Janet

Are you all caught up now? I'm so far behind with last year's reviews! I'm hoping to catch up eventually...

The Silent Companions by Laura Purcell The ‘blurb’ Some doors are locked for a reason... Newly married, newly widowed Elsie is sent to see out her pregnancy at her late husband’s crumbling country estate, The Bridge. With her new servants resentful and the local villagers actively hostile, Elsie only has her husband’s awkward cousin for company. Or so she thinks. For inside her new home lies a locked room, and beyond that door lies a two-hundred-year-old diary and a deeply unsettling painted wooden figure – a Silent Companion – that bears a striking resemblance to Elsie herself.... After Elsie Bainbridge's husband Rupert leaves her widowed and pregnant shortly after their marriage she and her husband's cousin, Sarah, head to his ancestral home, The Bridge, for comfort. Their arrival is not as they had imagined – the mansion has been subject to many years of neglect, the staff are not very welcoming and the villagers are positively hostile, reusing to set foot anywhere near the estate. When Elsie and Sarah force open a locked room they discover some old wooden figures, one of which looks suspiciously like Elsie, and an old diary written by a relative of Rupert's, Anne Bainbridge, in 1635. The narrative of the book switches between Elsie's story in the 1860s and that of Anne's. What is the connection to these sinister wooden figures and have they unwittingly unleashed a dark force? I thought this was an impulse purchase when I picked it up on Waterstones recently, but then I discovered that I've had it on my Amazon Wish List since October last year when it was first released, so I think I must have seen it advertised somewhere (this often seems to happen!). The novel opens with the protagonist in a hospital in London – it soon becomes apparent that she is suffering from some kind of breakdown and the hospital is, in fact, an asylum. The majority of the action then moves to The Bridge and the two timeframes I've already mentioned, but with occasional references back to St Martin's hospital. I didn't find it scary but it was certainly haunting and atmospheric and I didn't want to put it down – I was frustrated not to have been able to read it quicker, but real life kept getting in the way! It was definitely bordering on a 5/5 and I'm already looking forward to her next book, The Corset which comes out in September (although I'll probably wait for the paperback to be published). The paperback edition is 384 pages long and is published by Raven Books. It was first published in 2017. The ISBN is 9781408888032. 4/5 (Great!) (Finished 28 April 2018)

I am exactly the same - I like to read a book first where possible to avoid getting someone else's idea. My original Harry/Ron/Hermione from the Harry Potter series didn't look like the actors in the first couple of books, but then they did after I'd watched the first film. Similarly I read My Family and Other Animals about 10 or so years ago and I would have had my own impression of how the family looked, but now, on rereading, I'm picturing Keeley Hawes et al!

Sorry, I missed this. This is what worries me - he comes across as a bit... smug, I suppose, in real life. I might have a look at one of his detective books next time I'm in the library (if I remember) to get a taste of it!

The only saving grace was that it was a quick read. I read it a few chapters at a time and then dictated a summary into an email so I could copy/paste and tidy up the grammar! I know she was very appreciative. But yes, definitely save yourself the bother.

The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena The ‘blurb’ You never know what's happening on the other side of the wall. Your neighbour told you that she didn't want your six-month-old daughter at the dinner party. Nothing personal, she just couldn't stand her crying. Your husband said it would be fine. After all, you only live next door. You'll have the baby monitor and you'll take it in turns to go back every half hour. Your daughter was sleeping when you checked on her last. But now, as you race up the stairs in your deathly quiet house, your worst fears are realized. She's gone. You've never had to call the police before. But now they're in your home, and who knows what they'll find there. What would you be capable of, when pushed past your limit?. Losing a child must be every parent's worst nightmare – it certainly would be mine. What would you do if you were invited to a dinner party and your babysitter pulled out at the last minute? Well, most of us would, of course, ring to say we couldn't make it. Any decent host would understand and rearrange – or say to bring the baby along. But neither of these things happen. Anne and Marco are only going to be next door - they will check on Cora at thirty minute intervals, and of course they'll take their baby monitor. After all, what could go wrong? When they return home their world is turned upside down when they discover Cora has gone missing. What follows is an investigation where everyone becomes a suspect and family and friends turn against each other as the police investigate what happened, and try to find Cora… dead or alive. I read this book for a friend! Someone in her extended family bought it for her birthday last year, but due to her anxieties she felt she couldn't read it. However, the family member wasn't very sympathetic about what she saw as a rejection of her gift (families, eh?!), so I volunteered to read it for her and write up notes so she could blag it! I have to say that whilst it wasn't a chore to read this, neither did I really enjoy it. It was rather predictable and it put me a little in mind of The Dinner by Herman Koch, in that I didn't warm to any of the characters (apart from maybe the lead detective, but he wasn't very fleshed out – I'd have liked more character about him). However, it was *marginally* more enjoyable than that (which I only gave 2/5) – if I wasn't eliminating half marks this would only be a 2½! It's the sort of book that would probably make for a good book club read, as there would be plenty to discuss, but I shan't actively be seeking anything else by this author. Oh, and I hated the ending which I thought was completely unnecessary! As for my friend, she was thrilled with my 23 page version of the book! The paperback edition is 368 pages long and is published by Corgi. It was first published in 2017. The ISBN is 9780552173148. 3/5 (it was okay) (Finished 20 April 2018)

