As I hurtle through my 60s, it’s always a pleasure to discover books that feature more mature protagonists. With The Unretirement by Penny Mirren out today and waiting for me on my TBR pile, I simply had to chat with Penny all about it. My huge thanks to Laura Sherlock for putting us in touch with one another.

Here’s what Penny told me:

Staying in with Penny Mirren

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

Hi Linda! Thanks for inviting me along.

Tell me (as if I didn’t know!), which of your books have you brought along to share this evening and why have you chosen it?

I’ve brought along my debut novel The Unretirement. It’s published today, the 23^rd May with Avon Books UK, and I’m hugely excited to share the book with readers everywhere. It’s an uplifting story, that will hopefully appeal to anyone looking for feel-good fiction.

Happy publication day Penny. So, what can we expect from an evening in with The Unretirement?

What I really hope readers will come away with after reading the book, are lovely warm feelings and a renewed zest for life, because it’s a book about new beginnings, about community, family, love, resilience and chasing your dreams – no matter your age.

That sounds like a really important message. Tell me more about Maggie.

I think many readers will empathise with Maggie, the main protagonist, as she grapples with her new and unexpected status as a recently widowed retiree. Because, although Maggie might be grieving, she is still very much alive and kicking and the story follows her and her daughter Hannah (who has also found herself at a crossroads in life), as they both grab life by the horns and redefine themselves. And as Maggie sets out to save her beloved local restaurant from closure and follows her dream to return to a long abandoned catering career, she embarks on an unexpected adventure with new friends and old, that becomes so much bigger than saving a small business.

The Unretirement sounds lovely. What was it like writing it?

I had so much fun writing this story, with its large and diverse cast of characters. They became like friends I still expect to see whenever I visit Saffron Walden, the characterful medieval Essex town that I used as the setting for the book. And I hope readers will love Maggie as much as I do, with her no-nonsense ways and mischievous sense of humour. I’ve been so thrilled with early reviews, which have described The Unretirement as a ‘big hug of a book’ and ‘funny, heartwarming and hopeful’, which is exactly what I was hoping to achieve in these often, trying, times. It’s also very important to me to give a voice to older protagonists who have so much to say, teach and inspire us.

Absolutely – don’t write off we oldies! I have a copy of The Unretirement waiting for me to read and I’m very much looking forward to it.

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

I’ve brought along a hearty plate of piping hot, aromatic and richly bubbling Keema Shepherd’s Pie, which becomes Maggie’s signature dish as she breathes new life into the restaurant in the book.

That looks scrummy. You can come again!

Food plays a huge part in The Unretirement, so be prepared for that if you read it whilst hungry! And as anyone who knows me will testify, I love my food too, so believe me – it was no hardship to devise dishes for the book, then go off and (ahem) research them. My long-suffering husband was subjected to many tasting sessions of the dishes as I experimented and I thought it would be a shame for all that ‘research’ to go to waste, so I’ve included some of the recipes in the back of the book in case readers fancied having a go at recreating them.

Should your husband need a break, I could be persuaded to help out… just saying!

I’ve also brought along a Mango Mojito if you fancy a tipple? It’s tropical and summery and features in the book. Such a chore practising and perfecting those, as I’m sure you can imagine.

Oh I imagine so. Again, I’ll help relieve you of the chore…

If we’re putting a bit of background music on as we chat, I’m partial to a bit of disco (huge Abba fan over here), or anything from the 80’s and 90’s. Nostalgia is another theme explored within the book, particularly the 90’s, as being back in her hometown reminds Hannah of her teenage years, and whilst both food and music have the power to transport us back to happy times, as well as sad ones, they are often instrumental in creating new memories too. After all, is there anything more special than sharing good times, and great food, with the people you care about? (Other than settling down with a good book, that is!)

Wise words indeed! Thank you so much for staying in with me to chat about The Unretirement Penny. You’ve made me desperate to read the book and ravenous! You dish up some shepherd’s pie and I’ll give readers a few more details:

The Unretirement

Meet foodie Maggie Lawford.

After spending her retirement travelling the world, she’s home again – and ready for a new adventure.

When Maggie’s daughter, Hannah, takes her to visit their favourite local restaurant, Maggie is heartbroken to find the place empty. But the last straw comes when Maggie realises the chef is at his wit’s end – she can’t resist charging into the kitchen and taking matters into her own hands.

Never one to give up without a fight, Maggie resolves to save their beloved restaurant from failure, and it’s not long before she has a military-grade plan to turn the place around again. Finding herself back at work, all she’ll need is support from Hannah and her cheeky granddaughter, Alice, as well as a little help from her neighbours.

After all, Maggie’s golden days aren’t behind her just yet…

The Unretirement is published today, 23rd May 2024, by Harper Collins imprint Avon and is available for purchase through the links here.

About Penny Mirren

Penny Mirren is the pen name of Samantha Pennington. Sam writes light-hearted, uplifting fiction and romantic comedy. She was selected for the inaugural Kate Nash Literary Agency Mentorship program in 2020 and is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association. Sam lives in North Essex and when she’s not writing, enjoys being first mate on her husband’s tiny fishing boat and reading books for her wine club.

For further information about Penny visit her website, follow her on Twitter/X @sjpenno or find her on Facebook and Instagram.

My enormous thanks to Caitlin Raynor for sending me a surprise copy of The Toffee Factory Girls by Glenda Young in return for an honest review. I’m delighted to share that review today. 

The Toffee Factory Girls is published by Headline on 23rd May 2024 and is available for purchase through the links here. 

