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[[Category:General Fiction|*]]
[[Category:New Reviews|General Fiction]]==General fiction==__NOTOC__ {{newreviewFrontpage|author=Katherine Hall PageJenny Lecoat|title=The Body in the FjordBeyond Summerland
|rating=4
|genre=General Fiction
|summary=Page gives us another ''The Body In The..Jean lives on Jersey with her mother where they are celebrating the end of the occupation. During the war, Jean'' book within s father was arrested for listening to a tried banned radio and tested format. The book jacket covers are always bright and jazzy and this soldiers took him away one is no exception. We're deep in Norwaynight, its picturesque countryside leaving Jean and world-famous fjordsher mother waiting for years for news of him. We are in As the British finally free the Channel islands from the company of two different but interesting women. Mother Nazis, and daughter. Pix, the daughter (I think the name sounds as if it belongs to someone young) war is a mother in middle-age with teenage children. She has responsibilitiesfinally over, but at times she behaves like a sixteen year old and I suppose their hopes rise that is part they will finally learn what became of her appealhim. She cannot seem to say ''no'' to anyone and now finds herself enlisted to solve an unexplained death and But will the truth come as a missing person. The latter is relief, or will it raise further questions around what else happened during the war? Who was the more important as informer who told the missing person, Kari, is related to Ursula's best friend. Yes, perhaps a few too many names at Nazis about the beginning of radio? And what other secrets have been kept throughout the book to grapple with but it soon settles down.occupation?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0709090641</amazonuk>1846976537
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Marcelo FiguerasOnyi Nwabineli|title=KamchatkaAllow Me to Introduce Myself|rating=34.5
|genre=General Fiction
|summary=Initially I was very excited and interested when The Bookbag was given this novel Anuri spent her childhood on display to review. Set at a time in which I lived in Buenos Airesthe world, I was looking forward thanks to a fictionalised account of these traumatic years her step- made all the more appealingmother Ophelia's increasingly popular presence on social media, as the narrator purported to be the eldest where she posted every step of the familyAnuri's two sons childhood for sponsorships and influencer deals and, basically, monetary gain. Now Anuri is in her twenties and she is slowly trying to regain her confidence and to get her life back, suing her step- 10 year old 'Haroldo' as he comes mother to be known, having by necessity left his former identity behindtake down the content about her. In this respect Anuri is battling alcoholism, I was failing to be sadly disappointedstart her PhD, undergoing therapy and secretly abusing people online and receiving money from them for doing so. The majority of the novel comprises recollections from an adult Haroldo - not quite what the Amazon blurb Most importantly, nor the précis on the covershe is desperately worried about her little sister, leads who is the reader to believe! In fairness, the author cannew focus of Ophelia't be blamed for this - but I felt mislead by the dust jacket - which may have coloured my enjoyments online empire. Can she save her sister, and which lead, in part, to perhaps herself and her relationship with her father at the relatively low star rating which I gave the book.same time?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1843548267</amazonuk>0861546873
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=PJ Vanston1529153298|title=CrumpThe List of Suspicious Things|author=Jennie Godfrey|rating=35
|genre=General Fiction
|summary=It's Kevin Crump1979 and Margaret Thatcher is Prime Minister. (A woman? I mean, honestly...) She's first day as a lecturer at Thames Metropolitan University - an ex-polytechnicnot what's worrying Miv's family, though. Women have been disappearing. It Well, they's the happiest day of his lifeve been murdered, and he canbut to have 'disappeared' doesn't wait sound quite so frightening. Miv's upset because she's overheard that her father wants to see all that it holdsmove the family 'Down South'. When you're from Yorkshire, and make Down South is a difference to all his studentsfrightening, foreign place, best avoided. And then it hits him: the relentless pettiness of authority figures For Miv, the students who can't string two sentences togethermove would mean leaving her best friend, the lowering of standards in search of higher test scores, so more money from foreign studentsSharon, and political correctness gone (as I believe she'll do anything to prevent that. She's not worried about the saying goes) maddangers or that her Mum's stopped talking - to anyone.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1848762852</amazonuk>
