My enormous thanks to Kate Shepherd for sending me a copy of The Gingerbread Christmas Village by Kiley Dunbar way back in August. I’m delighted finally to share my review today.

Published by Hera, The Gingerbread Christmas Village is available for purchase through the links here.

The Gingerbread Christmas Village

Everyone deserves a Christmas treat…

The annual Wheaton gingerbread exhibit (a model village made of gingerbread) and grotto has been an important part of the sleepy Cotswold hamlet’s Christmas celebrations for decades.

For years the gingerbread exhibition drew visitors from across the region and each year the model town grew more elaborate and ambitious but recently, interest has been dwindling. The gingerbread grotto needs to be rehomed or close forever.

Sixty-four-year-old Margi, the event’s founder, has had enough of village life (and its total lack of eligible men) and is planning to sell up and head to Birmingham to live closer to her niece.

She has lost her spark and her Christmas spirit and decides this will be her last gingerbread village, but despairs when she finds her only support is her old friend, Izzy, her niece Lucy from Birmingham, and Fern, the shy young farmer’s daughter. Oh, and Patrick, the gorgeous, reliable school caretaker.

As if this wasn’t enough, Lucy is determined to get her out dating again and persuades her to try some online dating apps but Margi’s had her heart broken too many times and wonders if she has just missed her chance.

Can they save the Gingerbread Grotto and can Margi get her old spark and her Christmas spirit back?

My Review of The Gingerbread Christmas Village

Margi has lost her Christmas spirit.

What a lovely, lovely Christmas story. I had expected a heart-warming book but had reckoned without Kiley Dunbar’s cinematic style that creates the Cotswold setting of Wheaton so evocatively. The village is brilliantly depicted so that it is as if the reader is walking the streets of Wheaton, but descriptions never detract from the glorious storytelling so that The Gingerbread Christmas Village is a total joy to read. 

The plot is so entertaining, partly because much of it is highly relatable making the reader feel as if the action could be true. Similarly, it is Margi’s conversational tone that makes the reader feel included, as if an old and much loved friend is chatting to them. I felt as if I’d known and loved her for years.

And this familiarity is at the heart of the novel’s success. What a total joy to discover a woman in her mid sixties who is central to the action and not a mere add on to cater for the more mature reader. She may have lost some of her Christmas spirit at the start of the story, she may be stubborn and too concerned with what others think of her, but she is vivid, real and strong, making her attractive and engaging. It is impossible to read about her, understand her innermost thoughts and witness her actions without wanting to shake her, to cheer her and to wish for the most perfect ending for her. 

Indeed, I found all the characters completely real, warm and engaging. I was half in love with Patrick from the moment I met him and I thought Fern was a wonderful counterbalance to Margi. At the younger end of the age spectrum she illustrates just how we shouldn’t judge others by initial appearances.

And, aside from a hugely entertaining (and, at times, surprisingly emotional) narrative I think it is the themes that make The Gingerbread Christmas Village such an uplifting and enjoyable read. There’s a real sense of community – with a full spectrum of local issues from business rivalry and historic grudges to the use of social media and local planning that could easily happen in any rural village. But the strongest and most affecting theme of all here is Kiley Dunbar’s wonderful exploration of love. She pitches it to perfection, making The Gingerbread Christmas Village the kind of book that makes you feel warm, happy and determined – like Margi –  to live your best life.

I thought The Gingerbread Christmas Village was simply lovely. It made me feel some of that magic of Christmas from when I was a child and it is a total tonic of a book. I thoroughly enjoyed it. 

About Kiley Dunbar

Dr Kiley Dunbar is a Scot living over the border in Northern England where she teaches English and creative writing, devours romance novels, fusses over Amos the Bedlington Terrier, and loves two little Dunbars. She thinks making imaginary people find happiness and fall in hopelessly in love has to be the best job in the world.

For further information, visit Kiley’s website, and find her on Facebook and Instagram.

My enormous thanks to Georgia Hill for sending me a copy of New Beginnings at Christmas Tree Cottage in return for an honest review. It’s my pleasure to share that review today.

I can’t believe it’s over 7 years since I last read anything by Georgia! It was back in 2016 that I reviewed While I Was Waiting in a post you’ll find here.

Published by Bloodhound, New Beginnings at Christmas Tree Cottage is available for purchase here.

New Beginnings at Christmas Tree Cottage

Christmas is the perfect time to fall in love. . .

