"High quality stuff" Literary Review.
Her husband David was supposed to be looking after their two-week-old daughter. But when Alice Fancourt walks into the nursery, her terrifying ordeal begins- for Alice insists the baby in the cot is a stranger she's never seen before.
With an increasingly hostile and menacing David swearing she must either be mad or lying, how can Alice make the polise believe her before it's too late.
A chilling psychological thriller about the lengths to which a mother will go to save her child, Little Face is impossible to put down; a stunning novel from a hugely talented author.
I very much enjoyed this novel. It is sinister, dark and keeps the reader guessing throughout. I had about five different theories as I was reading, each of which turned out to be wrong! The scenes of David's abuse of Alice were chilling and very realistic and gave me goosepimples. Vivienne is certainly a mother-in-law from hell, but a memorable character.
Sophie Hannah uses a clever style of writing, shifting perspectives between Hannah, Simon, the detective determined to believe her, and Charlie, his sergeant.
I confess to be slightly disappointed at the end, but in part this was due to the fact that I could not not have been more wrong!
"Her novels sparkle" Independent.
Thursday, 17 May 2007
Tuesday, 15 May 2007
How The Light Gets In - M.J. Hyland
"Expect to be blown away" Guardian.
Lou Connor, a gifted unhappy sixteen year old, is desparate to escape her life of poverty in Sydney. When she is offered a place as an exchange student at a school in America it seems as if her dreams will be fulfilled...
How The Light Gets In is an acutley observed story of adolescence, shot through with spiky humour. In Lou Connor M.J. Hyland has created a larger than life heroine who captures the reader with her vivacity and vulnerability, from hopeful beginning to unexpected, haunting end.
I couldn't put this book down! I loved Lou from the first page, and so identified with her mixed up teenage angst, desparate to fit in, yet determined on the other hand to do her own thing. In this way, Lou creates her own problems, drinking to mask her fears and insecurities, and staying out late partying. Most of the adult characters disapprove of her, but she entrances the young males around her, many of which seem to fall in love with her. I seriously disliked her host parents, particularly Margaret, who seems uptight and self-satisfied, and has no idea how to relate to Lou.
M. J. Hyland has really captured the essence of teenage years, and Lou's bewilderment at how some girls ( like host sister Bridget) seem not to feel crippling insecurity and self-consciousness was familiar to me.
The only part I found slightly disappointing was the ending, which I found a little silly. However, in my opinion, the strength of the rest of the novel, lets Hyland get away with this.
I look forward to reading her latest novel, Carry Me Down. Watch this space.
"Hyland excels at atmosphere...she brings the long-forgotten teenage sensation of drowning in life's uncomprehended complexities horribly alive" The Times.
Lou Connor, a gifted unhappy sixteen year old, is desparate to escape her life of poverty in Sydney. When she is offered a place as an exchange student at a school in America it seems as if her dreams will be fulfilled...
How The Light Gets In is an acutley observed story of adolescence, shot through with spiky humour. In Lou Connor M.J. Hyland has created a larger than life heroine who captures the reader with her vivacity and vulnerability, from hopeful beginning to unexpected, haunting end.
I couldn't put this book down! I loved Lou from the first page, and so identified with her mixed up teenage angst, desparate to fit in, yet determined on the other hand to do her own thing. In this way, Lou creates her own problems, drinking to mask her fears and insecurities, and staying out late partying. Most of the adult characters disapprove of her, but she entrances the young males around her, many of which seem to fall in love with her. I seriously disliked her host parents, particularly Margaret, who seems uptight and self-satisfied, and has no idea how to relate to Lou.
M. J. Hyland has really captured the essence of teenage years, and Lou's bewilderment at how some girls ( like host sister Bridget) seem not to feel crippling insecurity and self-consciousness was familiar to me.
The only part I found slightly disappointing was the ending, which I found a little silly. However, in my opinion, the strength of the rest of the novel, lets Hyland get away with this.
I look forward to reading her latest novel, Carry Me Down. Watch this space.
"Hyland excels at atmosphere...she brings the long-forgotten teenage sensation of drowning in life's uncomprehended complexities horribly alive" The Times.
The Book Of Lost Things - John Connolly
High in his attic bedroom, twelve year old David mourns the loss of his mother. He is angry and he is alone, with only the books on his shelf for company. But those books have started to whisper to him in the darkness, and as he takes refuge in the myths and fairytales so beloved to his dead mother he finds that the real world and the fantasy world have begun to meld. The Crooked Man has come, with his mocking smile and his enigmatic words: "Welcome, your majesty. All hail the new king."
And as war rages across Europe, David is violently propelled into a land that is both a construct of his imagination yet frighteningly real, a strange reflection of his own world composed of myths and stories, populated by wolves and worse-than-wolves, and ruled over by a faded king who keeps his secrets in a mysterious book....