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Alex Chance1035906708|title=Savage BloodDiva|author=Daisy Goodwin|rating=4.5
|genre=General Fiction
|summary=The book's cover is a very good clue We tend to think of Maria Callas as Greek, but she was born to its content: weapons dripping Greek parents in blood and decapitated heads. The novel starts with Professor Edward Quinn on a rather unusual journey. It seems to end abruptly and in plenty of spilled bloodManhattan, gore and horrendous scenes of carnage. MeanwhileNew York, in Atlanta, USA, Dr Cortez has been cheating on his wife. His one-night stand proves satisfactory December 1923 and interesting in all sorts of ways. Suddenly, he's involved in an extremely worrying medical situation. It needs only moved to be sorted - and quicklyAthens when she was thirteen. Cortez is a young, modern professional Her original surname was Kalogeropoulos but heher father changed it to 's human also, so not without his hang-ups. The conversations between himself and his even Callas' to make it more successful wife, are bang on. They hit manageable in the right noteStates. Many will identify with the couple. At times you can almost hear the friction between them. And the manWhen she was back in Athens -tosupposedly so that she could get appropriate training for her voice -man conversations between Charlie Cortez she was raised under the Nazi occupation by a mother who mercilessly exploited her and his buddy Dan are terrific. Trying hard to be big shots in a social situation when really they are out made no secret of their depth. A great introduction to this part of the storyher preference for her elder sister, I thoughtJackie.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0434019364</amazonuk>
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Elizabeth BuchanAlexander McCall Smith|title=Separate BedsThe Perfect Passion Company|rating=4.5|genre=Women's General Fiction|summary=Annie The Perfect Passion Company is a dating agency in Edinburgh, run by Ness and Tom Nicholson looked like operating as an alternative to all the sort of people you would envyonline apps in providing a more personal, tailored service. Both had rewarding jobsNess has asked her younger cousin Katie if she could come and look after the business, Tom in the World Service and Annie in hospital management. They had as Ness is planning to take a trip to Canada to get away for a lovely home and three grown-up childrenwhile. But all Katie is not as it seems. For five years they have had separate existences after a family row when Tom caused his elder daughter to walk coming out of a break up with a bad boyfriend, and so jumps at the house and never returnchance to come home to Edinburgh. There hasn't been a catalyst which would have caused them And so begins this new story from Alexander McCall Smith, bringing us to an Edinburgh we already love, thanks to separate but Tom moved into his daughter's vacated room 44 Scotland Street and he and Annie have lived together - the Isabel Dalhousie novels, but apartwith some new characters who quickly begin to charm. It could have gone on indefinitely Katie has no experience in running a business, or in match-making, but then Tom came home one day Ness has full confidence in her abilities, and there's always her very helpful (and dropped the bombshell which could well finish them off.rather handsome) neighbour, William, to lend a hand…|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0141019891</amazonuk>1846976596
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Geoff DyerDean Koontz|title=Jeff in Venice, Death in VaranasiThe Bad Weather Friend|rating=34.5|genre=Literary FictionParanormal|summary=Meet JeffBenny is having a terrifically bad day. He's a journalist living in Londonloses his job, with a fine line in delaying he loses his work effort fiancee, and a keen eye for detailhis house gets trashed. He can see how the world is made better by Oh, and someone has delivered a smile from a random shopkeeper really weird, disturbing coffin- yet seems too grumpy sized object to try it himself. Instead he suspects his habit of walking roundhome, mouthing and it's possible that whoever or speaking out whatever was inside is the thing that has trashed his own inner thoughts house! The thing is, Benny is the very last person to deserve all this bad luck. He is making him seem a scary old mannice person. He can partly address this, by dying his hairA really nice person. And he can stop walking round London when he gets commissions So fortunately for Benny it turns out that the delivery to his house is a new friend, a bad weather friend called Spike, who has been sent to report back help him since Benny is clearly under attack from the modern arts Biennale in Venicenefarious forces for being a good person. SoonSpike is going to take care of Benny, howeverand will certainly take care of Benny's enemies, the only work of art if he, Benny, and Harper (a waitress slash Private Investigator who finds herself roped into Benny's at all worried about goes by the name of Laura..wild adventure) can figure out who exactly they are.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>184767271X</amazonuk>1662500491
