My grateful thanks to Laura Mayer  at Bloomsbury for sending me a copy of Lightseekers by Femi Kayode in return for an honest review. I’m delighted to share that review today.

Lightseekers was published by Blomsbury imprint Raven Books on 4th February 2021 and is available for purchase through the links here.

Lightseekers

Three young students are brutally murdered in a Nigerian university town, their killings – and their killers – caught on social media. The world knows who murdered them; what no one knows is why.

As the legal trial begins, investigative psychologist Philip Taiwo is contacted by the father of one of the boys, desperate for some answers to his son’s murder. Philip is an expert in crowd behaviour and violence but travelling to the sleepy university town that bore witness to the killings, he soon feels dramatically out of his depth.

Years spent first studying, then living in the US with his wife and children mean he is unfamiliar with many Nigerian customs and no one involved in the case seems willing to speak out.

The more Philip digs, and the more people he meets with a connection to the case, the more he begins to realise that there is something very wrong concealed somewhere in this community.

My Review of Lightseekers

Philip is doing his father a favour.

Lightseekers opens in dramatic fashion and draws in the reader immediately. I actually found it quite an uncomfortable read because it is such a compelling and horrifying narrative that is far too close to the truth to be read as pure entertainment without affecting the reader. I thought it was excellent.

Lightseekers uncovers layers of corruption and racism at every level. It isn’t just the rotten state of racist or xenophobic views and actions between nations that Femi Kayode makes terrifyingly clear, but those within nations and neighbours too. This seam of discomfort runs from student cults, through so-called state institutions like the police, and right to every individual. Add in the impact of the internet, hearsay and rumour and Lightseekers has all the ingredients of a first class thriller. Femi Kayode’s professional background in psychology shines through. He writes with elegant authority that is completely convincing, making the reader terrifyingly aware that shining a light also casts some very dark shadows. There’s very much a feeling of being part of the investigation with Philip and Chika and an unnerving sense of threat and menace permeates every page. The frequently dramatic final sentences of chapters compel the reader onwards too.

Indeed, Lightseekers is a difficult read in as much as the author leaves the reader questioning where they themselves fit in a corrupt world. Philip is investigating three brutal murders and meets barriers of obstruction and corruption at every turn, and whilst he is the positive protagonist, he isn’t above dubious and underhand tactics to get to the truth. This makes Philip fascinating. His family dynamics, his sense of displacement, his desire for approval and truth all blend into a complex and intriguing person I though seemed vivid and real.

The plot is a corker. Quieter moments with conversations between Philip an Chika balance the more dynamic aspects so that there is even more light and shade to enjoy. A smattering of recognisable real people and cult names add to the authenticity. In fact, so convincing was Lightseekers’ narrative that I did some research into Nigerian University cults and discovered that Femi Kayode’s captivating story is more firmly rooted in factual research than I might have liked, because I didn’t want to believe some of the actions could happen. As a result, I found this story even more disturbing and intelligently written. It also made me appreciate the consummate skill of the author in blending fact and fiction in order to present an utterly captivating story.

Lightseekers is a brilliant start to a new series that I found totally compelling. I want to know more about Philip and his relationship with Folake and I’m hoping Chika will make further appearances too. If you’re looking for a thriller with a new perspective, Lightseekers has it all. Don’t miss it.

About Femi Kayode

Femi Kayode trained as a clinical psychologist in Nigeria, before starting a career in advertising. He has created and written several prime-time TV shows. He recently graduated with a distinction from the UEA Creative Writing programme and is currently a PhD candidate at Bath Spa University. Femi won the UEA/Little, Brown Award for Lightseekers when he was still writing the novel. He lives in Windhoek, Namibia with his wife and two sons.

You can follow Femi on Twitter @FemiKay_Author.

I am six.

Actually, that’s not quite true. I’ll personally be sixty in exactly two months, but today Linda’s Book Bag turns six. I find myself slightly surprised by that fact as I only began blogging very tentatively and somehow it seems to have become less of a casual hobby and more of an overwhelming obsession.

It’s hard to believe I’m heading to almost 2,500 blog posts published, with over 20,000 followers across my social media platforms. Blogging has led to so many opportunities and real life friends that I heartily recommend it to anyone wondering if it might be for them.

I am humbled and thrilled in equal measure that anyone might value a slot on Linda’s Book Bag or be remotely interested in my views on a book. It’s such a privilege to be trusted with the efforts writers have put in to their work.

By way of a small thank you to those of you who take the time to visit, read or share my blog posts, I’d like to offer a small giveaway to celebrate Linda’s Book Bag turning six.

Giveaway

For your chance to win either a £20 National Book Tokens e-voucher or a £20 Amazon e-voucher please click here. Open internationally. Giveaway closes UK midnight on Friday 12th February 2021.

