Adult Fiction – Page 16

‘Madam’ – Phoebe Wynne

If something sounds too good to be true…it usually is. When Rose is offered a job teaching Classics at the prestigious Caldonbrae Hall she isn’t sure whether she’s qualified for the position. As a single young woman with an ailing mother and a father’s shameful secret she is, albeit unwittingly, proving herself to be the perfect candidate.

Arriving at the school she has many questions, but every attempt to learn more about her new role and the environment she has joined is stone-walled. That should have been her first clue that things weren’t quite what she thought.

When, only a couple of weeks into term, the entire upper sixth are taken to London and the students she does get to teach take more interest in baiting her than learning, that should have set some alarm bells ringing. In fact, from the outset there are so many instances of strange occurrences that anyone with half a brain would now this place is not what it seems. It takes Rose a considerable time to start to question what she’s walked into.

The staff and girls at Caldonbrae are unsettling. The wrongness of the situation is evident from early on, but we don’t find out what is happening until considerably later on. Attempts are made by many to justify the environment…and the classical allusions offer an interesting exploration of the ideas and characters.

There is a rather dramatic near-ending and a small glimmer of hope for Rose. Unfortunately, the detail slipped in at the end implies, quite bleakly, that when such behaviour is institutionalised as it is here, it will be nigh impossible to tackle. That’s depressing.

‘Project Hail Mary’ – Andy Weir

As part of my attempts to read out of my comfort zone I decided to try Project Hail Mary. I was reticent, wondering if I’d be blinded by science or whether I’d be engaged by such a story…pleased to say I needn’t have worried.

Our story is not straightforward and there is a lot of science (which I followed in a rather detached clueless way) but I found myself completely invested in the story of Ryland Grace.

When we first encounter Grace he is just waking up after being in an enforced coma. He discovers he’s on a spaceship, the two companions with him are dead and his memory is rather muddled.

Of course I had questions, and over the course of the novel we learn exactly how he came to be here and what his mission is.

The premise that Earth needs to be saved and a team have been sent on a suicide mission is pretty obvious. The sun’s energy is being removed and, unless something is done, the Earth will experience a major extinction event.

I found myself liking the to and fro of this, being given details as Grace recalled them so we learn relatively slowly about what is happening. However, as I found myself wondering where on earth this story would go we got a rather unexpected arrival and the book took off in a wonderful direction.

Without giving too much away, Rocky was – for me – what made this book. We were offered a plausible scenario to introduce some complexity to what could have been an otherwise bleak story. The dynamic between Rocky and Grace offered some interesting exploration of the human psyche and how we communicate. It lent a very real element to what could have, otherwise, felt a rather sterile read.

Not at all what I expected, and I’m pleased to have enjoyed something so different to my usual fare.

‘Second First Impressions’ – Sally Thorne

Having had a bit of a thriller binge of late, this was a light-hearted romance that was just the tonic required.

Our primary focus was Ruthie, the daughter of a preacher, who is only twenty-five but definitely acts like an old soul in a young woman’s body. She works in a retirement village and as we get to know more about her, we see that she is her own worst enemy.

At the point in time our book starts, Ruthie has been left to manage the office. She finds herself caught in a strange situation…where she wants to take the next step to finding romance and moving her life forward though she lacks the impetus to do so. Thankfully she has her temp, Mel, who takes it upon herself to give Ruthie a helping hand. This gets something of a spanner in the works with the arrival of Teddy Prescott, the son of the new owner, who has his own demons to lay to rest.

Of course their first meeting is less than satisfactory. We know from the outset they are attracted to each other and what was nice to see was that everyone around them could also see it.

There were some incidental storylines running alongside this that provided a little light relief.

‘The Last Thing He Told Me’ – Laura Dave

I’m still waiting on NetGalley regarding this one, but I had heard such good things about this that I couldn’t resist buying it…and it is a bit of a treat.

Hannah is our main character. She is a woodturner by trade, and she has not long been married to Owen. They have a relatively quiet life and she is, slowly, making headway with Owen’s daughter, Bailey, who has been rather resistant to the appearance of a stepmother having spent so long on her own with her father. Hannah senses that Bailey remains resistant to her, but she keeps trying.

This could have been a relatively humdrum story focusing on the developing relationship between Hannah and Bailey. While their relationship is a focal point, it is set against an intriguing backdrop of events that you can’t help but get drawn into.

One night, Hannah receives a message on a torn piece of paper from a girl in Bailey’s school. She is told that Owen passed it on. The message says ‘protect her’. This means nothing to Hannah, until she hears on the news that Owen’s office is under investigation for fraud. Could he be hiding something?

