I’m very partial to historical fiction and am delighted to help close the blog tour for The Fascination by Essie Fox. My enormous thanks to Anne Cater of Random Things Tours for inviting me to participate. I’m delighted to share my review today.

Published by Orenda on 22nd June 2023 The Fascination is available for purchase here.

The Fascination

Victorian England. A world of rural fairgrounds and glamorous London theatres. A world of dark secrets and deadly obsessions…

Twin sisters Keziah and Tilly Lovell are identical in every way, except that Tilly hasn’t grown a single inch since she was five. Coerced into promoting their father’s quack elixir as they tour the country fairgrounds, at the age of fifteen the girls are sold to a mysterious Italian known as ‘Captain’.

Theo is an orphan, raised by his grandfather, Lord Seabrook, a man who has a dark interest in anatomical freaks and other curiosities … particularly the human kind. Resenting his grandson for his mother’s death in childbirth, when Seabrook remarries and a new heir is produced, Theo is forced to leave home without a penny to his name.

Theo finds employment in Dr Summerwell’s Museum of Anatomy in London, and here he meets Captain and his theatrical ‘family’ of performers, freaks and outcasts.

But it is Theo’s fascination with Tilly and Keziah that will lead all of them into a web of deceits, exposing the darkest secrets and threatening everything they know…

Exploring universal themes of love and loss, the power of redemption and what it means to be unique, The Fascination is an evocative, glittering and bewitching gothic novel that brings alive Victorian London – and darkness and deception that lies beneath…

My Review of The Fascination

The fairground is coming.

Oh my goodness I enjoyed The Fascination. Rarely has a book been more aptly named. Essie Fox delves into the world of ‘fascinations’ and does so with such dexterity and beauty in her writing that the reader is held spell-bound. 

The plotting here is so skilful because the different threads, the small seemingly incidental moments, and much bigger themes, are deftly woven into a truly mesmerising narrative and it’s not until the final word is read that the reader can fully appreciate how wonderful the plotting is. The attention to detail, wonderful descriptions, the appeal to the senses, and the absolutely authentic historical accuracy of the era make The Fascination so immersive and spell-binding. It’s one of those stories where I found I thoroughly resented real life getting in the way of my reading. 

I adored meeting the characters whom I completely forgot were artistic creations. They all felt so vivid and real. I thought giving Keziah a first person voice in contrast to the other elements of the narrative was inspired because she is the most ‘normal’ or conventional of the characters and yet is the one who most often feels on the periphery of the action. She is a kind of Shakespearean Touchstone, shining a light on the qualities and flaws of others in the story. And what others they are. The cast here is diverse, complex, believable, interesting and captivating. It’s difficult to be too precise here for fear of spoiling the story for other readers because plot and character are so exquisitely interwoven.

Whilst there’s an element of unworldliness and ethereal fragility in the story, with the fairytale of Snow White and Rose Red creating a magical aspect, Essie Fox does not shy away from aspects that transport The Fascination from simple (if pretty well perfect) entertainment into a narrative that swirls through the reader’s mind, drawing them in to a world of difference, sexuality, depravity, betrayal, family and abuse, counterbalanced by community, understanding, support, kindness, truth and, above all else, love. These aspects create a story that is both entertaining, but also incredibly affecting. I have a feeling The Fascination will resonate with me for a very long time.

The Fascination is a beautiful and tender homage to those who find themselves on the outskirts of so-called normality, and that renders them as wonderful as any other being. I thought The Fascination was simply astounding. It’s magical, moving and magnificent. I adored it.

About Essie Fox

Essie Fox was born and raised in rural Herefordshire, which inspires much of her writing.

After studying English Literature at Sheffield University, she moved to London where she worked for the Telegraph Sunday Magazine, then the book publishers George Allen & Unwin – before becoming self-employed in the world of art and design.

Always an avid reader, Essie now spends her time writing historical gothic novels. Her debut, The Somnambulist, was shortlisted for the National Book Awards, and featured on Channel 4’s TV Book Club. The Last Days of Leda Grey, set in the early years of silent film, was selected as The Times Historical Book of the Month. Her latest novel, The Fascination is based in Victorian country fairgrounds, the glamour of the London theatres, and an Oxford Street museum full of morbid curiosities.

Essie is also the creator of the popular blog: The Virtual Victorian. She has lectured on this era at the V&A, and the National Gallery in London.

For further information, find Essie on Instagram and Facebook or visit her website and follow her on Twitter @essiefox.

