I’m beside myself with disappointment today because I simply couldn’t fit in reading Every Last Fear by Alex Finlay in time for the blog tour that is currently running. The paperback of Every Last Fear will be out in September so hopefully I can read it then! However, I do have a wonderful hard backed copy of Every Last Fear to give away to a lucky UK reader today and I’m delighted to be staying in with Alex to find out more about the book. My enormous thanks to Lauren Tavella at Head of Zeus for putting us in touch with one another.

Staying in with Alex Finlay

Welcome to Linda’s Book Bag Alex  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 Every Last Fear, which just released, and I’m excited to share with UK readers.

From what I hear, we readers are very excited to read it! What can we expect from an evening with Every Last Fear?

I hope you can expect twists and turns and, if I did my job right, maybe even a tear, as you trace the fate of the Pine family.  It’s the story of a family made infamous by a true crime documentary who are found dead while on holiday, leaving their surviving son to uncover the truth about their final days.

Every Last Fear sounds brilliant and I love a book that has an emotional connection. What else have you brought along and why have you brought it?

I’ve brought the poster for the fictitious documentary featured in the novel.

That’s fabulous! Now I’m really intrigued.

And I’ve also included a photo of a friendly guy who we met wandering in and out of shops in Tulum, Mexico, a place featured in the opening of the novel.  “Smiley” makes an appearance in the story.

Smiley is most welcome Alex. Thanks so much for introducing Every Last Fear. Let me give Linda’s Book Bag readers a few more details. 

Every Last Fear

Keep your family close, because your enemies are closer.

University student Matt Pine has just received devastating news. Nearly his entire family have been found dead while holidaying in Mexico. The local police claim it was an accident, but the FBI aren’t convinced – and they won’t tell Matt why.

The tragedy thrusts his family into the media spotlight again. Seven years ago, Matt’s older brother, Danny, was sentenced to life in prison for murdering his teenage girlfriend. Danny has always sworn he was innocent, and last year, a true crime documentary that claimed he was wrongfully convicted went viral.

Now his family’s murder is overlapping with Danny’s case, Matt is determined to uncover the truth behind the crime that sent his brother to prison. Even if it means putting his own life in danger, and confronting his every last fear.

Published by Head of Zeus imprint Aria on 2nd March, Every Last Fear is available for purchase through the links here.

Every Last Fear Giveaway

For your chance to win a hardbacked copy of Alex Finlay’s Every Last Fear, click here. Giveaway open to UK readers only. The prize will be sent directly from the publisher and your details will not be retained beyond the closing date. The giveaway ends at UK midnight on Sunday 21st March 2021.

About Alex Finlay

Alex Finlay is the pseudonym of an author who lives in Washington, D.C.  Born in the American South, Alex spent years traversing the globe, from a tropical island in the Pacific to a small village in the UK to a remote region in the Far East.  But it was on a trip to beautiful Tulum, Mexico where he was inspired to write Every Last Fear.  The novel is an Amazon Editors’ Pick, an Indie Next pick, a LibraryReads selection, as well as a Newsweek, Goodreads, BuzzFeed, BookBub, and PopSugar, most anticipated book of the year.

You can find out more on Alex’s website and you’ll find Alex on Instagram and Facebook.

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It feels like I’ve been waiting a very long time for a new book by Claire Fuller because I adore her writing. I’m thrilled to share my review of her latest novel, Unsettled Ground today and I would like to thank Hannah Sawyer for sending me a copy of the book in return for an honest review.

When I first began blogging in 2015, Claire Fuller’s debut Our Endless Numbered Days was one of my books of the year and you can read my review here. When I reviewed Claire’s second book Swimming Lessons here, I was privileged to interview her too. I then reviewed Claire’s wonderful third novel Bitter Orange here.

Published by Penguin Fig Tree, Unsettled Ground is available for purchase through these links. I’m delighted that Unsettled Ground has been longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction.

Unsettled Ground

What if the life you have always known is taken from you in an instant?

What would you do to get it back?

Twins Jeanie and Julius have always been different from other people. At 51 years old, they still live with their mother, Dot, in rural isolation and poverty. Inside the walls of their old cottage they make music, and in the garden they grow (and sometimes kill) everything they need for sustenance.

But when Dot dies suddenly, threats to their livelihood start raining down. Jeanie and Julius would do anything to preserve their small sanctuary against the perils of the outside world, even as their mother’s secrets begin to unravel, putting everything they thought they knew about their lives at stake.

Unsettled Ground is a heart-stopping novel of betrayal and resilience, love and survival. It is a portrait of life on the fringes of society that explores with dazzling emotional power how we can build our lives on broken foundations, and spin light from darkness.

My Review of Unsettled Ground

Dot’s death uncovers an unsettling chain of events.

When you’ve loved everything an author has ever written and they have a new novel it’s always an anxious moment. Picking up Unsettled Ground I wondered whether the magic of Claire Fuller’s writing would be present. It was. But more than the exquisite luminosity of her prose that I have come to expect, Unsettled Ground has an even deeper and more emotional resonance than ever. I thought it was superb.

