It’s my absolute pleasure to join the blog tour for The Wit and Wisdom of David Attenborough by Chas Newkey-Burden today as David Attenborough has been a hero of mine for about 6 decades and it was an honour to attend one of his bird lectures some years ago. My enormous thanks to Anne Cater of Random Things Tours for inviting me to participate.

Published by Octopus imprint Gaia on 26th October 2023, The Wit and Wisdom of David Attenborough is available for purchase through the links here.

The Wit and Wisdom of David Attenborough

A fascinating and entertaining collection of facts, quotes and stories, celebrating Sir David Attenborough’s wicked sense of humour and astute wisdom.

David Attenborough is a national treasure, known for his soothing voice, calming presence, passion for the natural world, and his humble, easy-going nature. Despite his incredible talent and influence, he tends to play it all down, one time stating that, ‘I can’t believe I’m still employed’.

So if he won’t celebrate himself, we’ll have to do it for him.

Filled with facts, tributes and anecdotes, as well as beautiful illustrations, this enormously positive book celebrates Sir David, providing a fascinating insight into his life as well as showcasing his brilliant sense of humour. Running chronologically, this book begins with his early days, to his first job at the BBC, to eventually becoming the most esteemed naturalist on the planet, as he is today.

Such revelations include:
– There are 18 plants and animals named after him
– When asked by a reporter how many degrees he had, he said it would be ‘rude to count’*
– The single thing that would improve his quality of life is ‘good, workable knees’.

Blending his quips galore with his powerful messages on the environment and future of the planet, this timely book showcases everything we love about Sir David, making it the perfect gift for any fan.

* He has over thirty!

My Review of The Wit and Wisdom of David Attenborough

A celebration of David Attenborough!

What a wonderful book. In a world that does its best to discover the clay feet of out idols and where so often successful folk are trolled and denigrated, The Wit and Wisdom of David Attenborough is balm for the soul. It’s a glorious, appreciative celebration of a man who has been in the background (or indeed the forefront) of our lives for decades. In a sense, all I need to say to review is ‘read the book’s description’ as that sums it up perfectly.

However, given that I think The Wit and Wisdom of David Attenborough would make a superb gift for anyone remotely interested in its subject, I feel I must comment on the physical attributes of the hard back. The illustrations on the front and back have an ethereal quality that reflects the gentleness of the subject and his association with nature. It’s a robust pocket sized volume that makes it easy to hold and transport. I loved the little illustrations interspersed between the text where there are images of things from a goose to a grand piano!

I loved the way the book tracks David Attenborough’s life chronologically and I read it that way, but subsequently I’ve dipped back in at random and that’s a cracking way to stumble upon a gem. Accessibly written, The Wit and Wisdom of David Attenborough is filled with facts, quotations and information that enable the reader to gain an insight into the man as well as the voice behind the television programmes. I had no idea David Attenborough has never passed his driving test for example, or that he originally rejected Terry Wogan as a BBC presenter. What works so well here is that Chas Newkey-Burden provides balance in the entries and not simply unthinking adoration. This is a volume with factual detail and a catalogue of reference sources that give it gravitas and authenticity.

I so enjoyed The Wit and Wisdom of David Attenborough because it taught me things I didn’t know about a man I’ve long admired, and rekindled my own memories involving both Attemborough himself and some of the projects with which he’s been involved and it left me rather wishing I’d been at that David Attenborough Monkey Rave! I think The Wit and Wisdom of David Attenborough would make the perfect gift and I loved it.

About Chas Newkey-Burden

Writer Chas Newkey-Burden is the author of over 30 books including Great Email Disasters and a best-selling biography of Amy Winehouse. His magazine work has included interviewing celebrities like David Beckham and Ricky Gervais.

For further information, follow Chas on Twitter/X @allthatchas and find him on Instagram.

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It’s almost a year since lovely Caitlin Raynor sent me a surprise copy of Atalanta by Jennifer Saint and with the paperback release a month away it’s high time I got round to sharing my review. I’m delighted to do so today.

Atalanta will be released in paperback by Wildfire on 4th January 2024 and is available for pre-order through the links here.

Atalanta

When a daughter is born to the King of Arcadia, she brings only disappointment.

Left exposed on a mountainside, the defenceless infant Atalanta, is left to the mercy of a passing mother bear and raised alongside the cubs under the protective eye of the goddess Artemis.

Swearing that she will prove her worth alongside the famed heroes of Greece, Atalanta leaves her forest to join Jason’s band of Argonauts. But can she carve out her own place in the legends in a world made for men?

My Review of Atalanta

The story of the legendary Atalanta.

Steeped in mythology Atalanta is a magnificent, completely immersive tale that I adored because I found it both incredibly absorbing and thrillingly exciting. 