There’s more with these other bloggers too:

My grateful thanks to Amita Murray for sending me a copy of Unladylike Lessons in Love in return for an honest review. It’s a pleasure to share that review today.

I previously reviewed Amita’s The Trouble With Rose in a post you’ll find here.

Published on 20th July 2023 by Harper Collins, Unladylike Lessons in Love is available for pre-order through the links here.

Unladylike Lessons in Love

Not every Regency lady is looking for a husband…

As the daughter of an English earl and his Indian mistress, impulsive Lila Marleigh has already broken the rules of society into tiny pieces.

When a face she never thought she would see again appears and begs for help, Lila must court notoriety once more and pit her wits against the annoyingly handsome aristocrat, Ivor Tristram. But does she risk opening her heart to the one person who can break it…?

My Review of Unladylike Lessons in Love

Lila Marleigh holds high society evenings.

I confess that Unladylike Lessons in Love is not my usual choice of genre, but I thoroughly enjoyed my trip to Regency England with Amita Murray, because the tone of Unladylike Lessons in Love fits the era perfectly. Amita Murray conveys the niceties of society, the formality of language and the patterns of speech so authentically that they place the reader at the heart of the era. She also uncovers the real world beneath these social conventions brilliantly.

Indeed, there’s a real concept of the Regency period, and I loved the exploration of society. What we have here is an insight into class, education, propriety, race and gender. Patriarchal dominance, the concept of women as second class and as diversions or belongings ripple through the story. However, they are balanced to perfection by the feisty, intelligent and strong willed Lila. 

Lila is a triumph because her mixed race heritage and her gender should leave her far outside polite society and yet she wears her so-called defects with pride, turning them to her advantage so that it is impossible not to find her irresistible as a heroine. I adored her stormy, passionate and complicated relationship with Ivor Tristram. Equally, he is everything a reader desires in a strong hero and their relationship positively sizzles with sexual tension and desire, making for a surprisingly sexual read. 

Add in the plot concerning Maisie and Sunil and not only does the reader glimpse a convincing hierarchical society, underpinning a turbulent love story, but they are treated to a fast-paced and compelling thriller too. All life is between the pages of Unladylike Lessons in Love, providing something for every reader.

If Amita Murray’s Unladylike Lessons in Love is an example of the Regency romance and mystery genre, then I’m delighted this is just the first book in the Marleigh Sisters series. Roll on the next book! I thoroughly enjoyed Unladylike Lessons in Love.

About Amita Murray

My enormous thanks to Amanda James for arranging to have a copy of her latest book, Wish Upon a Cornish Moon, sent to me in return for an honest review. It’s my pleasure to share that review today.

I cannot believe how long it is since I stayed in here with Amanda to celebrate her book The Cornish Retribution and even longer since I interviewed her about Summer in Tintagel here.

Wish Upon a Cornish Moon was published by Harper Collins imprint One More Chapter on 11th May 2023 and is available for purchase through the links here.

Wish Upon a Cornish Moon

‘I can see you don’t believe me, girl, but I’m telling you that there’s magic in the moon and that big sea out there.’

1938
One midnight in June, 15-year-old Lamorna Williams throws a message in a bottle into the Atlantic at Magic Cove, hoping to meet her one true love – and someone writes back.

1997
On the other side of the world, Lamorna tells her story to her 16-year-old great nephew Ethan inspiring him to do the same. But this time, his message isn’t found for over twenty years…

Present day
Single mum, Merrin Pascoe, is told of the legend of Magic Cove. In a moment of madness, Merrin wishes on the moon, and next day she finds a bottle in the sea. Will the cove cast its spell once again…

My Review of Wish Upon a Cornish Moon

Magic Cove has secrets to share.

What a lovely, escapist read Wish Upon a Cornish Moon is. Initially I had to make a conscious effort willingly to suspend my disbelief and to accept the coincidences and slightly supernatural aspects of the story, but it wasn’t long before I was completely absorbed. I thought the sweeping multi-generational story was exactly the kind of narrative we need in today’s negative world because it made me feel positive and open to possibilities that perhaps previously I would have dismissed. 

The plot of Wish Upon a Cornish Moon is just lovely. There’s very much a feeling that true love is fraught with challenge and that when obstacles are overcome it is all the sweeter. I thought the concept of coup de foudre was brilliantly handled because Amanda James dealt with it realistically so that the relationships here feel genuine and believable. I also thought that, although the story revolves very much around Lamorna and Merrin, there’s a really good balance from the male perspective too through Harry and Ethan.

