Review of hardback book The Death Chamber – Book 6 of The Detective’s Daughter series by Lesley Thomson #Brainfluffbookreview #TheDeathChamberbookreview

Anyone who has been on this blog for any length of time knows that this is one of my favourite authors as I find her detailed worldbuilding, steady accumulation of clues and layered, complex characterisation adds up to a thoroughly satisfying read. See my review of her first book in this series, The Detective’s Daughter. I had acquired this copy at a book signing and reading and then put it down in the kitchen, where it promptly got buried under a pile of other books. I was delighted when I unearthed it…

Queen’s Jubilee, 1977: Cassie Baker sees her boyfriend kissing another girl at the village disco. Upset, she heads home alone and is never seen again.
Millennium Eve, 1999: DCI Paul Mercer finds Cassie’s remains in a field. Now he must prove the man who led him there is guilty.

When Mercer’s daughter asks Stella Darnell for help solving the murder, Stella see echoes of herself. Another detective’s daughter. With her sidekick sleuth, Jack, Stella moves to Winchcombe, where DCI Mercer and his prime suspect have been playing cat and mouse for the past eighteen years…

Stella Darnell’s father was a detective married to the job – and Stella bears the scars. She set up and now runs her own very successful cleaning company, but is increasingly drawn to the drama and tension surrounding the business of solving cold-case murders. Jack, her partner in these investigations also has a fascinating backstory, which I won’t be revealing here as it wanders into spoiler territory. Each of them is a loner, and I enjoyed the increasing tension as they now both feel uncomfortable keeping secrets from each other to an extent that occasionally trips into humour. Lucie Mae, local journalist and long-running character, also crashes into this investigation and brings along her budgie.

Thomson manages to evoke the countryside very well from the viewpoint of two confirmed Londoners as they rent a ramshackle cottage while investigating the crime. Her vivid worldbuilding is her superpower, as we get the sound and feel of Winchcombe and the sense of a tight-knit community, who nevertheless enjoy the chance to talk about the murdered girl, especially as her convicted killer is due to be released on parole. Though a fair few people don’t believe he committed the crime.

I found it difficult to put this one down as Jack and Stella steadily gather evidence and red herrings, while someone is also trying to persuade them to walk away. As ever, I didn’t guess who the murderer was until I was supposed to – and this time in particular, there is a development near the end that means Jack’s life is about to change forever. The thing I find with Thomson’s books, is that once I’ve finished reading one, the characters and situation goes on living in my head. And no… that isn’t usual for me. Normally once I’ve put a book down and written the review, I usually move onto the next book and rarely recall it. But Stella and Jack have wriggled into my inscape and rearranged my mental furniture. Highly recommended for fans of intelligent, murder mysteries set in a vivid contemporary setting.
10/10

Discovery Challenge 2017 and Tackling My TBR – June Roundup

After reading Jo Hall’s post on the problems women authors have with getting discovered, I’ve been taking part in the challenge to read and review at least 24 books by female authors each year that were previously unknown to me for the last two years. During June, I read three books towards my 2017 Discovery Challenge, which brings my annual number of books written by women writers I hadn’t read before to nineteen. They are:

River of Teeth – Book 1 of the River of Teeth novella series by Sarah Gailey
In the early 20th Century, the United States government concocted a plan to import hippopotamuses into the marshlands of Louisiana to be bred and slaughtered as an alternative meat source. This is true. Other true things about hippos: they are savage, they are fast, and their jaws can snap a man in two. This was a terrible plan. Contained within this volume is an 1890s America that might have been: a bayou overrun by feral hippos and mercenary hippo wranglers from around the globe. It is the story of Winslow Houndstooth and his crew. It is the story of their fortunes. It is the story of his revenge.
This is a real roller-coaster ride with plenty of mayhem and violence along the way. That said, there is also a large dollop of humour amid the tension – think of The Magnificent Seven set in a swamp with hippos. See my review here.

Sherlock Mars by Jackie Kingon
Molly Marbles runs a successful bistro on terraformed Mars. But a virtual restaurant opens near her place, offering the experience of delicacies from across the Solar System with none of the calories. What will this do to her business? Then its owner is murdered in her kitchen. Molly, an amateur detective, springs into action to help the police solve the mystery, while also planning her pop-star daughter’s wedding, keeping her kitchen staff from feuding, and protecting her cyborg friend from the humans-only mob. Meanwhile, the infamous Cereal Serial Killer has escaped prison on Pluto and has everyone worried. Things are getting hectic, but Molly is a resilient and resourceful woman. And her knack for mysteries sees her nick-named ‘Sherlock Mars’.
This is basically a cosy mystery set in space. It has the classic ingredients – a victim that no one seems to care all that much about; a quirky, successful restaurant owner who inexplicably has sufficient time to shoot off here, there and everywhere to run down a number of clues; a friendly law enforcement officer who is happy to let Molly have crucial details of the ongoing case; lots of foodie details along the way. See my review here.