Thank you for all your support and good luck x

I think it’s almost a year since a surprise copy of Shiver by Allie Reymolds arrived from Headline and I would like to thank Jennifer Doyle for sending me a limited edition proof. I’m delighted to share my review of Shiver today.

Published by Headline on 21st January 2021, Shiver is available for purchase through the links here.

Shiver

They don’t know what I did. And I intend to keep it that way.

How far would you go to win? Hyper-competitive people, mind games and a dangerous natural environment combine to make the must-read thriller of the year. Fans of Lucy Foley and Lisa Jewell will be gripped by spectacular debut novel Shiver.

When Milla is invited to a reunion in the French Alps resort that saw the peak of her snowboarding career, she drops everything to go. While she would rather forget the events of that winter, the invitation comes from Curtis, the one person she can’t seem to let go.

The five friends haven’t seen each other for ten years, since the disappearance of the beautiful and enigmatic Saskia. But when an icebreaker game turns menacing, they realise they don’t know who has really gathered them there and how far they will go to find the truth.

In a deserted lodge high up a mountain, the secrets of the past are about to come to light.

My Review of Shiver

Ten years on, Milla’s reunion might not be quite as she hopes.

I so enjoyed Shiver. It’s a fresh, modern example of a locked room mystery with plenty of menace and wonderful traditional elements, like lights suddenly going out, that readers recognise, so that they bring their own reading experience to the book and, thereby, the tension is heightened. Allie Reynolds has built on those traditions skilfully and effectively.

I’m not usually particularly taken with dual timeline narratives but here I loved the balance between the present day and ten years earlier because motives behind the present predicament are so compellingly uncovered in the past. I found myself exclaiming aloud as details were revealed and motives became clear. The short, pacy and exciting chapters meant I consumed Shiver in a couple of days as I was desperate to know how the book ended. I found it gripping.

The characters are superb representations of flawed and often quite unpleasant individuals. Any one of them could be behind the situation they find themselves in and any one of them could be a murderous danger to the others. With Milla’s perspective leading both the the story and the reader, I got to the point where I was totally confused as to whom I could trust, and was kept guessing throughout. I really enjoyed the way that, through Milla, Allie Reynolds manipulated me.

Speaking of reader manipulation, I was so drawn in to the characterisation that if Saskia hadn’t been already been declared dead I’d have slipped into the pages of Shiver and murdered her myself. She made my blood boil. I think it speaks for the power of Allie Reynolds’ writing that I had no idea if Saskia had actually died or if she were currently manipulating the others, but I really wanted her to have suffered and felt as vengeful as the others towards her! You’ll need to read Shiver for yourself to see if my wishes came true as I’m not spoiling the story, but I did find my own reader response quite disturbing. The underlying exploration of how competitive people like Saskia can be so driven was an added layer of fascination too, as was the exploration of gender through her and Milla. Being female does not have to mean being weak or allowing others to take away your ambition. Indeed, the themes of Shiver make it more than an just exciting and entertaining thriller. Guilt, expectation, manipulation, relationships, secrets, ambition and various kinds of desire from sexual to family recognition, ripple through character actions making Shiver a cracking psychological read too.

With the enclosed setting of the Alpine resort, Shiver has a literal as well as metaphorical coldness to it. The possible natural dangers of avalanche and crevasse make danger ever present and I had no idea if any of the party would make it out alive. I also thoroughly enjoyed the vicarious thrill of snowboarding because of the author’s absolute authority in presenting it so vividly without patronising her reader. I found myself on the slopes with the characters.

I really, really enjoyed Shiver. I found it an assured, well written and thrilling read from Allie Reynolds. It completely held my attention at a time when I’m struggling to focus and I think that speaks volumes for the power of the narrative. Loved it!

About Allie Reynolds

Allie Reynolds is the author of the thriller Shiver, which was published on 21st January 2021.

Born and raised in Lincoln, England, she moved to Australia in 2004. She lives on the Gold Coast with her two young boys and a cat who thinks he’s a dog.

Many years ago she competed at snowboard halfpipe. She spent five winters in the mountains of France, Switzerland, Austria and Canada. These days she sticks to surfing – water doesn’t hurt as much as ice when you fall on it.

Her first ever job was a Saturday job in a bookstore, at age 14. She taught English for many years and became a full-time writer in 2018.

For more information, Follow Allie on Twitter @AuthorAllieR and find her on Instagram. You can also visit her website.

With News of the World by Paulette Jiles firmly on my TBR and a film of the book starring Tom Hanks recently released globally (the trailer for which you can view here), what better way to celebrate by giving one lucky UK reader a chance to win a paperback copy of News of the World? Thanks to Serena Stent at Harper 360, I am able to do just that. You’ll find details of how to enter below.

News of the World is published by Harper Collins and is available for purchase through these links.

