On 4th January I’ll be running a giveaway for Death in Heels by Kitty Murphy as part of the paperback launch blog tour, but today I’m delighted to share my review of this first book in the Dublin Drag Mysteries. My enormous thanks to Rhiannon at FmCM for sending me a copy of Death in Heels in return for an honest review.

Death in Heels will be published by Thomas & Mercer on 1st January 2023 and is available for purchase here.

These are the stops if you’d like to follow the launch tour:

Death in Heels

When Fi went to support her best friend’s drag debut, she didn’t imagine a killer would be going to watch it too. And they’re waiting for their grand finale…

Fi McKinnery is full of nerves as the gorgeous Mae B (aka her best friend Robyn) takes to the stage for her debut at drag club TRASH, but Mae B is dazzling…that is until local queen Eve lampoons her performance and ruins the show. So when Eve turns up dead later that night, face down in the gutter of a rain-soaked Dublin street, the timing seems awfully suspicious…

The police are quick to rule Eve’s death an accident, but Fi is convinced it was foul play. When her ‘Hagatha Christie’ amateur sleuthing backfires, it drives a wedge between Fi and Robyn. But when another friend is targeted in a hit-and-run, she’s determined to get this twisted killer caught, no matter what the consequences.

Even as the rest of the gang start to distance themselves, Fi is certain that they’re all in terrible danger. Something dark is lurking beneath the feathers, glitter and sequins of Dublin’s drag scene. And it’s not just the sticky floor and cracked mirrors. Someone is targeting the queens. When another member of the group is gunned down, it’s clear the danger is coming ever closer. Can Fi stop the killer before any more of her friends are hurt?

My Review of Death in Heels

Drag queens are being hunted down.

Death in Heels opens with such a bang that Kitty Murphy grabs the reader’s attention and holds them in a vice-like grip. I was instantly so invested in Robyn and Fi that had Eve not been murdered I might just have climbed in the pages and killed her myself. 

There’s a chatty, conversational tone in Fi’s first person account that draws in the reader and makes them feel they are her only confidante as she tries to establish how Eve died.  There’s just enough colloquialism to make the direct speech feel perfectly fitting for the Dublin setting and that lends an authenticity to the story. The descriptions are beautifully written, clear and evocative so that Kitty Murphy places vivid images in the reader’s mind, creating a filmic quality that I found rather special. They contrast too with the humorous and often vitriolic, biting, comments some of the queens make, especially to Fi, so that Death in Heels feels balanced and nuanced.

My heart went out to Fi. Although Death in Heels is a murder mystery, Fi imbues an emotional element, illustrating how it feels never quite to belong, to be permanently on the outside or periphery. Indeed, her photography places her one pace removed from others in an affecting manner, making the reader empathise with her all the more. I found her development over the story surprisingly touching and all the more effective as she is the straight character who is isolated, rather than the LGBTQ+ community members. I loved too, the way her photography didn’t usually show people’s faces as this emphasised how we tend to make assumptions and judgements about others without knowing the full facts.

The plot romps along and gives a superb insight into the world of drag queens so that I felt I learnt a lot about how their personas change with their costumes and whether they are acting as male or female, lending a fascinating psychological viewpoint too. Although the narrative is relatively light even if it is a murder story, it does consider some profound issues of loyalty, family and isolation that add layers of interest at the same time as the reader is being thoroughly entertained by the story.

Death in Heels is witty, acerbic, interesting, entertaining and moving. I thoroughly, thoroughly enjoyed it.

About Kitty Murphy

Kitty lives with her husband, Roger, on the very westerly edge of Co. Clare, Ireland. She adores drag in all its forms and crime fiction in all its chilling splendour. Kitty is bi/queer. From a well-spent youth divided equally between the library and the LGBTQ+ scene, it was only a matter of time until both worlds collided in a flurry of fictional sequins.

For more information, follow Kitty on Twitter @scribblingink1 or find her on Instagram.