The Toffee Factory Girls

Discover the engaging new trilogy from the author of The Sixpenny Orphan, about three women working in a WWI toffee factory in the North-East!

In 1915 three women start work at a toffee factory in the market town of Chester-le-Street, Durham.

Anne works for the enigmatic owner Mr Jack. She is highly efficient and whips Mr Jack’s disorganised office – and Mr Jack himself – into shape. However, behind her business-like façade, Anne hides a heart-breaking secret.

Elsie is feisty, fun and enjoys a good time. However, her gadabout ways get her into trouble when she falls for the wrong man in the sugar-boiling room. 

And there’s dependable Hetty, who’s set to marry her boyfriend when he returns from the war. But when Hetty is sent on an errand by the toffee factory boss, her life changes in ways she could never imagine and a whole new world opens up.

The toffee factory girls begin as strangers before forging a close bond of friendship and trust. And, as the war rages on, they help each other cope through the difficult times ahead.

My Review of The Toffee Factory Girls

The first book in a brand new trilogy. 

The Toffee Factory Girls is a total smasher of a book. Set in the early days of WW1 there’s a sense of history underpinning the narrative, especially with the Belgian village of Elisabethville, but it doesn’t over dominate. Rather, Glenda Young allows her characters to tell their own stories. 

The plot is wonderful. Three very different woman, Anne, Elsie and Hetty forge a friendship that is ripe for further adventure by the end of the book. Their lives are very different as Anne hides a terrible secret, Elsie finds her flirtatious personality leads to all kinds of trouble and Hetty struggles with a difficult family life with her unloving mother and wayward brother. As Jack’s toffee factory needs to adapt to the challenges of rival toffee makers and the constraints of a global conflict, the story is entertaining and absorbing. I loved learning about the process of toffee making as I got to know the people working in the factory.

I also loved meeting Anne, Hetty and Elsie because they are actually quite ordinary which makes them hugely relatable. The events that befall them ensure the reader cares for them and is completely invested in the story. By the end of The Toffee Factory Girls, their personalities and friendships are brilliantly established, leaving the reader desperate to find out more. 

It’s quite hard to review The Toffee Factory Girls because Glenda Young is setting up what promises to be a fantastic trilogy and I don’t want to spoil the story for others. Let’s just say there are themes of war and industry, family, marriage and friendship, romance and prejudice that create a layered, varied and totally absorbing read. 

I really enjoyed The Toffee Factory Girls because it’s filled with charm, realism and huge potential for the following books. It’s a perfect example of its genre and deserves to be a huge success. 

About Glenda Young

Glenda Young credits her local library in the village of Ryhope, where she grew up, for giving her a love of books. She still lives close by in Sunderland and often gets her ideas for her stories on long bike rides along the coast. A life-long fan of Coronation Street, she runs two hugely popular fan websites.

For further inf0ormation about Glenda visit her website, find her on Instagram and Facebook or follow Glenda on Twitter/X @flaming_nora.

My enormous thanks to Jess Barratt at Simon and Schuster for sending me a copy of The Porcelain Maker by Sarah Freethy in return for an honest review. It’s my total pleasure to share that review today.

Already available in other formats, The Porcelain Maker will be released in paperback by Simon and Schuster on 23rd May 2024 and is available for pre-order through the links here.

The Porcelain Maker

Two lovers caught at the crossroads of history
A daughter’s search for the truth

Germany, 1929.
When Max, a Jewish architect, and Bettina, a beautiful and celebrated German avant-garde artist, meet at a party their attraction is instant. In love with each other and the art they create, their talent transports them to the dazzling lights of Berlin. But Germany is on the brink of terrible change, and their bright beginning is soon dimmed by the rising threat of Nazism.

When Max is arrested and sent to the Dachau concentration camp, it is only his talent at making the exquisite porcelain figures so beloved by the Nazis that stands between him and certain death. At first, Bettina has no idea where Max has been taken but when she learns of his fate, she is determined to rescue him whatever the cost.

Now, a lifetime later, Bettina’s daughter, Clara, sets out on a journey to uncover the truth about her identity. As she weaves together the fabric of her past, she discovers the terrible secret her mother wanted hidden forever.

For fans of Heather Morris and Kristin Hannah, The Porcelain Maker is a sweeping, epic story of love, betrayal and art, set across Europe from the 1920s Weimar Republic, to dark and glittering 1930s Berlin.

My Review of The Porcelain Maker

Max is about to meet the love of his life, Bettina.

The Porcelain Maker is an affecting, immersive story that totally captivates the reader. I found it such an authentic read that I had to research the characters in more detail afterwards and was surprised that, other than historical figures like Himmler, these vivid, artistic and rounded people are invented by Sarah Freethy.

There’s such a plethora of fiction based on World War Two that I wasn’t anticipating such a fresh approach as we have in The Porcelain Maker. Of course there are mentions of the treatment of Jews, the power of the Reich and the depiction of the Arian ideal. However, instead of a focus on the horrors of concentration camps, instead there’s an intelligent, carefully researched and imaginative consideration of art underpinning the story. With references to real life works and artists, it becomes even more difficult to accept that Max and Bettina are not real people. I found the way the story was constructed around Max and Bettina’s separation and the art of the time was fascinating.

