Book reviews

Book Review: Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors

Posted on by Libby Price

“The Blue sisters have always been exceptional – and exceptionally different.
Avery, a strait-laced lawyer living in London, is the typical eldest daughter, though she’s hiding a secret that could undo her perfect life forever.
Bonnie was a boxer but, following a devastating defeat, she’s been working as a bouncer in LA – until a reckless act one night threatens to drive her out of the city.
And Lucky, the rebellious youngest, is a model in Paris whose hard-partying ways are finally catching up with her.
Then there was Nicky, the beloved fourth sister, whose unexpected death left Avery, Bonnie and Lucky reeling.
When, a year later, the three of them must reunite in New York to stop the sale of their childhood home, they find that it’s only by returning to each other that they can navigate their grief, addiction and heartbreak and learn to fall in love with life again.”

I was granted an advance review copy of this book, but hadn’t had time to read it until recently (which is good for you guys, as if you like the sound of it, it’s even out in paperback now!) Being one of 3 sisters, and having 3 daughters, it appealed to me as a book exploring those relationships.

You initially meet the 3 sisters in the cities where they are living – London, LA and Paris – and the different ‘vibes’ of each location is really well described. There are flashbacks both to their childhoods and the more recent past so you can become familiar with the back story of the whole family.

They then all end up in New York (again, the city is like a character in its own right).

Each of the sisters have their own demons and battles, and each character is well thought out and written. The interaction between them is also really well observed. Whilst the book is looking at the relationships between the sisters – it also looks at wider family issues, their own personal demons with addiction, personal relationships and motherhood.

I found it really quite moving at times, and really enjoyed the writing style.

The final chapter was 10 years down the line, and I was particularly pleased with the tying up of loose ends – although not necessarily as you’d expect them to be tied.

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed this book – and would definitely read more by Coco Mellors.

Many thanks to the publisher and Net Galley for my ARC – and sorry for being so slow in reading it, but it was definitely worth the wait.

Book Review: Friends of Dorothy by Sandi Toksvig

Posted on by Libby Price

“After much searching, the happily married young couple, Amber and Stevie think they have found the perfect spot in Grimaldi Square. Despite the rundown pub across the way, the overgrown garden and a decidedly nosy neighbour, number 4 is the house of their dreams. Stevie, a woman who has never left anything to chance, has planned everything so nothing can spoil their happiness. But … upstairs in their new home, seated on an old red sofa is the woman they bought the place from – eighty-year-old foul-mouthed, straight-talking, wise-cracking Dorothy – who has decided that she’s not going anywhere. It turns out that Dorothy will be only the first in a line of life-changing surprises.
Friends of Dorothy is a touching, funny novel about a family that is not biological, but logical; a story close to Sandi Toksvig’s heart.”

Whilst reading this – I heard Sandi Toksvig interviewed on the Dish podcast (hard recommend – one of my must listen to podcasts with Nick Grimshaw and Angela Hartnett, sponsored by Waitrose) and she was talking about writing this book. Basically she was writing a different factual book that required LOADS of research and ballooned into something much bigger than expected – and decided she wanted to write something that required no research at all – hence ‘Friends of Dorothy’ was born.

The book is most definitely a play on the ‘Friends of Dorothy’ colloquialism which is defined on the Fluent Slang website as follows:

“The term friend of Dorothy is a slang phrase that refers to someone who identifies as LGBTQ. It originated in the mid-1900s as a discreet way for LGBTQ individuals to identify themselves and connect with others during a time when the queer community faced persecution. The exact origin of the term is uncertain, with some suggesting it may be a reference to Dorothy Parker, a writer who had many gay friends in the 1920s and 1930s, while others believe it comes from the character Dorothy in “The Wizard of Oz,” who befriends outcasts. The term is often used within LGBTQ circles as a way to discreetly identify oneself or to arrange meetings that would go unnoticed by the heterosexual majority. Although the term is not as commonly used today, it may still be heard among LGBTQ communities and can also be abbreviated as “FOD.” It’s important to emphasize that the term is not sexually explicit and is not intended to be offensive.”

But also one of the central characters is called Dorothy – and the supporting cast either are or become her friends over the course of the book.