Thanks to the lovely folk at Pegasus I have a copy of the book Jessica Jayne Webb has brought along today to share as we stay in together, and although I haven’t had chance to read it yet, I simply had to find out more. Let’s see what Jessica told me:

Staying in with Jessica Jayne Webb

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

Kia ora (Moari for hello)

Oh! Hello!

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

I am a kiwi/New Zealand writer bringing with me today my first published book, it has been a journey from starting to finishing with this book and it is very dear to me. I have brought this book as it is my first, that I have published. Between you and me I have already started book two, and have three others I have already started writing.

So no second book syndrome for you then Jessica!

What can we expect from an evening in with The Secrets of Wilderfort Castle?

Gosh where do I start! It jumps straight into the adventures of Agatha, our female main character; it is loosely based within the Victorian Era and with all her friends that join her along the way, she is building her crew around her as magic is lifted and the ever present war between good and evil builds. There is action, a little bit of romance, adventures, magic, daemons the good and evil kind and coming of age magic all squished into this book.

When writing this the Beta readers were excited for the final product, a comment made recently was “This is definitely movie material” and for me that’s a huge thing as I would love nothing more than to see my characters come to life. I have even been learning how to use parts of discord to create my characters and linking some to actors I thought would look good, hint hint to any film producers.

I’m not sure film producers read Linda’s Book Bag Jessica but you never know!

What else have you brought along and why have you brought it?

Since waiting for the release I have been listening to a lot of music, all of which I felt matched parts of the book and the scene that unfolds. Music such as Liberation by Buzz, Seven Devils by Florence and the Machine, and another would be Losing my mind by JXCKY. This is only three though, I guess with such a vivid imagination when I listen to this music it plays the scenes out in my head and my characters come to life.

That’s really interesting as some writers tell me they need total silence to write and others have playlists. Do I sound too old if I say I’ve never heard of Buzz or JXCKY (thank goodness for Florence and the Machine to stop me being totally ancient)?

I have also brought some images of my characters for you.

The sullen looking one is Alfred the moody teenager type death daemon, Agatha of course with her brilliant reddy auburn hair and Charles in his suit lovely tanned skin and brown to blonde hair, some others are also in there for you to have a wee looksie.

I’ve had a good look and I’m not sure I’d want to meet Hessis on a dark night Jessica! I’m not including them all here as readers will need to meet them by reading The Secrets of Wilderfort Castle. Thanks so much for staying in with me to chat all about the book.

The Secrets of Wilderfort Castle

Agatha Wilderfort has spent years trying to build a life in the city outside of the sleepy town where her aunt raised her, but is pulled back home when her aunt’s sudden death leaves their family manor in Agatha’s hands. She arrives to find the castle in grave need of repair and a local nobleman, Lord Caspian, sniffing around, clearly eager to get his hands on her inheritance. She hires several workmen and an assistant who knew her aunt and they start on the renovations.

But Agatha’s aunt wasn’t just a well-off spinster… she was the guardian of a world that has been hidden from Agatha until now, and Agatha’s inherited that responsibility, too. Unprepared, but ready to do her duty, Agatha learns about the dangers lurking in the background and her own history. Lord Caspian has sinister plans for her and her home, but fortunately for Agatha, she’s not alone. Learning of worlds more than just her own, her crew and her assistant, a handsome man who’s more than he appears, is there to help. Will they be able to stand against the darkness that Lord Caspian wants to unleash and find happiness together?

Published by Pegasus on 27th October 2022 The Secrets of Wilderfort Castle is available for purchase through the links here.

About Jessica Jayne Webb

Jessica Jayne Webb is a mother of two high functioning boys, and partner who is such a very patient man, he puts up with all her racing energies and can sleep through most of Jessica’s sleepless nights (she doesn’t sleep very much). Jessica lives in Wellington New Zealand in a semi detached cottage, with beautiful high ceiling wooden beams. It’s a small place with just two bedrooms and Jessica and her family are crammed in with their very charismatic dog Mandy who is Great Dane x Staffy. Jessica has no idea how that worked, as Mandy is a rescue and has come a long way since she arrived at their house as a foster dog with the first of the lockdowns.