In essence, the narrative is simple. A middle aged set of twins, Jeanie and Julius, find themselves in financial difficulties after the sudden death of their mother, Dot. However, Unsettled Ground took me a long while to read. Its intensity, its profound exploration of relationships, grief, deceit, pride and love meant that I needed to savour each word and allow myself to absorb and process the nuances and emotions threaded into the story. Unsettled Ground is a rather like an onion that Janie might grow in their garden. Each chapter peels back a layer of humanity that is breath-taking in its comprehension of what makes us who we are. Indeed Dot’s human flaws are the driving force behind the narrative.

It’s no spoiler to say that Dot dies in the first few pages of Unsettled Ground, but her influence is dominant throughout. She is a much a presence as the twins and the catalyst of so much of the action. She’s such a compelling and complex woman that I ended Unsettled Ground not knowing if I loathed or pitied her, if I loved her or despised her. I would say that by the end of the book I was broken by the impact of her on Julius and Jeanie. Dot made me rage and made me weep.

The claustrophobic relationship between Jeanie and Julius is utterly absorbing. Claire Fuller made me want them to get away from one another and live totally separate lives whilst simultaneously hoping they’d never be parted. I thought about them, Jeanie particularly, when I wasn’t reading about them. More minor characters like Bridget are equally compelling. They somehow reflect society perfectly without ever becoming stereotypes or pastiche so that all life is present within the pages of Unsettled Ground.

Alongside the psychological relationships aspect of Unsettled Ground, there is a dark wryness and a tense thriller too. I found my pulse elevated as Jeanie found herself emotionally and physically threatened. I kept pausing in my reading as I wasn’t sure I was going to like what happened next and yet I couldn’t let go of the novel. I thought Claire Fuller’s manipulation of me as a reader was just fabulous.

Perfectly plotted, and beautifully written with brilliant characterisation, Unsettled Ground is Claire Fuller crafting the narrative at her most sublime. I thought it was a wonderful book.

About Claire Fuller

Claire Fuller was born in Oxfordshire, England, in 1967. She gained a degree in sculpture from Winchester School of Art, but went on to have a long career in marketing and didn’t start writing until she was forty. Her first novel, Our Endless Numbered Days, won the Desmond Elliott Prize. She has an MA in Creative and Critical Writing from the University of Winchester and lives in Hampshire with her husband and two children.

You can follow Claire on Twitter @ClaireFuller2 and visit her blog. You’ll also find Claire on Facebook and Instagram.

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Back in December I ‘attended’ a fantastic evening from @TeamBATC showcasing the books coming in 2021. You can read about that event here. A Family Reunion by Patricia Scanlan was one of those books and I’m delighted to participate in the blog tour for it today by sharing my review. My thanks to Anne Cater of Random Things Tours for inviting me.

A Family Reunion was published in paperback by Simon and Schuster on 4th March 2021 and is available for purchase through the links here.

A Family Reunion

One explosive family reunion. A lifetime of secrets revealed.

When four feisty women from the same family, get together at a family reunion, anything can happen…

Marie-Claire, betrayed by her partner Marc plans her revenge to teach him a lesson he will never forget. She travels from Toronto, home to Ireland, to the house of the Four Winds, for her great aunt Reverend Mother Brigid’s eightieth birthday celebrations. It will be a long-awaited reunion for three generations of family, bringing together her mother, Keelin and grandmother, Imelda – who have never quite got along

And then all hell breaks loose.

Bitter, jealous Imelda makes a shocking revelation that forces them all to confront their pasts, admit mistakes, and face the truths that have shaped their lives. With four fierce, opinionated women in one family, will they ever be able to forgive the past and share a future?

And what of Marc?

It’s never too late to make amends…or is it?

Spanning generations and covering seismic shifts in the lives of women, A Family Reunion is a compelling, thought-provoking, important and highly emotional novel from a trailblazing author in women’s fiction.

My Review of A Family Reunion

Secrets of the past won’t remain buried.

A Family Reunion is what I’d call a ‘proper’ story. All the elements I like are present, with strong characters, a compelling plot and a real sense of place. I thoroughly enjoyed it and felt it was one of those books that would lend itself beautifully to a television series because there are secrets, twists and turns that make for a really immersive narrative.

Patricia Scanlan is a consummate story teller. Whilst A Family Reunion is a compelling story of family and relationships, the author weaves geography, history, religion and sociology into it so that her reader is moved, outraged and ensnared in equal measure. I found the presentation of Ireland’s female sexual and religious emancipation as a backdrop to the narratives of Imogen, Brigid, Keelin and Marie-Claire absolutely fascinating and I was quite surprised by some of the vehemence expressed not only by the characters but also through the authorial voice too. Whilst I agreed wholeheartedly with them, I do, however, think some readers might find themselves at odds with some of the views expressed. A Family Reunion caused me to scurry off and research some of its factual references so that my reading experience was enriched and my awareness raised. This is a book that satisfies beyond the confines of its pages.