News of the World

In this National Book Award finalist set in the aftermath of the Civil War, an aging itinerant news reader agrees to transport a young captive of the Kiowa back to her people in this exquisitely rendered, morally complex, multilayered novel of historical fiction that explores the boundaries of family, responsibility, honor, and trust

It is 1870 and Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd travels through northern Texas, giving live readings to paying audiences hungry for news of the world. An elderly widower who has lived through three wars and fought in two of them, the captain enjoys his rootless, solitary existence.

In Wichita Falls, he is offered a $50 gold piece to deliver a young orphan to her relatives in San Antonio. Four years earlier, a band of Kiowa raiders killed Johanna’s parents and sister; sparing the little girl, they raised her as one of their own. Recently rescued by the U.S. army, the ten-year-old has once again been torn away from the only home she knows.

Their 400-mile journey south through unsettled territory and unforgiving terrain proves difficult and at times dangerous. Johanna has forgotten the English language, tries to escape at every opportunity, throws away her shoes, and refuses to act “civilized.” Yet as the miles pass, the two lonely survivors tentatively begin to trust each other, forging a bond that marks the difference between life and death in this treacherous land.

Arriving in San Antonio, the reunion is neither happy nor welcome. The captain must hand Johanna over to an aunt and uncle she does not remember–strangers who regard her as an unwanted burden. A respectable man, Captain Kidd is faced with a terrible choice: abandon the girl to her fate or become–in the eyes of the law–a kidnapper himself. Exquisitely rendered and morally complex, News of the World is a brilliant work of historical fiction that explores the boundaries of family, responsibility, honor, and trust.

Giveaway

For your chance to win a paperback copy of News of the World by Paulette Jiles click here. UK only. Giveaway closes at UK Midnight Wednesday 10th February 2021. The book will be sent directly from the publisher. Your details will not be retained by Linda’s Book Bag.

About Paulette Jiles

Paulette Jiles was born and raised in the Missouri Ozarks. A critically acclaimed poet, she is a past winner of the Canadian Governor General Award, Canada’s highest literary honour. She lives with her husband in San Antonio, Texas. She has written several novels of which Enemy Women is the most recent.

There’s more information on Paulette’s website and with these other bloggers:

I’m very grateful to publicist Grace Pilkington for putting me in touch with A.C.B Wilson so that Tony is staying in with me to chat about his brand new book. I have a feeling it’s going to be an unusual read.

Staying in with Tony Wilson

Welcome to Linda’s Book Bag Tony. 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 chosen The Wheels of Society: Its Assembly, Performance and Emotion.

Why? It’s an idea which may help us to stop polluting and warming up the earth, and destroying wild-life habitats. Of course these are huge questions. The only way forward I suggest, has to be to go right back to first principles; to how human society actually does work. These principles are the subject of my book.

And I understand today is publication day Tony so congratulations. What can we expect from an evening in with The Wheels of Society: Its Assembly, Performance and Emotion?

It’s full of stuff which we already know about ourselves but which has never been put together in this way. So even if it’s excitingly controversial at times it uses arguments which are already familiar. My assembly and performance thinking is entirely original.

Oh. Tell me more.

Here it is in brief: Assembly and performance thinking starts by making a clear distinction between the way we selfish individuals are able to assemble into a cooperating group, and the systems by which these groups perform. It then focuses on this performance in all animal cooperation; good examples include honey-bees and wolves. This performance conforms to a universal ‘rule of three’. Briefly; ‘plan it as a group, do it as a group, review it as a group, and repeat’. Performance carries out the purpose for which the group was assembled in the first place.

I have a feeling this concept might be more important now than ever Tony.

This way of thinking works for all social creatures, from ants to humans. It even applies to certain cooperating microbes; thus enhancing its scientific credentials. It may be new but actually it is quite simple. It is essentially an extension of Darwin’s natural selection.

The accepted thinking has always been that humans are in a superior category. Hubris is a brain-fogging disease of the corporate mind. Stretching way back into pre-history; our self-importance has been built up into a colossal mound of fairy-stories and intellectual detritus. The argument here is that hubris is what has prevented us from recognising the relatively simple mechanisms of all animal social behaviour; not just our own; thoughtless, destructive and dangerous as it so often is.

Oh yes! We humans do have that arrogance that rarely considers our real impact on the world. Hopefully that view is changing slightly.

Professional sociologists will notice the claim I am making here; that thinking in terms of assembly and performance provides a truly scientific approach to the workings of society. This is the elusive holy grail they have been searching for ever since 1650 when Isaac Newton used gravity to explain the workings of the solar system. If human society can at last be brought under the scientific microscope we might be able to avoid the frightening consequences of our corporate greed.

I hope you’re right Tony.

