How Did Life End Up With Us? : By S.S. O’Connor

 

This is Book 1 in The Secrets of Life Quartet & the fact its headline linked these to The Big Bang and Trump piqued my interest. My background is in science and I have a keen interest in politics, so I was fascinated to see how the author married these together. If that wasn’t enough to make me start reading, the questions posed on the back cover would have done the trick!

Each chapter has a question which it tries to answer (rather lengthier than those on the cover I might add, but by throwing in teasers like mentioning familiar things like DNA alongside guaranteed attention grabbing words like sex and death, the chances are that you’ll read on). 

The writing style is perfect for a book aimed at the lay population, illuminating without intimidating. There are funny cartoons, pictures and quotes which act as a spoonful of sugar to make the learning go down. It’s rather like sitting in the pub with a clever professor who follows the apocryphal Einstein theory ( no, not THAT theory 😉) that if you understand something, you can explain it to a six year old. We are the six year olds and, by the time you finish this book,  you WILL have learned things. Whether this is being able to drop LUCA knowledgeably into a conversation, discovering the horrific (but incredibly ingenious) life cycle of the emerald cockroach wasp or finding out that, whilst rutting stags may look fearsome, their battle is closer to choreographed wrestling bouts than a genuine life or death struggle. I promise that you will feel that bit smarter and will be looking for opportunities to impress others with your new found knowledge. This book talks a lot about how organisms succeed in the hurly burly of life, so maybe you should be glad of any advantage you might gain. I can’t guarantee that it will make you more attractive a mate, but it will make you a more interesting one! 

All in all, this was a pleasure to read & I look forward to the rest of the series.

My thanks to Literally PR for inviting me to be a part of this blog tour and to the author for an entertaining and educating experience. 

Justinians’s daughters by Nigel Stewart

 I make no secret of the fact that I am a fan of Nigel’s work, but after reading this, perhaps I should describe myself as an acolyte. It is a breathtaking departure from his previous books, with a sweeping multi-generational narrative akin to a fever dream. It effortlessly segues from mystical to mundane to mirth to menacing and back again, keeping the reader on their toes & never quite sure what to believe. Are you intrigued yet?

I’ll try to give you an flavour of some of the features that make this such a stunning read, but you will have to read it for yourself to see what a truly magnificent book this is.

As in all books with a dark edge to them, the use of moments of levity make the shocks even more powerful. So, when we first meet Ben, a comedian heading to Wales to work on his material for his upcoming tour, there is humour in spades to lull you into a (false) sense of security. His internal monologue as he tries out one liners, local references & puns is so well written that you almost feel like you are watching a work in progress set at The Fringe. But, as he explores the area, enjoying going about unrecognised, he comes across an old airbase where he experiences strange feelings of belonging. One of the great things about the way the story is told is that the author teases the reader, you hold your breath expecting a dramatic moment, are left hanging as another joke appears, only to be blindsided minutes later. The arrival of Erin at his holiday home leads to just such a moment. All I wrote in my notes at one point was “Wait! What? OMG!” 

Ultimately this is a story of retribution and we learn the history of Erin’s bloodline in step with Ben. Each wrong is exposed, each heartbreak devastatingly described and these,together with the undercurrent of arcane knowledge which seems to pass from mother to daughter, creates an atmospheric read. Why has Erin sought Ben out & what does she want from him? Did the untimely deaths of those who caused pain to her forebears happen as she claims? Will you find yourself believing and approving one minute & being horrified the next? This book could shape up to be a true test of your moral compass! It is obviously well researched, creating a vividly authentic feel to the stories from the past which is sure to appeal to the historical fiction lovers out there. I found myself looking up some things to find out more- I’d never heard of Q-ships, have you? 

I took great delight in certain words and phrases; describing someone wearing a blue hat as looking like a “power-crazed hydrangea “ made me laugh out loud. I also enjoyed the nod to The Clash’s London’s Burning when Thomas is thinking of his family in wartime London. There is a poetic feel to much that he writes which makes it a joy to read. 

To say I loved this book is an understatement. Strong women, strong storyline, what’s not to love? Don’t miss out on reading this incredible book. 

It’s a well-deserved ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️and a huge 👍from me.