I absolutely loved having three generations of women because it felt like a natural and recognisable scenario. Brigid and Imogen have a maturity and experience that gives depth. Although I liked her least because of her bitterness and vindictiveness, I found Imogen the most fascinating. She illustrates so brilliantly how perception and imagined wrongs can fester and affect us. Indeed, Patricia Scanlan shows her readers considerable humanity as she presents four flawed and vivid women who all embody an element any reader could relate to. I thoroughly enjoyed the way layers of the past became the bedrock of the present for these four women.

I found the settings in A Family Reunion highly effective. I loved being in Africa with Brigid and now have a hankering to visit Iona. It was smashing to feel I’d been on a road trip after so many months in lockdown.

I think there are elements of A Family Reunion that will divide opinion depending on the religious beliefs and backgrounds of the reader. However, I found it an immersive and entertaining book and am glad I have finally discovered Patricia Scanlan’s writing. I thoroughly enjoyed reading A Family Reunion.

About Patricia Scanlan

Patricia Scanlan lives in Dublin. Her books, all number one bestsellers, have sold worldwide and been translated
into many languages.

You can follow Patricia on Twitter @patriciascanl18. You’ll also find her on Instagram and Facebook.

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My enormous thanks to Poppy Stimpson for sending me a surprise copy of Peter Carnavas’ children’s book, The Elephant, in return for an honest review. I’m delighted to share that review today.

Published by Puskin Press on 28th January 2021, The Elephant is available for purchase through the links here.

The Elephant

‘A beautiful book – not just heartwarming but heart healing’ Chris Riddell

A big grey elephant is following Olive’s father around. It leaves with him for work and trails behind him when he comes home, keeping him heavy and sad. Every day, Olive wishes it would disappear.

When she is asked to bring something old and wonderful to show her class, Olive immediately wants to bring her old bike – but she will need her father’s help to fix it. Teaming up with her cheery grandad and best friend Arthur, she sets out to chase the elephant away.

My Review of The Elephant

There’s an elephant in the room with Dad.

Oh my word. The Elephant is a wonderful, wonderful book. Imbued with love and hope it explores grief and family relationships with total sensitivity so that I sobbed through much of the story and ended the book feeling as if I’d been given a gift of real joy. It is fabulous.

As this is a children’s book I must comment on its suitability for its target audience first. Beautifully illustrated with black and white drawings alongside a perfect balance of white space to text, The Elephant is just right for independent readers to manage alone with a font that is easy to read and vocabulary that is accessible but mature enough to appeal to more mature children. This is a story I can imagine a whole family sharing together and it would be perfect for classroom use too because it tackles mental health, grief and depression in a sensitive manner that guides, but doesn’t exacerbate, any possible emotions in the readership. I thought the themes were brilliantly handled and the metaphor of a grey elephant for Olive’s Dad’s depression is a concrete example any child could understand. I loved too, the friendship between Olive and Arthur, illustrating that boys and girls can be friends quite easily. It is also so encouraging to find a warm intergenerational relationship as Olive enjoys adventures with her Grandad.

But leaving aside this is a children’s book, it is also absolutely compelling for adults too. The exploration of Dad’s elephantine grief and Grandad’s tortoise sadness touched me completely. There is a moment between Olive and her dog Freddie towards the end of The Elephant that quite undid me. There is a depth of emotion between the pages of The Elephant that manages to be exactly the right level of feeling for the reader. Add in the rediscovery of childlike joy and The Elephant is a book that breaks down the emotional defences so many of us put in place, teaches us how to communicate with those we love and to articulate our feelings and leaves us feeling uplifted and complete.

Whatever you do, don’t dismiss Peter Carnavas’s The Elephant as a book for children only. It is a beautiful book – in presentation, in message and by being a book of hope for all, and I adored it.

About Peter Carnavas

Peter Carnavas’s career as a primary school teacher inspired him to embrace his passion for children’s literature. He is the author of several award-winning picture books. The Elephant is his first novel. Peter lives on Australia’s Sunshine Coast with his family, a dog called Florence and a cat named Harry.

You can follow Peter on Twitter @PCarnavas for further information, or visit his website.

When Simon Van der Velde got in touch about his new collection Backstories I was so intrigued that I broke my self imposed rule NOT to take any further books for review and accepted a copy, not least because 30% of all profits from the sale of Backstories will be shared between Stop Hate UK, The North East Autism Society and Friends of the Earth. My thanks to Simon for providing a copy of Backstories in return for an honest review. I’m delighted to share that review today.

Backstories is published by Smoke & Mirrors Press on 25th March 2021 and is available for purchase here.

Backstories

Dreamers, singers, talkers and killers; they can dazzle with their beauty or their talent or their unmitigated evil, but inside themselves they are as frail and desperate as the rest of us. But can you see them? Can you unravel the truth? These are people you know, but not as you know them. Peel back the mask and see.