Ah, the Round Robin! I was a bit surprised as I wouldn't have said this was your choice of book at all, so that explains it. It's good that you're finding it addictive - I guess that means you're enjoying it? I'm currently rereading My Family and Other Animals. I first read this in about 2005 on the recommendation of my then GCSE English tutor (I did the exam as a mature student) and I loved it. I had forgotten just how beautiful the writing is.

I read it in my early 20s. I remember enjoying it but can't recall anything about it. Are you reading it for book club?

The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club by Charles Dickens The ‘blurb’ The Pickwick Papers was Dickens' first novel and was a huge success when it was first published. It tells the tale of the irrepressible Mr Pickwick and his fellow Pickwick Club members who travel around the English countryside getting into all kinds of scrapes and adventures. Funny, warm-hearted and full of memorable and engaging characters, this is an enchanting novel that continues to delight readers today. . In a nutshell, this is the story of Mr Samuel Pickwick who, together with three colleagues - Mr Nathaniel Winkle, Mr Augustus Snodgrass, and Mr Tracy Tupman (collectively known as 'Pickwickians') form The Pickwick Club, the purpose of which is to travel around England making observations to report back to the club. This results in various adventures and mishaps which form the basis of this novel. Initially serialised in a periodical in 20 instalments, it was published in book form in 1837. The escapades of the four are amusing, and I very much liked Pickwick as a character. I think my favourite parts of this novel were those set in Fleet Prison following Pickwick's incarceration after a misunderstanding with his landlady. It is well known that Dickens was a great social reformer and he must have drawn on his own experiences of his father being sent to a debtor's prison. At the time of publication this book was hugely popular with its readers, who eagerly awaited publication of the next part. I felt there were too many incidental unrelated stories, which to my mind were unnecessary padding. However, despite it not being a favourite I did enjoy it and I'm looking forward to continuing my journey through Dickens's books! The paperback edition is 801 pages long and is published by Vintage. It was first published in 2017. The ISBN is 9780099518884. 3/5 (I liked it) (Finished 17 April 2018)

I hope you enjoy them, Alex. Jane Eyre, particularly, is great.

Have you read anything by him before? I'm quite curious as to what he's like as an author!

Thanks, @Madeleine - I hope you enjoy it.

A Time to Change by Callie Langridge The ‘blurb’ I'm putting the blurb behind a spoiler as I think it gives so much away… Lou had such plans – she was going to be a history teacher and inspire future generations, but saddled with debt, her dream seems so far away and she struggles to survive on her wage from a local supermarket – a job she finds dull. When Lou's world comes crashing down around her, she longs to escape to the past where life was… if not perfect, then far happier. Drawn to a long-abandoned manor house called Hill House – scene of childhood hide-and-seek with her brother Stephen – Lou seeks solace amongst the memories of childhood, but there is something strange going on at Hill House, and when past and present collide Lou is drawn into a mystery that may change things, not only for her, but for the ghosts of long ago. I really like time slip books – the majority that I have read have been children's (Tom's Midnight Garden is one of my favourite children's books ever!) or young adult, but this one is firmly aimed at adults (I don't think it would appeal to the younger reader, but I could be wrong). Although not my normal type of read, this was like an entertaining, supernatural Downton Abbey! Yes, one has to suspend disbelief, and okay, it's not going to win any prizes for being great literature, but it was fun with plausible characters and a really entertaining story. It would make a perfect holiday read, I think. In any case, it was perfect for me stuck indoors feeling poorly and just what I needed! The paperback edition is 346 pages long and is published by Bombshell Books. It was first published in 2017. The ISBN is 9781912175628. 4/5 (I enjoyed it) (Finished 7 April 2018)