The Invisible Library – Book 1 of The Invisible Library series by Genevieve Gogman
Irene is a professional spy for the mysterious Library, which harvests fiction from different realities. And along with her enigmatic assistant Kai, she’s posted to an alternative London. Their mission – to retrieve a dangerous book. But when they arrive, it’s already been stolen. London’s underground factions seem prepared to fight to the very death to find her book. Adding to the jeopardy, this world is chaos-infested – the laws of nature bent to allow supernatural creatures and unpredictable magic. Irene’s new assistant is also hiding secrets of his own. Soon, she’s up to her eyebrows in a heady mix of danger, clues and secret societies. Yet failure is not an option – the nature of reality itself is at stake.
I really enjoyed Irene’s character – brought up knowing that she would eventually always work for the Library as her parents were both Librarians, she is slightly apart from many of her colleagues. She is also cool-headed and used to keeping her own counsel – quite different from many of the rather emotional protagonists we are used to seeing in fantasy adventure. Review to follow.

I also managed to clear two books from my TBR pile. They are:

The Dog Walker – Book 5 of The Detective’s Daughter series by Lesley Thomson
January, 1987. In the depths of winter, only joggers and dog walkers brave the Thames towpath after dark. Helen Honeysett, a young newlywed, sets off for an evening run from her riverside cottage and disappears. Twenty-nine years later, Helen’s body has never been found. Her husband has asked Stella Darnell, a private detective, and her side-kick Jack Harmon, to find out what happened all those years ago. But when the five households on that desolate stretch of towpath refuse to give up their secrets, Stella and Jack find themselves hunting a killer whose trail has long gone cold.
I thoroughly enjoyed this one. Thomson’s atmospheric writing this time around has taken us to another obscure corner of London – she seems to specialise in those – where a crime was committed that shatters one family and blights the lives of others, including the husband of the victim. See my review here.

The Invisible Library – Book 1 of The Invisible Library series by Genevieve Cogman
See above

This means I’ve managed to clear thirty-two books from my teetering TBR pile so far this year – a lot better than last year so far. Have you read any of the above books? If so, what did you think?

Review of KINDLE Ebook The Dog Walker – Book 5 of The Detective’s Daughter by Lesley Thomson

I was delighted to see this one on Kindle as I had wanted to attend the book launch, but simply been too ill. Now that I have got ahead with my Netgalley arcs, I could give sufficient time to properly savour this book as I love Thomson’s writing – see my review of The House With No Rooms.

January, 1987. In the depths of winter, only joggers and dog walkers brave the Thames towpath after dark. Helen Honeysett, a young newlywed, sets off for an evening run from her riverside cottage and disappears. Twenty-nine years later, Helen’s body has never been found. Her husband has asked Stella Darnell, a private detective, and her side-kick Jack Harmon, to find out what happened all those years ago. But when the five households on that desolate stretch of towpath refuse to give up their secrets, Stella and Jack find themselves hunting a killer whose trail has long gone cold.

I thoroughly enjoyed this one. Thomson’s atmospheric writing this time around has taken us to another obscure corner of London – she seems to specialise in those – where a crime was committed that shatters one family and blights the lives of others, including the husband of the victim. With two timelines running – one set around the time of the murder and afterwards as the consequences begin to stack up, while the other one is set here and now centred on the investigative efforts of Stella and Jack.

While there is not much in the way of gore in Thomson’s work, that doesn’t mean it is a particularly cosy read. Murder is not treated as an interesting puzzle here, but an act that has cut short a life and shattered the lives of others caught up in the investigation. Thomson writes particularly well from the pov of children who are involved, trying to make sense of what they see and hear. The sense of damage caused is reinforced by Jack’s own experiences as a child, which means he often imagines he is talking to his long-dead mother and goes on long, nocturnal walks as he has problems sleeping.