Jessica is also a student working towards her bachelors in Primary teaching. Next year is her final year and she is so excited for her next placement school. Jessica loves fishing, foraging although this has taken a back burner of late, and is a volunteer Kea leader for 2022 for the year. This is for the junior section of Scout NZ looking after children 5.5-8 years old taking them on adventures and teaching them important life stuff, first aid, what you need for hikes, recycling, nature benefits, and so many more things. Jessica loves walking, and her favourite thing is walking Mandy down to the coffee shop, ordering coffee and then Mandy knows they are off to the pet shop. Mandy likes to have a ‘chat’ with Jessica to hurry up so she can pick her dog treats. They then walk back home and Mandy wags her tail the entire time knowing she has treats coming.

Jessica’s partner is also studying for his job so they are very busy at the moment, balancing both thier heavy loaded study time tables and his full time work and Jessica’s part time work. Her boys who are 9 and soon to be 8 are like ever ready batteries constantly moving and on the go.

For more information head to Jessica’s Instagram page.

I first discovered Cressida McLaughlin’s lovely writing when I reviewed The Staycation here for My Weekly earlier this year. Today I’m delighted to review Cressida’s latest book The Cornish Cream Tea Bookshop, again for My Weekly.

Cressida also has a short story in this week’s bumper edition of My Weekly magazine.

The Cornish Cream Tea Bookshop was published by Harper Collins on 10th November 2022 and is available for purchase through the links here.

The Cornish Cream Tea Bookshop

Ollie Spencer has started a new life in the idyllic Cornish seaside town of Port Karadow. Throwing herself into her job at the town’s bookshop, A New Chapter, is one way to make friends. The shop is glitzing up for first Christmas and Ollie hopes her inspired ideas will give the shop the edge it needs to dazzle the town.

But far from being the Sugar Plum fairy the place needs, Ollie is fast becoming its Christmas pudding. With the bookshop’s success at stake, Ollie turns to twinkly-eyed café owner Max for help. Can he help Ollie to turn the page, and put the sparkle back into her Cornish dream?

My Review of The Cornish Cream Tea Bookshop

My full review of The Cornish Cream Tea Bookshop can be found online on the My Weekly website here.

However, here I can say that The Cornish Cream Tea Bookshop is absolutely brilliant. I adored it and it’s and one of my favourite reads in 2022.

Do visit My Weekly to read my full review here.

About Cressida Mc Laughlin

Cressida Mc Laughlin is the bestselling author of uplifting, romantic books including The Canal Boat Café, The House of Birds and Butterflies and The Cornish Cream Tea series.

She grew up in London surrounded by books and with a cat named after Lawrence of Arabia. She studied English at the University of East Anglia and now lives in the beautiful city of Norwich with her husband David.

Apart from writing, Cressy loves terrifying ghost stories, romantic heroes and Henry Cavill.

When she isn’t writing, Cressy spends her spare time reading, returning to London or exploring the beautiful Norfolk coastline.

You can find out more information on her website and follow her on Twitter @cressmclaughlin, Instagram and Facebook.

It’s some years since I stayed in with Colin Sinclair and he told me all about his book Elji and the Galrass in a post you’ll find here.

Sadly, a freak car accident saw a rock fall from the back of a lorry that left Colin’s daughter Amy seriously injured and she lost her sight. As a result, Amy was unable to read Colin’s book and Colin set about finding a means to bring his story, and those of others, to those unable to read them for themselves. With his daughter Colin has set up Behear to bring books to life for the partially sighted and blind.

However, whilst we are all increasingly familiar with audio books, what Amy discovered was that it was more difficult to attune to a single narrator and as Colin has been involved in acting and performance for many years Behear was born. With Behear, books are transformed from single narration to dramatic performances with a variety of voices and effects that dramatise story, making books accessible and engaging.