So Linda, while this book isn’t sexy or full of laughs it is jam-packed full of writing to enthral the thoughtful reader.

The Wheels of Society: Its Assembly, Performance and Emotion sounds absolutely fascinating.

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

Well, it says on the cover of the book that I “paint, write and make beer”. My excellent editor David Elliott wrote those words but it’s true, and I find painting a terrific way to blast away writers‘ block.

So I’ve brought along three fresh watercolours, I did them in the last fortnight. The point here is to keep another activity on the go to ward off the ghastly block.

Those are wonderful Tony. I love the fluidity of style you employ. 

And there’s something more here which I can’t quote put my finger on, and don’t actually want to. It’s about the very tip of the brush on canvas, the very point of the nib on paper, and the Keyboard finger-tip touch. It’s what happens the moment of the act. There are poetic treasures inside us all but often they can only be released at the tip and moment of the act. When stuck I often say to myself; “Just get on with it Anthony; you never know what’s in there till you let it out.”

What a brilliant philosophy.

I’ve also brought along today’s photo of my brewing cupboard because though I only brew twice a year I just happen to be halfway through this brew; this very day.

Next time you’ll have to bring some of the product with you too! Thanks so much for staying in with me today, Tony, to tell me about The Wheels of Society: Its Assembly, Performance and Emotion. I’ve really enjoyed hearing about it.

The Wheels of Society: Its Assembly, Performance and Emotion

Written with verve and a mordant wit, The Wheels of Society is a vivid, cogent, ground-breaking proposal for us to re-think ourselves in order to steer civilisation back to safety.

As a species we seem to cling on to the power and influence of ‘the old normal’. Forests and valleys are decimated so that businessmen can be in Manchester 30 minutes faster; thousands of airline seats are sold for the price of a free-range chicken so that hundreds of short-haul planes can devastate the atmosphere and enable drunken escapades in Barcelona rather than Soho; the rich get even richer and the poor get Covid 19. Bankers conspire in the fraudulent abuse of people’s savings, yet can keep their loot, saved by governments supposed to protect their citizens but who fail to hold a single perpetrator to account.

Is this how we are supposed to be?

The biology of society becomes visible when hubris is side-stepped. First, natural selfishness must be overcome before individuals can assemble altruistically into a working group – a rather wonderful achievement. Our cooperating groups, which make up the hierarchy of society, are living things in their own right. Then, once assembled, the group must perform trial-and-error cycles to do life’s vital functions. Wilson’s ‘assembly-and-performance thinking’ combines these two mechanisms into a simple scientific theory of society which applies, with variations, to all cooperating creatures – not just to humans.

The Wheels of Society: Its Assembly, Performance and Emotion is published today, 4th February 2021, by Quartet Books and is available for purchase here. and directly from the publisher here.

About Tony Wilson

Tony Wilson was born in Dublin in 1931 and studied economics at Trinity College before qualifying as a chartered accountant. After six years in Paris with Price Waterhouse he went to England working as financial controller in the Avon Rubber Company, GKN, and British Oxygen.

Tony lives near Bath where he paints, writes and makes beer. He has had five one-man exhibitions and has shown in the RA Summer Exhibition.

My grateful thanks to Anne Cater at Random Things Tours for inviting me to participate in this blog tour for Gold Light Shining by Bebe Ashley. I’m delighted to share my review today.

Gold Light Shining is published by Banshee and is available for purchase here.

Gold Light Shining

Within five minutes, I knew
I loved the stranger in my head.

In her debut collection of poetry, Bebe Ashley spins gold from the detritus of the internet. A landscape often depicted as a wasteland is illuminated in poems that explore celebrity, obsession, sexuality, coming of age, and that charismatic enigma, Harry Styles.

Inspired by sources as diverse as Styles’s track listings, Scandi webseries Skam, and One Direction newsletters, Ashley spins us across continents on a tour of the surreal highs and absurd lows of celebrity culture. These are poems of youth and yearning, yet they’re suffused with the hard-won wisdom that the communities we build can be as meaningful as the families we’re born into.

Perceptive, witty, and exuberant, Gold Light Shining introduces an essential new voice; one that captures how pop culture’s Technicolor joy disrupts our greyscale world.

My Review of Gold Light Shining

A collection of poems exploring modern life and culture.

I have to be completely honest and say that, had I read the blurb before reading Gold Light Shining, I probably wouldn’t have bothered to investigate this collection. I have no interest in celebrity culture and am barely aware of Harry Styles’ existence so that I’d actively have turned away from reading these poems. And that would have been a mistake. In Gold Light Shining Bebe Ashley has illuminated a world I knew little about and, vicariously, has introduced me to writing I found fascinating and to music I hadn’t previously heard but now enjoy!

