I’ve been sent some wonderful children’s books of late and Birdie Lights Up the World by Alison McLennan and Lauren Mullinder is another that I’m delighted to review.

Published by Exisle imprint EK children’s books, Birdie Lights up the World is available for purchase in all the usual places including directly from the publisher here.

Birdie Lights Up the World

Birdie the penguin believes she is the chosen one who lights up the world every night with her song. Her zoo friends believe this too.

In this sensitively illustrated story, featuring a cast of zoo animals, Birdie the penguin has a special role to play. Until one day she gets sick and discovers that perhaps her role was not as important as she thought. She and her friends discover that the world can light itself up at night without Birdie’s song. Birdie begins to question what her purpose is. She tries to learn the jobs the other animals do, without success. She feels lost and confused ― until her zoo friends help her realize her true purpose.

The author has said that she wanted to deliver the message that we all have special, unique gifts and it’s our responsibility to share them with the world. If we have a song to sing, we should sing it, whether it fills a stadium or only brings joy to one person … it all counts.

Parents, grandparents, librarians and teachers will all want to gift or recommend this book. It’s for everyone, but especially for any child who has been told they are good at something and then feels the weight of responsibility to take lessons and compete, and to be the best. Birdie Lights Up the World will inspire them to do the things they love for the pure joy of it.

My Review of Birdie Lights Up the World

Birdie has to sing to light up the world.

What a gorgeous children’s book. It’s a lovely story as Birdie becomes unable to sing and wonders just what her purpose in life is, so  that Birdie Lights up the World teaches children about their own skills and identity. Through Birdie children understand that a setback isn’t the end of things and that friendship, purpose and belonging are always possible.

It feels wrong to say that I liked the fact it’s illness that stops Birdie’s song, but I felt that this gave an aspect for unwell children to relate to. I liked the diversity of the animals as here we see that everyone has a role and talent, even if, like the monkeys, it isn’t always apparent. This is such an important life lesson. The fact that Birdie regains her voice even after she realises it isn’t essential to the physical light, but that her friends miss it, illustrates how we can all offer something to the world.

Speaking of illustrations, those in Birdie Lights up the World are wonderful with a range of emotions displayed through the animals’ expressions. I thought the balance of text to image was perfect and the pictures are so engaging even very young non-readers will enjoy the book and will be able to make predictions about the plot and characters so that discussions can be had to promote oracy.

Indeed, several aspects of Birdie Lights up the World are so educational, aside from the emotional intelligence and uplifting story. The text is relatively simple but with occasional vocabulary that extends that of young readers. Aspects such as direct speech are super exemplars for emergent writers too.

Each aspect of Birdie Lights up the World – from text to illustration – is so well judged, but added together they become a truly super children’s book. I thought it was lovely.

About Alison McLennan

Alison McLennan was a terrible creative writer as a child but an enthusiastic volunteer in her school library. After studying journalism and then working in PR/media, Alison returned to creative writing while raising her family. When not writing children’s books, she’s busy on stage in musical theatre productions, singing with her children’s band Allioopsy, working as a voiceover artist, or curled up reading a book with her cat Honey.

For further information, visit Alison’s website. You’ll also find Alison on Instagram.

About Lauren Mullinder

Lauren Mullinder has had a passion for drawing ever since she was able to hold a pencil and loves to create illustrations that capture and delight the imagination. With a degree in Visual Communication and a background in marketing and design, Lauren spends her days drawing stories, creating characters and teaching others how to do the same. Lauren lives in Adelaide, Australia with her husband and dog Charlie and loves spending time in nature.

For further information visit Lauren’s website. You can also find Lauren on Instagram and Facebook.

It’s a pleasure to welcome back Val Penny to Linda’s Book Bag today. Val was last here when we shared an extract from her new series beginning with The First Cut here.

Today we’re looking at the latest book in Val’s D.I. Hunter Wilson crime thriller series with another extract, this time from Hunter’s Blood. Val also told me that the inspiration for Hunter’s Blood came from a tangle of family relationships that intrigued her. Also a story that was in the news. The story was of a car crash that the emergency services didn’t attend for several days. Val says that news items are often good inspiration for crimes.

Published on 3rd July 2023, Hunter’s Blood is available for purchase here.

Hunter’s Blood

Mutilation and murder outrage…It’s about to get very personal for DI Hunter Wilson.

When DI Hunter Wilson learns three elderly women have died in mysterious circumstances he is horrified to realise that he is the only person who has met each of them.

As he scrutinises the evidence he concedes that he must accept help from the Major Investigation Team to solve the triple murder.

When a breakthrough comes from unlikely source , Hunter finds himself in race against the clock.

What exactly did the witness hear?

Do the victims really deserve justice? or were they targeted for their own past crimes.