Backstories is a unique collection of stories each told from the point of view of a famous (or notorious) person at a pivotal moment in their lives. The writing is literary but accessible and the voices vividly real. The settings are mostly 60 ‘s and 70 ‘s UK and USA, and the driving themes are inclusion, social justice and of course, nostalgia – but the real key to these stories is that the protagonists ‘ identities are withheld. This means that your job is to find them, leading to that Eureka moment when you realise whose mind you’ve been inhabiting for the last twenty minutes.

My Review of Backstories

A collection of fourteen short stories.

Backstories is a little cracker of a book. It is a quirky and fascinating concept which, as the title obviously implies, provides the possible back stories of well known people. One of the joys of Simon Van der Velde’s writing for the reader is building the picture from the layered information and clues to try to work out exactly who he’s writing about before any reveal.

I can’t say too much about the characters as I don’t want to spoil the intrinsic enjoyment of Backstories by revealing who is between its covers, but there are, amongst others, musicians and murderers, political activists and artists, whose tales illustrate the depth of research Simon Van der Velde must have gone to in order to tell their back stories with his compelling blend of fact and fiction. Small, intimate details really bring them alive. I thought Backstories was a work of genius.

That said, every story here is a small jewel in its own right and can be enjoyed and appreciated individually because of the gorgeous quality of the writing in Backstories. With both first and third person perspectives there is variety of voice that is so compelling. It wouldn’t matter whether the reader had full knowledge of the person behind each story to bring to their reading, or whether they had no idea at all because every story is a work of art that can be appreciated as a stand alone narrative.

In Backstories, Simon Van der Velde doesn’t shy away from racism, violence, bullying and all manner of social elements that make the characters in these stories come alive on the page. But there’s a tenderness behind them that helps uncover human frailty, and makes the reader understand why a mass murderer might turn to such brutality for example. Through Simon Van der Velde’s surprising moral compass the reader considers the homeless, the abused, the downtrodden and those on the edge of society because of their background, sexuality, race or experiences. I found this element very moving and affecting.

Backstories is a slim volume that belies its interest and depth. It genuinely packs a punch  – literally in some of the stories. Written in an elegant and frequently raw style, it thrums with life and meaning. Well crafted, accessible and entertaining, I thought Backstories really was fabulous.

About Simon Van der Velde

Simon Van der Velde has worked variously as a barman, labourer, teacher, caterer and lawyer, as well as travelling throughout Europe and South America collecting characters and insights for his award-winning stories. Since completing a creative writing M.A. (with distinction) in 2010, Simon’s work has won and been shortlisted for numerous awards including; The Yeovil Literary Prize, (twice), The Wasafiri New Writing Prize, The Luke Bitmead Bursary, The Frome Shortstory Prize, The Harry Bowling Prize, The Henshaw Press Short Story Competition and The National Association of Writers’ Groups Open Competition – establishing him as one of the UK’s foremost short-story writers.

Simon now lives in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, with his wife, Nicola, their labradoodle, Barney and two tyrannical children.

You can follow Simon on Twitter @SimonVdVwriter or visit his website for more information. You’ll also find Simon on Instagram and Facebook.

Yet again another brilliant sounding book crosses my path and I simply don’t have time to fit in reading it. However, that doesn’t stop me hearing more about it and today I’m delighted that John Fullerton is staying in with me to chat about his brand new thriller.

Staying in with John Fullerton

Welcome to Linda’s Book Bag John. Thank you for staying in with me. I rather think I know, but which of your books have you brought along this evening and why have you brought it?

I’ve brought my new novel Spy Game as it’s published today by independent publisher Burning Chair.

Congratulations John and Happy Publication Day. What can we expect from an evening in with Spy Game?

It’s a thriller about a rather naive young man – someone who unquestioningly believes in Queen and Country and wants to do his bit in the Cold War – who volunteers as a ‘head agent’ for the UK’s Secret Intelligence Service (SIS) on the Afghan-Pakistan frontier shortly after the Soviet invasion. But Richard Brodick soon discovers that the Great Game has a dark side. Ordered to kill his best friend who’s suspected of being a Soviet asset, he faces a grim dilemma.

Crikey! that sounds dramatic. How is Spy Game being received by readers?

I’m delighted that veteran crime novelist Russell James was the first to review Spy Game for Shots Crime and Thriller Ezine and he has this to say:

‘Fullerton is unmatchable at the details of the frontline spy game, the very believable characters engaged in it, and the cold-eyed, cold-hearted decisions that those who intend to win the game have to take. It is not a game for the faint-hearted.’

That’s quite some praise. You must be delighted with it. How did you come to write Spy Game?

Spy Game is based on my failure as a spook. I did work as an SIS ‘contract labourer’ in Pakistan and Afghanistan. I too was somewhat naïve and wanted to become a full-time intelligence officer but was turned down, rightly so, as I wasn’t entirely comfortable with authority of any kind and had a tendency, as they said, of rushing off and doing stuff I thought needed doing without authorisation. ‘John, we think you’d chafe at the bureaucratic restrictions of a peacetime service,’ I was told. Fortunately, I turned out to be a better journalist than spy, eventually living or working in 40 countries and covering a dozen wars, most of them for Reuters. I now live in Scotland.