It’s beautifully and poetically written with vivid descriptions that transport the reader into the settings so effectively. There’s such a visual quality to the writing that it has a cinematic quality I thought was astounding. The appeal to the senses, particularly the use of sound, is simply gorgeous so that the reader truly feels part of the story.

Jennifer Saint’s assiduous research into Greek mythology takes reader’s the half-remembered or partially known understanding of the subject and combines it into a narrative that is mesmerising, dramatic and far more emotionally moving than I had anticipated. With a dynamic, fast moving plot Atalanta is both impressive and gripping.

The balance of characters works so well. Jealous gods, duplicitous royalty, valiant and dangerous argonauts, gentle nymphs and a wide range of beasts, birds and so on, all weave into a rich tapestry. Reading Atalanta has the effect of lighting a flame of interest into these mythological people that is simply irresistible. I found it spell-binding.

I thought Atalanta herself was riveting. Representing unalloyed strength and a multi-layered feminism she leaps from the page as a surprisingly realistic person despite being part of a mythological world. This has the effect of drawing in the reader to her adventures. Physically and intellectually at least the equal of, and often superior to, any man, Atalanta is by no means perfect. She is flawed, being stubborn, proud and in some ways quite cold hearted. Her willingness to kill is both admirable and terrifying. However, there is also a tenderness to her that balances her personality so that she feels like a true heroine. I feel Jennifer Saint has made this mythological woman entirely plausible and real.

I could not have enjoyed Atalanta more. It’s skilled, spellbinding and a totally terrific read. I’m only delighted I have Jennifer Saint’s other books on my TBR as reading Atalanta has convinced me I have missed out on real treats by not getting to them sooner. Atalanta is just brilliant – don’t miss it! 

About Jennifer Saint

Thanks to a lifelong fascination with Ancient Greek mythology, Jennifer Saint read Classical Studies at King’s College, London. Since September 2022, she has been a Visiting Research Fellow in the Classics Department there. In between, she spent thirteen years as an English teacher, sharing a love of literature and creative writing with her students. Ariadne was her first novel, Elektra her second, and Atalanta is her latest mesmerising mythological retelling.

For further information, follow Jennifer on Twitter/X @jennysaint, or find her on Facebook and Instagram.

It’s a real pleasure today to share details of another of my My Weekly magazine online reviews. This time it is of The Due Date by Niki Mackay.

Published by Headline on 26th October, The Due Date is available for purchase through the links here. 

The Due Date

You shared everything for nine months. But you don’t know her at all.

When Ali meets Rebecca, she feels an instant connection. Both pregnant, with babies due the same day, Ali can’t wait to share the highs and lows of motherhood with her new friend.

Rebecca is everything Ali wishes she could be – beautiful, confident, wealthy. But Ali senses in her the same loneliness she’s been feeling since moving to the suburbs. Maybe they can help each other, and Ali won’t feel so alone anymore.

Then their due date comes and goes, and Ali hears nothing for weeks. Worried about her friend, Ali tracks her down and is relieved to find Rebecca safe and well. But relief turns to shock when Rebecca denies ever meeting her… or ever having been pregnant at all.

My Review of The Due Date

My full review of The Due Date can be found on the My Weekly website here.

However, here I can say that The Due Date is an unsettling and disturbing psychological thriller that I found incredibly unnerving. 

Do visit My Weekly to read my full review here.

About Niki Mackay

Niki Mackay studied Performing Arts at the BRIT School. She holds a BA (Hons) in English Literature and Drama, and won a full scholarship for her MA in Journalism. A lifelong, avid reader she wrote her first novel in 2017. She also writes under NJ Mackay.

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

As my grandfather was blinded in one eye and suffered shrapnel wounds, initially reported missing and presumed dead at the age of 19 in the Battle of the Somme, I’m ever so slightly obsessed by WW1 so when I was offered the opportunity to participate in the blog tour for Peace on the Western Front by Mattia Signorini, I couldn’t resist. My thanks to Tracy Fenton for inviting me. It’s a plasure to share my review today.

Published by Zaffre imprint Manilla on 9th November, Peace on the Western Front is available for purchase here.

Peace on the Western Front

The worst of enemies. The best of friends.

1914. A boy enrols in the army, hoping to find peace in the great adventure of war. Handed a rifle, he discovers the grim reality: grey days distinguished only by the ever-present spectre of death. In the midst of horror, he finds close friendships, love and companionship. In an unexpected act of courage, he changes the course of history, bringing German and Brits to put down their weapons for a celebration of peace.

In 1933, a father and son set out for Flanders. The former soldier carries more of the war with him than his maimed left hand. The British man he met in the forest of Ypres is a memory passed down from father to son, a story of friendship across enemy lines, forged by one uniting belief: the need for peace.

