Book reviews

Book Review: A Meditation on Murder by Robert Thorogood

Posted on by Libby Price

I was offered a copy of this by Mumsnet to review – and never one to turn down the opportunity of a free book – I jumped at the chance.

A Meditation on Murder

I must confess at this point that I have never watched the BBC series ‘Death in Paradise’ – it has always struck me as something my 86 year old Nan would like – real ‘Sunday night telly’ in the style of Bergerac but on a slightly more exotic island than Jersey. (Got to love a 1980s TV reference!) However – I’ve seen enough trailers to know what the original main cast looked like – and their mugshots are also on the back of the book – so the characters were immediately pictured in my head.

Here’s what Amazon says about it (and it’s pretty much the first page of the book too).

“An original story from the creator and writer of the hit BBC One TV series, Death in Paradise, featuring on-screen favourite detective, DI Richard Poole.

Enhance your enjoyment of the series as, for the first time, Robert Thorogood brings the characters to life on the page in an all-new locked-room mystery.

Aslan Kennedy has an idyllic life: leader of a spiritual retreat for wealthy holidaymakers on one of the Caribbean’s most unspoilt islands, Saint Marie. Until he’s murdered, that is. The case seems open and shut: when Aslan was killed he was inside a locked room with only five other people, one of whom has already confessed to the murder.

Detective Inspector Richard Poole is hot, bothered, and fed up with talking to witnesses who’d rather discuss his ‘aura’ than their whereabouts at the time of the murder. But he also knows that the facts of the case don’t quite stack up. In fact, he’s convinced that the person who’s just confessed to the murder is the one person who couldn’t have done it. Determined to track down the real killer, DI Poole is soon on the trail, and no stone will be left unturned.”

You are immediately transported to a spiritual retreat in the Caribbean – having been to a similar place in St Lucia, I could really imagine being there (rather than in a slightly damp West Midlands which is where I was actually reading the book).  The author really evokes the feeling of the tropical island throughout the book.

The prologue sets the scene (and at the end of the book I had to go back and read it again to see if I’d missed any clues) but within a few pages the murder has been committed and Aslan is dead.  The story then follows the murder investigation.

DI Richard Poole (a UK police officer now based in the Caribbean) hates the sun, sand and sea and living in Saint Marie.  His people skills are rubbish – but I must admit to really liking him.  His geekiness, analytical mind and sand-phobia all making him rather similar to me………

I have to say that I did guess the means of the murder very early on – if not the definite culprit or the reasons why – and I found myself shouting at the book a bit because neither the DI or his colleagues had sussed it out.

There are loads of twists and turns, with red herrings and seemingly random bits (the removal of the lizard from Richard’s ‘house’?) – but I can see how it would make great TV. In fact it almost feels like it’s been written for the TV rather than as a book.  There are a few places where the plot to date is summarised – like it’s the start of a new episode.  One thing I did really like is that at a three or four junctures in the book, the contents of the white board in the police station are written down giving details of the victim, suspects etc – and that was great – and I guess something, as a reader, you are always doing in your head.

The conclusion of the book comes quite quickly – and all the loose ends are very cleverly wrapped up.

Overall I did enjoy the book.  It was very ‘nice’ and ‘harmless’ in the traditional style of an Agatha Christie or Murder She Wrote episode. It was well written, excellent at bringing about the character of the Caribbean and concluded well.  It made a nice change from some of the more psychological and graphic thrillers that seem to be the genre of the moment. A pleasant, easy summer read.

Now maybe I’ll lend it to my 86 year old Nan…………

Book Review: The Farm by Tom Rob Smith

Posted on by Libby Price

The Farm

“Daniel believed that his parents were enjoying a peaceful retirement on a remote farm in Sweden, the country of his mother’s birth. But with a single phone call, everything changes. Your mother…she’s not well, his father tells him. She’s been imagining things – terrible, terrible things. In fact, she has been committed to a mental hospital. Before Daniel can board a plane to Sweden, his mother calls: Everything that man has told you is a lie. I’m not mad…I need the police…Meet me at Heathrow. Presented with a horrific crime, a conspiracy that implicates his own father, Daniel must examine the evidence and decide: who is telling the truth, his mother or his father? And he has secrets of his own that for too long he has kept hidden…”

This was recommended to me on Facebook by a friend who reads – and enjoys – similar books to me, so I downloaded it without reading anything about it – or about the author. I have not read his critically acclaimed Child 44 trilogy – so was coming at it totally cold.