That sounds like an exciting lifestyle though. So, what else have you brought along?

I’ve brought along an old snapshot of me in my Afghan rig from my spying days taken by a friend of mine, photographer and former Royal Marine Ken Guest, on the outskirts of Kandahar, Afghanistan’s second city and former royal capital, in 1982.

Oo. Very mysterious. Thanks so much for staying in with me to chat about Spy Game John. It sounds brilliant. Are there any more books planned? 

I’m thrilled that Burning Chair will publish the second novel, Spy Dragon, in which Brodick – older, wiser and far more self-interested – heads off to war-torn Beirut to help locate a kidnapped CIA officer. I’m pretty sure that it has more twists than your average corkscrew. Now I’m working on the third in the series.

I think they all sound fantastic. Good luck with the series. Let me tell blog readers more about Spy Game:

Spy Game

February 1981. The Cold War is in full swing. Richard Brodick decides to follow in his father’s footsteps and seeks an exciting role in what used to be called the Great Game, only to find that it turns out to be less of an adventure and more brutal betrayal.

As a contract ‘head agent’ for Britain’s Secret Intelligence Service based in Pakistan, Brodick’s job is to train Afghans to capture video of the war against the Soviets. He is expected to follow orders, toe the line, keep Mrs T happy back in London. However, what he finds on the ground-in both Pakistan and Afghanistan-is a murky world of blurred lines and conflicting stories. He quickly realises he cannot trust anything he has been told, by anyone.

What he had thought would be an adventure spying on the Soviets and their Afghan communist allies turns sour when he’s ordered to kill his best friend.

Will he betray his country or his friend? What side will he choose?

Published by Burning Chair, today, 8th March 2021, Spy Game is available for purchase here.

About John Fullerton

During the Cold War John Fullerton was, for a time, a “contract labourer” for the British Secret Intelligence Service, in the role of head agent on the Afghan-Pakistan frontier. This experience forms the basis of his latest novel, provisionally entitled Spy Game, to be published in March 2021 by Burning Chair.

All told, he’s lived or worked in 40 countries as a journalist and covered a dozen wars. For 20 years he was employed by Reuters as a correspondent and editor with postings in Hong Kong, Delhi, Beirut, Nicosia, Cairo, and London.

His home is in Scotland.

For more information, follow John on Twitter @fictionarrative or visit his website. You’ll also find John on Facebook.

Well, it’s been nearly a year since the first lockdown started and Covid has played a huge, sometimes devastating, role in all our lives. Consequently, when I discovered that there was positivity to be had too, I had to invite Gemma Levine onto the blog to tell me about one of her books. My thanks to Grace Pilkington for putting us in touch with one another.

Staying in with Gemma Levine

Welcome to Linda’s Book Bag Gemma and thank you for staying in with me. Which of your books have you brought along to tell me about today?

During this lockdown period , I brought out and published 3 books . This one I give you today, is called COVID THOUGHTS. All the book’s proceeds got to Lymphoedema Research Charity.

Gosh, three books during lockdown is very impressive. Tell me more about COVID THOUGHTS.

I asked 40 famous personalities to write for me in 200 words their thoughts during this period . I have photographed each one of them. One page their text, the opposite page their photograph. Dame Judi Dench supports everything I am doing to raise awareness for Lymphoedema and has written the Preface. Professor Mortimer has written the Foreword and myself the Introduction.

That’s quite a cast. Who else is involved? 

A few people I will mention that have contributed . Nicki Aitkin MP, Baroness Joan Bakewell, Sir Geoffrey Boycott, Dame Joan Collins, William Boyd, Simon Callow, the Lord Mayor of Westminster, Baron Richard Harries, Prue Leith, Joanna Lumley, Priti Patel, Bryan Robson, Dr Miriam Stoppard, Terry Waite and many others including Covid hospital staff and ITU nurses and even a fisherman!

I think there’s someone of interest for any reader there Gemma! I understand the proceeds from COVID Thoughts support the Lymphoedema Research Charity so that’s wonderful.

What else have you brought along? 

I’ve brought a quote “ WHEREAS MOST OF US SEEK SOLACE WHEN FACED WITH ADVERSITY, GEMMA LEVINE ENVISIONS AN OPPORTUNITY TO HEAL THROUGH INSIGHT, COMPASSION AND HARMONY. THE WORLD INCLUDING THOSE LIVING WITH LYMPHATIC DISEASES SUCH AS LYMPHOEDEMA, FINDS THEIR HUMANITY, COMMONALITY,AND HENCE HOPE, IN HER VIVID ‘COVID THOUGHTS’ .

I think COVID THOUGHTS sounds such a positive and inspiring book Gemma. Thank you for introducing it here. Let me give Linda’s Book Bag readers a little more information:

COVID THOUGHTS

This book is a thought-provoking exploration of the challenges, lessons learnt and personal experiences of the global pandemic communicated through the eyes of some of the influential public figures in society.