I especially enjoyed meeting Merrin and Morwen, but what works so well is how minor characters are distinct and credible so that Jodie and Faye, for example, feel like people you might meet in ordinary life. These are the kinds of characters you think about when you’re not actually reading the book because they have vitality and life beyond the page.

Underpinning the magic and romance of Wish Upon a Cornish Moon are themes that add gravitas to the story too. Obviously love, romance and relationships feature, but so do family, jealousy, betrayal, hurt, feminism, parenthood, society, loneliness and poverty, all creating a rich and rewarding tapestry to read about and adding texture to the story.

I thoroughly enjoyed Wish Upon a Cornish Moon and found it emotional and magical. So, as I write this review it’s June and if anyone wants me later, they might just find me on the beach at midnight… but you need to read Wish Upon a Cornish Moon for yourself to discover why –  and I really recommend you do! 

About Amanda James

Amanda James has written since she was a child, and as an eight-year-old, she asked her parents for a typewriter for Christmas. She never imagined her words would ever be published. Then in 2010, after many twists and turns, the dream of becoming a writer came true when she had her first short story published. She left teaching in 2013 to pursue her dream full-time.

Originally from Sheffield, Amanda now lives in Cornwall and is inspired every day by the wild and beautiful coastline near her home. She has many suspense novels set there, but her last few books have been uplifting in nature with a twist of magic. She loves writing feel-good reads and has decided the world needs more joy in it right now, and her plan is to write many more novels in that genre.  Amanda can usually be found playing on the beach with her family, or walking the cliff paths planning her next book.

For more about Amanda, follow her on Twitter @amandajames61 and find her on Facebook and Instagram.

I was fortunate to review Liz Hyder’s novel The Gifts here for My Weekly so when I was sent an early copy of her latest book, The Illusions, I was thrilled. I’m delighted to share my review of The Illusions today.

The Illusions is published by Bonnier imprint Manilla on 22nd June, and is available for purchase through the links here.

The Illusions

At a time of extraordinary change, two women must harness their talents to take control of their own destiny…

Bristol, 1896. Used to scraping a living as the young assistant to an ageing con artist, Cecily Marsden’s life is turned upside down when her master suddenly dies. Believing herself to blame, could young Cec somehow have powers she little understands?

Meanwhile Eadie Carleton, a pioneering early film-maker, struggles for her talent to be taken seriously in a male-dominated world, and a brilliant young magician, George Perris, begins to see the potential in moving pictures. George believes that if he can harness this new technology, it will revolutionise the world of magic forever — but in order to achieve his dreams, he must first win over Miss Carleton…

As a group of illusionists prepare for a grand spectacle, Cec, Eadie and George’s worlds collide. But as Cec falls in love with the bustling realm of theatre and magic, she faces the fight of her life to save the performance from sabotage and harness the element of real magic held deep within her.

The Illusions is the captivating new novel from the much-lauded author of The Gifts. Inspired by real-life illusionists and early film pioneers, this astonishing story of women and talent, magic and power, sweeps you into a world where anything is possible and nothing is quite as it seems…

My Review of The Illusions

Cec’s circumstances are about to change.

What an absolute delight The Illusions is. I thought the Bristol setting was inspired. There’s a real sense of historical place and it’s such a pleasure to be out of London for historical fiction of this kind. If, indeed, The Illusions can be called simply historical fiction. You see, it has its own unique blend; of mystery, fantasy, spiritualism, history, theatre, technology, science, romance and magic that makes it such a fascinating and captivating story. Liz Hyder weaves a magical tale that draws in the reader and holds them spellbound.

As well as the sense of place and history, the cast list (and given the strong theme of theatre, cast is exactly the right term to use) is equally riveting. Skarratt is a delicious villain. His malevolence adds drama and tension that is enhanced by his indignant sense of righteousness. He believes fully that he is wronged. I loved the way he and Cec are drawn together in the narrative. Their interaction is pivotal and compelling. All the characters here are so well drawn. Even the more minor ones like Lewis underpin important concepts like mental and emotional well being and the need to make difficult choices for the greater good. The Illusions is a book that uncovers not just the conjuring tricks of the Professor or George Perris, but it reveals the illusions we tell ourselves to justify or obscure our actions in a humane and sensitive understanding of human nature. 

The plot is a cracker. It romps along with skulduggery and betrayal, love and support, crime and retribution so that there’s something for every reader to find absorbing and entertaining. I was never quite sure what might happen next and found the story hooked me entirely.