You can run from your past but you cannot hide…

An Extract from Hunter’s Blood

 Friday, 5.30pm, 04 November 2013

 “Fucking shit! Did you see that? How fast was it going? It could have taken my nose off!” DI Hunter Wilson roared as a red van raced past them in the outside lane.

“Your nose isn’t that big, darling,” Meera Sharma smiled.

“Huh, thanks. I think. Where are the traffic cops when you need them? And really, how fast was that van going?” 

“Some are in a real hurry to meet their maker.” 

“I just get so angry. They don’t even think about who else they could take with them if they crash and that was a business vehicle. I’ll bet the owner wouldn’t like their employees to be racing around like that.”

“Probably not,” Meera sighed.

Hunter was driving back from a leisurely lunch at The Steading at Hillend on the outskirts of Edinburgh, with the petite pathologist, Meera Sharma. He always enjoyed their time together. She was easy company, and they got on very well indeed. The Steading was a good place to eat after they had been for a long walk in The Pentland Hills. Maybe this time he would be lucky in love.

Meera changed the subject. “That was delicious, thank you. We should spend more time like this. There is no better exercise than walking you know.”

“Oh, I can think of at least one form of exercise I prefer,” Hunter grinned.

She turned and grinned back at him.

“You’re very cheeky, you know that, don’t you?” 

“That’s why you love me,” he glanced away from the road to smile at her.

Meera looked into Hunter’s intense grey eyes and smiled at his traditional short haircut. He would look even better if his hair were just a little longer, but he complained that he looked like the cartoon character ‘Oor Wullie’ when it grew even just a little. She sighed inwardly. Hunter was one of the good guys. Maybe this time her parents would accept her partner of choice.

“Of course, we should make more time to go walking together,” Hunter replied with a sheepish grin. “But you well know how likely that is with our schedules, doctor. In fact, I forgot to tell you, I’ve got to go back to the station this evening. There are a couple of things still I need to finish.”

****

And now we need to know more! Thanks Val.

About Val Penny

Val Penny has an Llb degree from the University of Edinburgh and her MSc from Napier University. She has had many jobs including hairdresser, waitress, banker, azalea farmer and lecturer but has not yet achieved either of her childhood dreams of being a ballerina or owning a candy store.

Until those dreams come true, she has turned her hand to writing poetry, short stories, nonfiction books, and novels. Her novels are published by SpellBound Books Ltd.

Val is an American author living in SW Scotland. She has two adult daughters of whom she is justly proud and lives with her husband and their cat.

For more information about Val, visit her website or blog.  You’ll find Val on Goodreads, Twitter @valeriepenny, and Facebook.

It’s an absolute pleasure to share my review of Mike Gayle’s latest book A Song of Me & You today. My enormous thanks to Alainna Hadjigeorgiou for inviting me to be part of this blog tour.

You’ll find my review of Mike’s The Museum of Ordinary People here and of All the Lonely People here. As part of the celebrations of Mike’s writing, I also have a paperback copy of The Museum of Ordinary People to send to a lucky UK reader. See below for details.

A Song of Me & You was published on 6th July 2023 by Hodder and Stoughton and is available for purchase through the links here.

A Song of Me & You

Helen and Ben parted as heartbroken 18-year-olds and went their very separate ways.

Twenty years later, mother-of-two-teenagersHelen is still in Manchester, a part-time primary teacher, stunned by the behaviour of her love-rat husband. In an old T shirt and scruffy jeans, she feels at the lowest point in her life.

And suddenly, impossibly, Ben is standing on her doorstep. Tired maybe, lonely even, but clearly still the world-famous, LA-based multi-millionaire rockstar he has become.

Can you ever go back?

For Helen and Ben, so much has happened in the years between. But just to sit in the kitchen for a while and talk – that would be nice.

Before the world comes crashing in.

Friendship, love, heartache and hope collide in this unforgettable emotional journey, from the author of Half A World Away.

My Review of A Song of Me & You

Helen has an unexpected visitor.

I usually love Mike Gayle’s writing, but my reaction to A Song Of Me & You exceeds that descriptor. It’s an utterly wonderful book, being both uplifting and heartbreaking. 

A Song Of Me & You is an effortless read because Mike Gayle has such a natural and engaging style that it doesn’t feel as if you’re reading at all. It’s more like being in the room as action takes place. Indeed, I put life on hold for a couple of days to devour this story.

As I was reading, I cheered aloud. I gave the characters my unheard advice and I cried, as I was so caught up in what was happening to them, completely forgetting I was reading a story and not real events. I had the plot all sorted out and knew just how this gorgeous story would end. Except, of course, I didn’t because Mike Gayle had other plans for the people here, but you’ll need to read A Song Of Me & You to find out what they are.