I loved meeting these two creative artists. The sense of passion that Max and Bettina have for one another and their absolute loyalty to each other are deeply emotional aspects. Whether it’s because Sarah Freethy is writing about artists I’m not sure, but her prose has a painterly atmosphere, enabling the reader to picture both character and setting so clearly. As Clara researches her past, discovering what happened to her mother Bettina, she becomes more real too and every element of this story feels assiduously researched and authentically presented.

I thought the balance between the two timelines in The Porcelain Maker was really well achieved. There’s far more about the 1930s and 40s than the 1993 era. This is as it should be because it is very much that past that has shaped Clara’s present life, and the effect is achieved with sophistication and without sentimentality.

There are themes one might expect, such as the brutality of the Nazi regime, but The Porcelain Maker is more about the nature of family, of true love and of courage and creativity. Alongside the making of porcelain artifacts is an impactful iterative image that we all have feet of clay, that we can be turned to dust in an instant, but that we can create our own destinies too. In amongst the grief, the pain and loss presented here is a true sense of the endurance of the human spirit.

I picked up The Porcelain Maker expecting that I would appreciate yet another war story. What Sarah Freethy gave me was so much more. She has delved into a neglected area and produced a compelling narrative that is immersive, convincing and that feels written with uncompromising integrity. I thought The Porcelain Maker was excellent.

About Sarah Freethy

Sarah Freethy worked as a producer and script consultant in television before turning her hand to fiction. The Porcelain Maker is her debut novel. She lives in Hampshire, England with her family.

For further information, visit Sarah’s website, follow her on Twitter/X @freethy and find Sarah on Facebook and Instagram.

THEAKSTON OLD PECULIER CRIME WRITING FESTIVAL 2024
LOOKS TO THE FUTURE AS IT REVEALS 21ST ANNIVERSARY PROGRAMME LINE-UP
CELEBRATING NEWCOMERS AND TITANS OF THE GENRE
Festival Dates: 18 – 21 July 2024

On Tuesday 14th May Harrogate International Festivals revealed the full programme for this year’s 21st Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival, the world’s most prestigious celebration of crime fiction and thriller writing, at a special reception at Hachette in London.

It was my absolute pleasure to attend the launch of the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival for 2024. Not only was it a fantastic evening with wonderful authors, but the full programme for the festival was announced. As tickets for individual sessions go on sale at 10AM today, Thursday 16th May, it’s my pleasure to share the following press release.

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The Festival, which takes place at Harrogate’s Old Swan Hotel from 18-21 July, has been curated by 2024’s Festival Chair, bestselling crime novelist Ruth Ware, and reflects a Festival looking firmly to the future while celebrating the rich heritage of the crime fiction world. From cutting edge AI and technology’s impact on criminal investigation, to the complexities and capabilities of neurodivergent
sleuths; from the shadowy world of spies and twisty whodunnits, to boundary-pushing psychological thrillers, there is plenty to surprise and thrill in this year’s programme.

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Programme highlights include an all-star lineup of acclaimed writers and global bestsellers including Mick Herron, Louise Candlish, M.W. Craven, James Comey, Lucy Foley, Femi Kayode and Saima Mir joining Special Guest headliners Chris Carter, Jane Casey, Elly Griffiths, Peter James, Erin Kelly, Vaseem Khan, Dorothy Koomson, Shari Lapena, Abir Mukherjee, Liz Nugent and Richard Osman,
the crowning of the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year and the much anticipated Critics’ New Blood panel which showcases four talented debut novelists. This year’s cohort, selected by a panel of the UK’s leading crime fiction critics, are Jonny Sweet, Martta Kaukonen, Claire Coughlan and Colin Walsh.

For aspiring writers, Creative Thursday offers an immersive day of workshops and talks led by bestselling writers and industry experts, with the unique opportunity to pitch work in the ‘Dragon’s Pen’.

A Festival for everyone, the evening events offer a host of opportunities for readers to engage with their favourite writers and include the hotly contested Late Night Quiz hosted by Val McDermid and Mark Billingham and the highly anticipated Confessions of a Crime Writer where well-known authors disclose deliciously dreadful secrets from their past and the audience decide if they should be forgiven, or not.

Two hot-ticket Author Dinners will see readers join forces with crime writers Kia Abdullah, Chris Brookmyre, Sunny Singh, Imran Mahmood, Lesley Thomson, Syd Moore, John Sutherland, Trevor Wood, Araminta Hall and many more to solve a murder mystery with a twist.

Ruth Ware, bestselling author and 2024 Festival Programming Chair said:
“After so many months of plotting and planning, I’m thrilled with the incredible showcase of crime writing talent the Festival committee has put together. From newcomers to titans of the genre, from cosy crime to hard-boiled whodunnits, from psychological thrillers to forensic procedurals, there really is something for everyone at this year’s Festival. But for me the true joy of the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival has always come down to one thing: the sheer pleasure of being among so many fellow book lovers, in a festival that puts the reader at the heart of everything. If you’re a booklover, this Festival is for you.”

Simon Theakston, Chairman of T&R Theakston Ltd, said:
“This year’s Festival celebrates crime fiction’s rich heritage while looking firmly to the future of the genre, with extraordinary debut writers appearing alongside legends of their craft, and boundary pushing events exploring bold new ideas. As an avid crime fiction fan and reader, as well as headline sponsor, I am looking forward to an unforgettable Festival.”

Sharon Canavar, Chief Executive of Harrogate International Festivals, said:
“The Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival marks its twenty-first anniversary this year and we are incredibly proud of this world class event which is so warmly anticipated by authors, visitors and locals alike. Ruth has put readers at the centre of her brilliant programme and there is so much for everyone to discover and enjoy. Whether you are a reader or a writer we look forward to
welcoming you to the Festival in July.”