My Review of Peace on the Western Front

A man and his son are in Ypres.

My goodness! Peace on the Western Front may be more of a novella than a full length book, but it is imbued with profound emotion and humanity that left me reeling. It’s wonderful. 

I’m actually struggling to write a review as I don’t want to sully the book. Mattia Signorini looks deep into the soul of mankind and lays it bare for his readers. Peace on the Western Front is historically vivid and obviously meticulously researched, but also heart-breakingly relevant to today’s political landscape. 

The characterisation is magnificent. The fact the young boy is unnamed until the end of the story is critical because he represents an innocent Everyman as well as adding to the emotional impact of Mattia Signorini’s writing. I thought the central character, William, was so brilliantly drawn. The way his past has weighed on his present actions and his ongoing relationship with his father, and the manner with which his understanding – not only of himself but of the world around him – is depicted, is sensitive, compassionate and terribly affecting. This is a book that hits the reader hard in the solar plexus.

What works so well in creating impact for the reader is the essential simplicity of the author’s style and vocabulary, beautifully translated by Vicki Satlow. This makes the themes and messages of the narrative all the more powerful in contrast. Certainly this is historical fiction with a carefully crafted dual timeline, but much more than that it is a story about faith, war, empathy, compassion, bravery and love. 

I adored Peace on the Western Front. It moved me immeasurably and I cannot recommend it highly enough. 

About Mattia Signorini

Mattia Signorini holds a degree in communications from the University of Padua. After working as an Editor in Milan, he started a creative writing school, the Palomar School, in his hometown, Rovigo.

For more information, find Mattia on Instagram and Facebook.

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My enormous thanks to Lisa Gooding at Verve Books for inviting me to participate in the blog tour for A Quiet Contagion by Jane Jesmond and for sending me a copy of the book in return for an honest review. It’s my great pleasure to share that review today.

Published by Verve on 28th November 2023, A Quiet Contagion is available for purchase through the links here.

A Quiet Contagion

A disquieting contemporary mystery with a historical twist and fast-paced plot, from the author of the Jen Shaw series.

Six decades. Seven people. One unspeakable secret.

1957. A catastrophe occurs at the pharmaceutical lab in Coventry where sixteen-year-old Wilf is working for the summer. A catastrophe that needs to be covered up at all costs.2017. Phiney is shocked by the death of her grandfather, Wilf, who has jumped from a railway bridge at a Coventry station. Journalist Mat Torrington is the only witness.

Left in utter disbelief, with a swarm of unanswered questions, Phiney, Mat and Wilf’s wife, Dora, begin their own enquiries into Wilf’s death. It is soon clear that these two events, sixty years apart, are connected – and that Wilf is not the only casualty.

But what is the link? And can they find out before any more lives are lost?

My Review of A Quiet Contagion

Phiney has bad news.

What a clever, clever book. A Quiet Contagion is meticulously researched so that this absorbing, complex thriller is steeped in history that gives it an added dimension of authenticity which, when set against the recent Covid pandemic, makes it all the more powerful. I thought it was excellent. 

There’s a menacing undertone that unsettles the reader and creates a palpable tension so that A Quiet Contagion is a gripping read that builds and builds. The 1957 sections hold tantalising glimpses into why Wilf has taken his own life and what Jane Jesmond does so well is to allow the reader’s imagination to create scenarios in their mind’s eye so that they are as involved as any of the characters. I found this brilliantly manipulative. I loved the way the truth is gradually uncovered because it rings with authenticity.

Descriptions are given with a painterly eye which brings settings into sharp focus and builds the tension, particularly in Phiney’s first person 2017 narrative. I thought that Phiney was such a fascinating character. She’s obviously got her own concerns, even as she works as a nurse healing others. Phiney is the lynchpin of action and I found her complex, and layered. Her profession heightens her reactions to events so that it’s impossible not to empathise with her completely. I thought her prickly relationship with Dora was sensitively and realistically portrayed as the two women act as light and shade to one another.

The narrative is deftly plotted, weaving past and present together convincingly and gradually revealing to both reader and Phiney alike, just what has been happening. However, the most gripping element for me is the way in which the author presents several moral dilemmas that cause the reader to wonder about their own moral stance and what they might have done in similar situations. A Quiet Contagion gets under the skin and leaves the readers asking ‘What if…?’ but you’ll need to read it for yourself to find out why.

A Quiet Contagion is one of those books it’s truly impossible to review without spoilers. What I can say is that the quality of the writing and plotting is excellent. The narrative is completely absorbing and hugely entertaining. I thoroughly enjoyed this intelligent, well written and compelling story. It’s such a good read. 

About Jane Jesmond

Jane Jesmond writes psychological suspense, thrillers and mysteries.