There’s deep seated emotion in this story that portrays a startling reality. Life isn’t a simple linear path and Helen, Ben and Adam epitomise modern relationships, family ties and difficulties, and the pressures of simply living, in a sensitive and heartfelt story that gets under the reader’s skin and affects them profoundly. Ben’s privileged rockstar lifestyle belies an unhappiness and a reality far removed from how the media portrays it so that A Song Of Me & You not only entertains the reader beautifully, it shows them what is important in life. This makes A Song Of Me & You important as well as a gorgeous read.

That said, I thoroughly enjoyed my taste of a lavish lifestyle so clearly depicted here. It gave me an experience I’d never normally have and with reference to real people like Elton John, for example, there’s a sensation of genuineness in the narrative.

The characters feel realistic and layered – even Adam, whom I loathed for much of the story. Helen is a triumph. She’s older than the usual 30 somethings of the genre which makes her all the more appealing and her insecurities and strengths make her hugely relatable. 

I love Mike Gayle books for their sensitive portrayal of humanity, its vulnerability and its strength in adversity, and A Song Of Me & You is simply lovely. It’s Mike Gayle at his best and a story I recommend without hesitation. Just wonderful! 

Giveaway

A Paperback copy of The Museum of Ordinary People

Still reeling from the sudden death of her mother, Jess is about to do the hardest thing she’s ever done: empty her childhood home so that it can be sold.

But when in the process Jess stumbles across the mysterious Alex, together they become custodians of a strange archive of letters, photographs, curios and collections known as The Museum of Ordinary People.

As they begin to delve into the history of the objects in their care, Alex and Jess not only unravel heartbreaking stories that span generations and continents, but also unearth long buried secrets that lie much closer to home.

Inspired by a box of mementos found abandoned in a skip following a house clearance, The Museum of Ordinary People is a thought-provoking and poignant story of memory, grief, loss and the things we leave behind.

****

If you live in the UK, click here to enter for a chance to win a copy of The Museum of Ordinary People.

I’ll need a UK address to send the book to the winner, but I won’t retain your details after that and the giveaway closes at midnight on Sunday 16th July.

About Mike Gayle

Mike Gayle was born and raised in Birmingham. After graduating from Salford University with a degree in Sociology, he moved to London to pursue a career in journalism and worked as a features editor and agony uncle. He has written for a variety of publications including The Sunday Times, the Guardian and Cosmopolitan. Mike became a full-time novelist in 1997 following the publication of his Sunday Times top ten bestseller My Legendary Girlfriend, which was hailed by the Independent as ‘full of belly laughs and painfully acute observations’, and by The Times as ‘a funny, frank account of a hopeless romantic’. Since then he has written sixteen novels, including The Man I Think I Know, selected as a World Book Night title, and Half A World Away, selected for the Richard and Judy Book Club. His books have been translated into more than thirty languages. In 2021, Mike was the recipient of the Outstanding Achievement Award from the Romantic Novelists’ Association. He lives in Birmingham with his wife, kids and greyhound.

For more information, find Mike on Instagram or Facebook, visit his website or follow him on Twitter @mikegayle.

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Having received a sampler of Murdle by G.T. Karber, I was delighted to find a surprise copy of the full book in my post box. Sadly I have no idea who sent it but I’d like to thank them anyway and I’m delighted to share my review today.

Published by Profile Books’ imprint Souvenir Press, Murdle is available for purchase through the links here.

Murdle

* The ‘utterly addictive’ murderous puzzle book for armchair detectives everywhere *

From G. T. Karber, the creator of the popular online daily mystery game at http://www.Murdle.com, comes this fiendishly compulsive and absolutely killer collection of 100 original murder mystery logic puzzles. Join Deductive Logico and pit your wits against a slew of dastardly villains in order to discover:

– Who committed the ghastly deed?
– What weapon was used to dispatch the victim?
– Where did the dreadful demise occur?

These humorous mini-mystery puzzles challenge you to find whodunit, how, where, and why. Examine the clues, interview the witnesses, and use the power of deduction to complete the grid and catch the culprit. Packed with illustrations, codes, and maps, this is the must-have detective casebook for the secret sleuth in everyone.

Are you the next Miss Marple or Hercule Poirot? You’ll soon find out, if you dare to Murdle!

My Review of Murdle

100 murder mystery logic puzzles.

I’ll let you into a secret – I’m useless at logic puzzles and Murdle is a brilliantly challenging. I haven’t finished many of them yet, but as I think I have around a year’s worth of entertainment here I thought I’d share my thoughts anyway! I’m delighted to find there are hints to help my feeble brain but I haven’t resorted to cheating and looking at the solutions also provided – yet!

Murdle is mind-blowing! I have a feeling it will take me some time to solve all the mysteries, making Murdle incredibly good value for money and enormously entertaining. With puzzles increasing in difficulty as Murdle progresses, I love the way the participant reader gets the opportunity to attune themselves to the style so that they are challenged more as they become more competent. There’s a cracking introduction outlining the protagonist Deductive Logico’s first case that explains exactly how to use the book.