The little English town of Lullbury Bay is a magical place to spend Christmas, and for Honor Martin it is the high point of her year.

However, newcomer Jago, doesn’t share her merry mood. After the devastating loss of his father he’d be happy to never hear another Christmas carol again.

But to help his little sister replace bad memories with good ones, he reluctantly joins in the festivities. As he gets to know her teacher, Honor, could she be the one to restore his love of Christmas?

My Review of New Beginnings at Christmas Tree Cottage

Avril, Jago and Merryn are starting a new life.

What a thoroughly lovely story. New Beginnings at Christmas Tree Cottage is the tale of a fresh start and the impact of the past on who we are today, all wrapped in romance and Christmas making for an interesting, entertaining and absorbing read.

The Dorset coastal setting is so well described by Georgia Hill as she places her reader right in the centre of the run up to Christmas. All the senses are catered for with wonderful food and drink, biting cold, raging seas and the touch of comforting hands so that there’s a smashing visual quality to the writing that feels immersive and convincing.

I loved meeting all the characters. There’s a real sense of community and yet everyone is distinct and appealing. The narrative is lightened by Merryn’s occasional malapropisms, and I found myself thoroughly respecting Avril as she starts over again. However, it is Jago and Honor who hold the reader rapt. I so wanted them to be together but you’ll need to read the book to find out if my wishes came true. Interestingly, I have absolutely no interest in religion, but the vicar Verity truly lived up to her name, enabling others to see the truth in their own lives without her pushing any particular religious belief so that I received the same kind of comfort from her that Jago finds. 

There are dramatic moments to the plot, but I thought the real attraction of New Beginnings at Christmas Tree Cottage came through the underpinning emotions and concepts. Indeed, alongside the exploration of family and the potential for cosy romance, Georgia Hill considers weightier themes that add depth, layers and interest. At the heart of New Beginnings at Christmas Tree Cottage is grief, a sense of responsibility and what it means to be true to yourself and honest with others. These concepts are beautifully and sensitively handled so that there’s much to think about whilst being absorbed in an entertaining, Christmassy story with a festive atmosphere created partly through a cracking playlist woven into the action.

New Beginnings at Christmas Tree Cottage is charming, heart-warming and multi-layered story imbued with the real meaning of Christmas – love, hope and family. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

About Georgia Hill

Georgia Hill writes warm-hearted and up-lifting contemporary and timeslip romances about love, the power and joy in being an eccentric oldie and finding yourself and your community. There’s always a dog. It’s usually a naughty spaniel of which, unfortunately, she has had much experience. She lives near the sea with her beloved dogs and husband (also beloved) and loves the books of Jane Austen, collecting elephants, Belgian chocolate and Strictly Come Dancing. She’s also a complete museum geek and finds inspiration for her books in the folklore and history of the many places in which she’s lived.

She’s worked in the theatre, for a charity and as a teacher and educational consultant before finally acknowledging that making things up was what she really wanted to do.

She’s been happily creating believable heroines, intriguing men and page-turning stories ever since.

For further information, follow Georgia Hill on Twitter/X @georgiawrites, find her on Facebook, or visit Georgia’s website.

How can it possibly be five years since I last read a Sarah Morgan book, The Christmas Sisters reviewed here? Am I insane? I’m delighted to remedy that today by sharing my review of Sarah’s latest Christmas book, The Christmas Book Club and I’d like to thank Sian Baldwin at Harper Collins for sending me a copy in return for an honest review.

Published by HQ on 26th October, The Christmas Book Club is available for purchase through the links here.

The Christmas Book Club

A long-lasting friendship
Every year, Erica, Claudia, and Anna reunite for their book club holiday. They’re bonded by years of friendship and a deep love of books, but there is still so much they keep from each other . . .

A perfect Christmas escape
At the cosy Maple Sugar Inn, Hattie specialises in making her guests’ dreams come true, but this Christmas all she wants is to survive the festive season. Between running the inn and being a single mother, Hattie is close to breaking point.

The start of a brand-new story…?
Over the course of an eventful week, Hattie sees that the friends are each carrying around unspoken truths, but nothing prepares her for how deeply her story will become entwined in theirs. Will this Christmas be the end of the book club’s story or the start of a whole new chapter?

My Review of The Christmas Book Club

Erica, Claudia and Anna are staying at Hattie’s hotel.