The book is told in places through Daniel’s eyes – and partly through his mother Tilde recounting stories, and this flows well. I was intrigued to read more and find out what happened. The writer clearly uses his own Swedish roots to set the scene very well for the sections set over there, and the various celebrations etc.

I can’t really talk much about the actual storyline without giving away what it’s about – and the conclusion – so I won’t!

There are some huge leaps of faith in parts – with characters whizzing around the Swedish countryside, and some characters are introduced without you really finding out much about them at all – Daniel’s partner and Father being two very peripheral characters that aren’t properly introduced at all and yet could have played much more significant roles.

The ending is a bit odd. One huge element of the storyline is tied up neatly – but there are still lots of lose threads in other areas – particularly with regards to Daniel and his family. I’m not sure if this has been left for a sequel – or if we are never to find out how they all move on from the repercussions of the events in the book.

Overall I enjoyed this and wanted to keep reading – but it didn’t completely knock me off my feet. I would definitely try books by this author again though.

Book Review: I Let You Go by Clare Mackintosh

Posted on by Libby Price

I let you go

“A tragic accident. It all happened so quickly. She couldn’t have prevented it. Could she?

In a split second, Jenna Gray’s world descends into a nightmare. Her only hope of moving on is to walk away from everything she knows to start afresh. Desperate to escape, Jenna moves to a remote cottage on the Welsh coast, but she is haunted by her fears, her grief and her memories of a cruel November night that changed her life forever.

Slowly, Jenna begins to glimpse the potential for happiness in her future. But her past is about to catch up with her, and the consequences will be devastating . . .”

This was recommended to me by a friend (and it would seem that a mutual friend knows the author personally through her previous life in the police) but it was worthy of the recommendation on content alone. It was BRILLIANT.

It starts off with a car crash and then the aftermath of the crash.  About half way through there is an AMAZING twist – one that makes you want to go back to the beginning of the book and start again to see if you can see the clues, as I’d completely missed it on initial read.  I can’t really say any more without giving it away!

Some of the chapters are written in the first person as if Jenna is speaking – and initially these alternate with third person narrative of the police investigation.  As the book develops a third ‘voice’ is used too.  It is very clever writing and keeps you on the edge of your seat.

The descriptions throughout the book – from the tragic crash, to the Welsh coastline, are wonderfully emotive and evocative. You are rooting for Jenna throughout the book and her personal roller coaster.

I really don’t want to say too much, as you need to read it to see how it develops – but I would very highly recommend it.

This is Clare Mackintosh’s first book – and I’m very much looking forward to reading her future books.

Book Review: Game of Scones by Samantha Tonge

Posted on by Libby Price

Game of Scones

“A story of icing and flour…and how love doesn’t always go to plan!

Growing up, Pippa Pattinson’s summers were spent in the idyllic Greek island fishing village of Taxos. There she spent many long hazy days determinedly ignoring thoughts of the life her parents had mapped out for her (a dreary-but-secure accounting job and obligatory sensible husband!) Instead she daydreamed of running her own tea shop – serving the perfect scones – with mocha-eyed childhood friend Niklaus by her side…

Arriving back in Taxos for the first time in years, with suave boyfriend Henrik, Pippa barely recognises the tired little town – but is relieved to catch glimpses of the quaint, charming village she’s always loved. Together Niklaus and Pippa put together a proposal to save Taxos from tourist-tastic ruin, and at the heart of their plan is Pippa’s dream project: The Tastiest Little Tea Shop in Taxos. It’s time for Pippa to leave her London life behind and dust off her scone recipe that’s guaranteed to win over both locals and visitors. And amidst the rolling pins and raisins, it seems romance is blossoming where she’s least expecting it…”

From the outset I knew I was going to enjoy this.  There aren’t many books where the lead female character has a maths degree and trained as an accountant like me!!

It is not highbrow literature, but it is a great escapist read that is still well written and character lead.  I really liked Pippa and was plumping for her at all times.  And who doesn’t love a good scone?!  (But is it scone like gone, or scone like phone – got to love the English language!!)