That said, this isn’t overall a gloomy read, either. While Thomson refuses to treat the crime with levity, Stella’s relationship with her mother, Suzie, is often amusing and her efforts to control Stanley, the little poodle she has acquired, are particularly funny if you have ever owned a dog. While Stanley is evidently fond of her, she clearly isn’t someone who is a natural around animals.

But for me, the reason why this is a standout read, is that in common with the rest of the series, the investigation into the crime slowly unravels. There are no speedy shortcuts. Between them, Stella and Jack piece together snippets of information to help discover who was doing what when the crime was committed. Some of those snippets prove to be wrong, or lead them astray – some we know from the start cannot be right, thanks to the flashbacks which give us, the reader, insights into aspects of the crime and its impact on the bystanders that Stella and Jack cannot have. Thomson’s thorough, precise approach means this book is a joy. In attempting to find out who killed Helen, Stella and Jack need to talk to all the residents in the row of cottages running alongside the towpath – in getting to meet all the potential suspects and witnesses, we also are introduced to a cast of characters who bounce off the page with their vividness.

One of the bonuses in having read the previous books – though it isn’t necessary to do so in order to enjoy The Dog Walker – is that we also have the pleasure of meeting up again with the likes of Suzie, Stella’s mother, and Lucie May, journalist and former lover of Terry Darnell, Stella’s father. I particularly enjoyed the role that Lucie played in this story and how it gave us a further insight into her character.

If you enjoy reading books more about the why than the gory deed itself – if you enjoy watching characters’ motivations and secrets unpeeled, then track this one down. While there are many cold case mysteries out there – books of this quality don’t come along all that often.

10/10

Sunday Post – 18th June 2017

This is part of the weekly meme over at the Caffeinated Book Reviewer, where book bloggers can share the books and blogs they have written.

Last Sunday was once again all about the garden. I’m very carefully not saying anything about the weather except that it isn’t raining and it isn’t cold, as last time I bragged about the marvellous sunshine we were having on my Sunday Post, we had gale-force winds and torrential rain for the next five days.

It has been a very busy week as my sister has finally arrived from France and is busy moving into a flat just up the road. I have been helping her buy furniture and sort out where important things like the best supermarket, the local branch of her bank, and furniture stores are. Once she has settled in, I’m really looking forward to showing her all the lovely walks and beauty spots around here. I still cannot quite believe she will only be living five minutes away from me.

On Thursday, Tim took his first external exam. We don’t know whether he has passed it or not, but he did brilliantly – remaining so calm throughout and answering all questions. I’m so proud of how hard he has worked to get where he is.

As you will see below, I haven’t got much reading done this week as my sister was staying with us for the first five days, only moving into her flat on Friday. We had a lot of catching up to do…

This week I have read:

The Dog Walker – Book 5 of the Detective’s Daughter series by Lesley Thomson
January, 1987. In the depths of winter, only joggers and dog walkers brave the Thames towpath after dark. Helen Honeysett, a young newlywed, sets off for an evening run from her riverside cottage and disappears. Twenty-nine years later, Helen’s body has never been found. Her husband has asked Stella Darnell, a private detective, and her side-kick Jack Harmon, to find out what happened all those years ago. But when the five households on that desolate stretch of towpath refuse to give up their secrets, Stella and Jack find themselves hunting a killer whose trail has long gone cold.
I thoroughly enjoyed this one. One of the reasons why this is the only book I’ve read this week, is that The Dog Walker – with the steady drip feeding of clues, potential suspects and witnesses – deserves to be read slowly, so I took my time and savoured it. I will be reviewing it in due course.

My posts last week:

Sunday Post – 11th June 2017

*NEW RELEASE SPECIAL* Review of River of Teeth – Book 1 of the River of Teeth novella series by Sarah Gailey

Teaser Tuesday featuring A Peace Divided – Book 2 of the Peacekeeper series by Tanya Huff

Review of The Sorcerer’s Garden by D. Wallace Peach

Review of The Keeper of Lost Things by Ruth Hogan

Friday Face-off – My guitar is not a thing. It is an extension of myself featuring Soul Music – Book 16 of the Discworld series by Terry Pratchett

*NEW RELEASE SPECIAL* Review of Borne by Jeff VanderMeer

Interesting/outstanding blogs and articles that have caught my attention during the last week, in no particular order:

Events – What to look forward to in Summer 2017 – http://earthianhivemind.net/2017/06/15/events-look-forward-summer-2017/ A very useful mini-roundup of some major events for SFF book lovers in particular – is anyone going to these?