Our Man in Havana by Graham Greene The ‘blurb’ Wormold is a vacuum cleaner salesman in a city of power cuts. His adolescent daughter spends his money with a skill that amazes him, so when a mysterious Englishman offers him an extra income he's tempted. In return all he has to do is carry out a little espionage and file a few reports. But when his fake reports start coming true, things suddenly get more complicated and Havana becomes a threatening place.. Wormold is a normal, steady man, bringing up his teenage daughter in Havana and running a business selling vacuum cleaners. His daughter Milly is materialistic and wants the best of everything, and Wormold isn't making very much money. So when, due to a series of odd circumstances, he is offered a career as a secret agent he jumps at the chance, thinking it will be quite the game. There is just one problem - he has absolutely no idea how to be a spy! He sets about making up information to send in reports back to London and creates a set of drawings pretending they are secret military operations, when in reality they are really drawings of scaled up vacuum cleaner parts! Everything is going swimmingly until one of his fake agents – or at least the person upon whom Wormwold based his agent – is murdered, and suddenly the game becomes much more dangerous. This is Greene's eighteenth novel, and the first I have read (I gave up on Travels with my Aunt many years ago, but plan to try it again one day) – Greene drew inspiration from his own days as an MI6 agent and the result is this satirical and entertaining story. I was surprised at the humour in this book. It didn't make me laugh out loud (few books do), but it did amuse me. The paperback edition is 256 pages long and is published by Vintage. It was first published in 1958. The ISBN is 9780099286080. 4/5 (I enjoyed it) (Finished 4 April 2018)

Sky Chasers by Emma Carroll The ‘blurb’ An encounter with a boy dangling from the sky changes pickpocket Magpie's life forever. Like her, the boy dreams of flying over the rooftops of Paris. His family, the Montgolfiers, are desperate to be first to discover the secret of flight. Together with Pierre, Magpie is soon caught up in a world of inflatable bloomers, spies and a trio of unruly animals in a race to be the first to fly a hot air balloon - in front of the King and Queen of France. This book was the result of The Big Idea Competition where the winner comes up with an idea for a story and an established author writes it up. The winner, Neal Jackson, came up with the outline of a story called The First Aeronauts in 2014 and the result is Sky Chasers. Magpie lives on the streets of Paris and relies on her wits to survive. When she witnesses a runaway hot air balloon with a boy in tow she steps in to help capture it and finds herself flying, just for a short time, until she comes down to earth with a bump! Her act of helping is fortuitous, as she is offered the opportunity to work for the balloon's creators – the Montgolfier brothers, Joseph and Jacques (known as Étienne). At last it looks as though Magpie's life is looking up – she works hard but finds time to be friends with Joseph's son, Pierre. The Montgolfiers hope to be the first to get their invention to fly, but the English are on their tails with their own prototype balloon and when King Louis XVI of France invites the brothers to Versailles to demonstrate their balloon, the race is on to see who can be the first to truly fly. Emma Carroll is my favourite contemporary children's author so I always look forward to her releases, and this one didn't disappoint. She writes such believable characters – sometimes, like with this one, with real-life people/events and although this is a children's book there was definitely enough in it to keep me entertained. Carroll has two books coming out later this year – more for me to look forward to. The paperback edition is 336 pages long and is published by Chicken House. It was first published in 2017. The ISBN is 9781910655535. 4/5 (I enjoyed it) (Finished 31 March 2018) Edit: On a shallow note, isn't the cover pretty!

I was talking to Kay about this, and she said it's a popular misconception, so giving the author the benefit of the doubt, maybe the character made that mistake (although the author has links to the advert on her website, so maybe not!).