It features contributions from 30 personalities and politicians including the UK’s Home Secretary Priti Patel, Bryan Robson, Prue Leith, Sir David Suchet, Joanna Lumley, William Boyd, Dame Maureen Lipman, and Terry Waite.

As well as raising funds for Lymphoedema research, Covid Thoughts is a compelling collection of the real accounts of people from across a diverse range of backgrounds offering a humbling and insightful glimpse into their Covid journeys.

Foreword by PROFESSOR PETER MORTIMER MD FRCP
Preface by DAME JUDI DENCH CH DBE FRSA
Introduction by GEMMA LEVINE FRSA
Afterword by PROFESSOR JAMES A. LEVINE MD PhD

COVID THOUGHTS is available for purchase here.

About Gemma Levine FRSA

Gemma Levine is a photographer of over half a century. But her artistry was brought to a halt 12 years ago when she developed LYMPHOEDEMA . Gemma is semi disabled with her right arm. It does not allow her to use heavy cameras, carry, cook efficiently etc. Gemma now uses a light iPhone and iPad only for her work.

Her ‘famous people’ ARCHIVES are held with Getty Images UK. Her photographs of Princess Diana, are shown in a permanent exhibition at Kensington Palace. The palace chose Gemma’s photograph of Princess Diana as the photograph of the year in 1994. Gemma has published 25 books and had over 80 exhibitions.

For more information about Gemma, visit her website.

Barbara Copperthwaite is one of the loveliest authors I know and it was a real pleasure last November to help reveal her latest book The Girl in the Missing Poster. It seems a very long time since I last saw Barbara at the Deepings Literary Festival in 2019 and then at one of our author and blogger meetings in Birmingham, but she has featured on the blog in interview here, and again here when Flowers for the Dead had its book birthday. I reviewed Barbara’s The Darkest Lies here and Barbara provided a wonderful letter to herself in a guest post when Her Last Secret was released. You’ll find that letter here.

Today I’m thrilled that Barbara is sharing a guest post with Linda’s Book Bag readers all about the the tragedy behind The Girl in the Missing Poster.

Published by Bookouture on 23rd February 2021, The Girl in the Missing Poster is available for purchase here, and on Apple and Kobo.

The Girl in the Missing Poster

24 June, 1994 – Nineteen-year-old Leila Hawkins runs from her father’s birthday party into the stormy night wearing her sister Stella’s long red coat. Some say she was crying, others swear they saw her get into a passing car. Nobody ever saw her again.

Present – This time every year, on the anniversary of that fateful night, Stella decorates the small seaside town she grew up in with pictures of her beautiful missing sister. But after twenty-five years, is it even worth hoping someone will come forward? Perhaps the upcoming documentary will spark people’s memories by reuniting all the guests who were there the night Leila went missing.

As old friends gather and long-buried secrets begin to surface, the last thing Stella ever expects is a direct response from someone claiming they took Leila. They want private details of Stella’s life in return for answers. But as the true events of the night of the party play out once again, who is lying? And who is next?

The Tragedy Behind The Dedication In ‘The Girl In The Missing Poster’

A Guest Post by Barbara Copperthwaite

I’m always fascinated by book dedications. I find myself wondering who Aunt Bessie was and the influence she had over the author, or who ‘you know who and why’ actually refers to… My latest book is dedicated in part to Julieanne, who has been my best friend since school, and knows where all the metaphorical bodies are buried, but it also reads: For all the missing – and those who are left behind. Why? Let me explain…

The idea for The Girl In The Missing Poster was initially sparked while watching a documentary on the unsolved murder of well-known BBC presenter and journalist Jill Dando. She was killed with a single gunshot on the steps of her London home, and although someone was convicted, he was later acquitted. During the programme, her brother, Nigel, said: ‘I just wish someone could explain to me – or a judge and jury – and tell me why they killed her. It makes no sense to me. It will never make sense to me.’

I tried putting myself in his shoes and started crying at the enormity of it. I rewound the documentary, grabbed a notebook and jotted the line down. I couldn’t help wondering what would happen if the killer were watching – and were moved to get in touch to explain. That was only the beginning though…

On the surface, The Girl In The Missing Poster is about Leila Hawkins, a police cadet who disappeared aged 19, after leaving her dad’s birthday party during a storm. But really at the heart of it lies Stella, the identical twin left behind, who has spent the last 25 years unable to stop searching for answers. She is haunted by endless scenarios – not only her own, but also the countless ones on social media, as people discuss the case and seem almost to forget that they are talking about a person.

For 25 years Stella has wished someone would give her answers. Then one day, her wish comes true – someone claiming to be Leila’s killer contacts her. Can she trust what they say? What does this person truly want? And how much is Stella willing to give up in order to find out the truth?

All the way through writing The Girl In The Missing Poster I was haunted, just like Stella; constantly imagining how I would feel if a member of my own family were to go missing. I began researching Missing Persons cases. Someone goes missing every ninety seconds in the UK. It rarely makes the news.

Imagine not knowing where someone you loved was. Imagine waving goodbye to them – and never knowing what happened to them after that. Every 90 seconds, someone in the UK experiences that.