Lessons Learned from John Kaag: Re-route, Re-boot – https://jeanleesworld.com/2017/06/15/lessons-learned-from-john-kaag-re-route-re-root/ Another beautiful, profound article from this talented writer on negotiating family life…

#WhenDreamsComeTrue with Sarah Hardy Publicist at Bloodhound Books https://mychestnutreadingtree.wordpress.com/2017/06/16/whendreamscometrue-with-sarah-hardy-publicist-at-bloodhound-books-sarahhardy681-bloodhoundbook/ A lovely article about how a woman is in the process of achieving her dream job

The Leaning Tower of Pisa – https://photolicioux.wordpress.com/2017/06/03/the-leaning-tower-of-pisa/ I love this photo…

Please Do Not Support my Patreon – http://writerunboxed.com/2017/06/17/please-do-not-support-my-patreon/ The hilarious Bill Ferris strikes again on yet another how-not-to article for aspiring writers and bloggers…

Thank you for visiting and taking the time and trouble to comment – and may you have a wonderful reading and blogging week.

Teaser Tuesday – 6th June, 2017

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by The Purple Booker.
Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

This is my choice of the day:

The Dog Walker – Book 5 of The Detective’s Daughter series by Lesley Thomson
30% Dad wasn’t a murderer!’. Suzie’s disparagements of Terry hadn’t lessened with his death, but she’d never gone this far. ‘He was a detective.’
‘Murderers and detectives are two sides of a coin,’ Suzie said sagely.
Stella felt, as she often did around her mum, overwhelmed by a rolling fog.

BLURB: January, 1987. In the depths of winter, only joggers and dog walkers brave the Thames towpath after dark. Helen Honeysett, a young newlywed, sets off for an evening run from her riverside cottage and disappears.
Twenty-nine years later, Helen’s body has never been found. Her husband has asked Stella Darnell, a private detective, and her side-kick Jack Harmon, to find out what happened all those years ago. But when the five households on that desolate stretch of towpath refuse to give up their secrets, Stella and Jack find themselves hunting a killer whose trail has long gone cold.

About a third of the into this cold case murder mystery, once more I’m struck by the sheer class of Thomson’s writing. I love this atmospheric, quirky read with the dual timeline, giving us a present-day insight into Stella and Jack’s lives and the events that led to Helen’s disappearance. This is one I’m both trying to spin out because of the sheer reading pleasure – while wanting to keep turning the pages to find out what happens next…

My Outstanding Books of 2016

Last year was an amazing year for reading. I cannot recall when I last read so many exciting, engrossing and well crafted books. Below are the ones which have left a niche in my inscape so they may not have initially got a 10/10, but nevertheless these are the ones that have stayed with me…

The Just City – Book 1 of the Thessaly series by Jo Walton

This amazing, thought provoking series is essentially examining Plato’s ideas for an ideal society striving towards excellence as propounded in The Republic. It’s quirky, imaginative and clever – vintage Walton in other words. She has to be one of the most exciting, talented writers of our age.

 

Uprooted by Naomi Novik

This is a variation of the ‘Beauty and the Beast’ story that is filled with mystery, magic and a strong sense of place. The isolation and brooding sense of being at the whim of someone who is perhaps not wholly stable permeates the book.

 

The Many Selves of Katherine North by Emma Geen

This hard science fiction tale of a shape-shifter is an extraordinary book, rich with techie detail and some of the most vivid sensory writing I’ve read. In addition, the story takes you in one direction – until you suddenly realise it is about something else altogether. Clever and original, this impressive debut novel marks Geen as One to Watch.

 

The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi

The cover of this book is lushly beautiful – which is also an accurate description of the prose spinning this story into a classic tale that wouldn’t be out of place if it turned up as one of the tales of Scheherazade. What really sold it, though, was the carnivorous horse with smart mouth…

 

The Annihilation Score – Book 6 The Laundry Files by Charles Stross

Unlike the rest of this clever, readable series, this book is told in the viewpoint of Bob Howard’s wife, Mo. She has a bone violin as a weapon to battle the Lovecraftian monsters emerging from another dimension and threatening life on Earth as we know it. You won’t be surprised to learn that wielding such an instrument exacts a heavy cost. Stross has depicted a heartbreaking heroine who leaves a lump in my throat.