My goodness. The Christmas Book Club is the most perfect Christmas read. It’s a complete love letter to friendship and family with added romance and a glorious smattering of books thrown in. I thoroughly appreciated Sarah Morgan’s carefully pitched celebration of the romance genre in her story.

The Maple Sugar Inn is a wonderful setting. Hattie has created a place to stay that is so vividly depicted by Sarah Morgan that it made me want to check in immediately. There’s just enough mention of gifts, snow, food and roaring fires to entice the reader and enhance the narrative. The setting is everyone’s dream of the perfect winter experience and is a glorious backdrop to the action.

The women at the heart of the story are vibrant and realistic. Each has her own doubts, issues and secrets and the rapport between Erica, Claudia and Anna feels so natural that it’s impossible not to want to be part of their lives. There are references to their appearance, but I so enjoyed the greater focus on their personalities and their lives, because this is the heart of who we are. I cared what happened to them. I was even convinced by Delphi and this is testament to Sarah Morgan’s skill because I frequently loathe children in fiction as too stereotyped. Here, however, Delphi helps the narrative to progress but in a highly realistic and appealing manner. 

I thought the plot was equally attractive. The events are completely plausible and the outcomes hugely satisfying, so that I think The Christmas Book Club would be an ideal Christmas film. Much of the action is predicated on feelings and emotions so that there is something for every reader to relate to.

Consequently, despite the fact that The Christmas Book Club has every ingredient desired for a gorgeous, escapist winter read, it is the depth of human understanding Sarah Morgan displays that made me love it so much. Issues of trust and the impact of upbringing, the concepts of family, marriage and responsibility, the ways in which we can lose sight of what is most important in our lives, the acceptance of change, and so much more, permeates these pages so that this lovely story also helps the reader to reassess their own life, to find joy in the small things and even, perhaps, to reconnect with those they may have become distanced from. 

I loved The Christmas Book Club. I suggest putting your phone on silent, making a hot chocolate and totally immersing yourself into this heart-warming, life affirming and entertaining book. It really is rather special. 

About Sarah Morgan

Sarah Morgan is a USA Today and Sunday Times bestselling author of romance and women’s fiction. She has sold over 21 million copies of her books and her trademark humour and warmth have gained her fans across the globe.

Sarah lives near London, England and when she isn’t writing or reading, she likes to spend time outdoors hiking or riding her mountain bike.

For further information, join Sarah’s mailing list by visiting her website. You can also find Sarah on Facebook or Twitter/X @SarahMorgan_ and on Instagram.

I’ve long heard wonderful things about Sophie Kinsella’s writing but am ashamed to say I’ve never actually got round to reading one of her books. Consequently, I’m delighted to rectify that omission by reviewing her latest novel, The Burnout, for My Weekly.

The Burnout was published by Penguin imprint Bantam on 12th October 2023 and is available for purchase here.

The Burnout

Sasha is well and truly over it all: work (all-consuming), friendships (on the back burner), sex-life (non-existent). Sasha has hit a brick wall (literally).

Armed with good intentions to drink kale smoothies, try yoga and find solitude, she heads to the Devon resort she loved as a child. But it’s off-season, the hotel is falling apart and now she has to share the beach with someone else: a grumpy, stressed-out guy called Finn. How can she commune with nature when he’s sitting on a rock, watching her? Especially when they don’t agree on burnout cures. (Sasha: manifesting, wild swimming, secret Mars bars; Finn: drinking whisky.)

But when curious messages start appearing on the beach, Sasha and Finn are forced to begin talking – about everything. What’s the mystery? Why are they both burned out? What exactly is ‘manifesting’, anyway?

They might discover that they have more in common than they think…

My Review of The Burnout

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

However, here I can say that The Burnout is absolutely brilliant, being laugh aloud funny, relatable and surprisingly emotional. I adored it!

Do visit My Weekly to read my full review here.

About Sophie Kinsella

Sophie Kinsella is an internationally bestselling writer. She is the author of many number one bestsellers, including the hugely popular Shopaholic series. She has also written seven bestselling novels as Madeleine Wickham and several books for children. She lives in the UK with her husband and family.

For further information, visit Sophie’s website and find her on Facebook. You can also follow her on Twitter/X @KinsellaSophie and Instagram.

I so loved Emylia Hall’s The Shell House Detectives reviewed here, that I included it in my very first selection of books for The People’s Friend magazine paperback bookshelf back in July.