Whilst the book is primarily about Amber and Stevie and their new home – it is so much more than that. It’s about ‘family’ from friends, it touches on homophobia and transphobia, it looks at the use of recreational drugs for pain relief, the support of a community, end of life care and so much more.

Overall it is a total delight of a book. I loved the whole cast of characters and the journey they went on and the power of a group of family built from friendship and support. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this to anyone.

A huge thank you to the publishers and Net Galley for my ARC. It came out in September 2024 so you can but it IMMEDIATELY and I think you probably should!

Book Review: Eat Slay Love by Julie Mae Cohen

Posted on by Libby Price

Having enjoyed Julie Mae Cohen’s previous book – Bad Men – I was delighted to be granted an advance review copy of her new book – Eat Slay Love, which was released this week. Here’s the blurb:

“A good friend will help you move on.
A best friend will help you move the body . . .
The razor-sharp, hilarious new 2024 black comedy thriller from the bestselling author of Bad Men.
Marina is a divorced mother of three preschoolers.
Lilah is a shy and lonely librarian.
Opal is a broke post-menopausal fitness guru.
These three women have absolutely nothing in common – except for the charming, attractive man who’s been lying to all of them. Now that he’s tied up in a basement, they may just have something to bond over.
But how far is each willing to go to get revenge? As this shared secret brings them closer together, other, deadlier problems come crashing into their lives. Can they put their differences aside to save themselves – and each other?”

Initially you meet the 3 leading characters – and you’re not sure how it’s all going to fit together – but it cleverly starts to come together! The fact that the ladies are all so different – and well written in their own right – is fabulous.

There are some gruesome elements, and some ‘suspending belief’ elements – but that’s often the case in black comedy thrillers and didn’t in any way detract from the book.

The use of modern technology (pin dropping of locations, scheduled Instagram posts etc) was woven into the storyline just as they’re part of every day life now (although some books still shy away from such things – which seems a bit daft!)

I was rooting for Marina, Lilah and Opal in different ways – and as a combined force of very different people, they were great. Whilst it is a revenge story – it’s also a female friendship storyline too.

It was a fun, escapist read – and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

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

Book Review: We Solve Murders by Richard Osman

Posted on by Libby Price

I’m not sure if there is a collective noun for Richard Osman appreciators – like ‘Swifties’ for Taylor’s fans – but if so, I would definitely be in that gang. We would all do the equivalent of swapping friendship bracelets and sporting glitter on our faces – I’m not entirely sure on what these ‘equivalents’ would be – but I suspect a nice cup of tea would be involved. I’ve loved Richard’s Thursday Murder Club series, and so was prepared to part with cash (which I don’t often do!) to read the first instalment of his new series ‘We Solve Murders’. Having been educated about the world of publishing by the brilliant podcast that Richard presents with the marvellous Marina Hyde, ‘The Rest Is Entertainment’ I did pre order the book, as obviously Mr Osman needs all of the advanced sales he can get!! (If there was an ‘ironic’ font, I would have used that for the preceding sentence given the very large number of books he has shifted in the past. In fact Richard and his wife Ingrid know a German font designer, so perhaps they could get him to create one. I appreciate I am now verging into slightly deranged, potential stalker territory………)

Anyway – back to the book – here is the blurb for anyone who doesn’t just buy a book because Richard Osman wrote it:

“Steve Wheeler is enjoying retired life. He does the odd bit of investigation work, but he prefers his familiar habits and routines: the pub quiz, his favourite bench, his cat waiting for him when he comes home. His days of adventure are over: adrenaline is daughter-in-law Amy’s business now.
Amy Wheeler thinks adrenaline is good for the soul. As a private security officer, she doesn’t stay still long enough for habits or routines. She’s currently on a remote island keeping world-famous author Rosie D’Antonio alive. Which was meant to be an easy job . . .
Then a dead body, a bag of money and a killer with their sights on Amy have her sending an SOS to the only person she trusts. A breakneck race around the world begins, but can Amy and Steve stay one step ahead of a deadly enemy?”

Whilst this is a new team of crime fighters – the Osman style of writing runs strong through Amy, Steve and the extended cast. Greggs and a Boots Meal Deal are mentioned early on – so what’s not to love?