 

The House with No Rooms – Book 4 of The Detective’s Daughter series
by Lesley Thomson

I love Thomson’s clever, layered writing that assumes her readers are capable of joining the dots and her leisurely pacing that steadily builds a creeping sense of wrongness. Stella’s quirky world view prevails and in amongst the tragedy and pain, there are welcome shafts of humour. I’ve dreamt about this book…

 

Me Before You by JoJo Moyes

This book, rightly, has garnered a huge amount of attention and I nearly didn’t read it because of the fuss. Which would have been a real shame, because the story is gripping, funny and painful and without an ounce of sentiment. I certainly didn’t think it would end the way it did.

 

An Accident of Stars – Book 1 of The Manifold Worlds series by Foz Meadows

This portal fantasy gripped me from the first page and still hasn’t let go. I was completely caught up in the adventure, which quickly took me out of my comfort zone and captivated me. I still find myself wondering what I’d do if confronted with the same circumstances and hope that Meadows writes quickly, because I badly want to know what happens next.

 

The Fifth Season – Book 1 of the Broken Earth series by N.K. Jemisin

I love her Inheritance series, but blogging buddy Sara Letourneau kept banging on about this one, so I got hold of it. And I’m so very glad I did… The writing is extraordinary. Jemisin takes all the rules about writing by the scruff of the neck and gives them a thorough shaking. I stayed awake to read this one, caught up with Essun’s furious grief and felt bereft once I came to the end of it.

 

Spiderlight by Adrian Tchaikovsky

This clever, unsettling adventure takes the classic fantasy trope of the band of heroes and bounces it off the walls. The result is funny, creepy and poignant by turns – and absolutely engrossing. It also raises some tricky moral questions.

 

Spellbreaker – Book 3 of the Spellwright Trilogy by Blake Charlton

This fantasy adventure vividly depicts a family where every one of them is lethally powerful such that it seriously gets in the way of their love for each other. The result is riveting and original – it has lodged itself in my brain like a burr, because if you have the power to level cities or predict your father’s death, then it’s probably going to make the inevitable family tiff somewhat tricky.

 

The Summer Goddess by Joanne Hall

I’ve always enjoyed Hall’s writing – but this particular tale of abduction and slavery tugged at my heart from the first chapter and kept on doing so throughout. Her heroine is painfully fallible and yet doggedly courageous – and the writing is always so well crafted. It’s another one that won’t leave me in peace…

 

Songs of Seraphina by Jude Houghton

This disturbing portal novel is about revenge and bloodshed – and how those that pay the price often are innocent. It grabbed me from the beginning as we learn about the three sisters and I read through the night to learn what befalls them – and I’m really hoping that Houghton is busy writing a sequel, for I want more of this savage, magical world.

 

A Natural History of Dragons – Book 1 of The Memoirs of Lady Trent series
by Marie Brennan

What’s not to love? A dogged, adventuring Victorian lady who defies convention to go adventuring to learn more about dragons in their habitat. The book is written after the style of a 19th century novel and enchanted me – happily there are more in the series and I’m going to be plunging back into this world just as soon as I can.

 

Just One Damned Thing After Another – Book 1 of The Chronicles of St Mary’s
by Jodi Taylor

This time travelling novel is set in a Government-run establishment that has the same feel I imagine Bletchley would have done during WW2 – though the attrition rate is definitely higher at St Mary’s. The time-travelling historians – or ‘disaster-magnets’ as they are described in this punchy, amusing adventure – tend to die rather a lot.

So there they are – my outstanding reads of 2016. I highly recommend each and every one of them as offering something special and unique. And if you insist on forcing me to choose only one of them, then you’re a cruel, unfeeling monster – but if I HAD to, then it would have to be N.K. Jemisin’s The Fifth Season. The intensity of the writing, the cool premise and the way she builds on the characters has this one etched into my mind.

Shoot for the Moon Challenge 2016 – September Roundup

This is the month where the summer break finishes and I resume my teaching at Northbrook College and with Tim. It was also busy as I had a long week-end away at my mother’s where we caught up and enjoyed a bit of retail therapy then at the end of the month, J and I travelled up to Scarborough to Fantasycon 2016.

