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‘The Night Caller’ – Martina Murphy

The Night Caller is a slow-burn thriller, interweaving a standard police procedural with an intriguing character study.

Set in Ireland, we follow our two main characters as they are investigating a murder. A young woman was found, beaten, and the investigation into her death throws up some rather odd facts. Though we don’t learn how until much later, it’s tied to a killing that took place years earlier and some more recent crimes.

I enjoyed learning about Dan and Lucy as we watch them carry out their investigation. They each have their issues, and I can certainly see these being explored further if this is part of a series. While this was interesting, it never became a distraction from the gritty focus of our main story.

As things progressed, I found myself slack-jawed at what was unravelling. The crime and our knowledge of the one responsible was quite unexpected, though the clues are there if you remain alert.

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read this before publication in exchange for my review.

 

‘The Blue Book of Nebo’ – Manon Steffan Ross

Told from the viewpoints of Dylan and his mother, we see how they live their lives. Each takes it in turns to write in the little blue book they found in someone’s home, offering their views on the experiences they have.

There was a certain charm to this, and the emphasis on the need for a sense of culture was clear, though little actually happens in terms of plot.

What we are told relatively early on is that there was some kind of nuclear attack some years earlier that appears to have wiped out most of the population. Referred to as The End, Dylan and his mother have had to turn to past knowledge and trial and error to survive. They grow their own food, have learned essential skills and have communication with nobody else since their next-door neighbours left.

The alternating viewpoints offers both a new pair of eyes to reflect on their present and a more adult voice to fill in the gaps and offer insight into what happened/how it impacted. It felt rather sanitised, and though some unpleasant things have evidently happened the level of detail offered is not quite as I expected.

I wonder how different this would have been to read in the original Welsh. It was interesting to have some focus on the Welsh language, but I’m not really sure what we’re meant to take from this.

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read this before publication (though I’m sorry not to have got to it sooner).

 

‘If This Gets Out’ – Sophie Gonzales and Cale Dietrich

If This Gets Out takes on what I’m fairly sure is an age-old issue (the manipulation of young singers by their management) and turns it on its head while delivering a sweet romance.

Our focus is a boyband called Saturday, formed after a summer camp and at a high point in their careers. Two years after they formed, the boys are starting to find the relentless grind and excessive management stifling. Relationships are strained and all four feel they are struggling to be true to themselves when their every public moment is monitored and choreographed.

Ruben, Zach, Jon and Angel were great friends and things began well. Somewhere along the way things have started to feel less fun, and as their success grows they are under increasing pressure to toe the line.

The book focuses on the relationship that develops between Ruben and Zach, but it also explores attitudes to sexuality, the mental health issues such a high-pressure existence creates, the way friends and family can sometimes be part of the problem and the role the media/fans play in such situations.

Perhaps this is a reflection of my age, but I found the romance element of the story the least engaging as I was more fascinated by the behind-the-scenes look at this fictional boyband. I can only imagine this story may have been influenced by events surrounding some of the highly successful boybands over the last few years, but the issues it explores are probably age-old. The lack of resolution may have been an attempt to show the growing empowerment these boys felt they had, but it also left it a little too open-ended for my liking.

Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest thoughts.

 

‘The Twyford Code’ – Janice Hallett

 

The Twyford Code is, I think, going to be one of those Marmite stories…but, however you respond to it overall, it’s a cleverly constructed puzzle.

Told through a series of audio file transcripts, it appears to be a series of recordings from ex-con Steven Smith to his son. In the files, Steven tries to work out exactly what happened to his remedial English teacher, Miss Isles, after she took he and his peers on a school trip and disappeared. For Steven this event is inextricably linked to his discovery of a book on a bus, a book by the writer Edith Twyford. This book was filled with strange markings, which his teacher interpreted as a code for helping to decipher a long-forgotten mystery. Steven can only recall fragments of that day so upon his release from prison he tries to use his old schoolmates to work out what happened.

Initially, I found it quite a puzzle to read. The transcriptions are not always clear, and some words are inaccurately presented. However, once you get a feel for the language then it is less noticeable.