Her debut novel, On The Edge, the first in a series featuring dynamic, daredevil protagonist Jen Shaw was a Sunday Times Crime best book. The second in the series, Cut Adrift, was The Times Thriller of the Month and The Sunday Times Crime Book of the Month.

She likes to mix things up and Her is an intriguing blend of psych thriller and speculative fiction. Her latest thriller, A Quiet Contagion, a mystery set in 1957 and today, was published on 28th November 2023

Although she loves writing (and reading) thrillers and mysteries, her real life is very quiet and unexciting. Dead bodies and danger do not feature! She lives by the sea in the west tip of France with a husband and a cat and enjoys coastal walks and village life.

For further information, visit Jane’s website, follow her on Twitter/X @AuthorJJesmond, or find Jane on Facebook.

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I can’t believe how many times Sarah Mallory has appeared here on Linda’s Book Bag, without me actually getting round to reading one of her books. When Sarah kindly sent me her latest release Snowbound with the Brooding Lord I thought it was high time I rectified that error. I’m so glad I did and I’m delighted to share my review of Snowbound with the Brooding Lord today.

Snowbound with the Brooding Lord was published by Mills & Boon/Harlequin Historical on 23rd November 2023 and is available for purchase here.

Snowbound with the Brooding Lord

Will they forgive each other

By the time the snow melts…?

Years ago Sabrina walked away from her first love, Jack, because she was duty-bound to marry for money. Now a widow, she finds herself back in Jack’s intoxicating orbit―but he’s reluctant to trust Sabrina again. And it’s not just the brooding Lord who has changed…marriage has left a painful mark on Sabrina. So when they’re trapped by a snowstorm, will they find a way to finally be together?

My Review of Snowbound with the Brooding Lord

Sabrina Kydd’s happy life is about to change.

I thoroughly enjoyed Snowbound with the Brooding Lord because it is tantalisingly romantic and totally absorbing. 

One of the aspects I enjoyed most was the glimpse into the social whirlwind lifestyle of the rich and entitled which often belies the truth of who those people really are and how they might be feeling. Sarah Mallory includes historical detail that exemplifies the early 1800’s with clarity and helps create a feeling of authenticity. Expected manners, social niceties, and the veneer of respectability are illustrated through the soirées, parties and meals, and contrast brilliantly with the genuine passion felt by both Sabrina and Lord Jack Callater and the more simple lifestyle they are forced to adopt once they find themselves snowed in together.  

The plot is fast paced and frustrating! This is by no means a criticism, but just as the developing relationship between Sabrina and Jack is frustrated by withholding of truth, by circumstances and by gossip, so the reader experiences a similar frustration to them in being desperate for them to achieve their happy ending. I thought this was highly effective story telling. 

I thoroughly enjoyed meeting Sabrina as she is a woman surviving in spite of what fate has thrown at her, but it was Jack who drew me in so completely until I found myself a little in love with him too! Both these characters are stubborn, proud, passionate, principled and foolhardy in their behaviour, leaving the reader wondering quite whether they will ever stop jeopardising their own happiness. 

As well as a passionate romance and authentic historical detail, what also adds to the pleasure of reading Snowbound with the Brooding Lord is the thread of social responsibility and reform weaving through. Whilst this might be a light and diverting narrative, it had me wishing the same level of altruism displayed by Sabrina and Jack might be applied to some of those with status and power in today’s world. 

Snowbound with the Brooding Lord is a super read that drew me in and kept me equally as captured as those held by the snow. Sarah Mallory has persuaded me that I really do need to read more of this genre. I thought Snowbound with the Brooding Lord was smashing! 

About Sarah Mallory

Sarah Malloryis an award-winning author of over 50 published books, including more than 30 historical romances for Harlequin/Mills & Boon, and she also writes sparkling adventure romances as Melinda Hammond.

Originally from the West Country, Sarah lived for many years high on the Yorkshire Pennines, but in 2018 she ran away to the Scottish Highlands and now lives by the sea, enjoying a whole new adventure.

You can follow Sarah on Twitter @SarahMRomance. You can also visit her excellent website and find her on Instagram or Facebook.

What an absolute privilege to be taken out of my reading comfort zone and to review Saturnalia by Stephanie Feldman for My Weekly magazine online.

Published in paperback by Verve on 26th October 2023, Saturnalia is available for purchase through the links here.

Saturnalia

Doors open at 7. The sacrifice is at 9. The dress code is, as usual, black tie.

It’s the winter solstice in a Philadelphia that has been eroded by extreme weather, economic collapse, and disease-carrying mosquitoes. The Saturnalia carnival is about to begin – an evening on which nearly everyone, rich or poor, forgets their troubles for a moment.