Having sampled Elji and the Galrass through Behear, and understood how this method differs from a simple audiobook, I wanted to feature the initiative on Linda’s Book Bag, because I think this more realistic and dramatic method of making books into audio books would not only help blind or partially sighted readers, but would be fabulous for reluctant readers or those who struggle to engage with conventional forms of books. Behear will take a book, turn each character into a unique voice and release the book in a series of episodes.

If you’d like to find out more about Behear, visit their website, where you can download their APP, follow them on Twitter @authorcol and find them on Facebook and Instagram.

Having previously reviewed Sue Moorcroft’s Summer at the French Café for My Weekly here, its my pleasure today to share another  My Weekly review, this time of Sue’s A White Christmas on Winter Street. Sue has been a regular feature on Linda’s Book Bag and you’ll find all the posts here.

You’ll also find a short story by Sue in the latest edition of My Weekly.

Published by Avon Books on 27th October 2022, A White Christmas on Winter Street is available for purchase through the links here.

A White Christmas on Winter Street

When Sky Terran returns to the village of Middledip after losing the job she loves, she anticipates a quiet Christmas getting used to her new life. However, the annual street decoration competition is coming up and this year, the residents of Winter Street are determined to win.

As she is pulled into the preparations, Sky quickly grows to love the quirky, tight-knit community she is now part of. Including the extremely handsome Daz, who soon becomes more than just a friendly neighbour.

But when Daz’s ex turns up determined to win him back and it seems he might not be the man Sky thought he was, she remembers how much allowing people into her life – and heart – can hurt. As the snow falls, will she and Daz find a way through – and help win a Christmas victory for Winter Street?

A gorgeously festive novel about love, family and the power of forgiveness from Sunday Times bestseller Sue Moorcroft, perfect for fans of Sarah Morgan and Phillipa Ashley.

My Review of A White Christmas on Winter Street

My full review of A White Christmas on Winter Street can be found on the My Weekly website here.

However, here I can say that A White Christmas on Winter Street is moving, sensitive, romantic and filled with festive meaning that touches the reader completely.

Do visit My Weekly to read my full review here.

About Sue Moorcroft

Sue Moorcroft is a Sunday Times bestselling author and has reached the coveted #1 spot on Amazon Kindle UK as well as top 100 in the US. She’s won the Goldsboro Books Contemporary Romantic Novel Award, Readers’ Best Romantic Novel award and the Katie Fforde Bursary. Sue’s emotionally compelling, feel-good novels are currently released by publishing giant HarperCollins in the UK, US and Canada and by other publishers around the world. She’s also well known for short stories, serials, columns, writing ‘how to’ and courses. Born in Germany into an army family, Sue spent much of her childhood in Cyprus and Malta but settled in Northamptonshire, England aged ten. She loves reading, Formula 1, travel, time spent with friends, dance exercise and yoga.

For more information, follow Sue on Twitter @SueMoorcroft, or find her on Instagram and Facebook and visit her website.

It’s a special time of the year so when better to take a magic carpet ride with Jenny Loudon, author of Finding Verity and Snow Angels? I’m lucky to have both books waiting for me on my TBR, but in the meantime, I’m delighted to host a guest post from Jenny today, that takes us on two wonderful journeys.

Before we let Jenny whisk us away, let’s find out more about her books.

Finding Verity

The heart-warming bestseller from this exciting debut novelist.

An unhappy woman. An unfinished romance. A sense that time is running out…

Verity Westwood is a successful London businesswoman whose husband is handsome but selfish. When Edward Farrell, a nomadic American journalist from her past, returns unexpectedly, she is swept by the irresistible desire to fulfil her dreams of working as an artist, like her famous father before her. After being caught in a storm on the Cote d’Azur, she vows to change her life.
What she does not foresee is the struggle involved, the ultimate price she will pay, and the powerful force of enduring love that changes everything.

