Category: Adult Fiction

‘Stranded’ – Sarah Goodwin

 

Stranded is a book that surpassed my wildest dreams…it went far beyond what I expected, and had a haunting quality that will stay with me. This is a book I expected to like, but it was so well-written that I can’t wait to recommend it to others.

The story focuses on eight very different people, cherry-picked by a team of producers to take part in a new reality TV show. They are to be taken to a remote island off the coast of Scotland where their every move will be recorded as they have to live in a new community for a year. As is made clear, something goes terribly wrong and not everyone survives this experience. Of course, we want to know what happens and how, but we are made to wait!

Our main character is Maddy. Something of a loner she wants to participate in the show as a way of escaping her reality after the death of her parents. Fitting in with new people doesn’t come naturally to her, so we are placed in the enviable position of watching things through Maddy’s eyes…outsiders, monitoring the interactions of the group and left to second-guess the motivations of others based on what Maddy tells us about them.

The other group members have – it’s clear – been picked as a way of generating conflict. Things begin positively enough, but it doesn’t take much to set off a deterioration in the group dynamic. All too soon we’re in a Lord of the Flies-style hell, with each of the group fighting for survival.

There was a certain tension that came from knowing that Maddy survived and was being interviewed about her experience. I feared this knowledge would mar the reading experience, but it actually heightened the tension for me since I was desperate to see exactly what had happened and how she’d managed to escape when things looked so very bleak. I also found the introduction of the supernatural at key moments a positive as it illustrated the extreme mental duress she was under.

I can’t thank the publishers and NetGalley enough for allowing me to read this before publication. A truly exciting book…

‘The Man Who Died Twice (Thursday Murder Club 2)’ – Richard Osman

In our second adventure with the members of the murder club we are treated to an outlandish crime, numerous twists, murders aplenty and the kind of healthy disregard for the rules that I assume you might acquire when you reach a certain age.

The Thursday after the events of book one, the club is meeting and we have set in place a most unusual scenario linked to Elizabeth’s past. It involves a rakish ex-husband, twenty million pounds worth of diamonds, the mafia, local shady businesspeople and an ever-increasing number of bodies as events play out.

Elizabeth, Joyce, Ron and Ibrahim are on fine form once again. Pitting their wits against those who have made a life out of crime the group are terrier-like in their focus and determination to solve this particular puzzle. Bogdan comes into his own, and the involvement of Chris and Donna allows for some amusing side action (though it doesn’t say much about the efficacy of the police). There’s a lot of diversionary wordplay but this does keep the feeling of a cosy mystery when they’re actually confronted with something that would be terrifying.

Great fun, and I’m grateful to the publishers for letting me read a copy in advance of publication.

‘The Fell’ – Sarah Moss

Living in the environment in which this is set, The Fell seemed as if it would encapsulate so much of my own feelings/experiences that I hoped this would be a book I found myself falling in love with. I wasn’t disappointed.

The story is deceptively simple. A mother, Kate, finding the restrictions of lockdown mentally challenging is struggling with the demands of a period of enforced self-isolation. Though it’s illegal, one afternoon she takes her backpack and walks out onto the hills of the Peak District. She doesn’t tell her teenage son she is going, a neighbour sees her leave and says nothing, but when she doesn’t return and night is drawing in the choice is made to call out Mountain Rescue.

Fragments of thoughts and we get a range of perspectives as the hunt for Kate goes through the night. We read the thoughts of Kate, her son, the neighbour – Alice, and mountain rescue volunteer Rob. It was surprisingly easy to read about the thoughts and feelings of each towards the lockdown of November 2020. The nuances of each characters’ reactions to events was well-captured, and though much of the focus tended to the mundane I felt it was an approach that allowed us to reflect on the ideas explored. Where this book won me over was with the descriptions of an environment which I deeply love, but also respect…knowing just how easily it can go wrong.

Thank you to Picador and NetGalley for granting me the opportunity to read this in advance of publication. I’ve already reserved a physical copy and can see myself re-reading this.

‘Medusa’ – Jessie Burton

This is a story that deserves to be told, and is wholly relevant now. Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this before its expected October publication.

Medusa is a character so many feel they know. But in Jessie Burton’s reimagining we get another version of Medusa, one that it’s hard to ignore.