The Illusions is indeed a really compelling and engrossing story, but what makes it so very special is the mesmerising blending of themes. I loved the layers of feminism as both Eadie and Ces fight to make their mark in a world entirely dominated by men. There’s grief and betrayal, love and friendship, family and professional rivalry, corruption, charade, mystery and honesty all swirling through the story that is historically fascinating and realistic with a credible touch of the mystical that tantalises and engages the reader completely.

Reading The Illusions is to accept the impossible as if you’ve just glimpsed something from the corner of your eye. There’s magic in The Illusions, but the greatest magic of all is Liz Hyder’s ability to show the crucial importance of friendship, of belonging and of kindness. These features make The Illusions something very special indeed and I absolutely loved it.

About Liz Hyder

Liz is a writer, creative workshop leader and freelance arts PR consultant. In early 2018, she won The Bridge Award/Moniack Mhor’s Emerging Writer Award. Bearmouth, her debut novel for young adults, was published by Pushkin Press and won the Branford Boase Award and the Waterstones Children’s Book Award for Older Readers. It is also published in America, France, Norway, Italy and the Czech Republic as well as the UK and Commonwealth. The Gifts was her debut adult novel.

Originally from North-East London, she has lived in South Shropshire for over a decade.

For further information about Liz, visit her website or follow her on Twitter @LondonBessie and Instagram.

I’ll let you into a secret. I’ve been hankering after reading Colin Garrow’s writing for a while now and so, even though I’m trying not to take on too much new material for the blog whilst life is busy, I couldn’t resist signing up to this blog tour organised by Rachel of Rachel’s Random Resources and I’d like to thank Rachel for inviting me to participate.

Today Colin has agreed to stay in with me to chat about one of his books.

Let’s find out more:

Staying in with Colin Garrow

Welcome to Linda’s Book Bag Colin and thank you for agreeing to stay in with me.

Tell me, which of your books have you brought along to share this evening and why have you chosen it?

I’ve brought along the first book in my Relic Black Thriller series, Terminal Black, which came out in June 2020. (I’ve just finished Deadly Black, book 3 in the series.)

What can we expect from an evening in with Terminal Black?

I wanted to write something that would entertain readers as well as give them a different type of hero. Most of my books are about amateurs who solve murders – i.e. good guys, so with this series I decided to turn things upside down and make the hero a villain. I wasn’t sure if this would work or if readers would think I’d somehow glorified crime, so the writing presented a few challenges. The story is set in Inverness, Scotland, and revolves around Relic Black, a petty thief who gets himself into bother when he accidentally kills a hitman and then tries to put things right.

How did this change affect your writing?

There’s a lot of strong language and more violence in this book than with anything else I’ve written, but I’ve tempered this with humour, so it doesn’t get too heavy handed. Another new feature of this series is the way it’s written. I abandoned the usual chapter-type format and instead split the book into days and locations, with scenes of different lengths – some are very short, while others go on for several pages.

In some of my books – such as the Terry Bell Mysteries series, the main character is a Geordie (north of England), so has a Geordie accent. With Terminal Black, some characters, naturally, are Scottish, so some of the dialogue may be difficult to grasp for non-British readers. (I included a glossary at the end of the book which helps with phrases like Help ma boab, and words like Teuchers.)

Did this affect the time you spent?

The writing process proved challenging, too – although the second book in the series (Crucial Black) only took me a month to write, Terminal Black took seven years. About halfway through the writing process, I realised I’d written an ensemble piece, with each character allotted a similar amount of ‘screen’ time. This can confuse readers, as we jump around a lot from place to place, following each different character. These include Relic, the hitman, his bosses (Chrissy and Magnus), hospital workers Fat Frank and Mandy, private investigator Jim Morrison, a bent cop (DI McKenzie), and her nemesis (DI Swinney), as well as their boss, DCI Dirty Barry Callaghan.

You’ve made Terminal Black sound very intriguing!

What else have you brought along and why?

I’ve invited the city of Inverness, in Scotland, as this is the setting for most of the story (although we also visit Aberdeen and Nairn and a few locations on the outskirts of Inverness).

Crikey – a whole city is going to take some space!

Each section of the book takes place in a particular location, so readers can follow the action around the city. In books 2 and 3, I’ve added in a time slot for each scene, too. While some of the buildings/addresses in the book are fictional, they’re all situated in real locations. This meant that most of my research for the book involved spending time on Google Maps, although I also had to look up details of Glock 19 9mm Lugers, GPS trackers, seismic buffers on the Kessock Bridge, and the technical specifications of the Audi 8.

I bet your internet history would make for interesting viewing Colin! Thanks so much for chatting with me about Terminal Black. I’ll just give readers a few more details:

Terminal Black

A stolen identity. A hitman. A bent cop.