Finding Verity is available for purchase here.

Snow Angels

An accident. That’s all it was.

Amelie Tierney is working hard, furthering her nursing career in Oxford. She has a loving husband and a small son, who is not yet two. She jogs through the streets of her beloved city most days, does not see enough of her lonely mother, and misses her grandmother who lives in a remote wooden house, beside a lake in Sweden.

And then, one sunny October morning, it happens—the accident that changes everything and leaves Amelie fighting to survive.

Set amid the gleaming spires of Oxford and the wild beauty of a Swedish forest, this is a story about one woman’s hope and her courage in the face of the unthinkable.

Snow Angels is available for purchase here.

An Evening on My Magic Carpet

A Guest Post by Jenny Loudon

I have prepared a nice supper for our evening in, and it is a summer evening so we eat it at the table in my garden, on a hillside overlooking a wood-topped valley which stretches as far as the eye can see in either direction. As we eat and chat, we watch the deer grazing in the fields below the woodlands, and listen to the red kites calling, as they wheel overhead.

Pleasantly full of food, I unroll my magic carpet (because when we stay in, we so rarely actually stay in, do we? We usually take our imagination on a journey by watching television or reading a book, and so this evening is no different in that respect.)

I put big cushions for your comfort on my jewel-coloured rug, we sit down, and off we go, lifting into the air. Firstly, we visit London, Fulham specifically. A pleasant, tree-lined suburban street where we see Verity through the window of her comfortable home. She is the heroine of Finding Verity and we see how lonely and unhappy she is, how overworked and at a loss. We fly on, through time and space, to Les Massif des Maures, the beautiful mountains of Provence which overlook the warm, sparkling Mediterranean Sea. It is sunset, the landscape is bathed in a soft lemony light, and the sky is alive with colour—apricot, turquoise, pink. Our Verity is walking in the garden of a house there, her mood quite different, uplifted and alert, her heart alive again. We see the change in her and wonder what has happened… I know, of course, but you will have to read the book to find out…

For our next journey, I throw you a blanket of softest cashmere and advise you to wrap up warm. I fly us to the city of Oxford where Amelie, the heroine of Snow Angels lives with her husband and young son. We move on from this happy domestic picture to circle over the scene of a terrible accident, keeping our distance because the reality is too awful, and we wish to respect the privacy of those involved. I reassure you and whisk you on, out across the grey and choppy North Sea to the land of forest and lakes, snow and ice. We are in a fictional winter now, in the depths of the Swedish countryside, and there we find our Amelie, living in a small homestead with her beloved grandmother, and we wonder how she will survive, and what she will do next.

It has been a long, emotional, and often beautiful journey on my magic carpet, and we arrive back at my home where I make you a hot drink and chat a while, before walking you to your car. It’s been a great visit, Linda. We say our goodbyes and hope to see each other again soon.

****

If you’re going to take me on trips like that Jenny, I’ll be back very soon indeed. Thanks so much.

About Jenny Loudon

Jenny Loudon is a novelist and poet who has published two Amazon best-selling books Finding Verity and Snow Angels. She has worked as an editor, researcher and proof-reader. She read English and American Literature at the University of Kent at Canterbury, and gained a Masters in The Modern Movement.  She currently lives with her family in the English countryside.

It’s been my pleasure to meet lovely Cathy Bramley on several occasions, but I’m ashamed to say she hasn’t featured on Linda’s Book Bag for far too long. Consequently I’m thrilled that my latest online My Weekly review is of Cathy’s latest book Merrily Ever After.

Published by Orion on 13th October 2022, Merrily Ever After is available for purchase through the links here.

Merrily Ever After

In a picturesque town in Derbyshire, Merry has always wanted a family to spend Christmas with, and this year her dream comes true as she says ‘I do’ to father-of-two Cole. But as she juggles worries about her business, last-minute wedding planning and the two new children in her life, Merry is stretched to breaking point.