My thanks to @hyggebooktours for my copy and the chance to review this book 😁

The Temenos Remains by Heather Peck

 

The blurb

With his ex-wife receiving threatening phone calls, loose ends still flapping from his last big case and a ritual burial found in an archaeological dig; the last thing Greg Geldard needs is an East Coast flood and a cliff fall that reveals - what exactly?

Ritual burials are rare. Finding them – rarer still. When three turn up, Greg Geldard knows he has a problem.

The nature of the victims and historic attitudes complicate his investigation as he struggles to find the killer’s latest victim before it’s too late.

What I thought about The Temenos Remains

I have read all of the DCI Greg Geldard books to date so I was thrilled to be given the opportunity to review The Temenos Remains. My very first official book review was for Glass Arrows, an earlier book featuring Greg, so I have an emotional connection to this series and I have loved seeing the characters and storylines grow in depth with each release. Although the book does make references to previous events and has returning characters, these would not prevent you from enjoying it as a stand-alone title. Actually,  I think that the threads that weave through the series add to the feeling of authenticity. Police procedurals can sometimes wrap things up a bit too neatly, rather than reflecting the unfinished or unpunished elements of police work. 

 Set in a gloriously described Norfolk backdrop, we meet Greg as he faces up to two problems; his ex-wife  calling to say she & her infant son have been threatened because of him and an unusual discovery at the site of an archaeological dig. As the blurb refers to multiple ritual burials, it may not surprise you that the body found is not an an ancient artefact but most definitely a relatively recent interment. This is not the only body that turns up during the course of the story so Greg and his team have their work cut out to identify the victims and track down a serial killer with a penchant for bizarre burials. 

There are a couple of things that really made this book stand out to me. The first relates to Greg Geldard, the man. After the end of his marriage to Isabelle, Greg began a relationship with Chris, a fellow detective. Needless to say, Chris is less than pleased to see Greg rush off to Isabelle’s aid and this causes friction in their lives outside of work. Will Greg be able to convince Chris that it’s her he wants to be with? It’s fascinating to see more of what makes him tick and how he tries to balance his sense of honour with the demands of his work and his new love. I also enjoyed Chris becoming a more central character I the story.

 The second is the use of Entr’actes between the regular chapters, giving the reader glimpses into the mind of the killer, each one gradually cranking up the feeling of tension as you follow the progress of the investigation. These were outstanding, so immersive that I found myself almost agreeing with his twisted world view…perhaps I should be worried?! 

As in her previous books, contemporary issues are explored. We meet Jeff Fellowes, a transfer from the Met who personifies endemic misogyny in the police force. The continuing themes relating to organised crime throw a spotlight on the sex trade and the lack of visibility for some women. This is a pacy, intelligent book which I devoured in two sittings and thoroughly enjoyed. 

As I said at the start of this review, neat endings are not always reflective of life and this book, like the others, has a cliffhanger that will leave you raring to read Greg Geldard No. 5! 

It’s a big 👍 from me ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

My thanks to Anne Cater of Random Things Tours for the opportunity to review this fab book & well done Heather for writing another winner 😁

About the author

Award-winning author Heather Peck has had a varied life.

As featured in the ‘Norfolk’ magazine and the Eastern Daily Press, “Norfolk farm disaster expert turns to crime writing” she has been both farmer and agricultural policy adviser. She bred sheep and alpacas, reared calves, broke ploughs, represented the UK in international negotiations, specialised in emergency response from Chernobyl to bird flu, managed controls over pesti- cides and GM crops, saw legislation through Parliament and got paid to eat Kit Kats while on secondment to Rowntree. She has also chaired an NHS Trust, worked on animal welfare, sailed a boat on the Broads, volunteered in Citizens Advice and the Witness Service and vaccinated humans against Covid.

Two golden threads have run through everything; her fascination with words and her Gran’s wise advice: ‘You can do anything if you try hard enough!’

They Both Die At The End by Adam Silvera

 

There are some books that you have to step back from reviewing for a while to get your thoughts in order but then there are those that leave you so breathless by the riotous thoughts and feelings a story evokes in you that you need to get it down on paper (well in type anyhow) whilst you are still riding the high. This is one of the latter. A surprisingly life affirming book about the importance of love and death. 