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Diane ChamberlainKatherine Howe|title=Secrets She Left BehindA True Account|rating=4.5
|genre=General Fiction
|summary=This Hannah Masury is living in Boston, having been sent to live with a family who run an inn, and being made to work there from a young age. When she hears there is to be a hanging of some pirates in the third novel I've read by Diane Chamberlain town, she decides to go and I felt as if I was visiting an old friendwatch. I enjoyed Enthralled and horrified in equal measure, Hannah finds herself embroiled in a young boy's death at the other hands of two books vicious pirates. She hides away, so that they don't find and kill her too, and then to escape them completely she runs away to sea, dressing as a boy and this one looked promisingjoining the notorious Ned Low's pirate ship as a cabin boy. Although many She soon finds herself in the thick of the characters spill over things when there is a mutiny on board, and from [[Before there we are caught up in her rip roaring tale of life on the Storm by Diane Chamberlain|Before The Storm']] this current book is a stand aloneocean waves. |amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>077830387X</amazonuk>0861547438
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Priya Basil1471180158|title=The Obscure Logic of the HeartMaybe Tomorrow|author=Penny Parkes|rating=4.5
|genre=General Fiction
|summary=Lina is from Jamie Matson works in an upper-class grocery store, for a man who's a control freak with all the subtlety of a devout Muslim family half brick. Jamie's son, Bo, 'has his problems'. He's asthmatic and lives with her aunt while she studies law the more you read, the more you'll suspect that he's on the autistic spectrum. Sometimes Jamie needs to take time off at university; where short notice - she meets Anil's a frequent flier in the local A&E and sometimes Bo's not fit enough to go to school. Anil is a Kenyan boy Missed shifts or the need to be away on time to pick Bo up from a non-practicing Sikh family who dreams of becoming a ground-breaking architect. The two fall school are occasions when Jamie can be controlled and put in love but as the lies they have wrong. It was going to tell their respective families become more and more elaborate they are forced come to make some difficult decisionsa head.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0385611455</amazonuk>
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Diana EvansB0CKD1L5JL|title=The WonderRadio Free Olympia|author=Jeffrey Dunn
|rating=4
|genre=General Fiction
|summary=Lucas and Denise have been Petr is an orphan. Rescued by the strange, reclusive Bear, he is brought up by their grandmother on a canal boat far from bustling cities and busy human society, in west London, after the death forests of their parentsWashington's Olympic Peninsula. Now they are After Bear dies and a brief sojourn in their 20shuman company, and their grandmother Toreth is gone. Denise is armed with only a practical and responsible young womanpirate radio transmitter, getting Petr goes on with her job as a floristjourney through the forest, but her younger brother Lucas is a dreamerbroadcasting the strange, still trying to establish what wild and rarely heard voices he wants to do with his life, and increasingly distracted by trying to find out more about his identity, about who his parents were, especially his fatherencounters.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0099479052</amazonuk>
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Margaret Henderson SmithSarah Marsh|title=A Question Sign of AnswersHer Own
|rating=3.5
|genre=General Fiction
|summary=This novel has been based on factAfter a bout of scarlet fever as a child, Ellen Lark loses her hearing. McGill moves back and forth with various characters' storiesSuddenly plunged into a world of silence, everything about her life changes. A child has died Living in a time when the family home and the motheruse of sign language was seen as something only savages do, Harriet has been tried in Ellen is sent to a court of law and found guilty. The fact that school where she is a practicaltaught to lip read, no-nonsense woman who does not wear her heart on her sleeve does not go down well with the majority of the jurybut physically restrained from signing. She has also committed another crime, almost equally as graveFrom here, she ends up in another school studying under Alexander Graham Bell who has sullied been teaching the family name of her husband. He is deaf and using a prominent and respected member of the local communitysystem called Visible Speech. Nothing will be At the same again for either time, Bell is working on other inventions and ideas, and Ellen finds herself unwittingly caught up in a complicated tangle of themespionage.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0755370686</amazonuk>1035401614
