I've been meaning to post these reviews for ages! You never know, you might find your next read amongst them. Just click on the links if you'd like to download a free sample from Amazon (I always do), then you'll never download a book you're not going to finish!
WHAT JENNIFER KNOWS by Wendy Janes.
Stories about ordinary people are Wendy Janes’
speciality. ‘What Jennifer Knows’
reminds me of a kind of contemporary soap opera – plenty of intrigue and
tantalising indiscretions! It is
impossible not to get involved in the dilemmas Jennifer faces as she lurches
from one problem to the next. I
wouldn’t like to be in her shoes, that’s for sure. Her husband, Gerald, is a very amusing character and his deadpan
attitude is a great foil for Jennifer’s moral wrangling. I suppose I enjoyed this book so much
because the plot is so well handled and because, although I guessed what was
happening early on, I was always trying to work out what Jennifer would do
next. With very little ‘wool’, this is
an entertaining bedtime read (as long as you are prepared to stay up
late). Janes’ style of writing is fluid
and engaging, too. In fact there isn’t
anything not to like!
OCTOBER RAIN by Dylan J. Morgan
The action takes place on Mars, but all is not well with the
planet, and only a small percentage of the original Earth survivors remain,
awaiting transport to a new home. We
are introduced immediately to Steele, ruthless, and a cold fish, except when it
comes to his wife and child. His
mission to assassinate a list of terrorists provided by the government carries
this action thriller along at a cracking pace from the word go. The author communicates not only the notion
of imminent danger at every turn, but also the desperation of a man who longs
to spend time with his family and live a normal life. It’s easy to root for Steele as he faces challenges against the
odds, encountering a range of adversaries in some of the harshest environments
possible.
The only downside? I
didn’t like the ending. But endings are
so personal, and I’m not going to give away any spoilers here!
Suffice it to say that I read this accomplished novella in a
couple of sittings, was never tempted to skip ahead, and would definitely read
more if a sequel were in the offing.
SCREAM AT THE MOUNTAINS by Karenne Griffin
In the Welsh valleys again I took up the stories of the
characters I'd first met in ‘New Voices in the Valley’. The continuing soap opera of the various and
sometimes surprising residents of Allt-yr-Coch (pun intended, I believe) soon
became essential bedtime reading. The
author’s style is fluid and the Welsh flavour always evident – Griffin makes
full use of the local vernacular! There
is action in the form of a serious terrorist threat, but there is also more
down to earth drama with ample scope for the reader to become involved in the
lives of the characters. Wholesome and
entertaining, this is definitely one to try if you like real life dramas with an international flavour.
THE RED DOOR by Rosa Fedele
The main character in this dark mystery set in Australia is
artist Maddie who has bought a mansion, 'Rosalind', letting out apartments to
tenants. As she completes her renovations, she begins to have suspicions about
the tenant in number three, who won't let her in. This is all linked to some
local murders that occurred in the 1950s. There are unanswered questions
surrounding Maddie herself, too.
I really enjoyed The Red Door. The language is beautiful, especially in the first third of the
book, which includes the kind of descriptive imagery that brings a setting
alive – and the setting is unusual in that it centres around a period house in
an Australian suburb of Sydney. Maddie
buys ‘Rosalind’ as a renovation project and one by one we meet the people who
either live nearby or come to work on the house. I found the observational style reminiscent of Henry James’
novels – fine detail and expertly written dialogue. We learn about the people who inhabit Maddie’s world from a
variety of perspectives and yet Maddie herself remains rather a mystery until
later (we don’t even learn her name until the end of the book).
The plot is intricate.
We gradually discover the history of the house and its local
environment. A history filled with
disturbing tales of child abuse and murder.
Maddie becomes obsessed with finding out what happened to two young
girls whose bodies were found in a local park – I was riveted. The bringing together of the sub-plots is
nothing short of miraculous.
If I had to say what detracted from my enjoyment it would be
that the second third of the book seemed to lose pace a little. But in the final third, the action picked up
with a vengeance and I stayed up far too late, reading until the words swam on
the page!
There will be a sequel, apparently, and I very much look
forward to reading it.
THEMSELF by James Kemp
As a writer myself I enjoyed James Kemp’s experiences of
following an OU course in creative writing.
Apparently, these were published regularly on his blog and then
integrated into a book, which means that there is sometimes repetition. But this doesn’t detract from the
interest.
There are helpful pointers for inexperienced writers and
useful reminders for those who have been writing for years. It was fascinating to follow the processes
included on the course and to read how the author structured his various
writing assignments, which include a number of different genres.
Instructive and entertaining.