Meanwhile, only a few miles away, Emily is desperately waiting for the New Year to begin. Her father Ray’s dementia is worsening, and she’s struggling to care for him alone while holding down a job. When Ray moves into a residential home, she discovers a photograph in his belongings that has the potential to change everything .

As shocking secrets from Ray’s past finally come to light, will this Christmas make or break Emily and Merry?

My Review of Merrily Ever After

My full review of Merrily Ever After can be found on the My Weekly website here.

However, what I can say here is that Merrily Ever After is a wonderful, heart-felt exploration of love and belonging that I thought was just lovely.

Do visit My Weekly to read my full review here.

About Cathy Bramley

Cathy Bramley is the Sunday Times Top Ten best-selling author of The Lemon Tree Cafe. Her other romantic comedies include Ivy Lane, Appleby Farm, Wickham Hall, Conditional Love, The Plumberry School of Comfort Food and White Lies and Wishes. She lives in a Nottinghamshire village with her family and a dog. Cathy turned to writing after spending eighteen years running her own marketing agency. She has been always an avid reader, never without a book on the go and now thinks she may have found her dream job! Cathy loves to hear from her readers.

You can find out more about Cathy Bramley on her website and you can follow her on Twitter @CathyBramley, Facebook and Instagram.

It was a real pleasure when a surprise copy of A Ukrainian Christmas by Nadiyka Gerbish and Yaroslav Hrytsak turned up in my post box. My huge thanks to Becky Hunter for sending it my way. I’m delighted to share my review today.

A Ukrainian Christmas was published by Sphere on 3rd November 2022 and is available in all good bookshops and online including here.

The publisher is making a donation to the Disasters Emergency Committee Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal on publication of A Ukrainian Christmas.

A Ukrainian Christmas

The perfect gift this Christmas

‘History, stories, recipes and beautiful illustrations’ – OLINA HERCULES

‘Christmas brings the indestructibility of hope in times of the greatest hopelessness. As long as we celebrate this holiday, we can neither be defeated nor destroyed. This is the message that Ukraine is trying to convey to the world. And this is what our book is about.’

From Christmas music to gifts and food, as well as a look back through the country’s rich and troubled history through the perspective of the festive season, this beautifully illustrated and powerful book introduces readers to Ukraine’s unique Christmas traditions. In a country where East and West meet, this is a fascinating and unmissable guide to capturing the spirit of one of the most important times of year and a powerful reminder of the strength of holding on to your culture and beliefs, even as others try to take everything from you.

My Review of A Ukrainian Christmas

A celebration of Ukrainian and Christmas traditions in the face of adversity.

From the very first page it’s obvious that A Ukrainian Christmas is a very special book. I’m going to be honest and say that by the time I’d read the dedication and Foreword, before I’d even turned another page, I was in pieces. However, A Ukrainian Christmas is not a maudlin or depressing book. Far, far from it. I think it can be summed up by Nadiyka Gerbish’s comment ‘…our current suffering is not in vain, and there is still hope even in the midst of the greatest crisis.’

A Ukrainian Christmas is glorious. It doesn’t shy away from reality, but rather celebrates life, the world and Christmas in all its facets. Between the pages of this book lies history, geography, folklore, food, challenge, humanity, hope and love. There’s everything from Cromwell’s banning of carol singing, through traditional Ukrainian recipes, to Marxism so that it is a cornucopia of treasure for all readers. A Ukrainian Christmas educates, explores and entertains.

Aside from the eclectic and fascinating topics, what makes A Ukrainian Christmas so fabulous is the range of beautiful illustrations. Some are more simple, some totally sumptuous but all add quality and value to the writing. I loved the fact that there are proper biographies of the illustrators as well as the authors in the back of the book too. The physical attributes of the book; its size, the robust cover with gold lettering and so on, lend it an excellence that enhances the contents still further.