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Jean KwokB0BC3YTCMR|title=Girl in TranslationGood Girls Die|author=Ayura Ayira
|rating=4.5
|genre=General Fiction
|summary=When Kimberly Chang and her mother emigrate to the USA from Hong Kong they believe that, true to the American Dream, their lives are about to get better. However, although Kimberly's aunt paid their air fares and arranged their green cards she 'This story is intent on getting her money backnot for everyone. She arranges their accommodation in a run-down part of Brooklyn in a building where they are the only tenants. Their apartment has broken windows, no heating and is rife with cockroaches and rats. The aunt arranges work for Kim's mum in her husband's Chinatown factory, paying her a pittance for piece work and then taking most of her salary away for repayments on their flights and their accommodation. Huddled around their oven for warmth, wearing layers of clothing made from material they found in the trash, their lives seem incredibly bleak. But Kimberly has brains, and determination, and she is adamant that she will find a way to take care of her mother.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1905490623</amazonuk>}}
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Laura Elliot1472263936|title=Stolen ChildThe Figurine|author=Victoria Hislop|rating=45
|genre=General Fiction
|summary=The title of It was in 1968 that Helena McCloud made her first trip to Greece. She was alone: her mother, Greek by birth, had left the book leaves us in no doubt as family home and refused to what itreturn, but Mary and Hamish (Helena's all aboutparents) felt that it would be a pity if Helena grew up without knowing her grandparents or understanding her Greek heritage. It does exactly what it says on Her trip to the family apartment in up-market Kolonaki would be the tinfirst of several annual visits. But those twoShe grew to love her grandmother and the family's maid, Dina, small words are wrapped up in plenty but was wary - and frightened - of emotions for the characters involvedher grandfather, retired general Stamatis Papagiannis. In some ways, it's worse than a deathHe was proud of his close connections to the Junta and expected his family to uphold his values but saw no reason to accommodate them. With death, thereHis prejudices included Helena's closure but with a baby being stolen therered hair and green eyes - inherited from her father's living hell. And, as you would expect, some characters cope with all of this better than othersScottish ancestors.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1847561462</amazonuk>
}}
|genre=General Fiction
|summary=Evereyone's favouriteMichael Mace, Head of Security, Bertieat a top secret biological research facility, is still struggling with his over-protective, overamong 55 people who die when a virus is released in a bio-zealous mother Irenehazard accident. Poor Bertie. He still has yoga classFinding himself in a makeshift mortuary, saxophone lessonscovered in plastic, Italian lessonshe has a sense that something very, very bad has happened to him – and only him – as he longs to go away to Scout camp, but really doesn't want sits up and looks around at the shrouded bodies of his mum to come along as a helperdead friends and former colleagues. And, as the title suggestsAs he recovers his senses, he realises that there is looking forward to being sevensomething different about him; he can ''feel'' everything. His little brother, Ulysses, is getting bigger and has developed an interesting reaction to their mother, whilst Irene herself goes missing in a rather mysterious manner.''Everything''. Michael isn't ''Michael'' anymore.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1846971454</amazonuk>1662500467}} {{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Shannon BurkeB0BVDC2VWH|title=Black Flies|rating=3.5|genre=General Fiction|summary=Ollie Cross has failed to get into medical school. While he thinks about what he plans to do, he takes a job as a paramedic on the tough streets of Harlem, New York City, and finds his whole perspective on life and death beginning to shift.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0099535491</amazonuk>}} {{newreviewThe Grave Listeners|author=Frances Kay|title=MickaWilliam Frank
|rating=4
|genre=General Fiction