The answer – obviously – is yes…but it isn’t exactly what you are thinking.

We follow Hannah and Bailey as they try to adjust to their new situation, deal with the fallout of events Owen is caught up in…and Hannah tries to make sense of the new details she learns about the man she thought she knew.

Pacing was, for me, a bit of an issue at times. I’m not wholly convinced that people would have reacted in the way they do here, but it was entertaining and definitely a good burst of escapism.

‘Little Secrets’ – Jennifer Hillier

Little Secrets explores the depths you might be prepared to go to when your life is turned upside down.

Our main character, Marin, is so removed from the everyday experience that it was hard to warm to her initially. The book opens with her Christmas shopping with a fractious four year old…then the worst happens. She loses hold of little Sebastian’s hand and he is gone. Over a year later there is no sign of him, and Marin’s relationship is under extreme stress.

For the situation alone I found myself wondering how this would impact her. Her stress, guilt and reactions to those trying to support her were very sensitively portrayed…and this sense of discomfort never left us. While the story of Sebastian’s disappearance begins the book, it is used as a way of introducing some of the little secrets to which the title alludes.

Quite early on Marin reveals she hired a private investigator…and she is shocked to learn that her husband has, for the last six months, been having an affair. The young woman concerned is not an anonymous figure – we learn a lot about her and her motivation.

This was a book I found myself quite absorbed by. Some of the hints given early on seemed like huge flags to me, and yet having an inkling of how this might end up didn’t put me off while reading. I enjoyed thoroughly seeing how the various strands played out, and my only gripe was that the final elements of the story seemed to get resolved rather quickly. This isn’t necessarily a read that’ll stick with me long after is read it, but as I was reading I found it captivating.

‘The Beautiful Ones’ – Silvia Moreno-Garcia

I have to admit to not having read anything else by this author yet, so it will be interesting to compare to her other novels when I get to read them, but this was quite an unusual read.

The plot focuses on the conventions held in Losail society. The socialites known colloquially as The Beautiful Ones dominate this arena, and dictate how things should be done. Like a spider at the centre of a web sits Valerie Beaulieu, a woman who seems to have it all – but we come to see just what she’s lacking and how this affects her. Thrown into this web is Nina Beaulieu, Valerie’s cousin by marriage, who has been sent to Losail from the country for her first season in society.

Nina has, from an early age, been someone that people talk about. She is a telekinetic, and her fascination with insects/propensity to talk honestly to those she encounters marks her as odd. Her lack of regard for conventions is a challenge, and it is determined that this young girl known as the Witch of Oldhouse should be taught how to control herself. But at what price?
When she forms an attraction for Hector Auvray – a telekinetic who has made his living performing in the theatre – we think this will be a rather stereotypical romance…but Hector and Valerie have a shared secret, and this has a terrible influence on everything that follows.

The book is slow-paced but never boring. There’s a gradual unfolding of the plot and characters. At the start I found myself thinking it was very Austen-like, with polite society being gently ridiculed while showing some of the potential alternatives. I became captivated by Nina and her gauche innocence. Once we understand Valerie’s secret it was hard to see her as anything other than a villain. Her poison seeps into every aspect of the plot, and there were moments where I wondered just how anyone would escape these machinations and their impact.

While much of the book focuses on the conventional society and its unwritten rules, at its heart lies romance and a fascination with what could be deemed magic. The Beautiful Ones were not that beautiful, and it’s a timely reminder that sometimes the most beautiful thing is to be seen and loved for what you truly are.

‘Every Last Secret’ – A.R. Torre

Every Last Secret was, thankfully, a slow burner. When I started reading I felt genuine antipathy towards the characters, and the writing style left me feeling as if I were watching specimens in a jar. Though this lack of engagement with any of the characters put me off initially, upon reflection I think it serves the book well as you watch the drama unfold.

Cat Winthorpe is our alpha-female. Leader of her social circle, her marriage to William Winthorpe puts her in an enviable social position. Few see how much time and effort is invested in keeping this position, but it’s fascinating to see what she does when her role is challenged. The potential usurper is Dr Neena Ryder, the new employee at her husband’s company and their new neighbour. From the outset we mistrust Neena, and sense her motivations for cosying up to Cat are not entirely wholesome.

