My enormous thanks to Bookbridgr and Nikki Barrow at Hodder for providing a review copy of ‘A Man Called Ove’.

Fifty-nine year old Ove thinks everyone is a fool. Ove likes order and routine. He says little but is very good at D-I-Y. His world becomes complicated when new neighbours arrive, who, along with a mangy cat, don’t allow him to get on with his life the way he thinks wants to.

I’d heard a lot about Fredrik BackMan’s ‘A Man Called Ove’ and I had read and thoroughly enjoyed ‘My Grandmother Sends Her Regards And Apologises’ so I was expecting great things from ‘A Man Called Ove’. This is always a problem as the potential to be disappointed is high. Phew! I need not have worried. I absolutely adored ‘A Man Called Ove’.

The novel is cleverly constructed in quirkily named chapters that could happily stand alone as short stories in their own right. Written in the continuous present tense there is a freshness and immediacy about the story that draws in the reader so that they are living the events at the same time as Ove. I found the writing perfect and not at all constrained by being in translation. The variety of construction meant that I totally understood Ove’s point of view.

Indeed, as the novel progresses, the reader feels as if Ove is a beloved member of their own family and that all of the other characters are friends they’ve known for years. I’ve seen references to Ove as a kind of Victor Meldrew character, but he is so much more than that. He experiences love, rage and frustration in a totally humane and understandable way. In Ove there is something we can all recognise about ourselves. I feel I have missed out in life by not having met Ove and have to keep reminding myself he isn’t real but is a character in a book.

I also thought the humour was wonderful and I laughed out loud in several places – something I rarely do when reading. I cried too. On the front of my copy of ‘A Man Called Ove’ is an endorsement saying ‘warm, funny… unbearably moving’. I couldn’t have put it better myself. Wonderful.

‘A Man Called Ove’ was published in paperback on 7th May 2015

I am very grateful to Frances Gough at Headline and Bookbridgr for my copy of ‘Girls on Tour’ by Nicola Doherty.

Originally published as a series of five novellas, ‘Girls on Tour’ focuses on Poppy, Maggie, Rachel and Lily as they search for true love amongst a series of madcap adventures taking them from Paris to Los Angeles, Meribel to Rome and New York.

This is not the kind of fiction I usually read, but it was a real pleasure. ‘Girls on Tour’ is a sparkling chick lit book, full of laughs, romance and friendship. Each section is written from the point of view of one of the girls and each is really well depicted so that they become like friends to the reader as well as to each other. Similarly, even the most insignificant character is well rounded and alive.

What I really liked was the detail of the settings. I could easily picture myself on the ski slopes in Meribel or on the back of a Vespa in Rome. The descriptions of clothing, food and weather brought the book to life and I found the stories fast paced and engaging. There are lots of very amusing elements and I frequently found myself laughing out loud.

‘Girls on Tour’ is a perfect read for those looking for lighthearted escapism. I’d recommend taking it with you on holiday and if the weather’s poor you know you’ll have some sunshine!

‘The Janus Stone’ is the second in Elly Griffiths’ Ruth Galloway novels and was my May selection for the reading group to which I belong. I chose ‘The Janus Stone’ because I don’t normally read crime fiction and the reading group has many crime fiction fans.

Ruth Galloway is a forensic archaeologist called in by DCI Harry Nelson when the skeleton of a child is discovered by builders demolishing a Victorian House in Norwich. The house has had a sinister history, as two children went missing, never to be found, when the house was used as a children’s home.

I always avoid saying too much about the plot in my blog as I think this can spoil the read for others, but the narrative was entirely credible and thoroughly well researched with its references to Janus without being smug or preachy. I found it totally absorbing and exciting – a true page turner.

What I thought was so skilful about Kelly Griffiths’ writing was that, whilst there were references to the first Ruth Galloway novel, they were so well woven into this one, the reader didn’t feel they only had half the story as I have found with other series.

The characters in ‘The Janus Stone’ are very realistic, flawed and human so that they come alive on the page and transform form mere characters to real people. I especially warmed to Ruth and Harry. Their story is definitely not over in this novel and I’m desperate to know what happens next to them.

A further triumph was Elly Griffiths’ use of setting. She has the ability to make a scene real and to convey something sinister exquisitely. I know Norfolk well and the descriptions were perfect. Similarly, I found there was a lightness of touch at times so that the narrative has humour as well as its darker side.

I thought ‘The Janus Stone’ was brilliant. I am now a confirmed crime fiction and Elly Griffiths’ Ruth Galloway fan. I’m off to read the others in the series.

My enormous thanks to Frances Gough at Hodder Headline and Bookbridgr for the opportunity to read a pre-publication copy of ‘My Mother’s Secret’.