Relic Black takes things that don’t belong to him—credit cards, golf clubs, toothbrushes. But when a hitman mistakes him for someone else, Relic lands himself in a difficult situation. With a dead man on his hands and a guilty conscience, he sets off to save the life of the man whose identity he has stolen. And that’s when the real trouble starts…

Terminal Black is available for purchase here.

About Colin Garrow

Colin Garrow grew up in a former mining town in Northumberland. He has worked in a plethora of professions including: taxi driver, antiques dealer, drama facilitator, theatre director and fish processor, and has occasionally masqueraded as a pirate. All Colin’s books are available as eBooks and paperback.

His short stories have appeared in several literary mags, including: SN Review, Flash Fiction Magazine, Word Bohemia, Every Day Fiction, The Grind, A3 Review, 1,000 Words, Inkapture and Scribble Magazine. He currently lives in a humble cottage in North East Scotland where he writes novels, stories, poems and the occasional song.

He also makes rather nice cakes.

For more information, visit Colin’s website, follow him on Twitter @colingarrow, or find Colin on Facebook.

There’s more with these other bloggers too:

I’m beginning to lose count of the number of times I’ve featured the lovely Isabelle Broom on Linda’s Book Bag (including twice as one of my books of the year) but you see, I love both her books and her as a person too! It gives me enormous pleasure to participate in the blog tour for Isabelle’s latest book The Beach Holiday and I’d like to thank Alainna Hadjigeorgiou for inviting me to take part. It’s a total pleasure to share my review of The Beach Holiday as part of the tour today.

You’ll find my interviews with Isabelle and reviews of her books here.

Published by Hodder on 22nd June 2023, The Beach Holiday is available for purchase through the links here.

The Beach Holiday

A somebody. A nobody.
A love story waiting to be written . . .

All aspiring novelist Honor has ever wanted is to be successful. It’s the only way she can impress the father who abandoned her, the boyfriend who gave up on her, and the nagging voice in her head that tells her she’s not good enough.

Still, wanting to tell a story is not the same as having a story to tell, and Honor knows she needs to find a new source of inspiration.

When she’s invited to spend a summer abroad in The Hamptons, Honor realises it could be the dream setting for a book, especially when a chance encounter provides her with the perfect leading man.

But blurring fact and fiction is a dangerous game, and Honor soon discovers that writing her way to success might come at the expense of her own happy ever after . . .

My Review of The Beach Holiday

Honor is spending a couple of weeks with her father.

The Beach Holiday is everything a reader wants in a transporting, escapist and romantic read. I so enjoyed heading to The Hamptons with Honor, although there were times when I rather wished this was a murder story with me as the murderer getting my hands on Honor’s father…

Indeed, I loathed JB and whilst Honor may come to understand him better and even forgive him for his actions, I won’t. I think it says something about the effective (and affecting) quality of Isabelle Broom’s writing that I had such a deep seated response! 

Desperate for the approbation of her father JB, Honor is a seemingly straightforward character, but scratch below the surface and there is insecurity, a quick wit that provides much humour in the narrative, talent, loyalty and the capacity to feel deeply. I loved the way Isabelle Broom built the layers here, especially as she illustrates how little we truly know what others are thinking and feeling. We construct our own public narratives whether we are as ordinary as Honor or as glamorous as Cellan. There’s real insight and sensitivity in The Beach Holiday. 

Cellan is a cracking hero because he isn’t simply mean and moody as so many romantic heroes are. Instead he’s multi-faceted, relatively well-balanced with a few demons of his own. His strand of the story felt all the more poignant and realistic given that there was a celebrity facing challenging trial by media as I read. The impact of media, of betrayal and of the way we all ‘own’ famous people is woven into The Beach Holiday in a way that entertains but feels poignant, relevant and modern too.

Exploring fame and the pressures and consequences that brings, The Beach Holiday affords a glimpse into a life of glamour that makes it perfect summer reading because the reader is treated to a world they are unlikely to encounter in real life. However, with books and writing as another pivotal story arc, reading The Beach Holiday also feels familiar and just like coming home too. I loved these elements.

The build up of sexual and romantic tension between Honor and Cellan is wonderful. It’s natural, and sizzles with expectation and anticipation whilst providing the catalyst for some really funny moments too. I laughed aloud on several occasions.

I found the plot fast paced and engaging, but as Honor feels about her own writing, it was getting to know and understand the people in The Beach Holiday that really gripped me. As they work through themes of family, trust, self-respect and confidence I felt there was succour as well as entertainment to be had. 