However, it’s not just the actual puzzles that make Murdle so good. What I thoroughly appreciate is the development of Deductive Logico as a character too. Each puzzle has a short paragraph that gives a little bit of background and the different sections hold more information so that the reader feels they are getting to know a logical mind as well as enjoying the puzzles.

Even better, Murdle exists beyond the confines of its pages. Participants can join in with an online community Detective Club so that there’s even more to discover than simply between the pages of this excellent book.

Innovative, entertaining and challenging, I think Murdle is going to become a completely addictive sensation. It would make the perfect gift for even the most difficult person to buy for. Don’t miss it.

About G.T. Karber

G. T. Karber grew up in Arkansas, the son of a judge and a civil rights attorney. He graduated summa cum laude from the University of Arkansas with a degree in mathematics and English literature before gaining a MFA from the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts. As the General Secretary of the Hollywood Mystery Society, he has staged more than thirty immersive whodunits in the Los Angeles area.

For further information, follow G.T. Karber on Twitter @gregkarber, find him on Instagram or visit his website, and be sure to visit the Murdle website.

I’ve long been a fan of Emylia Hall’s writing and cannot believe how long it is since she featured here on Linda’s Book Bag. I was thrilled when Emylia arranged for me to receive an early copy of her new book, The Shell House Detectives and delighted subsequently to be offered a slot on the blog tour for the book. It’s my pleasure to share my review today.

Published by Thomas & Mercer on 1st July 2023, The Shell House Detectives is available for purchase here.

The Shell House Detectives

Welcome to the coastal paradise of Porthpella, where murder lurks among the dunes…

Late one night, a distraught young man knocks on the door of retired and recently widowed Ally Bright’s remote home on the Cornish coast. But before she can make sense of his confused words, he’s gone—not to be seen again until he’s found the next morning at the foot of the nearby cliffs.

In an instant, the peace of Ally’s beachcombing life is shattered. Feeling responsible for the young man’s fate, she wants to help find answers—as does ex-cop Jayden Weston, whom Ally meets at the scene. He shares her certainty that there’s more to the story than attempted suicide. When it emerges that the man is newly released ex-offender Lewis Pascoe, and that Helena, the wealthy new owner of his grandmother’s home, has subsequently disappeared, the tight-knit community of Porthpella is thrown into turmoil.

Driven by their need to know more, the duo decide to investigate the mystery together. Is there a connection between the Pascoe family’s tragic history and Helena’s disappearance? And if there is a killer stalking Porthpella, do Ally and Jayden have what it takes to catch them?

My Review of The Shell House Detectives

Ally’s peaceful life is about to get busy! 

Having unreservedly loved Emylia Hall’s commercial women’s fiction, I approached her departure into crime writing with The Shell House Detectives with very high expectations and not a little trepidation in case the new genre didn’t meet my hopes. It didn’t. It completely exceeded them in every respect, whilst retaining the magnificent story-telling I knew I’d find. The Shell House Detectives is an absolutely smashing read and I could not have enjoyed it more.

The Cornish setting is a triumph. The sense of community, the sea and the beach, the weather and small businesses all combine to add a touch of magic to the story which is enhanced by Jayden’s mixed race otherness, drawing in the reader to an enthralling story. I wanted to be in Porthpella. 

The plot is so brilliantly wrought because Emylia Hall weaves in her characters’ backstories with a precise balance of subtlety and clarity so that there’s a smooth depth that underpins an intelligent, entertaining and compelling narrative. I loved the fact that there’s murder and crime that feels so realistic, without recourse to shock tactics and visceral blood and gore. 

That said, whilst The Shell House Detectives might be billed as cosy crime and it does draw on some Golden Age crime characteristics, it also considers dark themes and social issues in a natural and mature manner so that this story feels like a read for grown ups. I thoroughly appreciated this aspect. I loved, too, the exploration of truth and right. Ally and Jayden don’t always employ conventionally acceptable means to support their highly morally motivated actions so that the story is thought provoking as well as diverting. Emylia Hall understands what causes people to behave as they do and weaves this understanding so sensitively into her narrative. She shows us how we all too often live for the approval of others, losing sight of who we are for ourselves. I found this such an affecting and uplifting theme.

Ally in particular is a triumph because she’s middle aged, unassuming and ostensibly a no-one following the death of her policeman husband, but her public persona belies an incisive mind, a compassionate nature and a tenacity and strength that bring her to life completely. However, what works so well here is that there is a wide enough cast for variety and reader interest, but, simultaneously, a narrow enough focus to afford development for characters like Tim Mullins with scope for the future. What Emylia Hall does so beautifully is to convey the thoughts and emotions of her characters and I admit to shedding a tear or two with them, both in joy and sadness. 