The Sheehans are a big, complicated Irish family whose lives are about to be disrupted beyond recognition when Roisin, Davey and Steffie organise a surprise party for their parents’ fortieth wedding anniversary. The secrets revealed and events that unfold at the party mean none of their lives will ever be the same again.

I’ve always enjoyed Sheila O’Flanagan’s novels, but ‘My Mother’s Secret’ has to rank as one of her best. It is typically written with warmth and understanding of what makes us human in all our frailties. With several twists along the way, the plot is satisfactorily resolved without being trite or hackneyed and I found myself cheering for each character and hoping life would work out for them. You’ll have to read it yourself to see who comes off best!

What I find so engaging about ‘My Mother’s Secret’ is that every character is human and realistic so that they begin to feel like people I really know and care about. I found myself thinking  about them when I wasn’t reading about them. It really does feel as if you’re part of the family taking part in the story with them.

I can’t recommend ‘My Mother’s Secret’ highly enough for those who love a heartwarming story with plenty of action, a brilliant range of characters and a jolly good cry along the way. It will definitely be a best seller.

Ellie is in the middle of an affair with a married man, John, that is distracting her from her work for The National newspaper, putting both her job and happiness at risk. In the past Jenny is the married participant in another all consuming passionate affair with Anthony, or Boot as she calls him. When Ellie finds letters in the newspaper archives written from Boot to Jennifer Stirling a chain of events unfolds that weaves past and present together in a spell binding read.

Circumstances meant that I read this story by Jojo Moyes over several months and I think it is testament to the quality of her writing that I never needed to go back over previous reading or remind myself of the characters and narrative. The lives of Ellie and John, Jenny and Anthony remained with me through other novels and events in my own life because they were so well depicted it was as if I was returning to catch up with people I really knew well.

What Jojo Moyes does exceptionally well is convey the human quality of her characters with all their self-delusions, faults and dreams so that the reader is deeply moved by those they come to love. I was desperate for Ellie to find happiness, but as the book progresses, it is by no means clear that she will. Similarly, the grief and wasted opportunity felt by Jenny affected me like a personal blow. I found Jennifer the more appealing female in this story.

Love and loss, self awareness, grief and happiness are the universal themes of our lives and Jojo Moyes conveys them with skill and realism. I’ve enjoyed every one of her books and this was no exception.

My thanks to Ben Adams for providing a copy of his novel for review saying ‘I’m quite happy with honesty, so if it isn’t your favourite book, be sure to tell me.’ (He didn’t have to worry!)

Graham’s life is a mess. The father of two teenage boys, he’s in a dead end job and is going through divorce. Deciding to give himself the six months before his 43rd birthday to get his life back in order, Graham meets Amy whilst walking his newly acquired dog. This could be the start of something positive – and possibly complicated, given his son, Jack, falls for Amy’s daughter Lucy. Unfortunately for Graham, he has a nasty habit of managing to say and do exactly the wrong thing at the wrong moment so getting to that birthday is never going to be easy.

I really enjoyed ‘Six Months to Get a Life’. I found it better written than some more established writers in this genre. Structured around short daily diary entries, the reader is given access to Graham’s inner most thoughts so that they get a real sense of who he is as a man. The diary format makes Ben Adams’ story an effective and accessible read.

The writing is fluid and engaging. There is considerable humour underlying Graham’s haplessness and on occasion I found myself laughing out loud. However, that is not to say that there isn’t real tragedy and emotion too and a twist towards the end took me completely by surprise. Reading Ben Adams’  ‘Six Months to Get A Life’ put me in mind of a more mature male perspective ‘Bridget Jones’ and the lessons Graham learns along the way would benefit anyone who reads the book.

Just occasionally I found the first person pronoun a little overused and might have liked a little more variety in the style, but then this is Graham’s diary so I suppose he can write it any way he likes!

One real success is Graham’s avoidance of his ex’s name. It put me in mind of Curley’s Wife in Steinbeck’s ‘Of Mice and Men’ where the woman is never named to try to reduce her status. As Graham finds out, preventing his ex from influencing his life is not as simple as he’d like it to be!

I’d certainly recommend ‘Six  Months to Get a Life’ to both male and female readers, and especially anyone who wants to know how to get their life back in order after a messy divorce! I’ll definitely be reading Ben Adams’ next book ‘Six Lies’

Many thanks to Will at Vintage books for sending me a copy of ‘Frances and Bernard’.