The Book of Lost Things.
I adored this novel. It is a truly modern fairy story, dark, frequently violent and very witty. The contemporary take on age-old favourite fairy tales makes for both amusing and interesting reading, including a fat unpleasant Snow White and her communist dwarf companions. By using famous fairy tales and giving them a modern sting in the tale, Connolly has created an exciting, macabre Brothers Grimm type story that takes the reader through a rollercaoster of emotions.
I loved the way John Connolly deals with the issues surrounding step-families and the rivalry, anger, and even hatred that children can feel at being thrown into a new family. I felt that this was hugely clever, especially considering the incidences of evil step parents in so many of our beloved fairy tales.
The novel is surely an adult read, its violence and references to matters of a sexual nature (including homosexuality and bestiality!) would make it unsuitable for younger readers, although for teenagers it would make a thrilling read. I'm sure my teenage son would love it (if he can ever be bovvered to read a book again!)
I loved David, and symapthised with him, especially at the start of the book, as he describes the rituals he believed may keep his mother alive, clearly a manifestaion of obssessive compulsive disorder (which Connolly himself suffered with as a teen).
The ending is very moving and I was sad to finish such a pure delight of a book!
And as war rages across Europe, David is violently propelled into a land that is both a construct of his imagination yet frighteningly real, a strange reflection of his own world composed of myths and stories, populated by wolves and worse-than-wolves, and ruled over by a faded king who keeps his secrets in a mysterious book....
The Book of Lost Things.
I adored this novel. It is a truly modern fairy story, dark, frequently violent and very witty. The contemporary take on age-old favourite fairy tales makes for both amusing and interesting reading, including a fat unpleasant Snow White and her communist dwarf companions. By using famous fairy tales and giving them a modern sting in the tale, Connolly has created an exciting, macabre Brothers Grimm type story that takes the reader through a rollercaoster of emotions.
I loved the way John Connolly deals with the issues surrounding step-families and the rivalry, anger, and even hatred that children can feel at being thrown into a new family. I felt that this was hugely clever, especially considering the incidences of evil step parents in so many of our beloved fairy tales.
The novel is surely an adult read, its violence and references to matters of a sexual nature (including homosexuality and bestiality!) would make it unsuitable for younger readers, although for teenagers it would make a thrilling read. I'm sure my teenage son would love it (if he can ever be bovvered to read a book again!)
I loved David, and symapthised with him, especially at the start of the book, as he describes the rituals he believed may keep his mother alive, clearly a manifestaion of obssessive compulsive disorder (which Connolly himself suffered with as a teen).
The ending is very moving and I was sad to finish such a pure delight of a book!
Tuesday, 17 April 2007
Promise Me- Harlan Coben
"Harlan Coben always has a good tale to tell, and he knows how to present it with elegance, pace and loads of tension" Guardian.
At 2.17 a.mMyron Bolitar's mobile phone rings. It's Aimee Biel, a frightened teenager who has called the one adult who had promised to help her if she ever got into trouble. Myron collects Aimee from a cold street corner but she persuades him not to take her home, but to drop her off at an unknown address in the suburbs. And, with a final wave from a darkened porch, Aimee disappears into the night....
Driven by guilt, and the desparation of her family, Myron is determined to find Aimee- whatever the cost. But he doesn't realise just how far people will go to protect the ones they love.
This was my first Harlan Coben novel and therefore, until I read the author's note at the end, I did not realise that Myron was a regular Coben character. Although I enjoyed it and read it in practically one sitting, I would not say that I'd be in a hurry to read the others in the series. I just found the level of violence in the suburbs slightly unbelievable and many of the characters, especially Win, just got on my nerves. The ending, I felt was a little trite for my taste, everything tying in together in that way, but I shan't give anything away. Myron, a failed basketball star/ private detective/ sports agent to the stars was a little corny in comparison to some leading characters of crime writers.
The plot did keep me turning the pages, the short chapters certainly helped with this. Overall the novel just wasn't satisfying enough for me.
"A book to read in one gulp" Telegraph.
At 2.17 a.mMyron Bolitar's mobile phone rings. It's Aimee Biel, a frightened teenager who has called the one adult who had promised to help her if she ever got into trouble. Myron collects Aimee from a cold street corner but she persuades him not to take her home, but to drop her off at an unknown address in the suburbs. And, with a final wave from a darkened porch, Aimee disappears into the night....
Driven by guilt, and the desparation of her family, Myron is determined to find Aimee- whatever the cost. But he doesn't realise just how far people will go to protect the ones they love.