For Nina, Saturnalia is simply a cruel reminder of the night that changed everything for her. It’s now three years since she walked away from the elite Saturn Club, with its genteel debauchery, arcane pecking order, and winking interest in alchemy and the occult. Since then, she’s led an isolated life, eking out a living telling fortunes with her Saturn Club tarot deck.

But when she gets a chance call from Max, her last remaining friend from the Saturn Club, Nina will put on a dress of blackest black and attend the Club’s wild solstice masquerade, the biggest party of the year, on a mysterious errand she can’t say no to.

Before the night is over, she will become the custodian of a horrifying secret – and the target of a mysterious hunter.

As Nina runs across an alternate Philadelphia balanced on a knife’s edge between celebration and catastrophe – through parades, worship houses, museums, hidden mansions, and the place she once called home – she’s forced to confront her past so she can finally take charge of her own, and perhaps everyone else’s, future.

My Review of Saturnalia

My full review of Saturnalia can be found on the My Weekly website here.

However, here I can say that Saturnalia is astonishing and I’m not entirely certain I’ll recover from reading it because I found it so unsettling. It’s dark, disturbing and very, very entertaining!

Do visit My Weekly to read my full review here.

About Stephanie Feldman

Stephanie Feldman is the author of the debut novel The Angel of Losses, a Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers selection, winner of the Crawford Fantasy Award, and finalist for the Mythopoeic Award. She is co-editor of the multigenre anthology Who Will Speak for America? and her stories and essays have appeared in Asimov\’s Science Fiction, Catapult Magazine, Electric Literature, The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, The Rumpus, and Vol. 1 Brooklyn. She lives outside Philadelphia with her family.

For further information, visit Stephanie’s website, follow her on Twitter/X @sbfeldman or find Stephanie on Instagram.

I feel very privileged to count Anne Coates as a personal friend of some years and she has appeared on Linda’s Book Bag many times in the past. However, I have never quite got round to reading and reviewing one of Anne’s books. Consequently, I am delighted to put that right today by sharing my review of Anne’s latest Hannah Weybridge book, Murder in the Lady Chapel.

I also send Anne my very best wishes for a speedy recovery for her recently fractured shoulder!

Published on 21st November 2023, Murder in the Lady Chapel is available for purchase here.

Murder in the Lady Chapel

“All that is now hidden will some day come to light. If you have ears, listen! And be sure to put into practice what you hear.” Mark 4, verse 22

A chorister is found dying in the Lady Chapel when the Reverend Peter Savage is about to begin morning prayers. It’s a suspicious death and no one seems to know much about the victim. The vicar implores Hannah Weybridge to find out what she can.

Little did the journalist know that this investigation would have her joining the choir in preparation for the Christmas services or that her daughter, Elizabeth, would be so enchanted by the church.

Hannah soon discovers that the deceased, Daniel Lyons, seems to be a man without a history and that’s suspicious in itself. Apparently, an insurance fraud investigator, he leaves no records: even his landlady knows little about him.

But, as Hannah discovers, someone does know him – and he was definitely not who he seemed to be…

And while she investigates, someone is trying to intimidate Hannah in a series of seemingly unconnected ways. The past as well as the present haunts her. Will she be able to solve the mystery before Christmas is ruined?

My Review of Murder in the Lady Chapel

A man has died in church.

I really enjoyed this book, because, filled with intrigue from the off, Murder in the Lady Chapel draws in the reader to the fast moving narrative and keeps them guessing throughout. Short, brisk chapters add to the pace but also skilfully drop in details from Hannah Weybridge’s past so that although I haven’t read the other books in the series I didn’t feel at a disadvantage at all. Rather, this had the effect of making me want to go back and read the series from the beginning. I also very much appreciated that, whilst there is drama and violence to create excitement in the story, Anne Coates includes it without recourse to gratuitous blood and gore, which has the effect of allowing the reader to use their imagination, drawing them into the narrative still further. 

Hannah Weybridge is a complex and well rounded character who is a nuanced mix of strength and vulnerability that makes her highly relatable. I’m not sure I’d have reacted with quite such equanimity as she does at times! One of the elements that surprised me about reading Murder in the Lady Chapel was how much I enjoyed the balance Anne Coates presents of the prosaic nature of Hannah’s home life as a single mother, bringing up Elizabeth, in contrast to her investigations into the death of Daniel Lyons. I’m not keen on children in real life and rarely find them realistic in literature, but I found Elizabeth an important and engaging individual.  Her inclusion made me think about those in the real world juggling difficult jobs and family life. Indeed, one of the themes in Murder in the Lady Chapel is a sensitive exploration of how little we often truly know about those in our lives, how they are living and what constitutes our real identity.

Consequently, aside from a highly entertaining story, there are some interesting themes in Murder in the Lady Chapel with the place religion plays in society, a sense of community and friendship as well as threat and deception so that the story gives the reader plenty to think about. I thought the scenes set in the church were particularly vivid and authentic.