I loved The Shell House Detectives. It’s a fabulous read that sets the scene for what I hope will be many other adventures for the characters because I’m simply not prepared to let them go.

The Shell House Detectives is brilliant because it has heart and soul as well as entertainment, making it sensitive, gripping and compelling. Don’t miss 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 @EmyliaHall and visit her website. You’ll also find her on Facebook. and Instagram.

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My enormous thanks to Alice Fowler for arranging to have her short story collection, The Truth Has Arms And Legs sent to me, and to Isabelle at Fly on the Wall for making sure it arrived. It’s my absolute pleasure to share my review today.

Published by Fly on the Wall Press on July 14th, The Truth Has Arms and Legs is available for pr-order here.

The Truth Has Arms And Legs

Delve into a world of change and reinvention.

Where relationships are as delicate as turtle eggs, and just as easily smashed.

This poignant short story collection explores the pivotal moments that transform our lives. Jenny, whose life is defined by small disasters, discovers a bigger, more generous version of herself. A traveller girl might just win her race and alter her life’s course. A widow, cut off in a riverside backwater, opens her heart to a stranger.

In this captivating collection by award-winning writer, Alice Fowler, readers will be moved by the raw vulnerability of human connection, and the resilience that allows us to grow and thrive in the face of hardship. In change, Fowler’s characters find the ability to be truly free.

My Review of The Truth Has Arms And Legs

Fourteen short stories.

Oh. The Truth Has Arms And Legs is glorious. These stories are steeped in emotion and so beautifully written that they pulsate from the page with vivid attraction. I loved each and every one of them.  

I confess that, as this is a slim volume, I thought I’d slip in reading the collection in between other books as a quick read. A light weight palette cleanser if you will. What an error of judgement. The Truth Has Arms And Legs deserves every moment spent reading it, savouring the incredibly humanity Alice Fowler displays in her writing, her complete understanding of the human condition and her luminous brilliance in writing. There’s not an extraneous syllable or a word out of place here. The Truth Had Arms And Legs is an absolute masterclass of perfection.

Themes are wide ranging and impactful, from racism to infertility, marital control to war and dementia, illegitimacy to belonging, so that the stories eddy with meaning and relatability. There truly is something here for any and every reader. And the manner of writing by Alice Fowler creates an emotional connection in the reader that is irresistible. To remain unaffected by this writing would be to have no humanity, no soul. Descriptions are vivid and affecting, direct speech is natural and convincing, characters leap from the page as real people and each story is a sparkling jewel of literary brilliance with surprising depth to plot even when the stories are, like Jack’s Hedge, only a couple of pages long.

The Truth Has Arms And Legs is a wonderful, flawless and fantastic collection. I’m not sure defining the collection as short stories is fair, but it’s certainly snappier than ‘short pieces of writing looking into the very heart and soul of humanity and the one book you MUST buy this year if you want to read a masterclass of affecting writing’. The Truth Has Arms And Legs is, quite simply, exquisite and my life has been enhanced by the opportunity to read these stories. This collection by Alice Fowler has gone straight onto my list of favourite reads this year and I pity anyone who doesn’t get the chance to read it.

About Alice Fowler

Alice Fowler is an award-winning writer of short stories and longer fiction. She writes about love, loss, reinvention, motherhood and the complex relations between parents and their children. Her collection explores resilience, and our ability as humans to grow and change.

Alice won the Historical Writers’ Association short story competition in 2020 and the Wells Festival of Literature short story competition in 2021. Other stories have been short- and long-listed in prizes and printed in anthologies. Her historical novel was long-listed for the 2021 Stylist Feminist Fiction Prize.

Alice has a degree in Human Sciences from Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford, and worked as a print journalist until 2006.

She lives in Surrey, England, with her husband and teenage sons, and love theatre, tennis, books and walking in the Surrey Hills.

For more information, visit Alice’s website, follow her on Twitter @AliceFwrites, or find Alice on Instagram.

It’s a little over a year since I reviewed Jack Jordan’s Do No Harm for My Weekly magazine in a post you’ll find here. Having loved that book I was delighted to be asked onto the blog tour for Jack’s latest thriller Conviction and would like to thank Anne Cater of Random Things Tours for inviting me to participate. It’s a real pleasure to share my review today.

Way back in 2015 I reviewed Jack’s Anything for Her in a post you’ll find here. I also reviewed My Girl here and helped to reveal Jack’s Before Her Eyes here.

Published by Simon and Schuster on 22nd June 2023, Conviction is available for purchase through the links here.

Conviction

TO STEAL A MAN’S FREEDOM ALL IT TAKES IS . . . CONVICTION

Wade Darling stands accused of killing his wife and teenage children as they slept before burning the family home to the ground.

When the case lands on barrister Neve Harper’s desk, she knows it could be the career making case she’s been waiting for. But only if she can prove Wade’s innocence.