There’s considerable complexity in this collection. Bebe Ashley takes her reader on a journey through time and place so that I actually found much that resonated with me. References to popular culture and fashion from my past evoked long forgotten memories so that reading these poems reignited my own past for me. There’s both a visual and auditory quality to the writing and I really enjoyed the variety of physical structure on the page, the use of white space for emphasis, the compound words of swirling colour and the references to more prosaic aspects like food, that somehow made the poems simultaneously mysterious and completely knowable. At times it felt as if I were reading through a kind of prism so that I could bring my own meanings to the writing as much as those meanings Bebe Ashley may have intended. I thoroughly enjoyed this aspect of my reading.

The themes Bebe Ashley explores in Gold Light Shining give much for the reader to ponder. From art to drugs culture, sexuality to love, there are many layers to uncover in this slim volume. With both first and third person voices singing across the pages I think there is something for any reader to identify with too. I especially enjoyed ‘the boy who’ poems in the Fanfic section because there’s an underlying wistfulness that I found quite emotional.

From wondering what I’d let myself in for in reading Bebe Ashley’s Gold Light Shining and thinking I may have chosen a text that wouldn’t suit me at all, I discovered an eclectic mix of styles (and Harry Styles), images, themes and references that I found extremely interesting and very much enjoyed reading.

About Bebe Ashley

Bebe Ashley lives in Belfast. She is an AHRC-funded PhD candidate at the Seamus Heaney Centre for Poetry. Her work can be found in Poetry Birmingham Literary Journal, Poetry Ireland Review, Banshee, Modern Poetry in Translation, Poetry Jukebox and The Tangerine.

When procrastinating from her PhD, she takes British Sign Language and Braille classes and writes pop culture articles for United by Pop, specialising in Harry Styles.

There’s more information on Bebe’s website and you can follow her on Twitter @bebeashley95.

There’s more with these other bloggers too:

Lovely Carol Wyer is becoming a regular feature here on Linda’s Book Bag! Today I am delighted to be part of the launch celebrations for her latest book An Eye For An Eye and I would like to thank Emma at Damppebbles Blog Tours for inviting me to participate

More recently I shared my review of Carol’s Somebody’s Daughter here.  I reviewed her What Happens in France here, and previously we celebrated the publication of Carol’s The Missing Girls in a post you can read here. I also interviewed Carol about her writing here to mark the publication of Little Girl Lost.

Published by Thomas and Mercer, yesterday, 1st February 2021, An Eye For An Eye is available for purchase here.

An Eye For An Eye

A killer running rings around the police. A detective spiralling out of control.

DI Kate Young is on leave. She’s the force’s best detective, but her bosses know she’s under pressure, on medication and overcoming trauma. So after her bad judgement call leads to a narrowly averted public disaster, they’re sure all she needs is a rest.

But when Staffordshire Police summon her back to work on a murder case, it’s a harder, more suspicious Kate Young who returns. With a new ruthlessness, she sets about tracking down a clinical, calculating serial killer who is torturing victims and leaving clues to taunt the police. Spurred on by her reporter husband, Young begins to suspect that the murderer might be closer than she ever imagined.

As she works to uncover the truth, Young unravels a network of secrets and lies, with even those closest to her having something to hide. But with her own competence—and her grip on reality—called into question, can she unmask the killer before they strike again?

My Review of An Eye For An Eye

Kate’s on enforced leave but there’s a new case that needs her.

Opening in dramatic fashion, An Eye For An Eye held my attention from the first page to the last. Although this is a new series and the author needs to provide background information about her new lead character DI Kate Young, I thought Carol Wyer achieved a perfect balance between exposition and narrative pace. I loved the psychological aspects of Kate’s character set against the police procedures in catching the killer because it gave me an insight into humanity as well as entertained me. Curiously, having read and enjoyed other Carol Wyer books, I felt there was an added polish to the writing here, especially through her carefully crafted descriptions that provided an even more arresting read. It somehow felt as if the author has honed her craft to bring an added dimension to her settings that I really enjoyed.

The plot is a corker and the more I read the more engrossed I became, thoroughly enjoying trying to unravel the case alongside Kate. As An Eye For An Eye reached its denouement I found my pulse racing. Whilst there is sufficient and compelling detail, there isn’t the gratuitous violence of some crime fiction so that I found the events all the more believable and engrossing. I loved the way the ending sets up future books featuring DI Kate Young whilst bringing this story to a satisfying conclusion.

Having really enjoyed the story, I was left thinking continuously about Kate. She’s a brilliantly depicted, well-rounded character. Her mental and physical health, her personal future, her career and her potential developments have me intrigued so that I feel I have begun to know her but want to find out more. Reading about Kate in An Eye For An Eye felt like meeting a new person who could become a friend and left me definitely wanting to meet her again. I did have one concern about the characterisation. Once the killer had been revealed, I found myself empathising with them so that Carol Wyer managed to make me think about myself as a person as well as the people in her story in a way I found rather unnerving. I think it takes real skill to make a reader contemplate themselves in the way Carol Wyer does here.