I thoroughly appreciated the backdrop of the festive season that pervades the story. At times Christmas acts as a catalyst for action, at times it illustrates the normal elements in Hannah’s life, and on other occasions it gives effective contrast to the dramatic events of the narrative. As a result, Murder in the Lady Chapel would make a fabulous story to curl up with on a winter’s afternoon, especially as Anne Coates keeps the reader guessing throughout. There are several mini-reveals that had me exclaiming aloud and I loved the way that I was never entirely sure who I could trust in this story. 

I finished Murder in the Lady Chapel feeling I had been thoroughly entertained, completely absorbed, sometimes rather duped and manipulated, and, ultimately, determined to get to the other books in the Hannah Weybridge series just as soon as I can. What a satisfying read!

About Anne Coates

Anne says, ‘As I publish the sixth book in my Hannah Weybridge series, Murder in the Lady Chapel, I realise how fortunate I am to be doing something I love. Authors often go through periods when they feel like giving up but the thought of not writing spurs them on. Writing and creating Hannah Weybridge’s world in 1990s London has been a fabulous experience for me especially when characters, who have become my imaginary friends, take me on so many unexpected journeys. And then there are those precious moments when a reader tells you how much they enjoyed your last book or a friend says how much they are looking forward to your next book and any doubts evaporate – for the time being!’

Writing short stories was Anne’s way into fiction and she had those published in major women’s magazines as she continued as a freelance journalist, working on national newspapers, magazines and in-house publications, and as an editor for Reader’s Digest abridging fiction and narrative non-fiction. Anne’s journalism and editing have both inspired ideas for for her crime thrillers as well as her seven non-fiction books with various publishers.

The first four Hannah Weybridge Books were initially published by Urbane Publications until they ceased trading in April 2021 and new editions were published by Red Dog Press along with the fifth in the series, “Stage Call”, published in January 2022. In June 2023 Anne took her rights back and her series is now published by her imprint Urban Fox Books.

Anne lives in SE London with a large ginger cat and enjoys going to the theatre and cinema and socialising with family and friends.

For further information, you can follow Anne on Twitter/X @Anne_Coates1 and visit her website. You’ll also find Anne on Facebook and on Instagram.

A little while ago, thanks to lovely Chloe Rose, I received a surprise copy of The Real Happy Valley by Alice Vinten and was so intrigued that I simply had to invite Alice onto the blog to tell me more about it. Luckily she agreed to be interviewed. Before I share that with you, let me tell you about The Real Happy Valley.

The Real Happy Valley by Alice Vinten was published by Penguin on 23rd November 2023 and is available for purchase through the links here.

The Real Happy valley

A collection of real-life cases showing the bravery of female police officers.

Former Police Constable Alice Vinten shares the stories of brave policewomen who spent their entire careers at the sharp end of crime-fighting.

The Real Happy Valley reveals what life on the beat is really like. From dealing with domestic abuse cases to facing personal assaults, gang crime and murder, these courageous women stop at nothing to bring criminals to justice, never failing to put others’ safety before their own.

Gripping and inspiring, The Real Happy Valley is a celebration of our finest policewomen’s extraordinary courage, and their peerless commitment to protect and serve.

An Interview with Alice Vinten, Author of The Real Happy Valley

Hi Alice. Welcome to Linda’s Book Bag. Congratulations on your recently released book, The Real Happy Valley. Could you tell me a bit about it please?

The Real Happy Valley is a collection of real-life stories from experienced Yorkshire policewomen. I’ve interviewed these women in depth, and really focused on bringing their thoughts, feelings and actions to life, so that reading The Real Happy Valley is like taking a walk in their boots. The stories include tough subjects like murder, domestic abuse and police assault, but this isn’t a ‘dark’ book – it’s a celebration of women in policing, and what they can achieve.

With women at the heart of The Real Happy Valley – the book is dedicated to those who’ve lost their lives in the course of police duty – why did you feel it important to share the experiences of police women particularly?

Despite improvement in recruitment, policing is still a male dominated profession, with women making up around a third of the ranks nationwide. I’d like to see the amount of women in policing increase to at least fifty percent. Women bring a unique skillset to the role, and are absolutely as capable as men. I am hoping that by sharing these inspirational stories, more young women will be encouraged to sign up. I’m also deeply inspired by Sally Wainwright’s writing, and her focus on women’s stories, and the women in The Real Happy Valley have remarkable stories to tell!

I imagine they do. The stories in The Real Happy Valley are anonymised versions of real events. What were the challenges of turning such events into accessible narratives?