|summary=Micka The village is isolated and Laurie are two ten year old boyspoor. TheyIt're in the same class at school and are friends, of s surrounded by a sortWitching Forest. They both have vivid imaginations, And the villagers subsist largely by farming Uphegia plants - its bread-like fruit provides nutrition and Laurie's plans involve finding a magical bone and using it for murderits blossom provides herbal medicines. Micka lives with his mum (who can't read and is often drunk) The black wood of the forest provides heat and his two older brothers who get into fightswarmth, are involved in crimeroofs on homes, and who abuse Micka physically and sexually. Laurie lives with his parents, until they suddenly break upeven gallows, and he is left with his mum who seems to be having a breakdownif needed. The book fear of being buried alive is told from an existential superstition in the point of view of village and that is the two boys, and so as we see how their own lives are falling apartreason Volushka, sympathising with them, we also read with horror their own descent into violence.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0330513826</amazonuk>}} {{newreview|author=Susan Wiggs|title=Just Breathe|rating=4|genre=Women's Fiction|summary=Sarah may be struggling to make a living off it, but she does enjoy her job as a cartoonist. She's been through a lot recentlydrunken, including her husband's battle with cancerself-indulgent, and her alter ego Shirl provides an outlet for lazy lout of a lot of the emotions and confusion she's feelingman is tolerated.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0778303543</amazonuk>
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=A J CroninB0BYF82CXT|title=Dr Finlay's CasebookSemi-Detached|author=Deborah Stone
|rating=4
|genre=General Fiction
|summary=Most people will have heard of Dr Finlay, although they may not be entirely sure why - A J Cronin's stories of 'Bill and Amanda are living in a fictional doctor in presemi-War Scotland have been televised over the yearsdetached house, most recently stuck in the nineties a depressing rut of boredom and disappointment, when David Rintoul starred as Dr Finlay. Although fictionalTerry and Fiona – glamorous, A J Cronin, who died successful and very much in love – move in 1981next door. Despite their different outlooks on life, was himself a doctor the couples befriend each other and has apparently based some of Finlay's experiences on his ownlife appears to improve for both pairs. This omnibus But all is made up of two books by Croninnot what it seems, Dr Finlay of Tannochbrae, published in 1978 and Adventures of a Black Bag, published in 1943, both collections of short storiestheir increasingly interconnected relationships are fated for tragedy.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1841588547</amazonuk>''
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Clancy MartinShalini Boland|title=How To SellThe Silent Bride
|rating=3
|genre=General Fiction
|summary=In the 1980's, 16 year old Bobby Clark gets expelled from his high school Alice and Seth are a match made in Canada heaven. He is everything she has been searching for stealing; handsome, accomplished, clever, funny; total and utter husband-material. This She is all he could possibly want in a young boy wife; beautiful, successful, confident… and so immoral that he pilfers his own mother's the inevitable proposal is eagerly accepted by Alice and the wedding ring to pawn for cash to keep a girl happyis planned and set. After When the girl turns out to be less interested in him than he much-anticipated day arrives, Alice is in walked down the aisle by herfather, he follows beaming with pride and excitement as she surveys the congregation – their friends assembled to celebrate this joyful day and when Seth turns to face his older brother Jim to Texas, where he gets a job working with Jim in a jewellery store. As he falls into a life of scamsapproaching bride, drugs, hookers, gorgeous women, and an obsession with JimAlice's girlfriend Lisaworld implodes because she has absolutely no idea who the man at the altar is, it's clear that this coming of age story who is a tragedy waiting for her to happenbecome his wife.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0099532182</amazonuk>1662507089
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Patrick Marrinan1787636003|title=Degrees The Girls of GuiltSummer|author=Katie Bishop|rating=3.5
|genre=General Fiction