Tickets for individual events are on general sale from 10am on Thursday 16 May. Classic Weekend Break Packages, Author Dinners and tickets for Creative Thursday are on sale now. To book tickets, please call +44(0)1423 562 303 or email info@harrogate-festival.org.uk.

PROGRAMME HIGHLIGHTS

THURSDAY 18th JULY

Creative Thursday: Crime Fiction Writing Workshops
An immersive day of workshops and talks for aspiring crime writers with bestselling authors including Isabel Ashdown, Penny Batchelor, Mark Billingham, Adele Parks, William Shaw, K.L. Slater, Ruth Ware, Russell Wate, and publishing experts including N.J. Cooper, Sam Eades, Francesca Pathak, Phoebe Morgan, Jon Wood and Madeleine Milburn.

Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award
A celebratory event as the winner of crime fiction’s most prestigious prize is announced, with the inaugural McDermid Award for debut fiction and the Outstanding Contribution to Crime Fiction Award also presented.

FRIDAY 19TH JULY

Special Guests in Conversation: Abir Mukherjee and Vaseem Khan
Crime fiction authors Vaseem Khan and Abir Mukherjee talk about their latest novels, Vaseem’s insightful thriller Death of a Lesser God, and Abir’s gripping stand-alone Hunted.

PANEL: The Past is a Foreign Country
Authors S.J. Parris, Ambrose Parry, Amy Chua and Anna Mazzola discuss murder most horrid – and historical – with chair Laura Shepherd-Robinson.

PANEL: Welcome to the Mind Palace
Authors Stef Penney, Nita Prose, Joanna Wallace and Sarah Hilary celebrate neurodivergence and the complexities and capabilities of minds build differently, chaired by N.J. Cooper.

PANEL: Cops and Robbers  

Writers of detective fiction M.W. Craven, Simon Mason, Christie J. Newport and Nadine Matheson put the police under the microscope with chair Mark Billingham.

PANEL: The Letter of the Law
From courtroom wrangles to breathless whodunnits, some of today’s best crime writers have their roots in the legal system. James Comey, Harriet Tyce, Kia Abdullah and Tony Kent will discuss what makes lawyers great storytellers with chair Imran Mahmood.

Special Guests in Conversation: Shari Lapena and Liz Nugent
Internationally bestselling authors Shari Lapena from Canada and Liz Nugent from Ireland reveal the tricks to crafting twisty thrillers and creating uniquely memorable characters.

Author Dinner
A unique opportunity for crime fans to take part in a murder mystery with host crime writers Kia Abdullah, Heidi Amsinck, M.J. Arlidge, Penny Batchelor, Katherine Faulkner, Heather J. Fitt, Dugald Bruce Lockhart, Louise Hare, Jackie Kabler, Simon Marlowe, John Marrs, Rachel North, Nadine Matheson, Imran Mahmood, Helen Phifer, Rod Reynolds, Tim Sullivan, Lesley Thomson, B.P.
Walter, Bridget Walsh.

Special Guest: Peter James
Celebrating his milestone twentieth Roy Grace book One Of Us Is Dead, Peter James will be in conversation with TV presenter Louise Minchin.

Confessions of a Crime Writer

Favourite crime writers including, Mark Billingham, Gytha Lodge, Val McDermid, Richard Osman and Luca Veste, confess dark and dreadful secrets from their past as the audience decides if they should be forgiven – or not!

SATURDAY 20TH JULY

Special Guest: Chris Carter

Former clinical psychologist and professional musician Chris Carter, bestselling author of the Robert Hunter series, will be interviewed by crime fiction critic Lisa Howells.

Psycho Thrillers 

Explore the genre that keeps getting darker and more ingenious, with boundary-pushing psychological thriller writers A.A. Chaudhuri, Abigail Dean, C.M. Ewan and T.M. Logan, interviewed by Luca Veste.

Critics’ New Blood
Showcasing four outstanding debut novelists, selected this year by a panel of the UK’s top crime fiction critics, actor and writer Jonny Sweet, Finnish bestseller Martta Kaukonen and Irish writers Claire Coughlan and Colin Walsh will be in conversation with Festival Programming Chair Ruth Ware.

I Spy
Masters of the genre Mick Herron, Ava Glass, Terry Hayes and Kim Sherwood will discuss all things espionage with chair Charlotte Philby.

From AI to PI: Detectives in a ChatGPT World
Explore mind-bending innovation, AI and post-apocalyptic worlds with writers putting the ‘tech’ into ‘detection’, Sarah Moorhead, Helen Fields, Jo Callaghan and Stuart Turton, with chair Ajay Chowdhury.

Special Guest: Dorothy Koomson
Bestselling thriller writer and ‘Queen of the Big Reveal,’ Dorothy Koomson will be interviewed about her latest novel Every Smile You Fake by Magic FM’s Bookworm Natasha Knight.

Author Dinner
‘Who dunnit?’ A second murder mystery dinner with authors Suzy Aspley, Kate Bendelow, Lauren Beukes, Chris Brookmyre, Emily Freud, Araminta Hall, Peter Hanington, David Hewson, Jane Jesmond, Alex Kane, Ruth Kelly, Bonnie MacBird, Syd Moore, Kristina Perez, Sunny Singh, John Sutherland, Russ Thomas, M.J. White, Michael Wood and Trevor Wood.