Personally, I can deal with pretty much any truth, but not knowing… It is something I absolutely can’t handle. It’s probably why I became a journalist, and is also why I now love to explore questions in my fictional books. The thought of so many people going through the hell of constantly wondering and never knowing broke my heart. One of the many stories I came across during my research was that of Renee MacRae, 36, and her three-year-old son, Andrew, who disappeared in 1976. It is Britain’s longest-running missing persons’ inquiry.

The pair were last seen leaving Inverness in November 1976. Renee’s BMW was later spotted by a passing train driver in a remote lay-by on the A9, near Dalmagarry. A rug stained with blood matching Renee’s blood type was found.

Last year, detectives carried out an extensive forensic search of Leanach Quarry, near Culloden Battlefield. About 13 million litres of water was drained from the flooded quarry, and sediment and silt were removed for detailed forensic examination. Still, no trace of Renee or her son were found.

For 44 years her family have had nothing more concrete than their own imaginations to fill in the blanks of what happened to the mother and son.

There’s nothing I can do to help them or the thousands of other people going through this torture. A dedication in my book won’t ease their suffering, but it’s the only thing I can offer. So for them, for all those who have gone missing and may never be found, for those who are trying to find their way back home, and for those who are left at home, waiting, wondering, I dedicate my book. I hope that one day all of them can find peace.

*In the time it’s taken you to read this post, two people have gone missing in the UK.

*

My word Barbara, that’s powerful stuff. I hope this doesn’t sound ridiculous, but we lost a cat without a trace once and we’ve never stopped wondering what happened to him. For that same thing to happen to a human being must be unbearable. I think The Girl in the Missing Poster is an absolute MUST read. I’m so glad it’s on my TBR.

About Barbara Copperthwaite

Barbara is the Amazon, Kobo and USA Today bestselling author of psychological thrillers Invisible, Flowers for the Dead, The Darkest Lies, Her Last Secret and The Perfect Friend. Barbara’s latest book is The Girl in the Missing Poster.

Her writing career started in journalism, writing for national newspapers and magazines. During a career spanning over twenty years Barbara interviewed the real victims of crime – and also those who have carried those crimes out. She is fascinated by creating realistic, complex characters, and taking them apart before the readers’ eyes in order to discover just how much it takes to push a person over a line.

Her first book, Invisible, was ‘totally gripping, and scarily believable’ according to Bella magazine. Its success was followed by Flowers For The Dead, which was the Sunday Mirror’s Choice Read, beating Lee Child’s latest offering. ‘Will have you looking over your shoulder and under your bed… Original, gripping, with a deep psychological impact,’ their review read.

The Darkest Lies came next, published by Bookouture, and became a USA Today bestseller. The follow-up, Her Last Secret, hit the Number 1 spot on Kobo. The Perfect Friend is a No 1 Kobo and Amazon best seller.

When not writing feverishly at her home in Birmingham, Barbara is often found walking her two dogs, Scamp and Buddy, or hiding behind a camera to take wildlife photographs.

For more information about Barbara, you can visit her website or her blog, find her on Facebook and Instagram or follow her on Twitter @BCoppethwait.

It’s almost exactly a year since the lovely Sheila O’Flanagan featured on Linda’s Book Bag when we stayed in together here to chat about Her Husband’s Mistake. Today we’re celebrating the paperback publication day for The Women Who Ran Away, a book sitting waiting for me on my TBR. My enormous thanks to Rachel of Rachel’s Random Resources for inviting me to participate today. It has been my pleasure to listen to Sheila speak about her writing on several occasions both virtually and in real life and I’m thrilled to have an extract from The Women Who Ran Away to share with you.

Also on the blog Sheila previously told me all about her inspiration for another of her books My Mother’s Secret in a guest post that you can read here. I reviewed My Mother’s Secret here.

Published in paperback today, 4th March 2021 by Headline, The Women Who Ran Away is available in all the usual places including Amazon UK, Amazon US and Waterstones.

The Women Who Ran Away

THE NO. 1 IRISH BESTSELLER!

‘One of my favourite authors’ Marian Keyes

‘If you’ve had to cancel your holiday plans this summer, don’t worry – this beautiful new novel will transport you to sunnier climes…’ – HEAT‘S READ OF THE WEEK

In Sheila O’Flanagan’s stunning new novel, two women face up to shocking truths about the men they’ve loved – and start to make their own decisions about what to do next…

Deira isn’t the kind of woman to steal a car. Or drive to France alone with no plan. But then, Deira didn’t expect to be single. Or to suddenly realise that the only way she can get the one thing she wants most is to start breaking every rule she lives by.

Grace has been sent on a journey by her late husband, Ken. She doesn’t really want to be on it but she’s following his instructions, as always. She can only hope that the trip will help her to forgive him. And then – finally – she’ll be able to let him go.

Brought together by unexpected circumstances, Grace and Deira find that it’s easier to share secrets with a stranger, especially in the shimmering sunny countryside of Spain and France. But they soon find that there’s no escaping the truth, whether you’re running away from it or racing towards it . . .