Consequently, I simply had to review the second book in the Shell House Detectives series, The Harbour Lights Mystery and I would like to thank Emylia for sending me a copy of the book in return for an honest review.

The Harbour Lights Mystery is published by Thomas and Mercer today, 17th October 2023, and is available for purchase here.

The Harbour Lights Mystery

As The Shell House Detectives try to solve a family mystery, their investigation runs dangerously close to a murder case. Are the two linked?

It’s December in Cornwall, and Mousehole harbour is illuminated with its famous Christmas lights. Ally Bright is among the crowd listening to the carol singers—and then to the piercing screams that rip through the darkness. A body has been found, brutally murdered and dumped in a fisherman’s boat.

The victim is chef JP Sharpe and there is no shortage of people who might have wanted him dead. Eager for a new case for The Shell House Detectives, Ally calls ex-cop Jayden, but he’s keen to leave it to the police—until a letter in Sharpe’s pocket draws them into a seemingly unconnected family mystery. As they take on this highly charged mission, the duo can’t help scrutinising the murder suspects. Who among the close-knit community has reason to kill, and how far will they go to protect themselves?

As fear spreads, Ally and Jayden need answers—fast. Could the letter offer a clue to the murder case or will it reveal a terrible truth? And when a new witness comes to light, Jayden closes in on a desperate killer…but can he warn Ally in time?

My Review of The Harbour Lights Mystery

Chef JP Sharpe has been murdered.

All I really want to say is that The Harbour Lights Mystery is totally, completely and unequivocally fabulous and everyone should read it immediately. However, as that doesn’t articulate why I think that I suppose I had better try to write some kind of review. 

The plot is brilliant. It is so skilfully constructed so that the reader is given hints and clues but is not entirely sure of outcomes until the end of the narrative. I can imagine comparisons to the best of Agatha Christie but I think that is to do Emylia Hall a disservice, because I believe she is a writer far more skilled not just in storytelling, but in setting and character too. 

There are several characters to get to know here, some of whom have previously featured in The Shell House Detectives, but each is so well depicted that the transition into The Harbour Lights Mystery doesn’t need any previous knowledge of them at all. Ally, Jayden and Mullins feel well loved and familiar, but they also act as a glorious foundation against which all the other characters can be discovered. And they have such depth. In a few words Emylia Hall enables her reader to understand these people in all their frailties, delusions, secrets and desires. That’s not to say everything is revealed all at once, but getting to know Saffy, Dominic et al is an absolute delight. 

There’s a really intelligent irony that the murder victim JP is such an important pivot for the action, because he only appears very briefly. I loved trying to work out who had killed him and given that there are any number of folk who would like to see him dead, Emylia Hall kept me guessing throughout, making for a riveting read. 

The Cornish setting is glorious. There’s not a wasted or extraneous syllable here and the idea of place serves to enhance the plot whilst enabling the reader to visualise where things are happening. I loved the fact that this is no idealised or romanticised concept of Cornwall, but that weather, seas and surroundings can have moods and attitudes every bit as much as the people.

However, what is so utterly fantastic about The Harbour Lights Mystery is Emylia Hall’s ability to entertain, to wrong-foot and mesmerise her reader whilst simultaneously breaking their hearts. This might be a mystery story with murder as the catalyst, but it is so very much more. The understanding of who we are as people, of how our flawed, imperfect lives intersect with others, simply shines through the pages of this wonderful, wonderful story. The Harbour Lights Mystery is a fast paced, cracking thriller, but it’s steeped in love and emotion too. Emylia Hall entertained me to perfection and reduced me to tears in the process!

Atmospheric, absorbing and amazing, The Harbour Lights Mystery has no right to be this fabulous. I totally adored it. 

About Emylia Hall

Emylia Hall lives with her husband and son in Bristol, where she writes from a hut in the garden and dreams of the sea. The Shell House Detectives is her first crime novel and is inspired by her love of Cornwall’s wild landscape. Emylia has published four previous novels, including Richard and Judy Book Club pick The Book of Summers and The Thousand Lights Hotel. Her work has been translated into ten languages and broadcast on BBC Radio 6 Music. She is the founder of Mothership Writers and is a writing coach at The Novelry.

You can follow Emylia on Twitter/X @EmyliaHall and visit her website. You’ll also find her on Facebook. and Instagram.