This was my first Harlan Coben novel and therefore, until I read the author's note at the end, I did not realise that Myron was a regular Coben character. Although I enjoyed it and read it in practically one sitting, I would not say that I'd be in a hurry to read the others in the series. I just found the level of violence in the suburbs slightly unbelievable and many of the characters, especially Win, just got on my nerves. The ending, I felt was a little trite for my taste, everything tying in together in that way, but I shan't give anything away. Myron, a failed basketball star/ private detective/ sports agent to the stars was a little corny in comparison to some leading characters of crime writers.
The plot did keep me turning the pages, the short chapters certainly helped with this. Overall the novel just wasn't satisfying enough for me.
"A book to read in one gulp" Telegraph.
Tuesday, 3 April 2007
A Stain On The Silence- Andrew Taylor
“One of Britain’s best crime writers of psychological suspense.” The Times.
The last person Jmes wants to meet again is Lily. But now she’s dying of cancer, and he is wholly unprepared for what she has to tell him. Twenty four years ago, she gave birth to a daughter- and James is the girl’s father.
James was just a teenager when he and Lily- stepmother of his best friend Carlo- had their brief affair. Practically part of the family, he would spend his summer holidays at their sprawling house in Chipping Weston, lapping up the breathtaking freedom and excitement. Though perhaps there was too much freedom and too much excitement- because those days came to a terrible end. An end that James has been trying to forget ever since.
Yet Lily has one more secret to reveal. Their daughter is now a wanted woman. She’s on the run for murder. Soon James is compelled to reach back into the past and discover the bitter fruits of his and Lily’s unfortunate union…
Andrew Taylor, author of the bestselling The American Boy is fast becoming one of my favourite crime writers. A Stain On The Silence jumps from past to present, gradually revealing long held secrets and deceptions, keeping the reader gripped and desperate to discover what happens next. Although James, the main character is a bit spineless and rather wet, I soon sympathised with his plight. There is an element of never knowing who is lying and who is telling the truth, and the reader shares James’ confusion. His friend Carlo is a dark and menacing character whom I would like to have seen more of. Lily is a puzzle, is she good or evil? Unfortunately we never really find out. The ending is a shocker, I was not expecting it to conclude this way, with no conclusion! What did happen to felicity? A sequel in the future? I certainly hope so. I still have a lot of questions. I wait with baited breath.
Taylor’s novels The American Boy (A Richard and Judy Book Club selection) and the Office of the Dead both won the CWA Ellis Peters Historical Daggers. Taylor has also been shortlisted for numerous award including the prestigious CWA Gold Dagger.
"there is plenty to engage the reader in the roller-coaster plot that twists and turns until the very last page" Big Issue.
The last person Jmes wants to meet again is Lily. But now she’s dying of cancer, and he is wholly unprepared for what she has to tell him. Twenty four years ago, she gave birth to a daughter- and James is the girl’s father.
James was just a teenager when he and Lily- stepmother of his best friend Carlo- had their brief affair. Practically part of the family, he would spend his summer holidays at their sprawling house in Chipping Weston, lapping up the breathtaking freedom and excitement. Though perhaps there was too much freedom and too much excitement- because those days came to a terrible end. An end that James has been trying to forget ever since.
Yet Lily has one more secret to reveal. Their daughter is now a wanted woman. She’s on the run for murder. Soon James is compelled to reach back into the past and discover the bitter fruits of his and Lily’s unfortunate union…
Andrew Taylor, author of the bestselling The American Boy is fast becoming one of my favourite crime writers. A Stain On The Silence jumps from past to present, gradually revealing long held secrets and deceptions, keeping the reader gripped and desperate to discover what happens next. Although James, the main character is a bit spineless and rather wet, I soon sympathised with his plight. There is an element of never knowing who is lying and who is telling the truth, and the reader shares James’ confusion. His friend Carlo is a dark and menacing character whom I would like to have seen more of. Lily is a puzzle, is she good or evil? Unfortunately we never really find out. The ending is a shocker, I was not expecting it to conclude this way, with no conclusion! What did happen to felicity? A sequel in the future? I certainly hope so. I still have a lot of questions. I wait with baited breath.
Taylor’s novels The American Boy (A Richard and Judy Book Club selection) and the Office of the Dead both won the CWA Ellis Peters Historical Daggers. Taylor has also been shortlisted for numerous award including the prestigious CWA Gold Dagger.
"there is plenty to engage the reader in the roller-coaster plot that twists and turns until the very last page" Big Issue.
Restless- William Boyd
“Boyd is a first-rate storyteller and this is a first-rate story…An utterly absorbing page-turner” The Times.