What seemed to be a story about a rather unexciting affair/love triangle soon develops into a more menacing game. There’s ‘accidents’ that could have been worse, and our insight into the psyche of both female leads means we are genuinely uncertain who is behind the increasingly bizarre things happening. On more than one occasion we are wrong-footed, and when we finally realise what’s happening it’s safe to say we’re truly immersed in the madness.

‘The Girl Who Died’ – Ragnar Jónasson

My first Jonasson read, and it definitely won’t be my last. The Girl Who Died is a haunting tale, deftly weaving a contemporary tale of murder and deception with a years-old ghost story.

For reasons known only to herself our main character, Una, has decided she needs a change of scene. Fed up of the anonymity of living in Reykjavík, she decides to look into the advert given to her by a friend. The job? Teacher to a small school in the village of Skàlar…population, ten.

Her arrival at her new home and the sense of unease she feels was masterfully presented. The beauty of the landscape can’t hide its oppressive qualities, the locals are not all that friendly and she can’t help but feel uneasy at the rumours of ghosts in the home she’s living in.

Not much happens…but the building sense of unease hints at Una being caught in something she’s unprepared for. The residents of the village have their secrets, and it’s just a matter of time until these secrets start to unravel.

I’m so grateful to NetGalley for granting me access to this prior to publication (scheduled for June 2021) and now I need to look through my kindle to see what other books by this author I can read. Any recommendations?

‘The One’ – John Marrs

I am kicking myself for not having read this earlier. From the moment I picked it up I found myself rifling the pages, desperate to see where this was going. With a large cast of characters and over a hundred chapters I wasn’t sure how this would work…but everything is paced well, and each character is very quickly identifiable. Piecing together the details was an absorbing process.

The concept is intriguing. A test has been discovered that, in exchange for a DNA sample, gives you the identity of your Match…the person you are destined to be with. Taking the risk out of choosing love seems to appeal, and the success of the Match Your DNA app shows this. Since its inception, the app has appeared to change society. However, the premise raises some intriguing ethical issues and the book’s success depends very much on the fact that people are not always honest.

Upon starting the book I was immediately struck by how quickly I raced through the opening quarter. Learning the details of the various characters who’d signed up to the app and their motivations definitely added something to reading about their reactions and subsequent behaviour. Though the characters were all very different, I was keen to see what would happen.

Certain characters stuck out: Christopher, Mandy, Kevin and Nick. Though I won’t reveal why, their stories engaged and captivated me. Though the details are not always palatable, it was hard not to get sucked into trying to work out what would happen for each of them.

There was a point in the story – a little over halfway through – that my attention wandered a little. We were learning the details of these characters, but I was struggling to see the significance of their tales to the overall book. It felt as if we were going to have to be given a reason for these very different stories to be threaded together. It took a while, but we got there…and certainly made me review some of the interactions.

So, given all these positives, why not five stars? It’s hard to explain without giving away details of the plot. However, Ellie’s story hadn’t captured my attention sufficiently to really engage me by the time key information came out later. The moral ambiguity surrounding Ellie in the closing stages rather concerned me. There’s also a part of me that thinks relationships don’t come with hard and fast guarantees, and anyone so desperate to seek such affirmation is trying to ignore their personal responsibility for their choices and the way they impact on others. Perhaps on a different day this would have got five stars from me, and it’s certainly a read I’d recommend highly.

‘I Know What I Saw’ – Imran Mahmood

I Know What I Saw is one of those rare treats, where you will convince yourself you’ve worked it all out…only to then be slipped a little detail that makes your theory untenable. This mercurial element comes from the shifting details provided by our narrator.

Our main character, Xander, is homeless and we follow him through what can best be described as a bewildering sequence of events. Attacked for invading another homeless man’s patch, Xander is forced to seek shelter one evening. He finds an open doorway, and keen to escape heavy rain he enters a house. While trying to dry off he falls asleep, and is woken by voices. Crouched behind a sofa he hears an argument and sees a woman being murdered.

When Xander goes to the police they have no evidence of a crime being committed. He is charged with wasting police time, and they are convinced his mental health is impacting on his ability to engage with his environment.
As we follow Xander through this experience, we learn more about his past. There’s clear signs of trauma, and indications that events in his life have impacted badly on him.

When the police reveal that Xander’s recollections of the crime match an unexplained accident that took place thirty years previously, he is charged with murder. His freedom depends on him being able to recall facts his brain does not seem able to process.

Once we’d got underway I found myself engrossed, desperate to work out what had happened. Not every question was answered, and there were clear signs that even by the end not everything had been tidily resolved. Xander remains something of an enigma, but this was still a great read.

Huge thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read this before publication in exchange for my review.