Month: September 2023

Book Review: 73 Dove Street by Julie Owen Moylan

Posted on by Libby Price

I’m not quite sure how I ended up with an ARC of this from NetGalley – as it’s not an author I’ve read before – but here’s the blurb:

“When Edie Budd arrives at a shabby West London boarding house in October 1958, carrying nothing except a broken suitcase and an envelope full of cash, it’s clear she’s hiding a terrible secret.
And she’s not the only one; the other women of 73 Dove Street have secrets of their own . . .
Tommie, who lives on the second floor, waits on the eccentric Mrs Vee by day. After dark, she harbours an addiction to seedy Soho nightlife – and a man she can’t quit.
Phyllis, 73 Dove Street’s formidable landlady, has set fire to her husband’s belongings after discovering a heart-breaking betrayal – yet her fierce bravado hides a past she doesn’t want to talk about.
At first, the three women keep to themselves.
But as Edie’s past catches up with her, Tommie becomes caught in her web of lies – forcing her to make a decision that will change everything . . .”

The book is told in 2 time lines, October 1958 and then in Edie’s case, also to flashbacks from 5 years ago as she meets her husband and forward through their relationship. You know something serious has happened which is why she’s ended up in the attic room at 73 Dove Street – but this story slowly unfolds through the flashbacks getting closer to the ‘present day’.

On the floor below Edie in the eponymous address of the book is Tommie. She’s far more worldly-wise than Edie and is a home help by day, and Soho frequenter by night.

The ground floor is taken by Phyllis – who is also the landlady. It’s clear she’s just kicked her husband out as the book starts, and is going through her own personal issues.

Initially the stories are quite separate – but then Tommie invites Edie on a night out in Soho and things change and they become more intertwined.

I thought the author described the settings and the women themselves really well – it was very easy to imagine their locations, appearances and even their temperaments. Each of them is going through their own personal issues.

I really enjoyed my time at 73 Dove Street and seeing the stories unfold. I also really liked the ending – even if it wasn’t quite what I imagined.

A big thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for my ARC – I’m behind the times as it came out in July 2023 – so you can purchase it immediately if you like the sound of it.

Book Review: The Last Devil To Die (The Thursday Murder Club Book 4) by Richard Osman

Posted on by Libby Price

“Shocking news reaches the Thursday Murder Club.
An old friend in the antiques business has been killed, and a dangerous package he was protecting has gone missing.
As the gang springs into action they encounter art forgers, online fraudsters and drug dealers, as well as heartache close to home.
With the body count rising, the package still missing and trouble firmly on their tail, has their luck finally run out? And who will be the last devil to die?”

I am lucky enough to be given loads of advance review copies of books to read – so I don’t often have to part with hard cash for them – however, when certain books aren’t on Net Galley, I am prepared to put my hand in my pocket. I love Richard Osman (even more after seeing him on the Parenting Hell Live tour and then on last week’s Friday episode) and have adored the first three books in the Thursday Murder Club series – so this new book hit my Kindle the day of release.

It was wonderful to be reunited with Elizabeth, Joyce, Ron and Ibrahim and the supporting cast of friends, fellow Coopers Chase residents, local law enforcement and drug dealers from the previous three books! Now this book would stand alone – but I think you’d enjoy it much more if you’ve read the back stories for everyone (and given the sales figures, chances are you already have anyway!)

Yet again, the Thursday Murder Club are investigating a murder – which soon turns into quite a few murders! However, entwined within that is the story of Elizabeth’s husband Stephen and his failing health as he suffers with dementia.

Lots of new characters are also introduced – and I did feel I needed my wits about me to remember who was who – but that didn’t detract from the story. The style is so similar to the previous books, and so ‘Richard Osman’ (which is compliment!) and Joyce’s diary extracts are my absolute favourites, as always.

It was such a lovely book (which does seem a bit odd to say about a book concerning murder) but the whole series is witty, clever and life affirming (just not for the victims I guess!)