I haven’t been to Kos for years – but it really evoked the feeling of the Greek seaside.

The plot is not complicated and a little predictable in its conclusion, and there are some huge leaps of plausibility at times, but that means it is quick and easy to read when you’re tired after a long day.

It reminded me quite a lot of Jenny Oliver’s book The Little Christmas Kitchen – which is also set in Greece – and interestingly they appear to have the same publisher – so if you’ve enjoyed Jenny’s books, I am sure you’ll enjoy this too.

I was also very excited to see on Amazon that this says it’s book 1 in The Little Teashop series – so I am looking forward to finding out what Pippa does next!!

Book Review: Putting Social Media To Work: A Practical Guide by Gemma Reucroft and Tim Scott

Posted on by Libby Price

I had commented on social media that I wanted our company to start doing more on there – and a friend recommended this book:

Putting Social Media to Work

“Social media has the power to change everything. It is simply that impactful. How we communicate and collaborate. How we lead and how we learn. How we engage and communicate with the people that work for us and buy from us. How we do the day job. Who has power. Who is considered to be a leader. How and where we do the work that we do. We live in an increasingly open and transparent world. Social media offers greater opportunities to rethink some of the old ways of working than organisations have had before. This book will explain why understanding social and getting social is important for individuals and organisations alike, and why, whatever your personal perspective on all things social media, you cannot ignore it. The authors share their own experiences of what social has done for them professionally, and will give you some ideas on how to implement social for you or where you work. How to build your business case, how to overcome the obstacles of implementing social, and managing both the practicalities and the myths. This is the social world. Are you ready?”

I downloaded it and starting reading it – well, that’s like doing work isn’t it!?!

I am already a regular (ok, let’s say excessive) social media user personally, so quite a lot of this was a bit basic – but would be ideal if someone was coming at it without knowing their Twitter from their Facebook as it does explain everything really well.

It definitely gave me lots of ideas about what we should / shouldn’t do!

It’s also a bit different because our organisation is a small family run business, so whilst I will be in charge of social media, I’m also the boss – so there’s no one to ask for approval from (technically my husband is the MD – but let’s not go there!!) Because of the HR background of the authors, it does come at it from their point of view and is probably more applicable to someone within a larger organisation.

But it was definitely worth the read. I liked the tone of the book and the humorous way it was written – and the little asides were great. One of them is a One Directioner (Tim says it’s Gemma, but I fear he doth protest too much!!!)

So – here are my company Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin pages – let’s see how I get on!!! #blatantpromotion

Book Review: Here Come The Girls by Milly Johnson

Posted on by Libby Price

Here Come The Girls

“Shirley Valentine, eat your heart out
Ven, Roz, Olive and Frankie have been friends since school. They day-dreamed of glorious futures, full of riches, romance and fabulous jobs. The world would be their oyster.Twenty-five years later, Olive cleans other people’s houses to support her lazy, out-of-work husband and his ailing mother. Roz cannot show her kind, caring husband Manus any love because her philandering ex has left her trust in shreds. And she and Frankie have fallen out big time.But Ven is determined to reunite her friends and realise the dream they had of taking a cruise before they hit forty. Before they know it, the four of them are far from home, on the high seas. But can blue skies, hot sun and sixteen days of luxury and indulgence distract from the tension and loneliness that await their return?”

It is not often I write a bad review of a book – mostly because I’m really selective about what I read so I don’t waste time on rubbish books – but I downloaded this for holiday, based on Amazon reviews and because it was cheap. I will not use this basis again.

The story was set on a cruise and was dull and repetitive (which is kind of how I expect a cruise would be?!?) There was lots of detail about what people were eating every meal – but not in an ‘amazingly described, making you desperate to share such a fabulous meal’ kind of way – more in a complete regurgitation of the menu in list format. It was the same with the descriptions of outfits – BORING.

The characters were just quite dull. They were supposed to be celebrating one of their 40ths – but it felt like they were all a decade plus older at least.

The vocabulary was often repetitive and it just felt badly written, and the authors obsession with the women burping was just bizarre.

It felt like a very poor self published novel – one where every middle aged woman thinks they have a book in them, but some of them definitely shouldn’t bother. I was stunned that Milly Johnson has written many books and is so highly praised in multiple reviews. Just because you aren’t writing high brow fiction doesn’t mean it should be slapdash and poor quality – lots of other authors in this genre manage to write excellent books.