Merina, as she calls herself, has spent the last four years secreted away on a deserted island. She is accompanied by her immortal sisters and her dog. Though she is reasonably content, there is no denying the fact that Merina is lonely and bitterly upset by her treatment at the hands of others.

One day she hears a young boy arrive on the island. Though she doesn’t feel she can meet him in person, she takes the time to talk to the boy and learn his story. She trusts him, and even harbours hope that he may be someone who can overlook her physical appearance. But the young boy, Perseus, has his own story.

While this narrative focuses on Medusa it paints a more sympathetic picture and seeks to encourage us to look beneath the judgments of others. It reminded me of the Carol Ann Duffy poem ‘Medusa’ in its feminist focus on the myth we think we know.

I loved the illustrations in this as they captured the spirit of Medusa, particularly towards the end. The writing was poetic and yet the thing that will remain with me is the haunting depiction of a young girl trying to find her own way in the world.

‘The Pariah’ – Anthony Ryan

The Pariah is my first experience of reading anything by Anthony Ryan, and I can safely say it won’t be my last. Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the chance to read this prior to publication, and to the author for delivering a book that would seem to be the first in what promises to be an exciting trilogy.

Our main character is Alwyn Scribe, and events are narrated through his eyes. This means there are some details about him and his past that we don’t get answers to, but it does allow us a clear focused look at events Alwyn is caught up in. There’s a lot crammed into this, but the book is so well-structured that it doesn’t feel too much.

I have to say that first impressions were not immediately favourable. I made the mistake of trying to read this while reading another book alongside. The style/world-building was so dense that it felt difficult to engage with when not giving it my undivided attention…however, once I focused solely on this, I immersed myself in it and could not wait to see what came next.

Alwyn begins the story as an outlaw, part of a group under the leadership of one of the King’s illegitimate children. He is not above committing awful acts, but he exhibits a keen moral compass and shows himself willing to do the right thing. When the group is attacked (which is definitely suspicious) Alwyn is captured and taken prisoner. In some ways he is lucky as he survives some awful experiences, and the other characters he meets along the way give us the opportunity to see him in a slightly more rounded way.

From the outset I was struck by the attention to detail. It’s descriptive, but not in a way that seems unnecessary. Every event and setting was captured in a way that vividly brought them to life. Alwyn, in some ways, leads a charmed life but there are numerous hints that there may be more to him than has been revealed in this book.

I enjoyed the way this was put together, with Alwyn shifting from outlaw to prisoner to soldier…and to then find himself in familiar territory at the end, but with a clearer objective in mind that seems to be part of a bigger picture. Some of the characters will linger longer in my mind, but I remain convinced that there is a lot more to this man than we’ve been told about so far. I can’t wait to see how this story picks up in book two.

 

‘Twelve Secrets’ – Robert Gold

While NetGalley had me as auto-approved for this, I couldn’t (for reasons I haven’t worked out) access a copy. Secret Readers had it as one of their prospective reads and having heard such good things about it, my choice was clear. Thank goodness…and this is a book I’ll be urging people to read when it is eventually released.

I often find a point in most thrillers where I’ve guessed who is responsible or started to put details together. With Twelve Secrets there was a lot going on, so even though I’d answered a couple of questions there were still some surprises. This was refreshing, and definitely one of the many things it had going in its favour.

The story centres on Ben Harper, a journalist of some repute, who is known by many in his town as the younger brother of someone who was brutally murdered. With an anniversary approaching, the press are keen to find out how those impacted by the murders of Nick and Simon by two teen girls are coping. Ben is reluctant to be involved, but when one of the killers is found murdered it seems that there may be more going on than was originally thought. Someone is keeping secrets, and these secrets are going to be very dangerous.

As the story progresses we start to uncover some of the secrets being kept in this small town. Some were deeply upsetting and some made me angry for those affected but they all served a clear purpose in helping to bring together a compulsive read.

I’m hoping this is going be the start of a relationship with the character of Ben Harper…he definitely has more stories in him.

 

’56 Days’ – Catherine Ryan Howard

A book set in the early days of lockdown is, while we are still living with the virus that pre-emptied such circumstances, always going to be tricky to read.

Thankfully, COVID is a backdrop to the very specific set of circumstances taking place at this point in the story we watch unfold. It certainly does not unduly affect the narrative that we’re concerned with.