Richard Osman has said the Thursday Murder Club are taking a pause whilst he writes another series – and I’m a little bit sad about that – but will be delighted to read Book 5 at some point in the future. The acknowledgements at the end of the book were also a lovely read and I have to confess I cried!

Until next time, stay safe Elizabeth, Joyce, Ron and Ibrahim.

Book Review: The Search Party by Hannah Richell

Posted on by Libby Price

“Five old friends.
One glamping weekend.
A storm that will change everything.
Max and Annie Kingsley have left the London rat race to set up a glamping site in the wilds of Cornwall. They invite old university friends – TV star Dominic, doctor and new mum Kira, and free-spirited Jim and Suze – and their children for a trial weekend but the reunion quickly veers off-course.
First, there’s The Incident around the campfire on the first night. The following afternoon, a storm quickly develops off the rugged North Coast. When one of their group goes missing, all hell breaks loose. And as the winds batter the bell-tents, emotions run high and tension mounts for all the characters.
Who is lying in hospital, who has gone missing and who is the body on the beach below the cliffs . . .?
Gripping, cleverly structured and brimming with secrets and lies, this is a masterclass in narrative tension and a chilling exploration of the ways in which aspiration and anxiety collide. It will keep you guessing until the last page. “

I was offered an ARC of this book – out in January 2024 – by NetGalley, and though the blurb sounded interesting. I did, however, wonder if I was going to be bored by yet another ‘old friends reunion’ book – but I need not have feared at all!

Firstly I want to say how cleverly constructed this book is, and massive kudos to the author and editor for what must have been a painstaking task to ensure that everything entwined perfectly. I am a massive knob at pointing out plot inconsistencies – and despite this being crazily complicated, I didn’t find any! Before the book starts there is a list of characters which was super helpful to work out which children belonged to which parents etc.

The prologue is a very atmospheric description of a girl standing on a cliff top before jumping off – so you definitely have a idea of where the story is heading.

The book is then told from multiple perspectives – often by way of recounting events to the police. There are various timelines running – from the Friday evening when all of the old friends, and in some cases new partners and children, unite in Cornwall, to the Saturday afternoon when the storm happens, to the Sunday evening when the search is continuing as some of the group are at hospital and finally the Monday morning. I was concerned it would be really complicated and confusing – but it wasn’t at all, but kept the momentum so high as you were desperate for things to be further explained.

Max and Annie and their adopted son Kip have relocated from London to the coast of Cornwall, near St Ives (which I’ve been to recently and was described perfectly by the author) and before they open their glamping site to the public have invited their uni friends and all of their kids to try it out. Dominic is a TV star – and the ‘baddie’ on a TV talent show (in my head he was a hybrid of Simon Cowell and Craig Revel-Horwood and physically looked like Dom Joly!) His two teenagers from his first marriage were with him – along with his second wife Tanya and their 6 year old. Then there were Jim and Suze and their 3 kids, and Kira and her new boyfriend Fred and their baby daughter. So quite a mix of characters and ages, with various connections and histories – and secrets.

All of this then unravels throughout the book – jumping backwards and forwards, giving you little clues as to what is going to happen next, but not enough to work the whole plot out in advance – it’s just brilliant!

Obviously I don’t want to give away any spoilers – but I doubt you would be able to predict it all.

This is by far my favourite of the books I’ve read recently – but you’ll have to wait until January 2024 when it comes out – sorry!

A big thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC.

Book Review: The Ski Trip by Sarah Clarke

Posted on by Libby Price

“THE PERFECT TRIP
When four friends embark on a boys’ skiing holiday in the Alps, they anticipate a weekend of fun, drinking, and some healthy competition on the slopes. But their trip is cut short when one of them falls to his death.
A TERRIBLE ACCIDENT…
Tom’s widow, Zoe travels to France with her friend, Ivy to collect his body. While Zoe is consumed by grief, Ivy starts to question everything.
OR COLD-BLOODED MURDER?
The slope Tom fell from wasn’t dangerous, and tensions between the group were at breaking point in the days before his death.
But if Ivy’s suspicions are correct, Tom was killed by one of his closest friends. And they are still in the chalet…”

I spotted this on Net Galley and liked the blurb – so was pleased to be granted an ARC.