The blurb

This is a story set in an alternate present, one where you find out that you are entering your last 24 hours on Earth by a call from a Death-Cast herald.  Mateo and Rufus don’t know each other yet, their only connection is that they’ve both had the “The Call” and both only have up to 1 day left to live. The exact timing of your death is rather like ads on T.V. where “up to” is the catch- it might be 5 seconds into the period or you might make it to 23:59. 

The alternate world is utterly believable, of course a whole industry has built up around catering for Deckers (that’s what people who have had the call are called). So there’s an Tinder-esque app to find a Last Friend to spend whatever time you have left with. And just like on Tinder and Twitter, there are those who are trolls or rubberneckers .There are experience venues that let you virtually hang-glide, swim with sharks or embark on a round the world trip. There are Decker Discounts at the restaurants for that last meal and lots of hashtags on Instagram revolving around #EndDay. You can go to Clint’s Graveyard club & wow the crowd with a final karaoke (bet you’re now thinking about what your song would be, aren’t you?😉). The mixture of the familiar and the fantastical make this an immersive and compulsive read. 

The up to 24 hours period is told through first person view, time stamped snippets, alternating between the 2 main characters and others directly or indirectly involved in their lives. When Mateo & Rufus connect through Last Friend you know that you are in for something special. On the surface they couldn’t be more different, Rufus is a seize the day, act first, think later boy whilst Mateo is a cautious, think before you act type who is reluctant to leave the house. But together they set out on their last adventure, their impending end forging a bond like no other. The author expertly unpicks their innermost thoughts, fears and hopes as they meet their greatest and final life challenge. Warmth and humour shine through the tale and you will be rooting for the boys to make the most of End Day. You find yourself nodding as they choose to take the stairs rather than the lift, why take chances? It seems perfectly obvious that they make decisions based on the relative risk. I’ll leave it to you to see how that goes though.

So what would YOU do if you got the Death-Cast call? Each part is separated by quotes ranging from a Roman emperor to Oscar Wilde through to Steve Jobs,  all about living rather than existing. Makes you think doesn’t it? Perhaps we should all be a bit less cautious and a bit more carpe diem in our outlook? You never know what tomorrow may bring and there’s something to be said for living each day as if it’s your last.

An easy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating for this book

Off to start on the prequel now 😉

Secrets We Hide From Ourselves by Nigel Stewart

 

Having enjoyed Colouring In (if you’ve not read it, do- you can see what I thought of it here on my blog in case you need persuading!), I was excited to read this book about Simon Turner’s upcoming birthday bash. 

Unlike James in Colouring In, Simon appears to be emotionally intelligent, the glue that holds the friendship group and his family together. So when he starts planning his 60th birthday celebration you would think that everyone would stampede to get their RSVPs in. To Simon’s frustration some don’t seem that keen, especially his own family. 

You meet his friends and their partners & what a disparate group they are, despite their shared past. There’s Rick, a volatile, now quite well known actor who has caused mayhem over the years. Matthew is a stolid diplomat in Finland whilst John is a serial dater. Male bonding and its at times superficial/competitive nature is perfectly played out, grown men still reminiscing about long gone conquests (real or imaginary) and shenanigans whilst ignoring the emotional elephant in the room. Their partners are not merely satellites, they know what makes their men tick, what flaws they have & are often forthright in their words and actions. Flashbacks interleaved in the present day narrative peel the layers away from these enduring friendships, revealing the complexity of human relationships. It is here that you see how the author has grown in his storytelling, trusting the reader to pick up the nuances and subtext in the situations & draw their own conclusions. But will you be right? 

Simon is a widower having lost his wife in a car accident many years ago & seemingly content with just his friends, his family & his beloved band. Music features heavily through the story &, although his day job might bring in the money, it’s playing music which makes Simon whole. I may be wrong, but I think there’s more than a little of the author in Simon.

The Turner family reflect contemporary life, one sibling with a gammon of a husband who struggles to accept that his sister-in-law is happily loved up with another woman, another experiencing an abusive relationship and a father who tries to keep up with the times and his family(I adored George). Their love for each other is evident but will any of them come to the party? 