The Tangled Web
Plotters extraordinaire Lucy Foley, Louise Candlish, Catherine Ryan Howard and Jack Jordan reveal how they craft the perfect whodunnit and what makes for a truly killer reveal. Chaired by C.L. Taylor.

Special Guest: Richard Osman
Global bestseller Richard Osman will discuss his much-loved Thursday Murder Club novels and previews his new series We Solve Murders, interviewed by Festival Programming Chair Ruth Ware.

Late Night Quiz
Join popular quizmasters Val McDermid and Mark Billingham as teams of authors and readers go head-to-head in a battle of crime fiction wits.

SUNDAY 21ST JULY

Special Guests in Conversation: Erin Kelly and Jane Casey
Jane Casey introduces her new Maeve Kerrigan novel After the Fire in conversation with Erin Kelly, whose latest thriller is The House of Mirrors, as they discuss crafting addictive mysteries and creating compelling characters.

The Lie of the Land
Saima Mir, Ian Moore, Femi Kayode and Chris Whitaker discuss the importance of place and identity in crime fiction, with chair C.S. Robertson.

Special Guest: Elly Griffiths
Festival favourite Elly Griffiths discuss her new standalone mystery The Last Word with Stig Abell.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON THE THEAKSTON OLD PECULIER CRIME WRITING FESTIVAL VISIT
Harrogate International Festivals

About the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival

The Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival is the world’s largest event dedicated to the celebration of crime fiction. Taking place annually over four days each July at the Old Swan Hotel in Harrogate, the Festival programmes over 100 best-selling UK and international crime authors and over 30 events. It is delivered by the north of England’s leading arts Festival organisation, Harrogate
International Festivals. The event features the prestigious Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Awards.

Get involved on Twitter/X @HarrogateFest with #TheakstonsCrime #TheakstonsAwards

About T & R Theakston Ltd

Festival sponsor since 2004, Theakston Old Peculier beer is a world-famous, multi-award winning beer brewed by T & R Theakston Ltd. The company is one of the UK’s most famous and highly regarded traditional beer brewers. Theakston was established in Masham, North Yorkshire in 1827 by Robert Theakston and today is still controlled and managed by his direct descendants. Theakston Old Peculier is one of several, nationally available beer brands in their portfolio. The Company is renowned for its support in the community in cultural, sports and legacy activity, of which the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival is the most prominent.
For further information, visit the Theakstons website.

My enormous thanks to Ajay Tegala for sending me a copy of his new book Wetland Diaries: Ranger Life and Rewilding of Wicken Fen. I was supposed to be interviewing Ajay with Lev Parikian at the Deepings Literary Festival on Sunday 5th May but was devastated when I was hit by Covid and couldn’t make any of the festival sessions. I was, however, able to send across my questions to Kelham Cooke who stood in for me and, I’m told, did a brilliant job. At least I’ve been able to read Wetland Diaries by way of compensation and I’m delighted to share my review today.

Wetland Diaries was published by The History Press on 2nd May 2024 and is available for purchase here.

Wetland Diaries

‘Ajay’s passion for conservation and his encyclopaedic knowledge of Wicken Fen ooze out of every single page’ – Iolo Williams

Tucked away in the flat lands of rural East Anglia lies Wicken Fen, so loved for its big skies and tiny creatures, boasting over 9,000 recorded species. For 125 years, this wildlife sanctuary has been cared for by the National Trust. A dedicated team look after this precious wetland of international importance, working with herds of free-roaming horses and cattle and weathering the elements to cope creatively with the dramas of a life outdoors at the cutting edge of conservation.

Wetland Diaries is a seasonal account of ranger life on Wicken Fen, saving a once widespread landscape and revealing the spectrum of emotions experienced in the process. Ajay shares the spirit and atmosphere of the Fens, offering an insight into the privileges and pressures of managing semi-wild animals in one of the country’s first wetland restoration projects, creating precious breathing space for nature and people alike.

My Review of Wetland Diaries

An account of the life of ranger Ajay Tegala at Wicken Fen.

Now, I might be biased because I live quite close to Wicken Fen, this book has references to the Deeping area where I live and Ajay Tegala grew up in the next street along from my home, just beyond the small primary school, but I absolutely loved Wetland Diaries. It’s written with such honesty and compassion, mixed with humour and knowledge, so that I think I fell a little bit in love with the author and his dog Oakley.

Wetland Diaries is carefully illustrated with photographs, line drawings and an iterative cattle image. Initially I wished some of these aspects had been presented in colour but grew to understand that the black and white nature reflects to perfection the starkness of the landscape, the occasional harshness of life at Wicken Fen and the ethereal quality of fenland countryside. I went from a hesitancy about the images to feeling they were quite wonderful. I also thoroughly appreciated the bibliography and appendices as they add to the sense of authority and authenticity present throughout Wetland Diaries.

The text is smashing. The author’s first person tone is warm, accessible and conversational and Ajay Tegala incorporates everything from facts to the supernatural in a diffident, thoroughly engaging and often simultaneously poetic and pragmatic style. Reading Wetland Diaries feels as if the author is chatting personally with the reader, confiding all manner of things from the pressures of being part of the television Springwatch team to the potentially unsettling effect a phallic shaped Shiva Lingam stone might have on an unruly cockerel. Indeed, when chapter subheadings contain everything from a first day as a ranger through dung sampling to vasectomies there’s a real sense of the eclectic nature of Wetland Diaries.