I think reading A Ukrainian Christmas ensures the reader remembers the true value of home and family. It celebrates hope and joy even in the darkest of times. Hugely affecting, interesting and compelling with a visual and literary beauty, A Ukrainian Christmas would make a wonderful gift. I thought it was excellent.

About Yaroslav Hrytsak

Yaroslav Hrytsak is a Ukrainian historian and public intellectual. Professor of the Ukrainian Catholic University and Honorary Professor of the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, Professor Hrytsak has taught at Columbia and Harvard Universities and was a guest lecturer at the Central European University in Budapest. He is the author of many historical books, including several bestsellers and the recipient of numerous national and international awards and has written opinion pieces for many publications including The Times, the New York Times and Time Magazine.

About Nadiyka Gerbish

Nadiyka Gerbish is a Ukrainian writer, podcaster, and Riggins Rights Management European rights director. She has written nineteen books, many of which have become bestsellers and have won numerous awards. A number of Nadiyka’s children’s books are studied in schools in Ukraine and have been published in braille and audiobook.

Had it not been the choice at my U3A book group this month, I probably would never have read The Ashes of London by Andrew Taylor and my word I’d have missed out. I’m delighted to share my review today.

The Ashes of London was published in paperback on 26th January 2017 by Harper Collins and is available for purchase in all formats through the links here.

The Ashes of London

A CITY IN FLAMES
London, 1666. As the Great Fire consumes everything in its path, the body of a man is found in the ruins of St Paul’s Cathedral – stabbed in the neck, thumbs tied behind his back.

A WOMAN ON THE RUN
The son of a traitor, James Marwood is forced to hunt the killer through the city’s devastated streets. There he encounters a determined young woman, who will stop at nothing to secure her freedom.

A KILLER SEEKING REVENGE
When a second murder victim is discovered in the Fleet Ditch, Marwood is drawn into the political and religious intrigue of Westminster – and across the path of a killer with nothing to lose…

My Review of The Ashes of London

It’s 1666 and London is burning.

My goodness I enjoyed The Ashes of London. It opens dramatically and continues with a fast, sometimes brutal, pace that makes the plot fly past right up to the exciting end. I was entirely entranced by Andrew Taylor’s writing. His style is accessible and yet authentic for the era with direct speech especially well attuned to convey class, social standing and gender. 

The story is steeped in politics, intrigue, betrayal, control and mystery so that I became absolutely spellbound in its telling. There’s a delicious blend of real and imagined characters lending an authenticity that enhances the narrative still further and reading The Ashes of London is a bit like peeling back the layers of history and society so that the reader feels as if they were actually present. 

I found the descriptions of London vivid, convincing and authentic with every sense catered for so that I could not have been more impressed by the quality of research and realism in this brilliantly conveyed narrative. The Ashes of London has a filmic quality I thought was simply fabulous.

Whilst I found Cat’s narrative so tantalising, there’s more here from James Marwood’s perspective in a technique that I found perfectly mirrored the status of men and women in the society of the time. I thought the way Cat’s actions make the reader contemplate morality was so thought-provoking, because she often does the wrong thing but for absolutely the right reason. I loved, too, the middle ground, the ordinariness of James Marwood, that illustrates how a twist of fate can completely alter a person’s life. He was completely convincing and believable.

I found The Ashes of London exceptionally well plotted, atmospherically written and hugely entertaining. I absolutely loved it and totally resented it when life interrupted my reading of the book. And what a pleasure to know The Ashes of London is the start of a series I haven’t previously discovered and I’ve so much to look forward to.

About Andrew Taylor

Andrew Taylor is a bestselling British crime and historical novelist, winner of the CWA Cartier Diamond Dagger (for lifelong excellence in the genre), the HWA Gold Crown for best historical novel of the year, and the triple winner of the CWA Historical Dagger. He has published over 45 books.