|summary=The Police broke into It was the apartment in Sandymount Village in Dublin summer when Rachel Evans turned eighteen that she and Caroline went backpacking around Greece and woke Yuri Komarova rather roughlyarrived on the island. HeRachel wasn'd been drinking heavilyt exactly innocent but she was, smoking dope and was difficult perhaps, naive, so when thirty-four-year-old Alistair Wright started to arousetake an interest in her, but on the floor near his bed she was the knife which he had apparently used to stab his mother to deathflattered rather than wary. He seemed to have no memory of this but It was quite a while before he spoke little English and had the mental age made any sort of a twelve-year old. An interpreter helped with the questioning physical approach to her and when the case came to trial his defence relied on proving by that he had been sleep-walking at the time of the murder and had no intention of killing his mothershe was obsessed by him. This is Alistair worked for Henry Taylor, looking after his interests on the most difficult defence to uphold island and there was in particular in the added problem that Yuri seemed to have lied to bar where all the police when he told them that his mother had very little money as some Russian icons were found in a strongbox and they were worth several million Eurosgirls either worked or partied.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0709090749</amazonuk>
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Katie KitamuraAmanda Craig|title=The LongshotThree Graces|rating=4.5
|genre=General Fiction
|summary=Cal and his longFew styles of contemporary fiction interest me like the state-time trainer Riley travel down to the town of Tijuana in Mexico for a crucial rematch with -the undefeated champion Rivera-nation novel. Three years earlier CalThere's promising career had been derailed following a close yet devastating defeat at something so utterly compelling about any writer who can catch hold of the atmosphere of the hands day and capture it, crafting an image of Rivera. After that defeat Cal carried on fighting but never reached the same heights country as beforeit stands in one particular moment. Now he finally gets To say that Amanda Craig is skilled at doing this would be embarrassingly inadequate: she's practically synonymous with the chance to face his nemesis once moregenre of contemporary social fiction at this point. The story takes place in She has such a gift for weaving the two days before ongoing issues of the rematch as he and Riley prepare for day into the biggest fight lives of his life, her characters in a fight way that could once again end feels natural and lived-in tragedy, never making them ciphers for social commentary but instead fully realised people, grappling with issues far larger than themselves.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1847374999</amazonuk>140871468X
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Laurie Graham152915118X|title=At SeaPineapple Street|author=Jenny Jackson|rating=4.5
|genre=General Fiction
|summary=I've already read Graham's Pineapple Street''The Future Homemakers is the story of Americathree women: Sasha, Darley and Georgiana. Darley and George are sisters and Sasha is married to their brother Cord. They' It was goodre Stocktons, but not particularly memorable only Sasha isn't a Stockton by birth so I was keen to read this novelshe isn't readily accepted into the tribe. The reader is introduced problem's exacerbated when the clan matriarch, Tilda, asks Cord and Sasha if they'd like to two vastly differing opposites in move into the shape of Mr and Mrs FinchPineapple Street property. WellTilda and Chip have renovated and downsized to another property, Lady Enid (English) and Professor Bernard (American) Fincha street or so away, to be precisewhich they own. And weThey won're transported straight away onto the decks t need any of the liner 'Golden Memories' furniture from Pineapple Street, so Sasha and Graham starts to have her fun: Cord can move straight in. with the languageNominally, they had a choice but that wasn't the characters reality. Darley and Georgiana start to call Sasha 'the whole set-upgold digger'. She's living in ''their'' family home. They use it so often that they abbreviate it to 'the GD'.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1849162182</amazonuk>
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{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Laura BartonEmily Critchley|title=Twenty-One LocksPuzzling Afternoon
|rating=4
|genre=General FictionCrime|summary=This debut novel's central character is 20 84 year old sales girlEdie has lived in the same small town for almost her whole life, but now she is facing a move as her son wants to move to another house and bring Edie to live with his family, Jeannieas Edie is starting to lose her memory. She lives However, Edie is tormented by the memory of her childhood friend, Lucy, who went missing over 60 years ago, and the worry that there was a very humdrum life in a rather ugly, down-at-heel town in secret she was keeping for Lucy that somehow might be the thing that reveals the northtruth of what happened all that time ago. And straight away Barton treats After 'seeing' Lucy in the high street, just as she was the reader last time she saw her, she starts to find pockets of memories coming back to her lovely, descriptive prose. For exampleAnd yet as she remembers the past, when the reader she is given some detail about Jeannie's workplace at the perfume forgetting more and cosmetics counter where ..more in her day to day life. 'Will she uncover the lipsticks ... all lined up like chorus girls ...' Bartontruth about Lucy's writing style is very easy to readdisappearance before her move, very fluid and I found myself getting right into the story straight away - and caring about Jeannie.before her memories are gone forever?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1849161747</amazonuk>1804181250