I won’t ruin any storylines – but the different settings are great – I particularly loved St Lucia (I’m biased because we got married there, and I’ve also been travel sick on those horrific roads, and the bar at the airport is RUBBISH – we spent a 5 hour delay in the BA lounge and there is not much to keep you entertained – but it’s still a wonderful holiday destination – although perhaps a little risky in this book!)

The supporting cast are great – such an eclectic mix – and there’s definitely scope for fleshing some of those out in future books (I felt Adam – Amy’s husband / Steve’s son was a much less used character than I’d expected)

Whilst there are gruesome elements – it’s all done in a very ‘cosy crime’ way – and the humour throughout is as fabulous as I expected (so much funnier than The Bear – another podcast reference – sorry!)

My only quibble with the whole book is that Richard and Ingrid’s lovely new kitten Lottie doesn’t get a mention – whereas Liesl the cat is discussed both in the ‘about the author’ and the acknowledgment sections! I suspect this is purely a matter of timing, and that Lottie will have a starring role in Richard’s next book. #justiceforLottie

As I had hoped – this is a wonderful new book, and I look forward to seeing what Amy, Steve – and Rosie – get up to in the future (with or without visiting Coopers Chase – crossover incoming?)

I have to confess (we’re off on a TRIE tangent again!) that I bought it from ‘friend of the podcast’ Lauren’s boyfriend’s website so I could have it on my electronic reading device – but I do plan to source a copy from an independent bookshop for my mother’s Christmas present!

Book Review: Murder On The Dance Floor by Katie Marsh

Posted on by Libby Price

Having recently enjoyed the first book in the Bad Girls Detective Agency series by Katie Marsh, How Not To Murder Your Ex, I was delighted to see that the second book was available on Net Galley ahead of its release later in March 2024, and I was granted an advance review copy.

Here’s the blurb:

“They DID promise her a killer hen weekend…

Jeanie’s getting married, and – despite her completely impossible four sisters – her best friends Clio and Amber are determined to give her a bachelorette weekend to remember. They’re in matching pink T-shirts and the drinks are flowing…
But the night turns out to be unforgettable for all the wrong reasons when a girl turns up dead on the dancefloor. And – even though she’s a stranger – she is wearing one of Jeanie’s hen T-shirts.
Who is she? And why are the police convinced that the hens are involved? Can the newly-formed Bad Girls Detective Agency solve the murder? And in time to get Jeanie up the aisle?
Unputdownable mystery set on the English coast – perfect for fans of The Thursday Murder Club, Bad Sisters and How to Kill Your Family.”

The book follows on 6 months after the initial book in the series – with Jeanie on her hen weekend before getting married to Tan, the father of her 18 month twins. There is the usual friends and family politics of such a weekend – but then there’s a murder on the dancefloor. (Interestingly the song of the same name by Sophie Ellis-Bextor appears to be a timeless classic, with my teenage kids enjoying it when out clubbing just like we did back in the 90s – even before Saltburn made it a global hit recently!)

Now I’m just going to throw up a little niggle at this point. The murder victim has the same surname as the crime family in the first book of the series, and it’s a distinctive surname, not a Smith or a Price – but NO ONE MENTIONS THIS AT ALL. I’m assuming this is an oversight – and the surname may even change before the book is published – but it seemed really odd to pedantic old me!

Since solving the murder of Clio’s ex husband in book one, the ladies have formed a detective agency – and use their skills to try and solve this new murder. There are lots of references to the first book – and characters that reappear (like Marg the septuagenarian drug dealer) but I think it would still stand alone, as enough of the back stories are explained if needed. However, I think reading ‘How Not To Murder Your Ex’ first would be a good plan (and it’s currently free to download if you have Prime!)

Whilst this is primarily a ‘cosy mystery’ – there are lots of other issues discussed too – family dynamics, relationship secrets and lies, female friendships to name but a few. The different characters – particularly Jeanie’s sisters – are well described and thought out, and the camaraderie between Jeanie, Clio and Amber is again evident. I also liked the storyline of Jeanie’s relationship with her own Mum.

Overall I really enjoyed this new book – another fun and escapist read – and I’m looking forward to seeing what the Bad Girls Detective Agency get up to next!

Thank you to Boldwood Books and Net Galley for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.