Parliament of Rooks: Haunting Brontë Country by Karen Perkins The ‘blurb’ Nine-year-old Harry Sutcliff hates working at Rooks Mill and is forever in trouble for running away to the wide empty spaces of the moors – empty but for the song of the skylark, the antics of the rabbits, and the explorations of Emily Brontë. Bound together over the years by their love of the moors, Emily and Harry develop a lasting friendship, but not everyone is happy about it – especially Martha, Harry’s wife. As Martha's jealous rages grow in ferocity, Harry does not realise the danger he is in. A hundred and fifty years later, this danger also threatens Verity and her new beau, William. Only time will tell if Verity and William have the strength to fight off the ghosts determined to shape their lives, or whether they will succumb to an age-old betrayal. I came across this on Amazon a few weeks ago and it sounded interesting. As I mentioned earlier in the thread, I had been pretty poorly and wanted something that didn't take too much thinking about, and thought this might fit the bill. It's about a woman called Verity who, on the breakup of her marriage to her cheating husband, buys an old building on the steep hill in Haworth and gives up her job in order to turn it into a Brontë-themed guest house, which she will then run. With a team of builders appointed and her two best friends to help, she sets about doing the building up, but it seems she's not alone in the building – it appears to be haunted! Verity has flashbacks to the past – to Emily Brontë – and as the flashbacks increase they threaten to bring everything she has worked for crashing down... Okay, so I mostly enjoyed this. I felt the modern elements weren't so good – for me, the writing just wasn't very good and the characters and plot were rather clichéd. When I first started the focus was mostly on the modern period and I felt it was heading for a 2/5 score. However, the historical parts were very well written and I really enjoyed those, so it ended up as a 3/5, but only because the third part of the book was so good (if quite short) and I really loved Harry, Martha and, of course, Emily. One thing in particular rather irritated me - the author references Haworth as being the scene of the iconic Hovis advert from the 70s (once voted the nation's favourite TV advert) – but it was actually filmed in Gold Hill in Shaftsbury, Dorset. I know, because I've walked up it! I know it's not a big thing in the great scheme of things, and it didn't affect the story, but fact would have been easily verified by Googling and it's a shame the author didn't do that as it just felt a bit sloppy. I'm not sure I would read this author again – I was only drawn to it for the Brontë element - but overall it was enjoyable enough and just what I needed when not feeling 100%. The book is self-published and I'm pretty certain this is the first such book I have read. The paperback edition is 364 pages long and is published by LionheART Publishing House. It was first published in 2017. The ISBN is 9781910115770. 3/5 (I liked it) (Finished 30 March 2018)

Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys The ‘blurb’ If Antoinette Cosway, a spirited Creole heiress, could have foreseen the terrible future that awaited her, she would not have married the young Englishman. Initially drawn to her beauty and sensuality, he becomes increasingly frustrated by his inability to reach into her soul. He forces Anoinette to conform to his rigid Victorian ideals, unaware that in taking away her identity he is destroying a part of himself as well as pushing her towards madness. Set against the lush backdrop of 1830s Jamaica, Jean Rhys's haunting novel was inspired by the first Mrs. Rochester, the mad wife in Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre. This novel is a prequel to the wonderful Jane Eyre, (although it would stand up on its own - I think I possibly got more out of it knowing what it was leading up to) Charlotte Brontë's classic story of a young woman who falls in love with her employer only to find that they cannot be together because he is not free to marry. Rhys takes the idea of Rochester's wife Antoinette, referred to as Bertha by Rochester and examines how she ended up insane and in the attic at Thornfield Hall. The book is in three parts. The estate on which Antoinette lives has fallen into disrepair since the abolition of slavery, the family's former trade, and the family are now in very reduced circumstances. Antoinette's mother Annette marries a wealthy man called Mr Mason, but their marriage causes tension amongst the former slaves and events trigger Annette's slip into an insanity borne of grief. Antoinette is sent away to live with her Aunt Cora. Time moves on and Mr Rochester has had an arranged marriage to Antoinette. At first they are happy but after their honeymoon Rochester discovers that there is a history of insanity in Antoinette's family and he drags his wife back to England. The final part of the novel, the shortest of three, reflects the events that take place in Jane Eyre. I loved the writing in this novel and I really loved Antoinette's character. I wasn't so keen on Rhys's treatment of Mr Rochester, although it has been a long time since I read Jane Eyre, so maybe I'm remembering it through rose coloured glasses? Either way, I enjoyed the book, but think I will remember Mr Rochester as Charlotte portrayed him. This book counts towards my very-long-term World Challenge as Rhys was born in Dominica, and part of the novel takes place there too. The paperback edition is 160 pages long and is published by Penguin. It was first published in 1966. The ISBN is 9780241951552. 4/5 (I enjoyed it) (Finished 28 March 2018)

I found two E H Young books in Clifton Village today, Claire, but sadly not the two you're missing!

She is a great writer. I'm definitely planning to read more. My Mum got it out of the library today at my recommendation! I haven't read the author before - have you? Me too - I just hope I remember your DVD!