I’ll be honest, I’ve been finding life somewhat challenging of late and am looking forward to 2024, so when Noah William Smith got in touch about his new book I could do no other than invite him onto Linda’s Book Bag to tell me a bit more about it. I think you’ll see why:

Staying in with Noah William Smith

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

Thanks, Linda. It is great to be here with you!

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

I brought my tablet and my exciting new e-book, 2024…Your Year of More which was released on 14th October.

Oh! Belated happy publication day! What can we expect from an evening in with 2024…Your Year of More?

2024…Your Year of More is for a reader who enjoys personal growth and wants to make 2024 their best year. Each topic provides valuable information and self-reflective questions.

I think we could all do with a bit of this Noah. Tell me more.

The book guides the reader to understand that their daily and repeated efforts can help them experience the life they want. The reader is challenged to be energized and work towards how they wish to feel.

The editorial review by Feathered Quill Book Review mentions, “With a solid logical flow and awe-inspiring insight, 2024…Your Year of More: Plan Your Goals and Invest Your Efforts by Noah William Smith tells the secret of what motivates some people to experience life of a higher quality than others.”

The Reedsy review launched at the end of September. It mentions that the book is worth reading!

I bet you’re very happy with those responses Noah!

Such positive feedback from the literary community is very exciting.

I imagine so. What else have you brought along and why have you brought it?

A pizza with many olives, mozzarella, and a half-full glass of Merlot red wine. Acoustic music is playing in the background, and I sing along now and again (I go for weekly singing lessons!). My wife is painting while our pugs are sleeping peacefully.

Your wife would be wide awake if I tried to sing. Maybe I’d better have a slice of that pizza to keep me quiet. Tell me about the pugs whilst I eat.

Our pugs were playful today! Here is our 12-year-old, who is joyous as always despite fighting cancer. She played for hours today and enjoyed bringing the tennis ball to me to throw. She lived her best life today!

In my book, I write about daily life feeling like an automated ball machine that shoots balls at you in all directions. Your goal is to work on your techniques and hit the ball exactly where you want it.

I think I may have mis-placed my racquet recently Noah and 2024 Your Year of More could be just what I need. Thank so much for staying in with me to chat about it. Now, you get me another slice of pizza and I’ll give readers a few more details.

2024…Your Year of More

Are you interested in setting goals and mindfully investing your efforts? The book appeals to adults of all ages, nationalities and backgrounds.

The pages blossom with practical ideas that will add value to your life! The thought-provoking questions and self-reflective exercises energize you to live your best life.

With topics from A to Z, you have enough information to set your goals and plan your efforts wisely.

The book is a perfect companion for your quiet times. This may be early in the morning before the rest of the world wakes up or in the evenings after a long day. Some may enjoy this book while writing in their journal or taking a lunch break.

Noah knows the blessings and challenges of intelligence, creativity, high sensitivity and being a minority, underdog and outsider. Noah’s books are not advice to you or anyone as they are based on his life experiences, but the book offers valuable insights to you.

The book’s raw authenticity and pearls of wisdom make this book a must-read and enjoyable experience! Note that the book is applicable in any year and not just 2024!

Is it time to invest in yourself? If not in yourself, are you looking for the perfect gift for your loved ones? 2024… Your Year of More is a must-read!

2024…Your Year of More: Plan Your Goals and Invest Your Efforts is available for purchase here.

About Noah William Smith

Noah is a 37-year-old South African author. His books cover goals, clarity of thinking, feeling content, self-reflection, self-help, self-improvement, self-development and personal growth. Most importantly, he writes about self-motivation! His books are based on his
unique life experiences as an underdog but gifted man (based on IQ tests!).

For further information about Noah, click here.

It’s been my pleasure to welcome Chris Malone to Linda’s Book Bag before, to celebrate the first two books in her #Glitch series, #stoptheglitch which you’ll find us discussing here and #ISOLATE which we chatted about here. Today Chris is back to tell me all about the final book in the series. Let’s find out more:

Staying in with Chris Malone

Welcome back to Linda’s Book Bag, Chris. Thank you for agreeing to stay in with me once more.

Hello again Linda. It is really lovely to catch up with you today.

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

 I have brought along my latest thriller,#FutureProof, because today is publication day.

Happy publication day Chris! So, what can we expect from an evening in with #FutureProof?