It is 1939. Eva Delectorskaya is a beautiful 28-year-old Russian émigrée living in Paris. As war breaks out she is recruited for the British Secret Service by Lucas Romer, a mysterious Englishman, and under his tutelage she learns to become the perfect spy, to mask her emotions and trust no one, including those she loves most. Since the war, Eva has carefully rebuilt her life as a typically English wife and mother. But once a spy, always a spy. Now she must complete one final assignment, and this time Eva can’t do it alone: she needs her daughter’s help.
I literally could not put this novel down. Spy novels are not usually my thing, and I bought it only because it was featured in Richard and Judy’s Book Club.
The story jumps between past and present, each chapter telling us a little more of Eva’s secrets, which we learn alongside her daughter Ruth. In this way, there are two heroines, both immensely likable. The plot is full of twists and turns, drawing the reader deeply into its intrigue. I was quickly absorbed by the world of spying and like Eva, trusted no one and suspected everybody!
One disappointment for me was that promising subplots involving a student of Ruth’s and the uncle of her son came to nothing.
I loved the ending however, and intend to read more William Boyd.
This novel was shortlisted for the Costa Novel Award 2006.
"Restless is enormously readable in every respect: a confident, intelligent, ambitious novel" Guardian.
It is 1939. Eva Delectorskaya is a beautiful 28-year-old Russian émigrée living in Paris. As war breaks out she is recruited for the British Secret Service by Lucas Romer, a mysterious Englishman, and under his tutelage she learns to become the perfect spy, to mask her emotions and trust no one, including those she loves most. Since the war, Eva has carefully rebuilt her life as a typically English wife and mother. But once a spy, always a spy. Now she must complete one final assignment, and this time Eva can’t do it alone: she needs her daughter’s help.
I literally could not put this novel down. Spy novels are not usually my thing, and I bought it only because it was featured in Richard and Judy’s Book Club.
The story jumps between past and present, each chapter telling us a little more of Eva’s secrets, which we learn alongside her daughter Ruth. In this way, there are two heroines, both immensely likable. The plot is full of twists and turns, drawing the reader deeply into its intrigue. I was quickly absorbed by the world of spying and like Eva, trusted no one and suspected everybody!
One disappointment for me was that promising subplots involving a student of Ruth’s and the uncle of her son came to nothing.
I loved the ending however, and intend to read more William Boyd.
This novel was shortlisted for the Costa Novel Award 2006.
"Restless is enormously readable in every respect: a confident, intelligent, ambitious novel" Guardian.
Clay- David Almond.
“strange, miraculous, beautiful” The Times.
There’s a stranger in town – Stephen Rose. He’s got waxy skin, haunting eyes, a sickly smell. No parents. No friends. He’s come to live with Crazy Mary. There are many tales and rumours about him. One thing’s certain: there’s magic in the weird creatures he makes with clay.
Should Davie and Geordie keep away? Or should they get close? Could Stephen be an ally in their bitter struggle against monstrous Mouldy and his gang?
David Almond, author of Skellig and winner of Whitbread, Smarties and Carnegie Awards, has created a dark, thickly plotted story of a modern day Frankenstein. He cleverly interweaves questions of faith, of good and evil, with the trails and tribulations of adolescence.
The hero, Davie is a sympathetic character, and Stephen is chilling and dark.
I loved the way that the characters whom Davie is afraid of, Mouldy, Crazy Mary and Stephen have their own tales of hardship explaining the way they are. The book provokes thought, if we can believe in the existence of God and goodness, is it not necessary to consider evil also? And if God exists, why not monsters and so many other unbelievable, unexplainable things?
This novel is children’s fiction, but could easily appeal to adults and was longlisted for the Carnegie Medal.
"A haunting and compelling novel" The Guardian.
There’s a stranger in town – Stephen Rose. He’s got waxy skin, haunting eyes, a sickly smell. No parents. No friends. He’s come to live with Crazy Mary. There are many tales and rumours about him. One thing’s certain: there’s magic in the weird creatures he makes with clay.
Should Davie and Geordie keep away? Or should they get close? Could Stephen be an ally in their bitter struggle against monstrous Mouldy and his gang?
David Almond, author of Skellig and winner of Whitbread, Smarties and Carnegie Awards, has created a dark, thickly plotted story of a modern day Frankenstein. He cleverly interweaves questions of faith, of good and evil, with the trails and tribulations of adolescence.
The hero, Davie is a sympathetic character, and Stephen is chilling and dark.
I loved the way that the characters whom Davie is afraid of, Mouldy, Crazy Mary and Stephen have their own tales of hardship explaining the way they are. The book provokes thought, if we can believe in the existence of God and goodness, is it not necessary to consider evil also? And if God exists, why not monsters and so many other unbelievable, unexplainable things?
This novel is children’s fiction, but could easily appeal to adults and was longlisted for the Carnegie Medal.
"A haunting and compelling novel" The Guardian.
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