I thoroughly enjoyed The Beach Holiday. It is just the story to escape into and see how the other half lives. It might just make you grateful for what you have rather than what you think you want, but you’ll need to read it to find out and it’s such a smashing book that I recommend you do!

About Isabelle Broom

Isabelle Broom was born in Cambridge nine days before the 1980s began and studied Media Arts at university in London before a 12-year stint at Heat magazine. When she is not travelling all over the world seeking out settings for her escapist novels, Isabelle can mostly be found in Suffolk, where she shares a home with her two dogs and more books than she could ever hope to read in a lifetime.

For more information, visit Isabelle’s website. You can also follow her on Twitter @Isabelle_Broom or Instagram and find her on Facebook.

Having reviewed Jane Corry’s We All Have Our Secrets here for My Weekly, I’m thrilled that my latest review for this brilliant magazine online is Jane’s Coming to find You in a post you’ll find here.

Coming to Find You was published by Penguin on 22rd June 2023 and is available for purchase through the links here.

Coming to Find You

You can run away from your life.
But you can’t run away from murder.

When her family tragedy is splashed across the newspapers, Nancy decides to disappear. Her grandmother’s beautiful Regency house in a quiet seaside village seems like the safest place to hide. But the old house has its own secrets and a chilling wartime legacy . . .

Now someone knows the truth about the night Nancy’s mother and stepfather were murdered. Someone knows where to find her. And they have nothing to lose . . .

So what really happened that night? And how far will she go to keep it hidden?

My Review of Coming to Find You

My full review of Coming to Find You can be found on the My Weekly website here.

However, here I can say that Coming to Find You is an absolute cracker and one of my favourite reads this year!

Do visit My Weekly to read my full review here.

About Jane Corry

Jane Corry is a former magazine journalist who spent three years working as the writer-in-residence of a high security prison for men. This often hair-raising experience helped inspire her Sunday Times-bestselling psychological dramas, My Husband’s Wife, Blood Sisters, The Dead Ex, I Looked Away and I Made A Mistake which have been translated into over 16 languages and sold over a million copies worldwide. Jane was a tutor in creative writing at Oxford University; an RLF Fellow at Exeter University; and is a regular contributor to the Daily Telegraph and My Weekly magazine. We All Have Our Secrets is her sixth novel.

For further information, follow Jane on Twitter @JaneCorryAuthor and visit her website. You’ll also find Jane on Facebook and Instagram.

My grateful thanks to author Sue Clark (who previously featured on Linda’s Book Bag here) for sending me a copy of the short story anthology Taking Liberties by the twelve writers who form The Breakthrough Collective.

Another of The Breakthrough Collective authors, Ivy Ngeow can be found on the blog here.

Taking Liberties was published on 22nd April 2023 and is available for purchase here.

Taking Liberties

A daring rescue. A time-trapped forest. Paranormal problems for a down-to-earth detective.

War waged over wi-fi. An app to die for and a fateful shirt. Musing on the rails. Hermits, caves and epic tales. Roboboats aimlessly afloat. Passengers and paintings. The keys to sunlight, and young love in sunlit Santiago. Freedom has many faces. In Taking Liberties it is met in a dozen different guises and in worlds where nothing is what it seems.

Threaded through with the theme of freedom, the stories explore what it means to yearn for escape and to search for the true self, whether in the DNA or in the human soul. Mirth and myth, mystery and magic, noir and memoir shape this first offering from the Breakthrough Book Collective, a group of established and emerging authors embarking on its own journey of creative liberty.

My Review of Taking Liberties

A dozen short stories.

Taking Liberties is a cornucopia of delights. From the very first story Human Error I was struck by the skill and literary nature of the writing presented here. And it’s not just these jewel bright narratives that are of interest, but the introduction, the brief explanation of the power of reviews and the mini biographies all provide another layer of interest.

Many of these cracking stories have plots that would translate brilliantly into television dramas or films, with so much packed into them that I found not only was I entertained, but I was incredibly impressed by the authors. There’s crisp and lyrical prose, natural dialogue and no dialogue at all. There’s a variety of perspectives and points of view so that Taking Liberties rewards reading the stories in the order they are presented, or dipping in at random. There are beautiful descriptions, especially in creating vivid settings with the senses thoroughly catered for so that Taking Liberties feels rounded and layered. As a result, if it doesn’t sound weird to express it so, Taking Liberties isn’t disposable fiction. It’s a collection to savour and return to.  