They include the international bestseller, The American Boy (a Richard and Judy selection); the Roth Trilogy (filmed for TV as Fallen Angel); the Lydmouth detective series set in the 1950s; and The Anatomy of Ghosts, shortlisted for the Theakston’s Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year.

His most recent books are the Marwood and Lovett Restoration series. The Ashes of London was a Times/Waterstones number one bestseller. The sequels have both all been bestsellers too. The fifth in the series, The Royal Secret, is out now.

For more information visit Andrew’s website, or follow him on Twitter @andrewjrtaylor.

It’s a privilege to close the blog tour for This Train by James Grady. My thanks to Sarah at Oldcastle Books and No Exit Press for inviting me to participate. I’m delighted to share my review today.

Published by No Exit Press on 16th June 2022, This Train is available for purchase through the links here.

This Train

The new novel from the acclaimed author of Six Days of the Condor, set on a heart-pounding cross-country train ride.

This Train races us through America’s heartland, carrying secrets. There is treasure in the cargo car, along with an invisible puppeteer. There is a coder named Nora, Mugzy, the yippy dog, and Ross, the too-curious poet. On board, it’s a countdown to murder…

On this train there is a silver madman, a targeted banker, and crises of conscience. This train harbors the “perfect” couple’s conspiracies, the chaos of being a teenager, and parenthood alongside the wows of being nine. There is a widow and a wannabe, and the sleaziest billionaire.

On this train, there is the suicide ticket, the bomb, sex, love, and loneliness. The heist. Revenge. Redemption.

This Train is a ticking clock, roaring through forty-seven fictional hours of non-stop suspense and action, through the challenges of now: Racism. Sexism. Global warming. What it means to be alive.

This train carries all of us. All aboard!

My Review of This Train

The train is about to depart.

I confess that when I first started reading This Train I felt slightly shell shocked. James Grady opens with a sparse style reminiscent of watching a flickering film noir, with a hint of menace that took me a few pages to attune myself to. It’s almost as if, alongside the characters, he places the reader inside a slightly manic mind where they hear another person’s whirling thoughts. I thought this was a hugely effective and unsettling atmosphere. The sense of menace is also created by the variety of sentence structure and unusual compound adjectives that paint dramatic images in the reader’s head. The writing frequently mirrors the sound and rhythm of a train on rail tracks so that it becomes more intense as a result.

The characters are numerous and seem to represent every facet of American society in microcosm. Whilst they are vivid and clear, my personal taste would have preferred fewer, although I think James Grady had to include so many to create the frenetic, almost febrile sensation and atmosphere that permeates This Train. Indeed, the plot races along and the brevity of the chapters adds to the fast pace. There’s a frantic pace that is so exciting, balanced by more prosaic aspects that works really well.

Although This Train is relatively brief, it embodies layer upon layer of themes from identity to conspiracy, family to state, memory to fear and so much more in a whirling maelstrom. It reminded me a bit of a kind of modern Boccaccio’s The Decameron. I feel that I would need to reread This Train many times truly to get below the surface of everything that is going on. I think it would make a brilliant film or television series.

This Train won’t suit all readers. I found its style, its innovative approach and its pace breath-taking. I can’t decide if I enjoyed it, but I certainly admired it! I really recommend you read it for yourself to decide what you think.

About James Grady

James Grady has published more than a dozen novels, a handful of short stories, and worked in both feature films and television. His first novel, Six Days of the Condor, became the classic Robert Redford movie Three Days Of The Condor and the current Max Irons TV series Condor. Grady has been both US Senate aide and a national investigative reporter. He has received Italy’s Raymond Chandler Medal, France’s Grand Prix Du Roman Noir and Japan’s Baka-Misu literature award, two Regardie Magazine short story awards, and been a Mystery Writers of America Edgar finalist. In 2008, Grady was named as one of the Telegraph’s 50 crime writers to read before you die, and in 2015 the Washington Post compared his prose to George Orwell and Bob Dylan. He has two children and lives with his wife inside Washington, DC’s beltway.

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