The story is a fantastic one. Seen through the eyes of a rather unlikely hero, it’s very much a story that seems to make little sense. Steven’s obsession with the Twyford Code and his attempts to work out what it all means lead to all manner of scrapes. Things become increasingly dangerous, and it seems that there may be more to this than we were led to believe.

As the story nears its conclusion it becomes clearer that what has been presented to us is very much a smokescreen. Usually, this would annoy me no end, but I found it helped to make sense of some of the little details that had irritated me as I was reading. Now there was a reason for them, and it wasn’t quite what I expected.

I’m excited to see how this book is received by others once it’s released. Now I have finished it and know what’s being hidden, I think this might be a book to reread and enjoy in a whole new light. Though I enjoyed The Appeal, this was a whole new experience and I can’t wait to see what Hallett comes up with next.

Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this in advance of publication, and what a book to end 2021’s reading with.

 

‘Breaking Point’ – Edel Coffey

Dr Sue is well-known. A busy paediatrician, a busy mum, a busy wife…and someone who is accustomed to paying in order to maintain the illusion of having it all. The story opens by allowing us an insight into the lives of Dr Sue and her family, which marks them as relatively normal (if we ignore the level of wealth they have).

On the day we meet Dr Sue things are more hectic than normal. Work is pressured and events are not quite running as smoothly as they need them to. This is the day that will change her life forever, as she forgets her six-month old daughter is in the car when she goes into work. The temperature is high…and her daughter dies.

We follow her as she is put on trial for negligence resulting in the death of her child. We see the devastating impact such an experience has on her and her family, and we also see how this event impacts on reporter Adelaide Gold who has her own interest in this case.

I found the descriptions of the initial event impactful. Nothing could prepare you for that sight, and the trial/story around it allows us to reflect on so many elements that will touch readers. At times it was incredibly hard to read, but I think the way it explores grief and some of our issues surrounding working parents and attitudes to childcare was very necessary.

While this had some elements that could seem melodramatic, the portrayal of the characters and the closing stages of the book kept me hooked. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me the chance to read this before publication, and I’m pretty sure I won’t be the only parent who reads it and hugs their kids a little harder afterwards.

 

‘Apples Never Fall’ – Liane Moriarty

Apples Never Fall is a book that fans of Moriarty may love unreservedly, but which may perplex others.

The story begins rather slowly…with the disappearance of Joy Delaney.
Joy, along with her husband Stan, is a character who seems to have it all. A long marriage, four adult children, a successful tennis coach and embarking on retirement in a comfortable situation. Yet Joy disappears, leaving no note and a garbled text message to each of her children. Her husband has scratches on his face…and the detective investigating this case is, probably rightly, suspicious of the family and their reluctance to tell all.

The initial setting-up of the story felt odd, and it soon becomes apparent that there is more to this. A mysterious young woman arrived on the doorstep of the Delaney home, claiming to have been attacked by her boyfriend. They take her in, and she quickly becomes embedded in their nest.

The arrival of this cuckoo definitely stirs things up. We don’t learn the details quickly, but I was intrigued by the way these characters interacted and the shifting focus we had which allowed us – slowly – to start piecing things together.
While the story is not quite the dramatic one I thought it was going to be, I actually found myself liking it more because of the way it examined relationships and how our actions can impact on others even years down the line.

Without giving too much away, the ending had – for me – a wonderful conflict. There was happiness and acceptance on one hand and a chilling sense of a story yet to be uncovered.

 

‘The Winter Guest’ -W.C. Ryan

A haunting tale, exploring a post-war Ireland where loyalties are divided and we see the tensions growing between those who make it their home.

Captain Tom Harkin, our main character, is sent to investigate the death of an ex-lover, aristocratic Maud Prendeville and a known rebel sympathiser. Sent under the guise of an insurance investigation, Harkin is an IRA intelligence officer who has been tasked with learning the truth behind Maud’s shooting.