Well, #Futurefroof works as a standalone thriller, even though it is the final book in my Glitch trilogy. Just imagine what it must have been like for Poppy, growing up ‘around the feet of spies, diplomats and assassins,’ in an eco-camp on a wild Welsh clifftop. Needless to say, she doesn’t ‘fit’ into society. By the year 2034, nearly sixteen, she is in despair, as many of her friends are hooked on virtuality: entire virtual worlds that are replacing reality.

This sounds scarily plausible Chris. Tell me more.

This multi-million-pound gaming platform has been created by Nathan Price, who once masterminded many of Robin’s campaigns to change the world. He has launched a new chart-topping virtual hero, Pia, who is an exact replica of Poppy. A digital twin. But Poppy hasn’t been consulted, and when she discovers her alter ego, she is incandescent with rage. You can imagine the furore which follows. Yet Robin expects Nathan and Poppy to work harmoniously together on the campaign #FutureProof.

Crikey. I have a feeling we’re not too far away from such a situations. What else can we expect?

There are tensions, kidnaps, escapes, conflicting plots, culminating in the denouement, involving two space rockets …

And Rick, a new character to the trilogy, injects an element of scepticism: ‘All this about changing the world. How many of us have said it, knowing that in reality, we are just small people, without influence, without power, and without resource to make any difference at all. We cannot change the world. That’s why we need art; music, fantasy games, to escape the harsh reality of the hopelessness of our existence. That’s what’s real, I’m afraid Poppy.’

#FutureProof certainly confronts contemporary tensions.

I think it sounds utterly brilliant and very, very concerning. I must bump it up my TBR!

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

I have also brought along the first two books in the trilogy: #stoptheglitch and #isolate (you and I stayed in together in October 2020 and again in 2021). You liked the sound of Robin, who had unwillingly become a celebrity, championing the ethical life, and, despite age and weariness, she stars again in #FutureProof.

I remember those occasions well Chris.

As the trilogy ends with cups of tea (after all the drama), and I know you love your cuppa, I will bring my favourite Sri Lankan loose tea and, in keeping with the eco-themes in the book, some new everlasting tea bags (have you heard of those!?).

I haven’t but they are VERY much my kind of thing. I am addicted to tea I think – you know me only too well!

I will bring vegan bacon and rolls for with our tea; hopefully we can cook outdoors, like Poppy and her brother Cai in #FutureProof. Poppy says, ‘I can smell the waft of frying food. Nothing beats breakfast outside …The mood is upbeatwith a buzz of conversation. Buried in this hopeful crowd is Robin, her hands gripping a cup of tea, her face optimistic.’

We could all do with a bit of optimism I think…

Despite the political scepticism and contemporary realism in each of the three books, my vision of the future is, essentially, optimistic. Although we cannot escape the fact that ‘our time on this planet is limited,’ the books leave the reader in no doubt that, ‘the future is in our hands.’

Not only do all three books sound wonderful, Chris, I love the concept that life is what we make it. Thank you so much for staying in with me and happy publication day again. 

#FutureProof

Poppy has lived off-grid at Caernef Camp throughout her life, and feels alienated by the dominance of digital existence in the 2030s. Yet Poppy cannot escape the espionage surrounding her unusual upbringing and becomes entangled in a tech billionaire’s virtuality game where she discovers her digital twin who has been unethically created using AI.

Incensed, Poppy aligns herself with Miranda but finds herself a key player in #FutureProof, a confusing battleground between old adversaries Miranda and Robin. In this immersive world, will her naivety mean she will be exploited by the adults around her who she thought she could trust?

Poppy is a toddler in #stoptheglitch, a child in #isolate, and then a teenager, who narrates #FutureProof.

#FutureProof is published today, 12th October 2023, by Burton Mayers and is available for purchase on Amazon and from Waterstones.

About Chris Malone

After retiring from a busy education career, Chris was the first female thriller author to join Burton Mayers Books. Following the successful publication of #stoptheglitch and #isolate, #FutureProof now completes the trilogy. Chris also worked with Burton Mayers Books on the publication of A School Inspector Calls, but who is the fool in the school.

Having returned, with her husband, to live in Herefordshire, Chris is now enjoying a quieter pace of life, renovating the house, rewilding the garden, reading, writing and campaigning. She has willingly swapped her smart black heels for sturdy boots.

For more information about Chris, visit her website and follow her on Twitter @CMoiraM or find Chris on Facebook.