The first challenge was anonymising the officers, victims and specific areas involved. This was extremely important to me, as I did not want the family members involved in these, often traumatising, incidents to recognise their loved ones in the book. I have merged the separate forces of West Yorkshire Police, South Yorkshire Police, North Yorkshire Police and Humberside Police into one force – Yorkshire Police Service. Locations were generalised, and some details of the crimes themselves were changed. It was critical for me to convey the real feelings of the police officers – their actions and reactions, in tough situations, had to remain authentic. It was a tricky balancing act to disguise the incidents whilst keeping the stories factual.

I can imagine this took incredible skill. 

The stories are presented in the continuous present tense. Why did you choose this?

I wanted the reader to feel like they were, if not walking in the officer’s boots themselves, at least walking next to them. It’s important for me as a writer that my readers feel surrounded by the action of the scene, that true immersion is achieved. It’s also the way of writing I find most natural. I always start in the middle of the action, and work outwards from there. When someone picks up The Real Happy Valley, I’m hoping they won’t be able to put it down again.

I have a feeling you have succeeded in that brilliantly Alice!

You’ve worked on various police dramas and television documentaries. How far did that experience impact the writing of The Real Happy Valley?

I’ve found it really useful to be able to discuss policing  with a wide range of professionals. Every person brings a different point of view, and life experience, to the discussion on law enforcement. I’ve learnt a lot about pacing, dialogue – balancing action-packed scenes with quieter, more reflective moments – particularly when working as a script advisor on television dramas. I’ve been able to take that knowledge into my interviews with real policewomen, and shape their real stories into compelling, authentic chapters in The Real Happy Valley.

We have become voracious consumers of crime fiction and television. How do you think that has affected public perception of real crime?

I absolutely love thrillers, crime novels and dramas. Whilst TV crime dramas make captivating viewing, they often portray the world of policing as more advanced and resourced than it is in reality. Detectives in fictional murder squads seem to have immediate access to every forensic investigation they need, sit in plush offices with top of the range IT equipment, and rush off to arrest their murder suspect in a fancy car with a spotless interior. Whereas real police cars are usually messy, real murder squad offices are often in dire need of redecoration, and real officers are often overworked and underappreciated. The Real Happy Valley gives readers not only the action, but also the real life challenges and lack of resources that officers often face.

Having been a lay visitor for Cambridgeshire Police Force Alice, I can vouch for the fact that custody suites are often far less appealing than shown on TV!

You previously worked in The Metropolitan Police Service as a constable. What was it like working in an institution that has since been subject to accusations of misogyny?

I enjoyed working for the Metropolitan Police Service. In my ten years there, I met many dedicated and kind officers, and I genuinely believe that the vast majority of police officers are good people, doing their best in an extremely difficult job. However, I did experience misogyny and I have spoken out about some of these experiences in the media. I do believe that there is a culture of sexism within UK police forces.  I feel sad that the Met is still struggling to right these issues, but encouraged by their current efforts to expose all forms of sexism, racism and homophobia. I think women have an important role in shaping the future of policing, which is another reason that it was so important for me to write The Real Happy Valley – to encourage them to join the change.

I think you might be right. If we complain, we need to be prepared to help shape change too.

What challenges do you think still remain for the kind of women in the police force that you write about in The Real Happy Valley?

I think everyone, no matter what job they do, will at some point have to work with a colleague who is bad at their job or outwardly discriminatory. There are people like this in all walks of life, however, it is of enormous importance to make sure that these people are weeded out of policing. I think that having the courage to speak up about instances of inappropriate, unprofessional behaviour will always be challenging, but the officers I wrote about in The Real Happy Valley are no nonsense, strong women, who tell it as it is. They wouldn’t – and didn’t! – stand for anything but the best from their colleagues.

The Real Happy Valley illustrates the unselfish commitment to duty of police women. What traits do you feel such women possess?

The women I interviewed for The Real Happy Valley are not only inspirational, but strong – both mentally and physically – honest, and are determined to achieve justice for the victims they support. As well as all of these qualities – and perhaps more importantly – they seem to have an endless supply of kindness and compassion. Kindness is a strength that is often overlooked when we think about the traditional, tough police officer, but it is, in my opinion, a quality that every police officer must have.

I could not agree more. I have a vivid memory of interviewing an emaciated heroin addict in police cells who told me that ‘they always treat me nice when I’m in here. They know how many sugars I like in me tea’ and that has stayed with me ever since.

What advice would you give to a young woman thinking of joining the police force and becoming part of The Real Happy Valley of police work?

Go for it! It is an eye-opening, fun, challenging and rewarding career. When times get tough – and they will – remember why you joined – to help people. It is easy to become cynical when you deal with criminals day in and day out – guard your compassion, and keep it burning for those who need you.

That might just be a mantra for everyday life too Alice!

Finally, for those considering reading The Real Happy Valley what would be your elevator pitch to persuade them to do so?