The New Mrs Clifton by Elizabeth Buchan The ‘blurb’ At the close of the Second World War, Intelligence Officer Gus Clifton returns to London. On his arm is Krista, the German wife he married secretly in Berlin. For his sisters, this broken woman is nothing more than the enemy. For Nella, Gus's loyal fiancée, it is a terrible betrayal. These three friends wonder what hold Krista has over decent, honourable Gus. And, they ask themselves, how far will they have to go to permanently get her out of their home, their future, their England? Widowed Julia and her younger, livelier, sister Tilly live in Clapham in a bomb damaged street, patiently awaiting the return of their brother Gus from World War Two where he has been working interrogating Nazi suspects. They are shocked when he brings a wife back with him – a German. Until recently, Krista was their natural enemy and they can't believe what they see as their brother's betrayal, not only of his country, but also of Nella, the quiet, gentle woman to whom Gus was engaged. As Krista tries to settle in she faces hostility not only from her new family, but also from the wider community – just what it is that Krista has over Gus, and what can be done to break that hold…? I wanted something light and easy to read on a recent trip to London and this book fitted the bill perfectly. I really liked the characterisation in the book. Although none of those Krista encountered in London have much sympathy for Krista in her new surroundings, which was entirely understandable, I liked the way she dealt with her new situation with dignity, able to understand how her arrival must seem to everyone. The couple's marriage was frowned upon by Gus's employers, but at the same time, they knew that Krista would be a useful asset. The war may be over, but there was still work to be done seeking out war criminals. Although one sister was initially slightly warmer towards Krista than the other, that situation began to reverse. It was an interesting study of human nature from these elements of the story, I think. Although it was indeed an easy read, I found it to be quite an absorbing story with a great ending. I don't know much about the author but will definitely investigate some more of her work. The paperback edition is 416 pages long and is published by Penguin. It was first published in 2016. The ISBN is 97811405918190. I Read it on Kindle. 4/5 (I enjoyed it) (Finished 26 March 2018)

I didn't realise one could do that, @chesilbeach. I will look next time! I'm a bit out of Audible at the moment - I think I have 3 credits, and another one due! I need to start walking again!

This was (I think) the first book I have ever properly WhisperSynced - such clever technology, although I stuck to listening in the car as I read faster than the book is narrated (if that makes sense - it does in my head!). I do hope you enjoy it. As I said, not as powerful as North and South but very good.

Aberystwyth Mon Amour by Malcolm Pryce The ‘blurb’ Schoolboys are disappearing all over Aberystwyth and nobody knows why. Louie Knight, the town's private investigator, soon realises that it is going to take more than a double ripple from Sospan, the philosopher cum ice-cream seller, to help find out what is happening to these boys and whether or not Lovespoon, the Welsh teacher, Grand Wizard of the Druids and controller of the town, is more than just a sinister bully. And just who was Gwenno Guevara? Schoolboys are mysteriously disappearing in Aberystwyth and Louie Knight, the town's only Private Investigator, is called upon by exotic singer Myfanwy to find her missing schoolboy cousin, Evans the Boot. The town is largely lawless now - the police have scant power and the town is being controlled by a Druid faction, a kind of contradictory mafia! Knight's former PE teacher is now their leader and Knight is convinced that he is somehow involved and that it has something to do with the Patagonian war of 1961. As he investigates further he discovers that the present and his own past are inextricably linked to the disappearances and his own safety is about to be compromised… Well, this was a rather bonkers book, and one I would never have picked up in a million years if it wasn't chosen for my Book Club! I gather that this book style is called 'noir' in a similar vein to Jasper Fforde (I know so many people who love his books, but they just sound rather too off-the-wall!) and as it's not a genre I have read before, so I had no idea what to expect! Set in alternative Aberystwyth on the west coast of Wales, this book had the curious feel of being set in the future and the 1950s all at the same time, even though it's actually set in the 1980s! I loved the quirky characters, especially Louis's sidekick 'Calamity' Jane, a streetwise truant-playing schoolgirl! The book was chosen by the one member of our club who is Welsh. She was at uni in Aberystwyth in the late 1990s which gave the book the extra edge for her, and of course, being Welsh she 'got' a lot of the in-jokes which bypassed the rest of us. Nonetheless, it was a fun, if barmy, read. I'm not sure I'll ever get round to reading any Jasper Fforde books, but I might try the second of these sometime! The paperback edition is 256 pages long and is published by Bloomsbury. It was first published in 2001. The ISBN is 9781408800676. 4/5 (quirky – I enjoyed it) (Finished 20 March 2018)

Thanks, Claire. We have a Nespresso so I tend to have that decaf if I want something other than instant, although I think I probably prefer the cafetière over the Nespresso - it's just such a fag to clean! I will give that a go next time I buy ground coffee (I do occasionally put my laziness aside and use the cafetière!).