• While I, inevitably didn’t read so many books during September, completing only nine, the lack of quantity was more than made up for by the quality. Another joyous month with a slew of wonderful reads. I loved E.D.E. Bell’s The Fettered Flame – her worlds are intriguing and post pertinent questions about what happens to those who aspire to step outside the norms of society. Crosstalk by Connie Willis was huge fun with a serious message under all the mayhem, while Alastair Reynolds’ Revenger piratical space opera tale was engrossing. But my standout reads this month were Joanne Hall’s The Summer Goddess and the final book in Jo Walton’s amazing Thessaly Trilogy, Necessity.
Challenge – To review a minimum of 100 books during 2016 and widen my reading to include more authors new to me. I nailed this challenge last month, but am pleased the Netgalley arcs I’ve requested continue to delight. I was also delighted to have a line from one of my reviews appear on the paperback edition of Lesley Thomson’s best-selling novel The House With no Rooms. And last week, Netgalley have informed me I have reviewed 80% of the arcs I’ve requested.

• I have continued to submit my work. Hopefully, my main rewriting project, of the summer is on the final lap – I started editing Netted in the last week of September and should have it ready to resubmit by the end of this week. I also received detailed, very helpful feedback on Miranda’s Tempest. I can now see how to improve it, so will be starting on a major rewrite of that manuscript as soon as I have the time.
Challenge – To continue to submit my work.

I had hoped to have made a start on Bloodless – that was in the plan I made at the start of the year, anyhow. However, I hadn’t factored in the major rewrite of Netted or major surgery on Miranda’s Tempest. While rewrites don’t take up quite the amount of time and effort of a first draft, I certainly cannot consider writing one book and editing another – I wish I could, but I’m too much of a mono-tasker, sadly.

I wrote just over 10,000 words on my blog in September and more than 15,000 words on my course notes and teaching admin, so my monthly wordcount came to just over 25,000. This brings my total for the year so far to just under 227,000 words. Have you had any schedules or plans for reading, writing or blogging this year go peelie-wally?

Sunday Post – 5th June

This is part of the weekly meme over at the Caffeinated Book Reviewer, where book bloggers can share the books and blogs they have written.

As it’s been half term, I have had a break from my teaching commitments, so have managed to motor ahead to complete editing the third draft of Breathing Space. We had the grandchildren staying over last Sunday and Monday, which was lovely as ever – and the puppy that my daughter is fostering also came for a sleepover. Unfortunately, she spent her time in the garden digging up the cats’ poo and eating it, which gave her an upset tummy – a real shame, as otherwise she is a poppet.

On Wednesday evening, I attended a murder mystery evening at Littlehampton library, as part of their 110th anniversary celebrations – making them the oldest free library in West Sussex. The murder had been designed by Ann Cleves and was thoroughly entertaining, despite the fact that I was hopelessly wrong in guessing whodunit.

 

 

On Friday evening, as part of the Worthing World of Words 2016 literary festival, I attended a poetry reading by David Constantine and Jenny Feldman. It was brilliant – both these poets were inspirational – I particularly loved David’s poem ‘Rec’ and Jenny’s poem ‘Swifts’. They also talked about their work, what inspires them and their writing process. I came away buzzing.

Yesterday, I attended three more brilliant talks as part of the Worthing WOW Festival – the first one was by my writing buddy and professional editor, Sarah Palmer who gave a workshop on how to write a synopsis. She gave us a step by step ‘how to’ guide and even more importantly, an example of a synopsis. As I’d rather write ten novels than one of these beasts, I found it really helpful.

The second talk was on social media for writers, where Nichola Smalley, who is the publicist for the literary publishing company And Other Stories, explained the different forms of social media and how writers could use them. Her best advice was to concentrate on the platform that we feel most comfortable using and to enjoy ourselves.

Literary agent Victoria Salter gave a fascinating talk on how she saw the state of the UK publishing industry, given the major changes she has seen in her nine years as an agent. This was a really interesting insight in what an insider felt about some of the seismic changes that have convulsed the industry.

I’ve had a really sociable, enjoyable week, in addition to reading four books, which are:

Dangerous Journey – Book 3 of Beaver Towers by Nigel Hinton
During his stay last Bank Holiday weekend, Oscar was very keen to finish this story, so we curled up on the sofa together during a chilly afternoon and joined Phillip, Baby B and Nick on their battle against the Prince of Darkness. Once more, a tension-filled, enjoyable adventure that held Oscar’s attention until the end.

The House with No Rooms – Book 4 of The Detective Daughter’s series by Lesley Thomson
When I attended the launch party for this book the previous week, of course I scooped it up – and got my copy signed. So I immediately dived into it as a treat – and loved it. Lesley writes with great perception and intelligence in this unusual whodunit.