This is a book I would not recommend, and I won’t be searching out any more by the same author. Thank goodness ‘The Girls’ have gone………

Book Review: Before I Go by Colleen Oakley

Posted on by Libby Price

Before I Go

“Her time is running out. How can Daisy ensure that Jack will live happily ever after? On the eve of what was supposed to be a triumphant ‘Cancerversary’ with her husband Jack to celebrate three years of good health, Daisy suffers a devastating blow: her doctor tells her that the cancer is back, but this time it’s unstoppable. Death is a frightening prospect – but not because she’s afraid for herself. She’s terrified of what will happen to her brilliant but charmingly helpless husband when she’s no longer there to take care of him. It’s this fear that keeps her up at night, until she stumbles on the solution: she has to find him another wife. With a singular determination, Daisy searches for Jack’s perfect match. But as the thought of her husband with another woman becomes all too real, Daisy is forced to decide what’s more important in the short amount of time she has left: her husband’s happiness – or her own?”

I was lent this book by a friend whose son is having treatment for a brain tumour, and read it by the pool next to Rio Ferdinand and his kids on holiday 3 weeks after losing their wife / mum to cancer – so I suspected it was going to be a sobfest for me before I even started.

This book is really good. Obviously it is dealing with an emotive and sad topic – but it does it with humour, and I think realism. As a geek who likes to learn things – I was pleased to see the technical medical things in their as well as the emotional rollercoaster.  At times you want to sit Daisy and Jack down and MAKE them talk things through – but to be in  their positions must be horrific.

I thought the book was well written and engaging and didn’t shy away from a very difficult topic.

If you like Jo Jo Moyes, I would suggest this is of a very similar ilk.

But have tissues to hand………

Book Review: The Girl On The Train by Paula Hawkins

Posted on by Libby Price

The Girl On The Train

This had been top of the best sellers list for a while – so I became a sheep and bought it to read on holiday.  It was very popular around the pool too (thankfully not everyone reads Kindles, so you can still be nosy about what other people are choosing!!)

This is the Amazon blurb:

“Rachel catches the same commuter train every morning. She knows it will wait at the same signal each time, overlooking a row of back gardens. She’s even started to feel like she knows the people who live in one of the houses. ‘Jess and Jason’, she calls them. Their life – as she sees it – is perfect. If only Rachel could be that happy.

And then she sees something shocking. It’s only a minute until the train moves on, but it’s enough.

Now everything’s changed. Now Rachel has a chance to become a part of the lives she’s only watched from afar.

Now they’ll see; she’s much more than just the girl on the train…”

The book starts from Rachel’s point of view – now I know she’s a barely functioning alcoholic – but I still wanted to slap her – a lot!  Some of the choices she makes are inexplicable.

It also is told from 2 other female perspectives – Megan (who Rachel had christened ‘Jess’ when being a peeping Tom from the train) and Anna (who is now married to Rachel’s ex husband).  But not a single one of them was likeable.  The stories intertwine, jumping backwards and forwards in time – as is fairly popular in this genre of book.

The story is also reasonably predictable.  I guessed fairly early on in the book who the ‘baddie’ was – although not the exact details of how it would end – and just waited for that to be borne out.  Having said that, the lady next to me on her sunlounger hadn’t guessed at all and was pinning it on one of the ‘red herrings’ until quite near the end.

This has been described as being like ‘Gone Girl’ and there were some real similarities for me – mostly that I didn’t particularly like any of the characters and that it had been overhyped by the media!

Book Review: Girls Uninterrupted by Tanith Carey

Posted on by Libby Price

Girls uninterrupted

I don’t often read non fiction – in fact, this is the first non fiction book I’ve read since I started doing book reviews on here.  This was recommended by the Head Teacher at my eldest daughter’s school (the author is a parent from the girls’ school she was previously head of) – and ever a girlie swot, I always do what I’m told – so I purchased it to read over Easter.

The full title is ‘Girls Uninterrupted – steps for building stronger girls in a challenging world’.  Snappy eh?!  But I totally agreed with the sentiment – so thought I’d give it a go.