As the title suggests, all is not quite what it seems on the surface and there are plenty of eye openers along the way. After all, no one gets to their 6th decade without a few skeletons poking their heads out of the closet ( & before you ask, I’m keeping shtum on my own 😉). How those affect the party, Simon & those around him will be revealed at the end- no spoilers, but to say that the ending builds to a startling crescendo is an understatement. 

A superb book from start to finish, great story, believable, well drawn characters, all woven together with sensitivity, warmth and humour, ending with a stunning finale. 

It’s a massive ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ read and 👍 from me. 

Can’t wait to read his latest release Justinian’s Daughters. 

The Delegate by Ali Carter

I read and enjoyed Blood List a couple of years ago, so when I got the chance to read & review Ali Carter’s latest DCI Harry Longbridge thriller, I jumped at the chance. I’ll hold my hands up & confess that I missed the release of its follow up, Dead Girls Don’t Cry, so reading the blurb was enough for me to have a major “wait, what?!!” moment. 

No doubt that will make you wonder if you can read The Delegate as a stand-alone? The answer to that is YES, you get more than enough detail to piece together the back history. Would I have enjoyed this book even more if I’d read the second book? Almost certainly, Ali Carter is a genius in letting you see what makes people tick and I WILL seek it out and read it (& then reread The Delegate). 

This book is perfect for lovers of dark, psychological thrillers. Charlotte is as fascinatingly manipulative as before and the idea that she chooses and uses the wife of her nemesis to carry out her acts of revenge is so in character. I particularly enjoyed getting into Annie’s mind, seeing how the past impacted her present, making her the perfect stooge for Charlotte. Even more so, I loved seeing how the balance of power between the two women shifted over the course of the book. There are a satisfying number of deaths, some of which may give you pause for thought next time you are swiping right on a dating site or about to eat, and with each despatch the story builds to an exciting conclusion. 

All in all this was a great read and, somehow, I don’t think that we have heard the last about Charlotte Peterson. I’ll be over here… waiting…

Many thanks to Anne Cater & Random Things Tours for the opportunity to read & review this fab book. And thank you Ali Carter for writing another page turner! 

 

The Rabbit Factor by Antti Tuomainen (translated by David Hackston)

Like many of my recent faves, I have the wonderful Book Twitter community to thank for coming across this book. I liked the absurdity of an actuary, who calculates every action before reacting, inheriting an adventure park that is mired in dodgy dealings. 

Any book that opens with someone being beaten to death by a giant rabbit ear and you finding yourself instantly on the side of the person wielding the weapon has to be a winner. Henri Koskinen has been let go from the insurance firm where he has diligently calculated the risks of disaster happening to other people, little knowing what life has in store for him. The section describing his severance is sublime and anyone who has endured management corporate speak will be howling with laughter (& sympathy) by the time Henri signs his resignation letter. So when a lawyer turns up to inform him that he’s inherited his brother’s adventure park (NOT an amusement park as Henri would be quick to point out), it makes sense for him to look at the viability of the business. The only trouble is that his brother was heavily in debt to some very unsavoury characters who want repaying …and fast. 

To say that Henri isn’t a natural people person is an understatement, so watching him try to get a handle on the day to day running of the park and its staff is something else. The YouMeFun staff are an eclectic bunch, including an absent ticket seller, a maintenance man who thinks he’s going to be general manager, a security chief who may or may not have been in the Marines, a marketing director who reeks of booze and Laura, an artist with a past who is the park manager. It is Laura who confounds Henri the most, throwing his analytical brain into confusion. How does a man who thinks in probability navigate an unpredictable relationship? Can logic be applied to love? 

Just reading about the goings on in the park would have been entertaining enough, but the gangsters trying to recover his brother’s debt add a thrilling element to this tale. How will Henri handle their intimidation tactics? Can maths really be the answer to his problems? You will have to read it to see how it all adds up…sorry, couldn’t resist a numbers joke! 

This is an intelligent thriller with a difference, one minute laugh out loud funny, next darkly threatening. You will veer from giggles to gory goings on, prepare to be on the edge of your seat and for your moral compass to be challenged. I’m more than a little in love with Henri Koskinen and can’t wait to read the follow up to this brilliant story.

 A well deserved ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ read 

*Final note is a shout out to the translator, David Hackston, who has done a superb job in making this a seamless read. The only clues that this was written in a different language involve names, places and an obviously more efficient public transport system.*