Indeed, several aspects of An Eye For An Eye are rather unsettling and this is what makes it such a compelling police procedural. Several forms of manipulation, identity, loyalty, grief and professionalism are just some of the themes that add depth to the read. Certainly the book can be read for sheer entertainment which it provides excellently, but it’s the undercurrents that I particularly enjoyed too.

I thought An Eye For An Eye was a super start to a new series and I really recommend it.

About Carol Wyer

USA Today bestselling author and winner of The People’s Book Prize Award, Carol Wyer writes feel-good comedies and gripping crime fiction.

A move from humour to the ‘dark side’ in 2017, saw the introduction of popular DI Robyn Carter in Little Girl Lost and demonstrated that stand-up comedian Carol had found her true niche.

To date, her crime novels have sold over 750,000 copies and been translated for various overseas markets.

Carol has been interviewed on numerous radio shows discussing ”Irritable Male Syndrome’ and ‘Ageing Disgracefully’ and on BBC Breakfast television. She has had articles published in national magazines ‘Woman’s Weekly’, featured in ‘Take A Break’, ‘Choice’, ‘Yours’ and ‘Woman’s Own’ magazines and the Huffington Post.

She currently lives on a windy hill in rural Staffordshire with her husband Mr Grumpy… who is very, very grumpy.

When she is not plotting devious murders, she can be found performing her comedy routine, Smile While You Still Have Teeth.

All of Carol’s books are here. You can follow Carol on Twitter @carolewyer, visit her website and find her on Facebook and Instagram.

There’s more with these other bloggers too:

My enormous thanks to Kelly Florentia for sending me a copy of her latest psychological thriller, Mine, in return for an honest review. I’m delighted to share my review today.

Published by Bloodhound today, 1st February 2021, Mine is available for purchase here.

Mine

When you’ve been destroyed, who can you trust?

When loner Lucy Harper, accepts a Facebook friend’s request from Jasmine, an old school friend, the last thing she expects is for Jasmine to run off with her husband, Andrew.

Now, newly divorced, Lucy lives in the flat she still part-owns with Andrew. After a drunken night out, she wakes up with Teddy Fallon. But this is the least of her worries.

The night before a text came through claiming someone knows her secret.

But what is Lucy hiding?

Before Lucy has time to process everything, her ex drops a bombshell – fiancé Jasmine is pregnant, and he wants his share of the money from the flat.

Then the blackmail begins.

Who is after Lucy and why?

Love isn’t always innocent, and Lucy is about to learn a lesson the hard way.

My Review of Mine

Lucy’s life is about to take a turn for the worse!

With a dramatic and threatening opening, and a hugely surprising epilogue, Mine is a compelling thriller that kept me hooked throughout. Part of the appeal comes through the fact that the plot often hinges on fairly ordinary actions, such as too much to drink or a phone call or text, which means the narrative is all the more believable, and all the more tense, for the realisation it could possibly happen to any of us. The title, Mine, is so apt because it relates to many different aspects of the story, from physical items to over possessive relationships, with characters claiming or rejecting people and things as the narrative progresses, making for real interest.

Settings are reduced, with much of the action happening in Lucy’s flat so that there’s a tense atmosphere of claustrophobia underpinning the story and making it even more gripping. With themes of identity, trust, friendship, revenge, family and betrayal there’s a menace behind the plot that I thought gave added layers of interest too so that I was intrigued throughout. Although I had my suspicions, I had no idea how Mine would end and whilst I guessed some aspects, I was treated to some surprises too so that Mine kept my attention completely.

Lucy’s first person narrative is clear and strong and I have to admit that I didn’t much like her. She’s unreliable as a friend, not entirely trustworthy, rash in her behaviour, frequently far too gullible and often drunk. Consequently, I found it fascinating that Kelly Florentia made me care about what happened to Lucy and I was totally invested in her success. Whether she achieves it, I can’t say for fear of spoiling the story. I didn’t feel I got to know the other characters as deeply as Lucy and this is by no means a criticism. One of the key drivers of Mine is the fact that we don’t ever really know others completely and we don’t always know their ulterior motives. It’s an intriguing aspect of the story. I loved trying to work out who could be trusted and who was a danger.

I found Mine thoroughly enjoyable and very entertaining. It’s left me wanting to read more of Kelly Florentia’s work and wondering I haven’t done so sooner.

About Kelly Florentia

Kelly Florentia was born and bred in north London, where she continues to live with her husband Joe, and where her novels The Magic Touch, No Way Back, Her Secret and her latest, a psychological thriller, Mine, which publishes in February 2021 by Bloodhound Books, are set.