From the start we know that a body has been discovered in an apartment in Dublin. Little information is given initially, other than the body seems to have been there for a few weeks. Of course, anyone would have questions.

The narrative then shifts to 56 days ago, when new to the city Ollie meets Ciara. The pair talk briefly, seem to hit it off and decide to go on a date. With a fledgling relationship happening at the precise time that lockdown is announced, it could go either way. The pair decide to take their chances and move in together.

We are shown the events from both the viewpoint of Ollie and Ciara. We are alerted to the fact that both are keeping secrets. Other information is imparted on a strictly need-to-know basis, and sometimes done in such a way as to send you scurrying down the wrong route. When you become aware of these little bits of misdirection, you’ll kick yourself but then be desperate to see exactly what happened.

As the pieces fell into place I pitied those caught up in investigating the crime. Suffice to say, nothing is as it seems…and it certainly shows how your past can – no matter how careful you have been – catch up with you.

Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this in advance of publication.

 

‘Chasing the Boogeyman’ – Richard Chizmar

 

Chasing the Boogeyman is, essentially, a work of fiction but it is presented to us in such a way as to plausibly seem like a horrific true story. As a story it is cleverly constructed, and as a concept it was fascinating.

The book is set in the small Maryland town of Edgewood, and is told from the viewpoint of our narrator, the author. He is in his early twenties, about to get married and has returned to his childhood home to save money as he attempts to start his career as a writer. When the body of one of his neighbours, Natasha Gallagher, is found in woodland behind her home people are shocked. However, when further bodies turn up it seems that the town has a serial killer.

People are jumpy. Curfews are brought in, neighbourhood watch groups are set up – sometimes with unexpected results – and the FBI are also on hand.

In such a small town the creeping sense of unease is easy to imagine. Chizmar captures the tension well, showing through the eyes of his somewhat naive self the mechanics (such as he could witness them) of the investigation and the effects of such brutality on a small community. His fascination with the crimes is, perhaps, understandable and I found myself completely absorbed in the way he reports these. The photos were a nice touch to lend authenticity, and it was definitely a plus that Chizmar was aided in his somewhat interfering sleuthing by his friend, aspiring journalist Carly Albright.

From start to finish this was a story that I found hard to put down. I wouldn’t say it was terrifying, but a bit like Bradbury (who is referenced) Chizmar is skilled at creating a mood.

Huge thanks to NetGalley for granting me access to this before publication in exchange for my honest thoughts.

‘Dream Girl’ – Laura Lippmann

Dream Girl had me reeling by the time I got to the end, as nothing was quite what it purported to be.

Our main character, Gerry Andersen, is an author of some repute. He is injured in an accident, confined to his bed and starts to doubt his recall when he believes he is being contacted by a woman of the name Aubrey – the same person who is the main character in his most popular novel.

When the story begins it’s hard to work out quite where things are headed. I was getting definite Misery-style vibes and wondered quite what we would uncover.
Without giving anything away, we eventually uncover some rather disturbing events.

Through the course of the novel we learn more about Gerry’s past. There are certainly some details that paint him in a less appealing light, but we can also see that he is (eventually) as much a victim as those we initially place in that role.

I enjoyed the focus on the literary process. My thoughts about Gerry fluctuated, though I did retain some sympathy for him by the end. Audacious in the way Gerry’s story was resolved, and I found the whole experience darkly enjoyable.

 

‘The Turnout’ – Megan Abbott

The Turnout is a story that explores the darkness under the surface of what looks beautiful. I am still uncertain to what extent we are meant to see this as symbolic of the relationship between our three main characters, but it certainly offered pause for thought.

The main focus of the story is sisters Dara and Marie, brought up in the ballet world and surrounded by traditions. They now run the same ballet school their mother ran, and each year they perform The Nutcracker. Our story takes place over a short period of time building up to the annual performance, but it focuses on so much more.

Dara is married to Charlie, their childhood friend. As the story progresses we learn more of their past and some of the circumstances surrounding them. I was struck by the darkness of their home environment, and how this had impacted on them.

Ballet will not be everyone’s thing, but the story surrounding Derek and the fragmenting of the relationship between the characters was intriguing. I found myself more interested in the stories alluded to on occasion, and was rather surprised at the turns taken in some situations.

Thanks to NetGalley for granting me access to this before publication in exchange for my thoughts.