Carlene Bauer has written an exceptional book which perfectly encapsulates late 1940s early 1950s American polite society. It put me in mind of a more angst ridden version of ‘The Great Gatsby’. Based on the lives of Flannery O’Connor and Robert Lowell, ‘Frances and Bernard’ charts their relationship through imagined letters that also include missives to their respective friends Claire and Ted.

Initially, I enjoyed the structure and the often witty writing. I found the prose erudite and intelligent. However, as the text continued it often became too self-conscious for me really to enjoy this novel because of its literary and religious references. I would say I appreciated its style rather than warmed to it. As a result of O’Connor’s Catholic upbringing, Carlene Bauer has rightly conveyed considerable Catholic sentiment and guilt throughout the text but it felt intrusive and overbearing to a non-believer like me. There is, however, considerable emotion beautifully conveyed and I did have a sense of sadness and what might have been at the end.

Carlene Bauer is certainly a highly talented writer. I think ‘Frances and Bernard’ is a book to divide reader opinion. Some will love it and others find it more of a challenge. It was not for me.

My thanks to http://www.lovereading.co.uk for providing this reader copy for review.

‘Without A Trace’ is Lesley Pearse at her best. When Molly Heywood finds her friend Cassie murdered, she determines to find out the truth of Cassie’s past and that of her little girl, Petal. This sets off a chain of events that take Molly away from her Somerset home of Sawbridge to a new, and possibly life threatening existence.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book as, whilst some of the plot could be deemed to be a little far-fetched at times, it has real drama and excitement. Carefully constructed, Molly’s story reveals much about the poverty of post war London and attitudes to single mothers and women in general. Indeed, Lesley Pearse explores several weighty themes in a highly accessible read, such as the effect parents like Molly’s abusive father have on their children, family relationships, love, madness and poverty. There is a real sense of thorough research and realistic setting.

The characters are well rounded and varied so that there is always someone to attract the reader. Molly’s personality gradually and realistically changes as a result of the events that befall her, making her an engaging heroine.

I think those who love sagas and also Maeve Binchy’s writing would really enjoy reading ‘Without A Trace’ and I can see it being taken on many a beach holiday this year. I found it a roller coaster ride of murder, love and intrigue.

‘Without A Trace’ is published on May 7th 2015.

Many thanks to  Frances Gough at Headline and Bookbridgr for my copy of ‘The Secrets That We Share’.

Clara is facing old age and cancer and wants to repair the rifts in her family before it is too late. Her estranged son Max, in Los Angeles, has a daughter she’s never met whilst back in Ireland Clara’s unmarried daughter is rapidly turning to one night stands and wine in an attempt to mend a broken heart and find happiness. Each of them has at least one secret they are hiding. When Clara manages to track down her son Max it is immediately after Natalie, the grand daughter she didn’t know she had, suffers a tragedy. Natalie arrives in Ireland to recover and so this story truly begins.

I have not read any of Emma Hannigan’s novels before and so wasn’t sure what to expect. It took me a while to adjust to the American phrases within some of the dialogue, but once I did I found they helped build the characters well. Each character, from matriarchal Clara to damaged Natalie, is flawed and in need of help. Often they behave irrationally and jealously in ways we can all understand. This gives depth to them and helps the reader empathise well with them.

The plot is really fast paced with layer upon layer of secrets and revelations taking the reader through the Second World War to the present day. Clara’s past is gradually revealed through the letters that Natalie finds so that there is a real sense of time and history which is obviously well researched, partly from Emma Hannigan’s own family history. The end of the novel is satisfying and reassuring. There are important life lessons illustrated and the reader can learn a thing or two about how to live their own life through Clara’s words and responses. Big themes of secrets and forgiveness abound.

One of the elements I really enjoyed throughout the book was the detail of the food described. And who doesn’t like a book that opens with a recipe for chocolate cake?

I think readers who also love Maeve Binchy novels would thoroughly enjoy ‘The Secrets We Share’ and it would be an ideal holiday read for those who want plenty of emotion in their stories.

‘Chicken Feed’ is a quick read provided by The Reading Agency for World Book Night that takes place on 23rd April and is designed to encourage reading. See @worldbooknight and facebook.com/worldbooknight. It was one of three books I received as a volunteer to give to my local University of the Third Age (U3A) group.

‘Chicken Feed’ is based on the true story of Norman Thorne who was hanged for the murder of Elsie Cameron, a disturbed young woman, in 1925. Norman maintained his innocence throughout.

Minette Walters is an established crime writer and has crafted a highly accessible narrative that would engage those not usually interested in reading. The plot is interesting and the characters convincing, although not terribly likeable!

in the spirit of World Book Night I will now be passing my copy onto someone else – and hopefully to someone who does not usually read but who might tackle an accessible book that can be read and enjoyed in a couple of hours.