And it is the natural world that glues this book together. There’s everything here from flora to fauna, climate change to animal husbandry, weather to walking, in a glorious celebration and appreciation of nature. It’s no exaggeration to say that reading Wetland Diaries has changed my life. Prior to this book, when asked where I come from I would usually reply, ‘Nowhere. Just flat, boring fenland.’ Now, I have an enlightened understanding of what a diverse and important area I live in. As Wicken Fen, the setting for the majority of the book, celebrates its 125th birthday, Ajay Tegala has written it a passionate love letter – but a love letter that encompasses and includes us all.

Wetland Diaries is a triumph. It’s engaging. It’s educational. It’s entertaining. It is also the kind of book that makes the reader feel as if the world has not gone to Hell in a handcart after all, but rather is filled with a varied and important natural world and wonderful people – like the author –  who care about it. I found Wetland Diaries uplifting, hopeful, witty and warm. I loved it.

About Ajay

Ajay Tegala is a Wildlife Presenter, Conservationist, Countryside Ranger, Naturalist, Author and Voice-Over Artist. He has a degree in Environmental Conservation and has worked in nature conservation for over a decade. A natural communicator, his enthusiasm is infectious.

He presented BBC Two’s groundbreaking documentary ‘Inside the Bat Cave’ (BBC Two, 2020) alongside Lucy Cooke, sharing his passion for bats, citizen science and public engagement. His five-minute ‘Springwatch’ 2021 film about the comeback of the common crane received fantastic reviews.

Ajay has chalked-up well over 20 television appearances across the five main channels, including the popular BBC nature programmes ‘Countryfile’, ‘Coast’, ‘Winterwatch’ and a live appearance on ‘Springwatch: Unsprung’ alongside Chris Packham and Will Young. He also featured on ‘Walking Through History’ with Tony Robinson for Channel Four. Ajay took part in the BBC animal quiz show hosted by Kate Humble, ‘Curious Creatures’, appearing on a winning team with Chris Packham. He also took on the BBC ‘Celebrity Eggheads’ as part of a science team, winning his head-to-head round.

Ajay is a regular contributor on BBC Radio Cambridgeshire’s ‘Wildlife Wednesdays’, complimenting his own #WildWednesday TikTok videos. Other radio appearances include ‘Living World’ and Clare Balding’s popular ‘Ramblings’ (both Radio Four).

As a Countryside Ranger, Ajay has earned respect as the ranger on Britain’s first coastal reserve, Blakeney Point in north Norfolk. This is the subject of his first book, which gives an insight into his unique experiences protecting seabirds and seals on a remote stretch of England’s east coast. Ajay has previously worked as reserve manager at Lindisfarne in Northumberland and currently works at Wicken Fen, Britain’s very first nature reserve, alongside 100 Konik ponies and 50 Highland cattle.

Growing up in the East Anglian Fens, Ajay became interested in wetland birds. As a teenager, he volunteered at his local nature reserves, which inspired him to follow a career in nature conservation. Through his career, Ajay went on to work with seabirds, in particular terns; studying their breeding behaviour and contributing to national monitoring programmes. He has also studied wildflowers and seals; managing England’s largest Grey Seal rookery during a period of rapid population growth.

In his spare time, Ajay conducts wildlife surveys on farmland in the Norfolk Broads, championing and monitoring the success of habitat creation for nature on farms.

For further information follow Ajay o Twitter/X @AjayTegala, find him on Facebook and Instagram and be sure to watch Ajay on TikTok and YouTube.

My enormous thanks to Becky Hunter for sending me a copy of The Second Chance by Charlotte Butterfield in return for an honest review. Slightly later than intended, I’m delighted finally to share that review today.

It’s just over two years since Charlotte provided Linda’s Book Bag with a wonderful guest post in celebration of By This Time Tomorrow in a post you’ll find here.

Published by Harper Collins imprint Avon on 9th May 2024, The Second Chance is available for purchase here.

The Second Chance

Nell has always known her expiry date.

After a psychic predicted her death date twenty years ago, she has lived life accepting she would never see forty – embracing adventure and travelling the world, choosing fun over commitment and laying down roots.

So, when the fateful day comes, Nell feels ready. She sends five excruciatingly honest confessions to her sister, parents and past loves, knowing she won’t be around to face the consequences. Then, with her heart laid bare, all that’s left to do is check into a glamorous hotel and wait for the inevitable…

But when Nell unexpectedly wakes up the next morning broke, single and very much alive, she must figure out exactly how to seize this second chance at life. And then it also hits her:

What on earth happens now that everyone knows how she really feels?

My Review of The Second Chance

Nell is preparing to die.

The Second Chance is a super story of what is truly important in life and I enjoyed every moment of reading it.

The plot races along as Nell’s expected demise doesn’t occur and she has to come to terms with the consequences of her past life and her recent actions. There are relatively few truly dramatic moments and that is the absolute strength of the novel because it is in the ordinary and prosaic that Nell discovers the truth about life and herself. I loved the way Charlotte Butterfield mixed both humour and emotion in a pitch perfect balance. There’s a super thread of Nell’s relationships with Tom and Greg that adds a frisson of excitement and great romantic interest too.

Nell is fantastic. At times I loathed her for her selfish and unthinking attitude, at times I admired her vivacity and her ability to find the best in the most desperate of situations, and by the end of The Second Chance I loved and appreciated her unreservedly.

However, it was Juno who appealed to me most. She is the living embodiment of Jenny Joseph’s poem Warning. I loved her unconventional attire, her outrageous stories, her incisive intuition and her vulnerability as dementia affected her. She is so sensitively and authentically developed that I found her quite wonderful.