The book is told from Ivy’s point of view. She’s a single Mum and seemingly something of a loner, with little contact with her Mum (her Dad died when she was a young girl) or her friends from University. It’s evident there was a big falling out back at her friend Zoe’s 21st – but it takes the entire book to find out what actually happened as it unfolds in both the current and historic time lines.

Ivy’s estranged friend Zoe has recently been back in touch – and turns up on Ivy’s doorstep because her husband Tom has died whilst on a skiing trip with some mutual university friends. Zoe is desperate for Ivy to go with her to the Alps to bring Tom’s body back – and eventually persuades Ivy to leave her baby son with her Mum for a few days to head off to Geneva.

The action then moves to the French Alps as the group are skiing in Morzine. Now I should disclose an interest at this point – as my best friend from school lives very close to there – so as the book mentions Avoriaz, Les Gets, Thonon etc I could totally picture the locations! I’m sure part of this was Sarah Clarke’s evocative descriptions – but also because I knew lots of them. And just putting it out there – perhaps Tom and his group should have booked lessons with a fab British ski school there!!!

Back to the book!

The story then unravels both in the present day – where Ivy is suspicious of how Tom died in such easy skiing circumstances when he was an experienced skier and also back when the entire group were at Exeter University many years before. Each of the friends has secrets and things the rest of the group don’t know.

The twists and turns are brilliant and keep you intrigued – it was a real ‘just one more chapter’ book. Some of it is a bit far fetched – but for me that didn’t take away from the enjoyment of the book. There will be no spoilers here – as you need to have the shocks yourself!

There seem to be quite a lot of ‘university reunion’ books around at the moment – but the different geographical locations set this apart.

Overall it was a great read – and I’d like to read books by this author in the future.

Big thanks to Net Galley and the publisher, The Ski Trip is out on 14 September 2023, so not long to wait at all!

Book Review: Weirdo by Sara Pascoe

Posted on by Libby Price

“Deep in Essex and her own thoughts, Sophie had a feeling something was going to happen and then it did. Chris has entered the pub and re-entered her life after Sophie had finally stopped thinking about him and regretting what she’d done.
Sophie has a chance at creating a new ending and paying off her emotional debts (if not her financial ones). All she has to do is act exactly like a normal, well-adjusted person and not say any of her inner monologue out loud. If she can suppress her light paranoia, pornographic visualisations and pathological lying maybe she’ll even end up getting the guy she wants? Then she could dump her boyfriend Ian and try to enjoy Christmas.”

I really like Sara Pascoe as a comedian – so when I saw she had her first novel out, I thought I’d request a copy from NetGalley – and was very pleased to be granted an ARC (it’s out next week). I then noticed it had a massively wide variety of stars on the review platform – it appeared to be literary marmite – but I still wanted to give it a go.

The book is told from Sophie’s point of view – and it is seemingly just a massive brain dump of her thoughts and the tangents she goes off on. She clearly has mental health struggles – and the meandering views screamed ADHD to me (although I don’t believe that is ever referenced). It is occasionally interspersed with other documents – an email from her bridezilla sister, a letter from debt collectors, correspondence from her estranged father in Australia – etc etc – and these break up the storyline and give some context.

I have to say I kept reading – but I’m not really sure why – as it just didn’t seem to go anywhere, and the journey to nowhere wasn’t that exciting or funny. It wasn’t offensive or badly written – just a bit ‘meh’.

But as I said – some people appear to have loved it – so don’t necessarily take my word for it!

Thanks to the publishers and Net Galley for my ARC.