Kelly has always loved writing and was a bit of a poet when she was younger. Before penning her debut, she wrote short stories for women’s magazines – To Tell a Tale or Two is a collection of her short tales. In January 2017, her keen interest in health and fitness led to the release of Smooth Operator – a collection of twenty of her favourite smoothie recipes.

As well as writing, Kelly enjoys reading, running, drinking coffee, gyming, watching TV dramas, and spending way too much time on social media.

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

My enormous thanks to Philippa McEwan of Pan Macmillan for inviting to participate in this blog tour for The Jam Factory Girls by Mary Wood. I was lucky enough to interview Mary a few years ago in a post you can read here. Today, I’m thrilled she has agreed to stay in with me to chat about her latest book, The Jam Factory Girls.

Staying in with Mary Wood

Welcome to Linda’s Book Bag, Mary. Thank you so much for agreeing to stay in with me.

My pleasure, so lovely to have female company, can we open the wine? I’ve been ‘staying in’ with hubby for months now, but as lovely as he is, it’s not like having the occasional natter with a girlfriend over a nice red.

I know the feeling! I’m not much of a wine drinker so you help yourself and I’ll pour a Bailey’s for me!

Now, drinks poured, tell me, which of your books have you brought along to share this evening and why have you chosen it?

I thought I’d bring my latest – The Jam Factory Girls.

Good idea! What can we expect from an evening in with The Jam Factory Girls?

Plenty of emotion. Tears, giggles, fear, love, and a feeling that you are living in 1911 on Long Lane in Bermondsey as you begin a journey with, and through, Elsie and Dot’s life. . .

The conditions they lived under at home in a tenement block and how they worked long hours for low pay and had no rights.

Their spirit and that of the Cockney women they worked with when they joined in the fight for better pay and safety measures, by daring to go on strike.

Their deep and bonding friendship and the sense of family and community they have.

But this is no cosy read, it is gritty and tells it as it is.

The Jam Factory Girls sounds fabulous and I’m thrilled it’s on my TBR Mary. 

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

The afore mentioned bottle of red – a must have for a girlie night in, some nibbles, as we’ll have a take away later, and Millie.

That’s a plan. I’ll order a pizza. Now what do I need to know about Millie?

I think you’ll like Millie. She is the Jam Factory Owner’s daughter. Brought up in a gentile way, she discovered secrets that will change hers, Elsie’s and Dot’s life.

You’ll discover what a strong young lady she is and how lonely, till she met Elsie and Dot.

Millie, will fight your corner if you need help, she’ll stand up for what is right, and she’ll battle to make your life better. She’ll never abandon you, or think herself better than you. And she will fight to get you and all women the vote.

Millie sounds a fantastic friend to have. 

But I thought we could talk fashion with her. How fascinating it would be to hear what it was like to wear such clothes as this outfit that Millie wore to her so-called-friend’s mansion, only to find her friend’s brother had ideas for her that totally went against the grain of this modern-thinking new friend of ours.

I think we’ll have a lovely time with her – I wonder what she’ll make of Pizza?

Good question Mary. I’m not sure there will be much left for her once we’ve helped ourselves! Thanks so much for staying in with me to chat all about The Jam Factory Girls. I can’t wait to read it and I think blog readers need the following details too:

The Jam Factory Girls

The Jam Factory Girls is an uplifting and emotional novel of friendship set in the heart of pre-WWI London from bestselling author, Mary Wood.

Life for Elsie is difficult as she struggles to cope with her alcoholic mother. Caring for her siblings and working long hours at Swift’s Jam factory in London’s Bermondsey is exhausting. Thankfully her lifelong friendship with Dot helps to smooth over life’s rough edges.

When Elsie and Dot meet Millie Swift, they are nervous to be in the presence of the bosses’ daughter. Over time, they are surprised to feel so drawn to her, but should two East End girls be socializing in such circles?

When disaster strikes, it binds the women in ways they could never imagine. Long-held secrets are revealed that could change all their lives . . .

The Jam Factory Girls is available for purchase through the publisher links here.

About Mary Wood

Born the thirteenth child of fifteen to a middle-class mother and an East End barrow boy, Mary Wood’s childhood was a mixture of love and poverty. Throughout her life Mary has held various posts in office roles, working in the Probation services and bringing up her four children and numerous grandchildren, step-grandchildren and great-grandchildren. An avid reader, she first put pen to paper in 1989 whilst nursing her mother through her last months, but didn’t become successful until she began self-publishing her novels in 2011.

Her novels include All I Have to Give, An Unbreakable Bond, In Their Mother’s Footsteps and The Breckton Novels.

You’ll find more information about Mary on her Facebook page, her website (where you’ll find a three monthly newsletter and draw for new subscribers to win a signed book – competitions and all the latest news) and by following her on Twitter @Authormary.