After his service, Harkin is clearly affected by PTSD. He arrives at the Prendeville home and, from the outset, we can see this is a community increasingly divided. Many characters have a secret they want to remain hidden and I found myself regularly having to check just who was loyal to which faction as double-crossing seems to abound.

From a historical perspective, this was a fascinating read.

Touted as a ghost story I found myself occasionally wondering what I was missing. There’s reference to a mysterious White Lady, rumoured to be seen before the death of a Prendeville. Harkin himself believes he is being watched over by the ghost of Maud, but the ghostly element was more subtle than I thought. There are hauntings aplenty, of the psychological variety, and this element of the narrative lent a wonderful air of unease to things.

On so many levels this story had me captivated. I want to know more about this period and these concerns, so would appreciate recommendations/suggestions for further reading. Thank you to the author, publishers and NetGalley for granting me access to this before publication.

 

‘The Measure’ – Nikki Erlick

The idea of getting the measure of something is toyed with here in an intriguing book, which got off to a slow start but which drew together in an eminently satisfying way. Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this before its expected May 2022 publication in exchange for sharing my thoughts.

We are asked to imagine a world where the world’s population is, one day, given a delivery of a wooden box left on their doorstep. For those who open it they discover a piece of string. Nobody knows where the boxes have come from or what the string signifies and the initial confusion/panic was well-presented.

Introduced to quite a number of characters, this made it quite hard for me to get into. I felt a certain disconnect initially, perhaps mirroring the sense of unease and uncertainty about the boxes.

Over time we learn that the string length represents how much time you have left. This, quite naturally, throws up some interesting ideas about how we live our lives and the extent to which others should control our lives.

As we develop our knowledge of the scenario and see how characters respond to events, it was easier to feel some affinity with them. This raises some interesting questions, and I can see this book proving a hit with many readers. The closing message felt rather earnest, though in current times where we are facing (potentially) further restrictions it will certainly resonate.

 

‘Idol’ – Louise O’Neill

What a twisted web has been woven here. A timely and engaging read, packed with O’Neill’s wry observations, but one which left me feeling distinctly nauseous.

Samantha Miller is the kind of character you might love to hate. Ruthless in her determination to succeed and something of a social-media icon, I found her whole demeanour unpleasant. She is adept at spinning the truth to suit her narrative, and this propensity makes the crux of the book more than a little problematic.

Sam herself is a victim of abuse, in therapy to help her manage the effects of the trauma and definitely struggling to keep a lid on her more self-destructive tendencies. This is heightened when her best friend from school sends an email accusing her of assault. Sam recalls the night referenced very differently, and we get to watch things unfold as we follow Sam try to manage this potentially disastrous moment.

As we journey with Sam through a return to her home-town we learn just how difficult it can be to ever know the truth, as each of us will experience things differently and bring our own experiences to events in our lives. Just because two people remember an event differently doesn’t mean one is lying.

This was a murky read, certainly encouraging us to reflect on how we interact with others and the role social media has in our lives. I can’t wait to see what other O’Neill fans make of it when it’s released next year, and I’m grateful to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this prior to publication.

 

‘Escape Room’ – Christopher Edge

Any book by Christopher Edge is usually a treat, blending a great story with something to encourage discussion. Escape Room is no different.

Ami is treated to an Escape Room experience by her father, and she is keen to show her skills. Upon entering the room she is surprised to have to join with four other children, each of whom seems to have their own set of skills. Their Host tells them that, in fact, they have been chosen to save the world and that they need to find the answer.

From the outset we see Ami plunged into some horrific scenarios. Each room has a distinctive environment, and it was fascinating to watch them try to work out exactly what was needed in order to get to the next stage. My personal favourite was the library of dust, but the group also experience a Mayan tomb, a deserted shopping mall overrun by extinct animals and a space mission to Mars. I was stunned as we watched the scenarios progress, realising quite quickly that there was a lot more to this than we first thought.

By the end of the book the message was clear. This will certainly be of interest to readers on a number of levels, and I’m definitely going to recommend this to a number of students who have an interest in environmental issues.

Huge thanks to NetGalley for giving me the chance to read this before publication, expected February 2022.