Whilst every story is really well crafted and engaging, it’s the themes I found so appealing. With everything from genetic cloning, loneliness, grief, lust, media in various forms, touches of supernatural, myth and fable, personal experiences, sexuality and travel this is a kaleidoscopic collection and I suspect that the more the stories are read, the more they will reveal to the reader.  

Taking Liberties might be a relatively slim volume, but with an eclectic range of style, theme and genre, this is an intelligent, carefully crafted and rewarding collection with something for every reader. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

About The Breakthrough Collective

The Breakthrough Collective is an affiliation of accomplished authors from diverse backgrounds who have come together to disrupt the industry and break new literary ground. To put power (creative and financial) back into the hands of the creators.

Contributers include: Stephanie Bretherton, Jamie Chipperfield, Sue Clark, Jason Cobley, Stevyn Colgan, Samuel Dodson, A.B. Kyazze, Virginia Moffatt, Ivy Ngeow, Eamon Somers, Paul Waters and PJ Whiteley.

You can find out more by following The Breakthrough Collective on Twitter @BBookCollective, on Instagram or finding them on Facebook. You can also visit the website.

Having loved Una Mannion’s A Crooked Tree (reviewed here) I was hugely disappointed that I couldn’t participate in the blog tour for her latest book, Tell Me What I Am because I was away. However, my enormous thanks to Arabella Watkiss at Faber for sending me a copy of Tell Me What I Am in return for an honest review anyway. I’m thrilled to share that review today.

Published by Faber on 1st June in hardback, Tell Me What I Am is available for purchase in all the usual places including directly from the publisher here.

Tell Me What I Am

Two women, wrenched apart by a terrible crime, must find a way back to each other

When Deena Garvey disappears in 2004, she leaves behind a daughter and a sister.

Deena’s daughter grows up in the country. She learns how to hunt, when to seed the garden, how to avoid making her father angry. Never to ask about her absent mother.

Deena’s sister stays stuck in the city, getting desperate. She knows the man responsible for her sister’s disappearance, but she can’t prove it. Not yet.

Over fourteen years, four hundred miles apart, these two women slowly begin to unearth the secrets and lies at the heart of their family, and the history of power and control that has shaped them both in such different ways.

But can they reach each other in time? And will the truth finally answer the question of their lives:

What really happened to Deena Garvey?

My Review of Tell Me What I Am

Deena Garvey is missing.

I find books like Tell Me What I Am almost impossible to review because I fear I’ll sully their very existence simply trying to articulate how wonderful they are. And Tell Me What I Am is magnificent. It hits the reader hard in the solar plexus. It’s intense, beautifully written and mesmerising, despite, or perhaps because of, its underpinning theme of control and coercion. I thought it was absolutely brilliant. The way in which Una Mannion considers the ugliness of coercive control balanced against the beauty of her writing is nothing short of genius. 

Settings are described with such elegance and a lightness of touch that is breath-taking, placing the reader right inside the story. Similarly, I loved the fact that there are no speech marks because it feels as if any barrier between reader and character has been removed, involving the reader in the action as if they are part of the story too. Add in the recognisable cultural references to music, art or politics and Tell Me What I Am pulsates with a realism that is totally ensnaring. 

Initially I was disconcerted when I realised there are different points of view and time frames in Tell Me What I Am, because usually I have to concentrate hard to keep such storylines clear in my head, but Una Mannion writes with such precision and skill that I was effortlessly absorbed. Both Nessa and Ruby’s threads are vivid, astoundingly affecting, and perfectly presented. This is one of those books that is experienced rather than read. 

I thought Lucas was such a fantastic character. He’s thoroughly convincing, making him terrifying as well as plausible. Through him the lives of so many women are altered – his wife, his daughter, his mother. What is so unnerving is that whilst Lucas is a undoubtedly a monster, there’s no denying his upbringing of Ruby helps make her a wonderful young woman who is one of the most memorable characters I’ve encountered. This is such a disturbing element to Una Mannion’s writing. I loved the way Deena is missing from the beginning and yet her power drives the narrative. Without her there would be no story.

The mystery of Deena’s disappearance and Lucas’s custody of Ruby illustrates how women are still so frequently seen as inferior or second class and how much unfairness exists in our supposedly modern society. Reading Tell Me What I Am made me rage. It made me despair and it gave me hope. Whilst there’s almost unbearable tension, especially towards the denouement, Tell Me What I Am also illustrates profound positivity and strength. Through Nessa and Ruby we see the power of women, their stoicism and their ability, through both family and sheer will, to rise above circumstances and simply to be. Ruby may be looking for answers, but she is capable of finding what and who she is for herself. I found this element of the story incredibly and profoundly moving. 