A matter of days before the case, as Neve is travelling home for the night, she is approached by a man. He tells her she must lose this case or the secret about her own husband’s disappearance will be revealed.

Failing that, he will kill everyone she cares about until she follows orders.

Neve must make a choice – betray every principle she has ever had by putting a potentially innocent man in prison, or risk putting those she loves in mortal danger.

For fans of Steve Cavanagh, Linwood Barclay and Gillian McAllister, introducing the latest novel from the master of the moral dilemma, Jack Jordan.

My Review of Conviction

Neve Harper has a new court case to defend. 

Used to fast paced, heart thumping reads from Jack Jordan, I had expected a pacy thriller in Conviction. What I got was an adrenaline rush of a read that held me completely gripped until I had devoured every word. 

The plot simply zips along, aided by the division into trial days and the short chapters. I thought the premise of the story, based around morality in all its forms was stunning. Certainly there are those who are pure evil in this narrative, but what Jack Jordan does so brilliantly is to cause the reader to adjust their own moral compass, and to consider what they would do in similar circumstances to Neve. This is a book that is thought provoking and unsettling as well as gripping and exciting to read.

I loved the authentic insight into a court case and the legal system. This aspect of Conviction feels so well researched and convincing. And I loved too, the way the title encompasses the courage of conviction as well as the potential for criminal and legal conviction. With themes of manipulation, corruption, honesty, family, betrayal and relationships Conviction has an aspect that appeals to, or resonates with, every reader, making it absolutely engrossing and causing the reader to experience a range of emotions from fear through contempt to pleasure and hope in response to what is happening.

Whilst those like the Messenger are identifiably and unquestionably unpleasant, corrupt and threatening, Neve is so nuanced and layered that it’s mind blowing to read about her. Her moral dilemma, her reasons for acting as she does, and the things she has done in her past, give her depth and make her completely fascinating. I thought she was wonderfully balanced as a character. 

Conviction holds everything a reader wants in a thrilling read. I devoured it and when I wasn’t reading it, I was thinking about it. I thought it was excellent and even better than I’d hoped.

About Jack Jordan

Jack Jordan is the global number one bestselling author of Anything for Her (2015), My Girl (2016), A Woman Scorned (2018), Before Her Eyes (2018) and Night by Night (2019).

His thriller, Do No Harm, was an instant Times bestseller and shortlisted for the Most Recommended Book in the DeadGood Reader Awards. Coined the thriller of the summer for 2022, it was described as “relentlessly tense” by Sunday Times Bestseller Lesley Kara, and “Chilling and perfectly paced” by New York Times Bestseller Sarah Pearse.

To find out more about Jack, enter numerous annual giveaways to win signed copies of his books, and be the first to hear of new book releases and news, you can follow him on Instagram, Twitter @JackJordanBooks and Facebook.

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My enormous thanks to Caitlin Raynor at Headline for sending me a surprise copy of The Housekeepers by Alex Hay. I’m delighted to share my review of The Housekeepers today.

Published by Headline Review on 6th July 2023, The Housekeepers is available for purchase through the links here.

The Housekeepers

UPSTAIRS, MADAM IS PLANNING THE PARTY OF THE SEASON.

DOWNSTAIRS, THE SERVANTS ARE PLOTTING THE HEIST OF THE CENTURY.

When Mrs King, housekeeper to the most illustrious home in Mayfair, is suddenly dismissed after years of loyal service, she knows just who to recruit to help her take revenge.

A black-market queen out to settle her scores. An actress desperate for a magnificent part. A seamstress dreaming of a better life. And Mrs King’s predecessor, who has been keeping the dark secrets of Park Lane far too long.

Mrs King has an audacious plan in mind, one that will reunite her women in the depths of the house on the night of a magnificent ball – and play out right under the noses of her former employers…

THEY COME FROM NOTHING. BUT THEY’LL LEAVE WITH EVERYTHING.

My Review of The Housekeepers

What a delicious read. I absolutely loved this witty, brilliantly crafted story.

The Housekeepers romps along at a cracking pace assisted by the countdown to the ball taking place on 26th June. I found the dated and timed chapter headings heightened my anticipation and although I was reading about a group of felons, I was absolutely desperate for their audacious plan to succeed. My heart rate ramped up as the plot progressed. 

The setting and era are perfectly portrayed and Alex Hay’s writing appeals to the senses through beautiful use of language so that The Housekeepers is completely immersive as well as enormously entertaining. I adored the author’s style. I also loved the wit and humour that comes through, particularly through the direct speech. Indeed, I read The Housekeepers with an expression of complete pleasure throughout and every time I think back to reading it, it brings a smile to my face.