There’s a great balance too in the men in the story with Greg and Tom contrasting brilliantly with Tony and Ray so that The Second Chance feels populated with real people rather than mere characters in a story.

Add in thought provoking themes of family and friendship, the impact of the past on our present lives, the way fate has an ability to intervene in our lives and scupper our plans and Charlotte Butterfield shows us how life is for living, doing our best but not forgetting those we love. I thought her story was fabulous. 

The Second Chance is a brilliant escapist read. It’s filled with warmth, human understanding and humour. Reading it I was completely absorbed and transported away from the trials of my own life. I have certainly been convinced that we need to be more Nell – and more Juno! 

About Charlotte Butterfield

A former magazine editor, Charlie Butterfield was born in Bristol and studied English at Royal Holloway. She moved to Dubai by herself on a one-way ticket with one suitcase in 2005 and left twelve years later with a husband, three children and a 40ft shipping container. She now lives in the Cotswolds, where she is a freelance writer and novelist.

For more information, follow Charlotte on Twitter @CharlieJayneB and find her on Facebook and Instagram.

Given how much I’ve loved meeting and interviewing Elly Griffiths in the past and how much I enjoy her writing, I really have read far too few of her books. Today I’m rectifying that slightly by sharing my review of The Stranger Diaries which is the choice of my U3A book group this month. It’s almost five years since Hannah Robinson from Quercus sent me a surprise copy of The Stranger Diaries and I’d like to extend my apologies that it has taken so long to review!

The Stranger Diaries is published by Quercus and is available for purchase here. 

The Stranger Diaries

Clare Cassidy is no stranger to tales of murder. As a literature teacher specialising in the Gothic writer R.M. Holland, she teaches a short course on them every year. Then Clare’s life and work collide tragically when one of her colleagues is found dead, a line from an R.M. Holland story by her body. The investigating police detective is convinced the writer’s works somehow hold the key to the case.

Not knowing who to trust, and afraid that the killer is someone she knows, Clare confides her darkest suspicions and fears about the case to her journal. Then one day she notices some other writing in the diary. Writing that isn’t hers…

My Review of The Stranger Diaries

Teacher Ella has been murdered.

I so enjoyed The Stranger Diaries. It’s a fast paced, entertaining read with a touch of the supernatural and smashing smatterings of overt and subtle literary references that are a real pleasure to identify. It’s that frisson of otherworldliness created by the tales of the woman in white at the school and Bryony’s white witch persona that gets under the reader’s skin and makes them wonder ‘What if?’ so that even the most sceptical amongst them is hooked. There’s just the right level of creepiness and tension. 

I thought the way the present day story of Clare et al echoed the story told by the stranger in R.M. Holland’s tale was cleverly and entertainingly crafted. The Stranger Diaries fits the concept of spooky Halloween tales brilliantly and would make a fabulous television series for winter nights. This is a murder mystery, a police procedural, a ghost story and it has touches of a quest as Clare is researching R.M. Holland so that not only can The Stranger Diaries be read and enjoyed on many levels, it has something for every reader. 

The characters are great. We don’t get huge psychological depth for any of them, but each is distinct and, more importantly, has the possibility to be the murderer. I confess I suspected (wrongly) every one of them, including even the investigating policeman Neil, because Elly Griffiths does sleight of hand so brilliantly. I actually exclaimed aloud when the perpetrator was revealed. I loved the potential for Detective Harbinder Kaur to develop too.

As well as being absorbed by the story I thoroughly enjoyed the author’s take on creative writing and teaching, given her own background. It felt as if I were being a little glimpse behind the curtain of who she is. Add in themes of marriage and relationships, obsession and rivalry, and ethnicity and sexuality and I found The Stranger Diaries an all round satisfying, engaging and entertaining read. Once I started it, I was totally rapt and I thoroughly, thoroughly enjoyed it – even if it did make me rather glad I don’t write a diary of my own! It’s a cracking read.

About Elly Griffiths

Elly Griffiths is the bestselling author of the Dr Ruth Galloway Mysteries and the Brighton Mysteries. She has won the CWA Dagger in the Library, has been shortlisted five times for the Theakston’s Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year, and longlisted for the CWA Gold Dagger for The Lantern Men. Her new series featuring Detective Harbinder Kaur began with The Stranger Diaries, which was a Richard and Judy book club pick and won the Edgar Award for Best Novel in the USA. It was followed by The Postscript Murders, shortlisted for the CWA Gold Dagger and Bleeding Heart Yard. Elly has two grown-up children and lives near Brighton with her archaeologist husband.

You can follow Elly on Twitter/X @ellygriffiths, find her on Instagram and Facebook or visit her website for more information.

It’s almost six years since Glenn Bryant stayed in with me here on Linda’s Book Bag to chat about his first book, A Quiet Genocide. Now Glenn is back with a highly personal and affecting guest post to celebrate the recent publication of his latest book Darkness Does Not Come At Once. As soon as I read the blurb of Darkness Does Not Come At Once, I had to invite Glenn back to the blog

Darkness Does Not Come At Once was published by The Book Guild on 28th April 2024 and is available for purchase here.

Darkness Does Not Come At Once

Meike is seventeen and she uses a wheelchair. Already in life she’s accepted that she’ll always somehow be ‘different’. But overnight, different becomes dangerous after the government announces disabled youngsters under the age of eighteen must spend the war in specially designated institutions.