The Real Happy Valley – gripping true stories of crime and heroism from Yorkshire’s frontline policewomen, including murder investigations, domestic crimes, an unofficial plan to save a woman’s life, and an officer who is forced to fight for her own.

Sounds fantastic. I’m so glad I have The Real Happy Valley on my TBR. Is there anything else you’d like to add about The Real Happy Valley?

The Real Happy Valley would be the perfect Christmas gift for lovers of crime TV dramas, as well as true crime readers, crime fiction addicts and memoir fans.

Thank you so much for answering my questions Alice. I think The Real Happy Valley sounds like a fascinating and inspiring read.

About Alice Vinten

Alice spent over eleven years in the Metropolitan Police Service as a constable. Her memoir about life on the beat, On The Line: Life – and Death – In the Metropolitan Police (Two Roads), received excellent reviews and led her to becoming a crime and police commentator for national media, as well as working with the BBC and other television production companies on various police dramas and documentaries. She lives with her children near the sea in Essex.

For further information, follow Alice on Twitter/X @AVintenAuthor, or find her on Instagram and Facebook.

It’s my privilege to help close the Random Things Tours blog tour for Joe Nuthin’s Guide to Life by Helen Fisher. My thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me to participate and to Becky Hunter for originally sending me a copy of Joe Nuthin’s Guide to Life. I’m delighted to share my review today.

I previously reviewed Helen’s Space Hopper for My Weekly Magazine in a post you’ll find here.

Published by Simon and Schuster on 9th November 2023, Joe Nuthin’s Guide to Life is available for purchase through the links here.

Joe Nuthin’s Guide to Life

Joe loves predictability. But his life is about to become a surprising adventure.

Joe-Nathan likes the two parts of his name separate, just like his dinner and dessert. Mean Charlie at work sometimes calls him Joe-Nuthin. But Joe is far from nothing. Joe is a good friend, he’s good at his job, good at making things and good at following the rules, and he’s learning how to do lots of things by himself.

Joe’s mother knows there are a million things in life he isn’t prepared for. While she helps guide him every day, she’s also writing notebooks full of advice about the things she hasn’t told Joe yet, things he might forget and answers to questions he hasn’t yet asked.

Following her wisdom – applying it in his own unique way – this next part of Joe’s life is more of a surprise than he expects. Because he’s about to learn that remarkable things can happen when you leave your comfort zone, and that you can do even the hardest things with a little help from your friends.

My Review of Joe Nuthin’s Guide to Life

Joe likes his routines.

Oh my word. Joe Nuthin’s Guide to Life is utterly beautiful. I absolutely adored it. I’d heard nothing but positive things about Helen Fisher’s latest book, but that didn’t prepare me for the total joy in reading Joe Nuthin’s Guide to Life. It completely filled my heart with happiness.

The plot is relatively gentle as Joe learns that change can be good, but it also embodies powerful and dramatic themes that illustrate to perfection how judging others and making assumptions can make us blind to the truth of their lives – and of our own. It’s no exaggeration to say that I wish every world leader, every person in a position of power and influence, could read Joe Nuthin’s Guide to Life so that they come a little bit closer to the human compassion and understanding displayed by Joe and Janet. 

Joe is a wonderful creation. He is quirky, funny, and absolutely the most engaging character in fiction a reader might wish to meet. I loved all the characters – even the noxious Owen who adds balance to the kindness of others. The fact that there’s a limited number of characters, most of whom work at The Compass Store, gives an intimacy that enables the reader to know them thoroughly. Chloe is a complete triumph. Her sweary and abrasive nature ensures there’s no cloying sentimentality in Joe Nuthin’s Guide to Life, but rather a finely tuned balance of imperfection that makes the book so affecting, so beautiful and so unforgettable. 

With themes of friendship and love, bullying of various kinds and loyalty and compassion, Joe Nuthin’s Guide to Life can be read on many levels. At its simplest it’s an entirely entertaining story about a person slightly different to other people. However, that is to do a disservice to this gorgeous story. Joe Nuthin’s Guide to Life is a story about humanity. As Helen Fisher peels back the layers of Joe’s personality, so she illustrates profound kindness and understanding, making the reader laugh aloud and shed a tear on the way so that this is a book not to be forgotten. It’s a stunner.

I could not have loved this book more. I finished it with a smile on my face, an almost physical ache in my heart and a moistness in my eye. Joe Nuthin’s Guide to Life is just fabulous. Read it. 

About Helen Fisher

Helen Fisher spent her early life in America, but grew up mainly in Suffolk where she now lives with her two children. She studied Psychology at Westminster University and Ergonomics at UCL and worked as a senior evaluator in research at the RNIB. She is now a full-time author. Space Hopper was her first novel.

You can follow Helen on Twitter @HFisherAuthor and find her on Instagram.

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