Alex Hay has created the most wonderful set of characters. Through The Housekeepers he shows just how appearances and supposed social status can be deceiving. Hepzibah’s actress profession highlighted this theme so well, but it is those like Mrs Bone who are complete characterisation triumphs. To say too much is to spoil the read as the reasons for the plot are very much tied up in character, but I thought the links were perfectly drawn in a kind of poetic orrery as the two aspects danced through the story. The Housekeepers are exactly that. They are the cogs that keep the house running, but they are the keepers of truth and justice too so that the book thrums with life, intrigue and engagement.

Alongside all of this are some darker themes too so that The Housekeepers presents depth and contrast to the reader. Control of many kinds, status, identity, feminism, crime, poverty, ambition, revenge and so on, become a richly satisfying undercurrent that make The Housekeepers simply wonderful. 

Visual, entertaining, beautifully crafted and plotted, if The Housekeepers isn’t snapped up for television immediately, there’s no justice in the world. I thought it was brilliant and loved it.

About Alex Hay

Alex Hay grew up in Cambridge and Cardiff and has been writing as long as he can remember. He studied History at the University of York, and wrote his dissertation on female power at royal courts, combing the archives for every scrap of drama and skulduggery he could find. He has worked in magazine publishing and the charity sector, and is a graduate of the Curtis Brown Write Your Novel course. The Housekeepers is his debut novel and won the Caledonia Novel Award 2022. Alex lives with his husband in South East London.

For further information, follow Alex on Twitter @AlexHayBooks and Instagram or visit Alex’s website.

It’s far too long since I featured Gail Aldwin here on Linda’s Book Bag when I reviewed her novel The String Games. I’m delighted to rectify that by reviewing Gail’s latest book The Secret Life of Carolyn Russell.

The Secret Life of Carolyn Russell is published today by Bloodhound Books and is available for purchase here.

The Secret Life of Carolyn Russell

A true-crime podcaster investigates a decades-old suspected abduction, in this powerful psychological suspense novel.

1979
Sixteen-year-old Carolyn Russell grows increasingly infatuated with her school mathematics teacher who is also giving her private lessons. Then she disappears.

2014
Struggling journalist Stephanie Brett creates a true-crime podcast focused on the disappearance of Carolyn Russell. By digging deep into this mysterious cold case, her confidence and flagging career are boosted. But after she confronts the suspects—and talks to a potential witness—the leads dry up. However, Stephanie refuses to let the story rest . . .

Can a small-time journalist with a shoestring podcast really hope to reconstruct the ultimate fate of Carolyn Russell after all these years, or are some secrets best left buried?

My Review of The Secret Life of Carolyn Russell

What really happened to Carolyn Russell?

The Secret Life of Carolyn Russell is a layered read that needs to come with a warning – there are a lot of references to food and I found it made me ravenous as I read!

The plot is carefully crafted and ends leaving the reader pondering many aspects of morality and truth. What The Secret Life of Carolyn Russell does is to open up a world where mis-interpretation, half truths and obfuscation impact lives far beyond any initial intention. I found reading the narrative made me think long and hard about what appears in our various media because of the mature observation I found here.  

As well as a mystery to enjoy, The Secret Life of Carolyn Russell is a sensitive insight into burgeoning womanhood, complex feelings and relationships with an exploration into how our upbringing can impact our behaviour.

I especially enjoyed two time frames as Gail Aldwin conveys the eras really well, particularly through cultural and societal references so that the reader gains a good understanding of the way Carolyn and Stephanie are living; particularly through Carolyn’s first person account that reveals her friendships and her innermost feelings. This element of the narrative enhances the reader’s enjoyment as it feels as if Carolyn is addressing the reader directly, drawing them into the story. 

Interestingly, although I was totally invested in finding out what had happened to Carolyn and she gained my sympathy, I didn’t like her, as she is frequently immature and selfish – exactly as a teenager should be! I think this illustrates skilled writing because the balance of uncovering what kind of person she is as a flawed, layered and true to life character in the mind of the reader is so carefully done by Gail Aldwin. There is also real trauma in Carolyn’s life that influences both her behaviour and the reader’s response.

Whilst discovering what caused Carolyn’s disappearance is entertaining in its own right as Stephanie conducts her investigations and carries out interviews for her podcast, The Secret Life of Carolyn Russell includes important themes too, from racism to suburban living, poverty to bullying, echoes of #MeToo, sexism and education for example, so that the story holds concepts to ponder after the book is read. Indeed, I think The Secret Life of Carolyn Russell is one of those books that deserves rereading so that all the nuances can be fully appreciated. 

The Secret Life of Carolyn Russell is both entertaining and thought provoking, lingering in the mind long after it’s read and I enjoyed it very much. 

About Gail Aldwin

Novelist, poet and scriptwriter, Gail Aldwin has been writing for over a decade. Her first two coming-of-age novels were runners-up in the Dorchester Literary Festival Writing Prize 2020 and 2022. Gail was awarded a creative writing PhD in 2018 and still laughs whenever she’s called Doctor. She has appeared at Bridport Literary Festival, Stockholm Writers Festival and the Mani Lit Fest in Greece. Her psychological suspense mystery The Secret Life of Carolyn Russell is published by Bloodhound Books. Gail splits her time between a tiny flat in South West London and a home overlooking water meadows in Dorset.