Suddenly Meike is on the run in the rural lanes she calls home, bordering Berlin. It is 1939 and the whole of Germany, it seems, wants to fight the world.

Quietly, members of Meike’s family distance themselves, but two unlikely allies stand by her. One is an elderly woman and a lifelong Catholic, forced to question her faith; the other is a fifteen-year-old boy Meike hardly knows. They begin a search for answers as they scramble to find Meike and, in a country they no longer recognise, themselves.

Talking about the world’s largest minority of people.

Why are we still afraid?

A Guest Post by Glenn Bryant

I have a question for you, if I may. Please do not worry. It is simply a, ‘Did you know?’ question. Okay.

Did you know that, from 1941-45, the government of Germany murdered some six million members of Europe’s Jewish community? Yes? Yes.

A second question. Did you know that, from 1939-41, the perpetrators of the above were effectively in training? As a commentator of the time described, they ‘made murder their profession’, killing an estimated 300,000 people with growing efficiency. Yes? No?

Hopefully, some of you are still answering, ‘Yes,’ but, from experience, I expect that there will be many more answers, ‘No.’

Okay.

Today, 85 years on, perhaps the real question should unpack, ‘Why don’t we know?’ The answer is that it’s because those 300,000 victims had a mental or a physical impairment. For the purposes of this piece, they were ‘disabled’.

Disability has not been a topic which has been discussed as frequently, for example, as women’s rights, or civil rights, or gay rights, which, thank goodness, are happily debated pretty openly today. Long may that conversation continue to happen even more openly. And yet disability rights has always lagged behind. Why? It’s a good question.

Honestly, I don’t have an answer, or certainly not an easy one. Two overarching thoughts. One, do both the public and private sectors deem physical access too much time and effort? If yes, at what greater cost to society? What kind of society do we want to share?

Second, perhaps we, societally, find ‘disability’ too unpalatable. It’s one foot in the grave, but perhaps we then quickly return to the above issue, ‘What kind of society do we want to share?’

It’s very easy to think ‘disability’ will never happen to us. And absolutely, it may not. But let’s look at the evidence. Today, in countries where life expectancy tops 70 years, we can each of us, on average, expect to spend eight years as ‘disabled’, or 12% of our life.

‘Disabled’ people today form the largest minority globally, 15% of us or one in six, some one billion people. Recently here in the UK, it was one in five. Today in the UK, it’s one in four. Again, we can look in the mirror and consider, ‘What kind of world together do we want to live in?’ A great question, albeit an almost infinite one.

The way my brain has always been wired, in search of a big answer, is to distil it down to the simplest terms. The world I want to live in is one of happy acceptance. A world of inclusion. Where everyone can get involved, or not. It’s their choice. But. I don’t want the world, in any way, to take that choice away from the individual.

From 1933-45, Hitler and his National Socialist government wanted to remove that choice so entirely from Germany’s ‘disabled’ community, that he wanted to remove them entirely from this world. From 1939-41, he was very successful. He oversaw the murder of 300,000 members of that community. We will never know the precise number.

Today, people with an impairment can expect to have ‘poorer’ outcomes in life, next to somebody without an impairment, in key areas: health, education, work, prosperity. In August 2023, a UK report by the House of Commons found that ‘disabled’ people scored themselves 6 out of 10 for ‘Happiness’, next to 8 out of 10 for people who identified as able-bodied. They regularly felt lonely, 13% next to 3%. And they were far less likely to be in employment, 54% next to 83%.

But if we never embrace this imbalance, how will we redress it? That’s my question.

Attitudes have improved, in my experience, in the past 20 years. And I privately wonder how vital the London 2012 Paralympics were, even if only subconsciously, in helping change attitudes. But ignorance, even if polite, and misapprehension can still be commonplace, so breaking that vicious circle through the continued sharing of knowledge and understanding remains so important.

Let’s end with a personal experience. Some 20 years ago. I went for a working pub lunch with my then boss. And he was more than my boss. We were good friends. We spoke a lot.

I told him I had started seeing someone, a girl. Maybe she wasn’t quite yet my girlfriend, but it felt that one day she really might be. I liked her. I hoped she liked me.

I added that she used a wheelchair. I wasn’t really sure why she used a wheelchair. We hadn’t talked about it. After all, at that point, we were only dating.

‘Well…’ my boss said, searching in his face for a reply. ‘She’s like half a girlfriend.’

What? Is he joking? 

Tell me you’re joking?

He’s not joking, I realised.

I only ever saw him once after that.

And by the way, the girl did happily become ‘my girlfriend’ and today super happily remains my wife. The world I want to live in is one where she is free to shine.

****

Thank you so much Glenn – for your wonderful post, your humanity and being prepared to share your story with us alongside history. Having experienced just one afternoon in a wheelchair recently following an operation on my foot, I can only begin to understand the difficulties of those living permanently this way. Doors were impossible to open at the same time as pushing me. I became invisible or a nuisance. In my case it was physical doors causing an issue very briefly. I have a horrible feeling that we still have some way to go to achieve a world where we are all free to shine but I’m right with you in the aspiration.

About Glenn Bryant

Glenn Bryant is a former daily news journalist who today works as a senior copywriter for a financial technology company. Darkness Does Not Come at Once is his second novel, following A Quiet Genocide, published in 2018.

He is a registered carer for his wife, Juliet, who has a spinal cord injury. They live happily in South Oxfordshire.

For further information, follow Glenn on Twitter/X @glennmbryant and find Glenn on Facebook and Instagram.