 

Last Call at the Nightshade Lounge by Paul Krueger
This intriguing urban fantasy deals with the life and doings of Chicago bartenders, who battle evil flesh-eating demons by using cocktails – and these recipes are set out in The Devil’s Water Dictionary. This is great fun, with an intriguing, fresh twist on the urban fantasy trope, and an appealing protagonist, Bailey Chen. My review will be posted on the blog during the coming week.

 

Cursed – Book 2 of The Soulseer’s Chronicles by Sue Tingey
I read and enjoyed the first book in the series, Marked, so when Sue contacted me and asked me if I’d like to read the second book, I immediately agreed. It’s great fun, with plenty of pace and chockful of surprises as half-daemon Lucky de Salle begins to discover what she is capable of. My review will be appearing on Brainfluff during the week.

My posts last week:
Sunday Post – 29th May

Review of Change of Life – Book 2 of A Menopausal Superhero series by Samantha Bryant

Teaser Tuesday – Last Call at the Nightshade Lounge by Paul Krueger

*NEW RELEASE SPECIAL* Review of The Many Selves of Katherine North by Emma Geen

My 1,000th Post – Shoot for the Moon Challenge 2016 – May Roundup

Friday Faceoff – In the Beginning There Was Nothing, Which Exploded featuring Hilldiggers – Book 2 of the Polity series by Neal Asher

*NEW RELEASE SPECIAL* Review of The House With No Rooms – Book 4 of The Detective’s Daughter by Lesley Thomson

Other interesting/outstanding blogs and articles that have caught my attention during the last week:

Joanna Maciejewska’s great piece of short fiction – Miye’s In http://melfka.com/read-online/miyes-in … A fabulous short story…

Self published thriller writer Seumas Gallacher generously shared his findings, when he tried a selection of a number of book-marketing websites aimed at the indie market.
…Authors–caveat emptor re book-selling websites–the final report makes for sorry reading… https://seumasgallacher.com/2016/05/31/authors-caveat-emptor-re-book-selling-websites-the-final-report-makes-for-sorry-reading/ … via @seumasgallacher

A tempting offer, if you’re looking for a quality read at a VERY reasonable price from one of the best indie writers I know.
Flaming June? Curl up under the blankets & read! …https://zenandtheartoftightropewalking.wordpress.com/2016/06/01/flaming-june-curl-up-under-the-blankets-read/ … via @guineapig66 Great value for a great book!

A really enjoyable quiz.
What Is Your Spirit Animal? https://www.buzzfeed.com/egeen/what-is-your-spirit-animal-2c0p3 … via @buzzfeeders This is fun:))

And this is also a hoot…
Eleanor Roosevelt says: | The Müscleheaded Blog https://jeanreinhardt.wordpress.com/2016/06/01/eleanor-roosevelt-says-the-muscleheaded-blog/ … via @jeanreinhardt1 This made me howl with laughter…

As you can see, it’s been a busy week – again. And a momentous one, given that I’m now a millennium blogger, so here’s to the next thousand posts! Many thanks to all of you who take the trouble to visit and comment, it’s always appreciated. I’m now hoping that the weather will stop sulking in the foothills of April and finally give us a June worth the name, as I’m fed up with wearing jumpers and thick coats. Have a great blogging and reading week, everyone.

*NEW RELEASE SPECIAL* Review of The House With No Rooms – Book 4 of The Detective’s Daughter series by Lesley Thomson

The summer of 1976 was the hottest in living memory. In the Botanical Gardens at Kew, a lost little girl, dizzied by the heat, thought she saw a woman lying dead on the ground. But when she opened her eyes, the woman had gone. Forty years later, Stella Darnell, the detective’s daughter, is investigating a chilling new case. What she uncovers will draw her into the obsessive world of botany, and towards an unsolved murder that has lain dormant for decades…

If you are looking for foot-to-the-floor, non-stop action – this isn’t it. Thomson takes her time in her slow-burn style, as we follow Stella and Jack in their daily routines. Stella runs the Clean Start cleaning company and Jack, who also drives an underground train, works part-time for her. They are linked by painful events in their past, which you can fully find out about by reading the first book in the series, The Detective’s Daughter – see my review here. While that will give you a deeper insight into what damaged them, Thomson is too accomplished to leave her readers adrift, so if you want to immerse yourself in this adventure then go for it. While this may all sound a bit grim, there are regular moments of humour throughout that leaven this story, as the vivid cast of characters bounce off the page.