It’s always so exciting being in at the start of a new book and with today’s guest, Ian Moore, I’m delighted to welcome him to Linda’s Book Bag on publication day for his latest thriller. My enormous thanks to Laura Sherlock for putting us in touch with one another. Let’s find out all about this new book:

Staying in with Ian Moore

Welcome to Linda’s Book Bag Ian and thank you for staying in with me.

Thanks for inviting me firstly, and thanks for accepting the reverse invite to come here to the Loire Valley in France, where I live. Bienvenue.

Merci Ian. C’est tres gentil. Tell me (in English please as it’s 40 odd years since I did any French during the first year of my degree), which of your books have you brought along and why?

I have brought my latest book The Man Who Didn’t Burn, as it’s out today and a big departure from the cosy crime I’m known for writing.

Happy Publication Day! What can we expect from an evening in with The Man Who Didn’t Burn?

What can you expect from the evening? Well hopefully, nothing too overplanned. What you’ll more than likely get is an evening that’s a lot like my main character Juge d’Instruction Matthieu Lombard, and that is a fascinating mix of French and English that doesn’t necessarily know where it’s going.

That sounds more like the story of my life Ian! Go on.

There’s a stereotype about the French that their meal times are legendary in length, and like all stereotypes, it’s based on truth. It’s why they don’t have a Boxing Day in France, it’s because they’re still at the table from Christmas Day.

I can fully appreciate that. I once had a seven hour meal when staying with a French family during my A’Levels. 

But in my experience of mixing French and English meals you’ll get all the usual French discourse, passionate discourse at that, often heated. Laughter, wine, sadness, philosophy, wine… and then that very English element which is slightly uncomfortable with the emotion displayed, and therefore wants to challenge it. That’s Lombard, he is of both worlds.

I love the dichotomy you’re suggesting there. What else have you brought along and why have you brought it?

I’m working on the assumption that everyone there is who I want to be there. People make lists of ‘Dead or Alive’ Dinner party guests, if that was Lombard he would invite his late wife, Madeleine.

I think we can all think of those sorts of guest lists.

Firstly, I’m bringing a notepad and pen. My experience of these Entente Cordiale-ish soirées are that there are gems of confrontation, pearls of wisdom and rampant dogma that can be used for a later date. I could also bring something that would literally provoke, like Charles Aznavour’s Greatest Hits – but he sings them in English.

Really? are you sure about the adjective ‘Greatest’ there?

A magnificent album, by the way. Or, and this is more likely, the boxset of Inspector Morse.

I wanted Lombard to have his roots in Morse, not only in a barren personal life, though that may change, but the fact that he shares top-billing with the town in which he lives. For Morse, it was Oxford. For Lombard, it’s Tours, the ancient capital of France. The fortunate thing about Morse is that I can watch them anew as I have, in many cases, forgotten whodunnit and why. Then, once I’ve watched an episode, I’ll go back to the table, pick up the baton of controversy or provocation that I passed on, and re-enter the fray. Just for the sport of it. Exactly like Lombard.

I am delighted I have a copy of The Man Who Didn’t Burn on my TBR pile Ian as I think I’m going to enjoy meeting him very much indeed. Thanks so much for staying in to chat about the book. It sounds a cracker.

The Man Who Didn’t Burn

A KILLER. A SAINT. A TOWN FULL OF WHISPERS

When an English expat is brutally murdered, his charred corpse left on a Loire Valley hillside, the police turn to juge d’instruction Matthieu Lombard to find the perpetrator.

Instead, Lombard discovers a wealth of secrets, grudges and feuds in the idyllic town of Saint-Genèse-sur-Loire. He begins to suspect that the remaining members of the Comité des Fêtes know more about the death than they are letting on.

But rather than towards an arrest, each clue he uncovers seems to point in one, unexpected direction: Joan of Arc. Is the answer to the murder hiding in the barroom gossip of the Lion d’Or? Or in another century altogether?

The thrilling new crime series from The Times-bestselling author of Death and Croissants.

Published by Duckworth today, 12th October 2023, The Man Who Didn’t Burn is available for purchase through the links here.

About Ian Moore

Author image courtesy of Steve Best

Ian Moore is a leading comedian and TV/radio performer. He is the author of the bestselling Follet Valley series, which includes Death and Croissants and Death and Fromage; as well as two memoirs on life in France, À la Mod and C’est Modnifique. 