With themes of loyalty and trust, mental and physical health and abuse, betrayal and redemption and so much more, Tell Me What I Am is authentic, affecting and, quite simply, amazing. It’s not to be missed and one of my favourite reads this year. I absolutely adored it.

About Una Mannion

Una Mannion was born in Philadelphia and lives in County Sligo, Ireland. She has won numerous prizes for her poetry and short stories including the Hennessy Emerging Poetry Award and Cúirt International Literary Festival short story prize. She edits The Cormorant, a broadsheet of prose and poetry and teaches on the Writing + Literature BA at Atlantic Technological University, Sligo. Her debut novel A Crooked Tree was shortlisted for Newcomer of the Year at the Irish Book Awards and for the Dalkey Emerging Writer prize and was winner of the Kate O’Brien Prize 2022.

You can find out more about Una by visiting her website and finding her on Instagram. You can also follow Una on Twitter @una_m_mannion.

I hadn’t intended reading The Connection Game by S.S. Turner at the moment as the idea was to review ready for publication, but sadly the book went astray and so a few months later than hoped, I’m delighted finally to have my review to share. My huge thanks to S.S. Turner for sending me a copy of The Connection Game in return for an honest review.

Published by Gramarye Media on 21st March 2023, The Connection Game is available for purchase here.

The Connection Game

Benny Basilworth makes connections. A rare intellect, he sees things that others don’t see and draws conclusions that others completely fail to grasp. He has the kind of mind that can make a person a national sensation on the television gameshow “The Connection Game”- and the kind of mind that can be the target of predators.

Despite his brilliance, Benny and his family find themselves destitute, living in a basement apartment with one tiny window that affords them only the view of the feet of passersby on the street above. It is from this vantagepoint that Benny once again starts making connections. Mad, inconceivable connections. Connections that can change lives . . . and turn the entire world upside down.

Humorous, surprising, wise, and remarkably perceptive, The Connection Game is a novel unlike any other and one that you are unlikely to forget.

My Review of The Connection Game

Benny makes connections.

The Connection Game is, I fear, a book few readers will find as it doesn’t enjoy the big five publishers’ marketing budgets. And that’s a shame because it is highly entertaining, multi-layered, quirky, witty and extremely clever. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I rarely make comparisons between books, but The Connection Game had echoes of The Rosie Project and television’s Big Bang Theory with a similar humour and pathos.  

I thought Bell’s first person narrative was perfect for the story as it draws in the reader through her conversational tone and disarming directness. It feels as if Bell is relating the story to the individual reader alone. She presents the narrative in such a way that the reader is entirely on her side even though it is Benny who is the main driver of the plot. 

It’s tricky to say too much about that plot without spoiling the story for others. However, it builds incrementally to an exciting conclusion and given that it includes a television programme – The Connection Game – it would make a super television series itself. 

Indeed, the consequences of reality television and game shows, their impact on people’s lives, the modern obsession with conspiracy theory, the way the past affects adulthood, and ways to find true meaning and happiness in life all add both interest and depth to a cracking story. There’s humour but there are some profound themes too. S.S. Turner’s presentation of Bell and Benny’s marriage and their family dynamics feels realistic and moving. 

I also loved the feet drawings at the start of each chapter because they are a visual reminder that, unlike Benny’s ability to know what others are thinking and his obsessive watching of feet, we never really know what is going on in another person’s life or why they behave as they do unless we’ve walked in their shoes. It’s not until The Connection Game is finished that the reader makes a true emotional connection to Benny, understanding fully why he behaves as he does. 

The Connection Game is a surprising novel. It’s well written, engrossing and has an edgy modernity underpinned by universal truths and traditional value that makes it an engaging and engrossing read. I truly hope other readers find it and enjoy it as much as I have. S.S. Turner has a talent that deserves a wide audience. 

About S.S. Turner

S.S. Turner has been an avid reader, writer, and explorer of the natural world throughout his life which has been spent in England, Scotland and Australia. Just like Freddy in his first novel, Secrets of a River Swimmer, he worked in the global fund management sector for many years but realized it didn’t align with his values. In recent years, he’s been focused on inspiring positive change through his writing, as well as trying not to laugh in unfortunate situations (easier said than done). He now lives in Australia with his wife, daughter, son, two cats, and ten chickens.

For more information, visit S.S. Turner’s blog or follow him on Twitter @SSTurner7. You’ll also find him on Instagram and Facebook.