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My enormous thanks to author Julia Roberts and to Sarah Hardy of Books on the Bright Side publicity for inviting me to take part in the launch celebrations of Julia’s latest book, My Mother’s Secret. I’m delighted to share my review today.

Julia has featured here on Linda’s Book Bag several times:

You’ll find an extract from Christmas at Carol’s here.

There’s a guest post from Julia about writing what you know to celebrate Alice in Theatreland here and a further guest post about the importance of books in Julia’s writing to accompany If He Really Loved Me here.

I addition, I reviewed Julia’s Time For A Short Story here and Life’s a Beach here.

Published by Bookouture on 27th January 2021, My Mother’s Secret is available for purchase here.

My Mother’s Secret

‘They told me he died, but I never believed them. I’d have known,’ she says, her voice little more than a whisper and her eyes searching mine. ‘A mother would know if her child died, wouldn’t she?’

The phone call comes in the middle of the night, rousing Danni from her safe, warm bed. The police have found her mother Diana wandering miles from her house, confused and lost. Danni races to her mother’s side – and as usual, Diana doesn’t seem to want her there. But when Danni finds out that her mother is seriously ill, she decides to put the past behind her, and care for her mother in the time they have left.

But as some of Diana’s memories are slipping away, others are forcing their way to the surface. One night she breaks down and reveals that before Danni was born, she had another baby who never got to see the world. Faced with her mother’s heartbreak, Danni vows to do everything she can to bring Diana some peace, hoping that it will mend their fractured relationship too.

Yet as Danni investigates the past, tracking down the aunt she’s never met and searching for her lost brother’s resting place, her good intentions have unexpected consequences as more truths emerge. And there’s one shocking revelation which could change Danni’s life forever. Are some secrets best left buried?

A completely heartbreaking and compelling story of families, secrets, and the fierce love between mothers and children. Fans of Amanda Prowse, Ali Mercer and Jodi Picoult will smile through their tears.

My Review of My Mother’s Secret

Danni’s family has more secrets than she imagines.

My Mother’s Secret took me by surprise. I hadn’t read the blurb so I wasn’t expecting quite such an emotional read. I loved My Mother’s Secret because I thought it showed real life in a dramatic, affecting and thought provoking manner.

In a sense, My Mother’s Secret is a tale that could have happened to any one of us, with family dynamics and secrets uncovered with empathetic skill by Julia Roberts. This is its absolute strength because the writing is humane, realistic and captivating. Indeed, I found many uncannily close aspects to my own family, particularly the grief of a lost child. I want to say more, but would spoil the read for others. I particularly loved the natural dialogue because I felt as if I were witnessing the events live rather than reading about them and Danni’s first person account adds a depth I felt most keenly. I admit I wept with her on occasion.

The plot of My Mother’s Secret has a deft balance between Danni and Ben’s ordinary, everyday life, of balancing work, an elderly parent Diane, and school runs for example, that so many will identify with, alongside those huge life affecting events that give this story such pace and frequently shocking elements. This has the effect of drawing in the reader completely as they can identify with so much of the story. In fact, I’d love to see My Mother’s Secret brought to the screen either as a television series or a film because I think it would bring comfort as well as entertainment to so many.

As well as being Danni and Diana’s absorbing story My Mother’s Secret is a captivating portrait of a marriage and family too. The emotional strain on Ben and Danni is portrayed with realistic sensitivity so that I empathised with both of them as they struggled to do the right thing, even when their views were diametrically opposed. In fact, I thought each character here was so much more than a character on the page. Diana in particular held me in her thrall because she’s truly awful and yet Julia Roberts made me understand her completely so that she touched me more than I might have imagined.

Underpinning the cracking narrative, there’s a mature and thoughtful secondary theme within My Mother’s Secret of not judging others until you have the full facts that I very much appreciated. Desperately sad and emotional, but equally uplifting is its portrayal of the strength of the human spirit and the bonds that unite us too.

It’s quite difficult to review this book because I don’t want to spoil the plot but I do want to convey what an important story it is. Touching, emotional and convincing, My Mother’s Secret is a story that will resonate deeply with many readers. I thought it was excellent.

About Julia Roberts

Julia was born in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, and began her career as a professional singer/dancer. This enabled her to travel the world in her late teens storing up experiences she has since included in her writing.

Following roles as a hostess on The Price is Right and a member of the Beadle’s About ‘hit squad’ in the 1980s, she became a TV Presenter and filmed features for Sky Sports before launching the QVC shopping channel in 1993 where she still presents today. Having always wanted to write, she penned her first book, a memoir sold on QVC, in 2013 and has since written seven full length novels, two novellas and several short stories.

You can follow Julia on Twitter @JuliaRobertsTV and visit her website. You’ll also find her on Instagram and Facebook.

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