June – Alan Parks

A woman enters a Glasgow police station to report her son missing, but no record can be found of the boy. When Detective Harry McCoy, seconded from the cop shop across town, discovers the family is part of the cultish Church of Christ’s Suffering, he suspects there is more to Michael’s disappearance than meets the eye.

Meanwhile reports arrive of a string of poisonings of down-and-outs across the city. The dead are men who few barely notice, let alone care about – but, as McCoy is painfully aware, among this desperate community is his own father.

Even as McCoy searches for the missing boy, he must conceal from his colleagues the real reason for his presence – to investigate corruption in the station. Some folk pray for justice. Detective Harry McCoy hasn’t got time to wait

I received a review copy from the publishers and was invited to join the blog tour by Anne Cater of Random Things Blog Tours.

It is time for my annual trip back to 1970’s Glasgow to reunite with Harry McCoy, Wattie, Stevie Cooper (McCoy’s oldest friend and one of Glasgow’s biggest gangsters) and Jumbo – Cooper’s garden-loving dogsbody. There are other characters I can expect to pop up as I dip back into the world Alan Parks has created (albeit that world is Glasgow of yester-year) but I always know these familiar faces will command my full attention until I reach the last page of the book. I seldom know when a new book is due out but I am always looking out for the next book by Alan Parks and I’ve never been disappointed with the stories he spins.

To Die in June is the sixth McCoy thriller and events are set during the heat of the 1975 summer. It begins with a missing child. A young boy is not in the family home when his mother comes down the stairs in the morning. She rushes to the police station, hysterical and demanding help. McCoy initiates an immediate search of the area but when he visits the family home to speak with the woman’s husband he is told there is no missing child. The search is called off and McCoy’s standing with his new colleagues at Possil police station dips even further than he could have anticipated.

Possil is McCoy and Wattie’s new home. There are changes taking place – Glasgow Police is becoming Strathclyde Police and while the transitions for the force are phasing in McCoy and the increasingly capable Wattie have been relocated. Their relationship with their new colleauges is fractious but for McCoy there is an opportunity to align himself with the other officers stationed at Possil but to do so will mean turning a blind eye to some of their activities and even applying a strong arm, when necessary, to get the outcomes needed. There will be a share of any spoils if he does and with his chaotic personal life seeming to take a turn for the better – McCoy is now in an unexpected relationship with one of Scotland’s leading actors and even McCoy is realising he needs to smarten up a little to be seen with her. This burgeoning relationship leads to some wonderful cameos, particularly early in the story when McCoy finds himself at a swanky Scottish Awards dinner.

But To Die in June isn’t all about sipping wine at posh functions. Out on the streets of Glasgow it looks like someone is giving the rough sleepers a toxic concoction to drink. At least that’s what McCoy believes. His colleagues are quick to point out that it is not unusual for the less fortunate citizens to start drinking anything they can get their hands on and early deaths are not uncommon given the toxins they regularly pour down their throats. Regular readers will know McCoy’s own father is one of the homeless souls and McCoy’s sensitivity to the plight of the homeless is not somthing his colleagues are quite so quick to give time to. But McCoy is concerned when his father’s drinking friends are telling him some of their number are dying after drinking a particularly toxic mixture. Wattie trys to convince McCoy he is reading too much into a few random deaths but McCoy isn’t so quickly convinced and the time he spends looking for a link between these deaths is putting a strain on his relationship with Wattie who is trying to cover the official investigations which the pair should be concentrating on.

As we have come to expect from Alan Parks there are critical events bubbling away and their importance may not always be apparent to the reader. Until suddently that subtle bubbling explodes into a very big deal and McCoy has a huge problem on his hands. That’s when you realise how smoothly Parks has sneaked some really important clues into the story, the very best sleight of hand, and McCoy’s life is in turmoil again. Alan Parks just keeps getting better and better – every new book feels more assured and that’s from a point where he was already setting a very high bar.

Glasgow never felt more unpredictable and it’s the dirty, rough city of old. There’s rival gangs buslting for superiority, gangsters trying to establish “legitimate” business interests, a religious group to be investigated (forcing McCoy to quash his natural distrust of all things faith-related), unhelpful and unethical police officers working to their own agenda. McCoy walks a dangerous path between these factions and he remains one of the very best protagonists in crime fiction at this time.

To Die In June is a five star read. The Harry McCoy series should be required reading for anyone calling themself a fan of Crime Fiction.

To Die in June is available in hardback, digital and audiobook format. You can order a copy here: https://www.waterstones.com/book/to-die-in-june/alan-parks/9781805300786

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

May 31

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

Category: From The Bookshelf | Comments Off

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

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