Here is what the Amazon blurb has to say:

“* Why are girls self-harming and suffering eating disorders in record numbers? * Why do girls feel they have to be ‘little miss perfects’ who are never allowed to fail? * Why are girls turning against each other on social media? * What should we tell girls about how to deal with challenges of every day sexism and violent, misogynistic pornography? * How can parents, teachers and grandparents inoculate girls so they can push back against the barrage of unhealthy messages bombarding them about what it means to be female? Whether they are praised for being pretty rather than smart, or accused of being ‘bossy’ rather than leaders, teaching girls how to be comfortable with themselves has never been more challenging. Laid out in clear simple steps, Girls Uninterrupted shows the practical strategies you need to create a carefree childhood for your daughters and ultimately help build them into the healthy, resilient women they deserve to be.”

Now, it wasn’t a page turning ‘can’t put down’ of a book – but I did find it really interesting.  With 3 daughters (and a son) at different ages from pre-teen down to toddler – it was very appropriate.

A lot of it is common sense – or, common sense when you think about it – but how often do you take the time out of your busy life to sit down and think about stuff like this? I know I don’t. It was great to take that time out and think about how our actions – and the actions of the world about us – impact on our daughters’ lives.

There are some interesting facts and statistics that it was good to see too, on a whole myriad of relevant topics – eating disorders, viewing of porn on the internet and bullying to name but 3.

It has already impacted (in a good way!) on my own behaviour. Even my husband noticed I’d put my phone down when we were all out having lunch after going swimming as a family last weekend (normally I’d be checking emails / updating Facebook / tweeting – but decided all of that could wait!)

Then today, the 11 year old and I had a conversation about her exams this week, and how all we want is for her to do her best – and how they’re not the end of the world. Thankfully she seems to be taking them in her stride really well – and can see that some of the girls in her class who have cried over getting one question wrong and getting very stressed beforehand is not healthy, and definitely not what we as her parents want her to worry about.

Some of the recommendations I’m not sure are totally achievable for us as a family (for example, we can’t turn the wifi off to stop the kids accessing it in the evenings after their bedtimes, as that’s often when the husband and I are catching up with the day jobs!) – but we can remove their devices from their bedrooms and set them to charge on the landing instead.  There are lots of other suggestions to be inspired by too.

I would really recommend this to everyone with daughters.

But now back to some reading as escapism from reality for a bit!!

Book Review: The Vintage Ice Cream Van Road Trip by Jenny Oliver

Posted on by Libby Price

The Vintage Ice Cream Van Roadtrip

I recently read the first in the Cherry Pie series – and loved it – so when this popped on to my Kindle (got to love pre-ordering) it had to be devoured before I started anything else!!

Here’s what Amazon had to say about it:

“Welcome to Jenny Oliver’s brand new Cherry Pie Island series! There’s nowhere more deliciously welcoming…

If you were to ask Holly Somers how life is going at the moment she wouldn’t have a clue how to answer you… On the one hand she’s embarking on a retro-fabulous road trip in her vintage ice cream van all the way from Cherry Pie Island to the South of France. Plus, she’s sharing the journey with Wilf Hunter-Brown (quite possibly the most attractive man she’s ever met!)

On the other? Well, apart from being unsure as to whether the rickety old ice cream van will actually make it to the Riviera, she and Wilf had a one-night fling a few weeks ago. Even worse, it seems there’s an unexpected little consequence of their impromptu night together. Life on Cherry Pie Island definitely hasn’t equipped Holly with knowledge of the best way to tell a super-rich entrepreneur with a womanising reputation that he’s about to become a Dad!

Despite the heat of the Provencal sunshine you’d think you’d be able to keep cool inside an ice cream van – but the temperature is definitely rising. And with time running out to tell Wilf the truth, Holly’s dream roadtrip is fast becoming a nightmare on wheels! There’s no denying that this will be a journey to remember. When it comes to sundaes, Holly has always been partial to the more traditional flavours – but something’s telling her that this could be the time to take a chance and try something new…”

It was lovely! Like the first book in the series it wasn’t a highbrow doorstop of a book – but was a great, quick, escapist read.  As with all of Jenny’s books – the food descriptions were amazing – and she really evoked the feel of France.

Whilst the main characters in book 2 were different to book 1 there were enough cross references for you to still feel involved with life back on Cherry Pie Island.

I’m already excited about book 3 (and subsequent books!!)