You can follow Gail on Twitter @gailaldwin, visit her blog and find her on Instagram and Facebook.

I’m very partial to historical fiction and am delighted to help close the blog tour for The Fascination by Essie Fox. My enormous thanks to Anne Cater of Random Things Tours for inviting me to participate. I’m delighted to share my review today.

Published by Orenda on 22nd June 2023 The Fascination is available for purchase here.

The Fascination

Victorian England. A world of rural fairgrounds and glamorous London theatres. A world of dark secrets and deadly obsessions…

Twin sisters Keziah and Tilly Lovell are identical in every way, except that Tilly hasn’t grown a single inch since she was five. Coerced into promoting their father’s quack elixir as they tour the country fairgrounds, at the age of fifteen the girls are sold to a mysterious Italian known as ‘Captain’.

Theo is an orphan, raised by his grandfather, Lord Seabrook, a man who has a dark interest in anatomical freaks and other curiosities … particularly the human kind. Resenting his grandson for his mother’s death in childbirth, when Seabrook remarries and a new heir is produced, Theo is forced to leave home without a penny to his name.

Theo finds employment in Dr Summerwell’s Museum of Anatomy in London, and here he meets Captain and his theatrical ‘family’ of performers, freaks and outcasts.

But it is Theo’s fascination with Tilly and Keziah that will lead all of them into a web of deceits, exposing the darkest secrets and threatening everything they know…

Exploring universal themes of love and loss, the power of redemption and what it means to be unique, The Fascination is an evocative, glittering and bewitching gothic novel that brings alive Victorian London – and darkness and deception that lies beneath…

My Review of The Fascination

The fairground is coming.

Oh my goodness I enjoyed The Fascination. Rarely has a book been more aptly named. Essie Fox delves into the world of ‘fascinations’ and does so with such dexterity and beauty in her writing that the reader is held spell-bound. 

The plotting here is so skilful because the different threads, the small seemingly incidental moments, and much bigger themes, are deftly woven into a truly mesmerising narrative and it’s not until the final word is read that the reader can fully appreciate how wonderful the plotting is. The attention to detail, wonderful descriptions, the appeal to the senses, and the absolutely authentic historical accuracy of the era make The Fascination so immersive and spell-binding. It’s one of those stories where I found I thoroughly resented real life getting in the way of my reading. 

I adored meeting the characters whom I completely forgot were artistic creations. They all felt so vivid and real. I thought giving Keziah a first person voice in contrast to the other elements of the narrative was inspired because she is the most ‘normal’ or conventional of the characters and yet is the one who most often feels on the periphery of the action. She is a kind of Shakespearean Touchstone, shining a light on the qualities and flaws of others in the story. And what others they are. The cast here is diverse, complex, believable, interesting and captivating. It’s difficult to be too precise here for fear of spoiling the story for other readers because plot and character are so exquisitely interwoven.

Whilst there’s an element of unworldliness and ethereal fragility in the story, with the fairytale of Snow White and Rose Red creating a magical aspect, Essie Fox does not shy away from aspects that transport The Fascination from simple (if pretty well perfect) entertainment into a narrative that swirls through the reader’s mind, drawing them in to a world of difference, sexuality, depravity, betrayal, family and abuse, counterbalanced by community, understanding, support, kindness, truth and, above all else, love. These aspects create a story that is both entertaining, but also incredibly affecting. I have a feeling The Fascination will resonate with me for a very long time.

The Fascination is a beautiful and tender homage to those who find themselves on the outskirts of so-called normality, and that renders them as wonderful as any other being. I thought The Fascination was simply astounding. It’s magical, moving and magnificent. I adored it.

About Essie Fox

Essie Fox was born and raised in rural Herefordshire, which inspires much of her writing.

After studying English Literature at Sheffield University, she moved to London where she worked for the Telegraph Sunday Magazine, then the book publishers George Allen & Unwin – before becoming self-employed in the world of art and design.

Always an avid reader, Essie now spends her time writing historical gothic novels. Her debut, The Somnambulist, was shortlisted for the National Book Awards, and featured on Channel 4’s TV Book Club. The Last Days of Leda Grey, set in the early years of silent film, was selected as The Times Historical Book of the Month. Her latest novel, The Fascination is based in Victorian country fairgrounds, the glamour of the London theatres, and an Oxford Street museum full of morbid curiosities.

Essie is also the creator of the popular blog: The Virtual Victorian. She has lectured on this era at the V&A, and the National Gallery in London.

For further information, find Essie on Instagram and Facebook or visit her website and follow her on Twitter @essiefox.

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