Ian lives in rural France and commutes back to the UK every week.

For further information, visit Ian’s website, follow him on Twitter/X @ianmooreauthor and find Ian on Instagram and Facebook.

I had meant to post my review of Reasons to Stay Alive by Matt Haig on Monday this week when it was out discussion book at the U3A reading group to which I belong, but sadly life got the better of me. Then yesterday when it was Mental Health Day it was my sister’s birthday so I put my energies into her day. Still, better late than never with a review – even if I am horrendously late actually reading the book!

I have, however, previously reviewed one of Matt Haig’s children’s books Evie in the Jungle, here.

Reasons to Stay Alive was published in paperback by Canongate on 31st December 2015 and is available for purchase here.

Reasons to Stay Alive

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO FEEL TRULY ALIVE?

Aged 24, Matt Haig’s world caved in. He could see no way to go on living. This is the true story of how he came through crisis, triumphed over an illness that almost destroyed him and learned to live again.

A moving, funny and joyous exploration of how to live better, love better and feel more alive, Reasons to Stay Alive is more than a memoir. It is a book about making the most of your time on earth.

“I wrote this book because the oldest clichés remain the truest. Time heals. The bottom of the valley never provides the clearest view. The tunnel does have light at the end of it, even if we haven’t been able to see it . . . Words, just sometimes, really can set you free.”

My Review of Reasons to Stay Alive

An insight into one man’s mental illness.

Now here’s the thing. When I started reading Reasons to Stay Alive I really didn’t like it. I was feeling fed up, following a foot injury when I wasn’t able to do what I wanted, and reading about Matt Haig’s experience of depression was making me cross. I almost gave up reading the book. I just wanted to say, ‘Oh get over yourself. We’re all fed up…’ until the penny dropped. Yes, I was fed up, but here was a man who had a severe mental illness far outside the parameters of my own feelings and experience. I suddenly understood that my emotions were nothing like Matt Haig’s experiences. Immediately I felt more positive. Certainly I was still in a bit of a slump, but I wasn’t depressed and I wanted to read on because, importantly, I was gaining an understanding of what it truly means to be depressed. Reading Reasons to Stay Alive was making me a better human.

Reasons to Stay Alive is both an easy and a difficult read. Matt Haig’s prose is engaging and accessible with a self-deprecating humour that made me smile, but his subject is uncomfortable and affecting so that his underpinning messages and the way he educates the reader to understand another person’s life is deceptive. The reader doesn’t truly grasp the impact and effect of the book until the end. 

It isn’t the checklist at the end of Reasons to Stay Alive, nor the list of useful contacts that makes the book so important and helpful; rather it’s Matt Haig’s honesty in outlining his experience so that others can find affinity, advice and connection. It doesn’t matter where on the scale of good or poor mental health a reader is, in Reasons to Stay Alive there is kindness, realism and a sense of belonging that gives a sense of humanity in a world where it can sometimes feel elusive. Mental health aside, this is a book about being human and humane.

Having begun the book irritated (and if I’m honest, totally selfish in my reading approach), I finished Reasons to Stay Alive feeling positive, uplifted, and more aware of what other people might be thinking and feeling. I went from a negative attitude to feeling that this might just be a book to save someone’s life when they are at their lowest ebb. It gave me permission to be myself and not just accept my situation, but to be content with what I have and who I am. I rather feel I owe Matt Haig, and all those with true mental health struggles, an apology for my flippant and ignorant approach prior to reading Reasons to Stay Alive. I’ve gained so much from this book and Matt Haig’s advice. I won’t, however, be taking up running any time soon!

About Matt Haig

Matt Haig is an author for children and adults. His memoir Reasons to Stay Alive was a number one bestseller, staying in the British top ten for 46 weeks. His children’s book A Boy Called Christmas was a runaway hit and is translated in over 40 languages. It is being made into a film by Studio Canal and The Guardian called it an ‘instant classic’. His novels for adults include the award-winning How To Stop Time, The Radleys and The Humans.

He won the TV Book Club ‘book of the series’, and has been shortlisted for a Specsavers National Book Award. The Humans was chosen as a World Book Night title. His children’s novels have won the Smarties Gold Medal, the Blue Peter Book of the Year, been shortlisted for the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize and nominated for the Carnegie Medal three times.

You can follow Matt on Twitter @matthaig1. Visit his website for further information and find him on Facebook and Instagram.