The past and present is braided together, as an undiscovered murder committed decades ago continues to wreak havoc upon those caught in its malign web. We have a ringside seat as a young girl sees something beyond her comprehension and struggles to find an answer that makes it bearable for her to cope. Until as an adult, a similarly unexpected, horrific event forces her to face up to what happened all those years ago.

Thomson evokes the stifling heat of the summer of 1976 – those of us who lived through that year recall it vividly as day after day, the heatwave continued to swelter throughout June, July and August. Thomson’s world seeps into my head as her richly depicted world and layered, complex characters continue to spool through my inscape long after I’ve finally closed the book, as the psychological truth behind her characters’ actions reverberates through the plot. I enjoy the main protagonists, particularly Stella – but the real hero of this book is Stella’s father, who died in 2010. One way and another, most of the main characters are connected with the driven, workaholic detective Terry Darnell. This beautifully crafted, thoughtful murder mystery is all about assumptions and mistakes we make as we are busy doing and thinking about something else – and what the cost can be when we get it so wrong. The denouement is both shocking and satisfying, pulling together all the strands of a storyline that stretches back to the 1950s, while also revealing more about the main characters.

All in all, this is yet another unsettling, accomplished book by a writer at the top of her game and is highly recommended.
10/10

Review of KINDLE ebook The Detective’s Daughter – Book 1 of the Detective’s Daughter series by Lesley Thomson

I was very impressed with A Kind of Vanishing – see my review here. Recommended by my mother, the book focussed on the disappearance of a little girl and was unlike anything else I’d ever read. I’d loaded this book onto my Kindle, and then got overtaken by all those old fashioned solid books stacked up by my bed – until Lesley came to talk to West Sussex Writers in an amazing interview. I recalled what a smart, original writer she was, and immediately turned to The Detective’s Daughter stacked in a dusty corner of my Kindle. Would I enjoy it as much as A Kind of Vanishing?

Kate Rokesmith’s decision to go to the river changed the lives of many. Her murder shocked the nation in the throes of celebrating the wedding of Charles and Diana. Her husband, never charged, moved abroad under a cloud of suspicion. Her son, just four years old, grew up in a loveless boarding school. And Detective Inspector Darnell, vowing to leave no stone unturned in the search for her killer, began to lose his only daughter, as young Stella Darnell grew to resent the dead Kate Rokesmith.

As in A Kind of Vanishing, Thomson takes a major event – Kate’s murder – and in addition to presenting us with a whodunit, which is every bit as engrossing as any in this crowded genre, she adds an extra layer. The theme of love and loss threads through this poignant, thoughtful read which took me in so many different directions that I soon stopped trying to second-guess where Thomson would take me next and simply enjoyed the ride. It’s a happy feeling when I can sit back and revel in the story and the author’s skill in telling it.

And if you’re a reader who appreciates complicated, quirky characters then you’re in for a treat. Stella, the detective’s daughter, is a sharp-edged young woman still trying to come to terms with her father’s decision to put the Kate Rokesmith’s case above his responsibilities towards his daughter and his wife. The other character struggling to cope with parental abandonment is Kate’s son, Jonathan, who was discovered near his murdered mother, aged four. We learn what happened to him once he grew up – another layer of loss woven into this murder that Terry Darnell didn’t manage to solve before he died.

I’m conscious that so far, I’ve managed to make this book sound as much fun as a dirge in dark – but there are shafts of humour running throughout the narrative. Stella, the main protagonist, runs a cleaning agency and has a slightly grumpy, enjoyably ironic take on humanity. She takes on Jack, who already has a night job driving trains but comes with his own dark reasons for needing to keep himself also occupied during the day. For reasons she can’t really fathom, she finds herself teaming up with Jack as she finds herself going back over her father’s notes regarding this one unsolved case that haunted him throughout the rest of his life. The case he was working on when he dropped dead of a heart attack…

In many ways, this is a classic whodunit, complete with an interesting pool of possible suspects, but what hooks me is the extra something else that Thomson brings. Her detailed, forensic examination of her cast of characters and the liberties she takes with viewpoint means there are short sections where I wasn’t sure whether we are in Stella’s memories, or in the mind of the dead detective, Terry Darnell – which breaks all the rules. However, I didn’t really care – because there are those writers who manage to make the Writing Rulebook redundant while they weave their own particular voodoo, and Thomson belongs in that exclusive club.

If you enjoy your crime fiction on the literary end of the genre, laced with interestingly different characters and an engrossing plot – I’ll guarantee you won’t see who did it until Thomson wants you to – then track it down. It’s worth it.
10/10