WHAT READERS ARE SAYING ABOUT THE WOMEN WHO RAN AWAY:

‘Didn’t want it to end’ *****

‘I would have given this 6 stars if I could’

‘Within the first chapter, I had left reality and social distancing behind and joined two amazing women on a life-changing adventure’ *****

‘A great summer read’

‘Five stars all the way!’ *****

‘Sheila O’Flanagan never disappoints’ *****

‘Fantastic read!’

‘Couldn’t put this book down!’

An Extract from The Women Who Ran Away

Chapter 16

Nantes to La Rochelle: 136 km

 

‘Tell me,’ said Grace. ‘I told you my story. You have to tell me yours.’

Deira hesitated. ‘It’s not a story like yours. It’s not some- thing you can sympathise with me over.’

‘Let me be the judge of that.’ ‘Seriously . . .’

‘Oh for heaven’s sake, Deira. Just tell me.’

Deira took a deep breath, then brought Grace up to speed with how she’d first met Gavin.

‘I felt guilty about Marilyn and the girls, of course,’ she said. ‘Especially Mae and Suzy; I didn’t want them to have a bad relationship with their father and I encouraged him to see them as much as possible, but I was absolutely a hundred per cent convinced that the marriage itself was over and that Gavin and I were forever. I’d never loved anyone the way I loved him.’

Grace nodded.

‘We were blissfully happy,’ Deira continued. ‘It was a bit awkward initially at work, but eventually that evened itself out. Nobody else was bothered by it and our business relationship evolved over time anyhow. The company’s corporate responsibility strategy expanded and I took control of that; meantime he grew more involved in the pensions side of things. We were specialising in different areas so our work and private lives didn’t clash. We both moved ahead and it was great.’

‘A power couple,’ observed Grace.

‘Sometimes I thought that,’ agreed Deira. ‘We bought a mews house near the canal, we spent a lot of time out at functions, we lived a kind of glamour life.’

‘You said before that you bought the house, not both of you,’ Grace reminded her.

‘Well, yes, I took out the mortgage. It would’ve been messy otherwise, especially as it took so long for him to get the divorce. We didn’t want the house to get mixed up in it all. Afterwards, he said it was right that it should be my place. I thought it meant that he was a good person. I loved him.’

‘You were happy,’ said Grace. ‘Why didn’t you marry?’ ‘Mainly because of the girls,’ said Deira. ‘They hated the

idea of their dad marrying again. If it had only been Marilyn, I’d have done it like a shot simply to annoy her. She was so bloody difficult about it all. I know it was hard for her, I do, truly, but she never let up.’

‘You mean she wanted him back?’

‘Actually, no,’ said Deira. ‘I don’t think she did. But she didn’t want to make it easy for him either. She was forever phoning up, complaining about things, asking for more money for either Mae or Suzy – for essentials, she’d say.’

‘But surely the divorce settlement dealt with all that?’ ‘Eventually it did,’ Deira conceded. ‘But prior to it, she was relentless. Even afterwards she kept demanding things, and he wasn’t willing to get into a battle with her because he didn’t want to antagonise the girls.’

‘You said you wanted him to have a good relationship with them. Does he?’

‘On and off,’ replied Deira. ‘They’re certainly in a better place now than they were at the start, but it’s been tough. At first Marilyn wouldn’t let them visit the house, but after a while Gavin managed to persuade her to allow them to come if I wasn’t there. I used to stay with my friend Tillie those times. Sometimes for a few hours, sometimes for a weekend.’

‘That must have been difficult.’

‘I didn’t mind initially, but afterwards I came to resent it,’ said Deira. ‘When I’d get home, I’d find things had been moved around or hidden away. Occasionally they’d have squeezed out the contents of my make-up into tissues that I’d find in the bathroom waste bin. Once they mashed up a brand-new Bobbi Brown palette I’d been silly enough to leave behind. They pulled the heels off a pair of Prada shoes too.’

‘Oh Deira! That’s awful.’

‘They were angry,’ said Deira. ‘They blamed me. I under- stood.’

‘Didn’t Gavin say anything? Do anything?’

‘I never told him,’ said Deira. ‘I didn’t want them to have a row. I reckoned they’d grow out of it.’

‘Did they?’

‘Eventually. The visits became less fraught and we got on better, although we never really became close. That’s partly why . . .’ She broke off and closed her eyes.

Grace recognised the signs of someone trying to keep herself under control. She’d had to do it often enough over the last few months, not wanting to burst into tears in front of Aline or Fionn or Regan. She’d had to be strong for them.

About Sheila O’Flanagan

Sheila O’Flanagan is the author of bestselling chart-toppers, including Her Husband’s Mistake, The Hideaway, What Happened That Night, The Missing Wife, My Mother’s Secret and All For You (winner of the Irish Independent Popular Fiction Book of the Year Award). After working in banking and finance for a number of years, Sheila’s love for writing blossomed into curating stories about relationships in all their many forms.

You can follow Sheila on Twitter @sheilaoflanagan, or find her on Facebook and visit her website for more details.