}}
{{Frontpage
|author=Madelaine Lucas
|title=Thirst for Salt
|rating=5
|genre=Literary Fiction
|summary= ''Love, I'd read, was supposed to be a light and weightless feeling, but I had always longed for gravity''
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Francine Prose0008506337|title=Goldengrove|rating=4.5|genre=General Fiction|summary=On a hot day Nico and her older sister Margaret take a boat out onto Mirror Lake, but only Nico returns after Margaret dives off the boat and doesn't resurface. Margaret's sudden death tears through Nico and her parents' lives, and each mourn for her in their own way. Unable to find the help she needs from her parents, who are both consumed by their own grief to help Nico to come to terms with her loss, Nico turns to the vast array of books in Goldengrove, her father's bookshop, for answers, and soon embarks on a dangerous relationship with Margaret's boyfriend Aaron, the only person who seems to understand her grief.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1848870361</amazonuk>}} {{newreviewThe Garnett Girls|author=Julie Orringer|title=The Invisible BridgeGeorgina Moore
|rating=5
|genre=General Fiction
|summary=In a story that takes us from the elegance of ParisThe love affair between Margo Garnett and poet Richard O'Leary was all-consuming, through the streets of Budapest and apparently on into the Hungarian countryside both sides. Margo was just sixteen when they fell in love. Richard was twenty-one and the Ukraine this is described by Margo's mother as 'an epic tale, masterfully toldolder man'. It is 1937 Her parents worried that Richard's influence would take her away from what they felt she could achieve - going to Oxford and Andras Levi, having a young Hungarian Jewish student, is about to leave his brother Tibor to go and study architecture in Parisglittering career. Andras' story unfolds first amongst In the beautiful buildings of Parisevent, the theatres they eloped and Richard took her away from the bars, as he struggles in his studies Isle of Wight. Margo did go to Oxford and falls in love with went on to become a beautiful ballerina who has a terrible secret to hidewell-respected journalist. As the tragedy of World War 2 edges ever closer to AndrasThe couple had three children: Rachel, the book moves back to HungaryImogen and Sasha. Life was lived in London and holidays were spent at Sandcove, to the little village where Andras and his brothers grew up, to Budapest where his new family live and home on the Isle of Wight. Even then on into the forced labour camps across Hungarydoubts about Richard's drinking were never far from Margo's mind: ''she would never be able to leave him in charge''. |amazonuk=<amazonuk>0670914584</amazonuk>}}
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Guy Fraser1914585402|title=Avenging the Dashboard Elvis is Dead|author=David F Ross|rating=34.5
|genre=General Fiction
|summary=ItI reviewed David F Ross's book [[There's Only One Danny Garvey by David F Ross|There's 1863 and the Superintendent covering the inner city area Only One Danny Garvey]] a couple of Glasgow has his hands full. First off an alarming forgery scandal has just been discovered years back and no sooner has he drawn breath than one, two remember being absolutely floored by how powerful and counting suspicious deaths occuraffecting it was. InstinctivelyIt was a gripping, I want to say that it's all goodemotionally wounding read, clean fun. Because and rereading my review of it is. The language Fraser uses is very much of my main takeaway was that era which lends the book a particular old-fashioned and rather twee, charm. It's all over the book in spades. On almost every page. Let me give you just one endearing example of the flavour of the book 'None of Mrs Maitland's four regulars at her superior guest house for single gentlemen would even dream of taking another's seat ..I might not have lavished enough praise on it.'|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0709090684</amazonuk>
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Jodi ComptonLucy Ashe|title=Hailey's WarClara and Olivia|rating=4.5
|genre=General Fiction
|summary=At the beginning of the book, Hailey Cain The year is a 23 year old cycle courierliving in San Francisco1933. The story then takes a step back in time place? Sadler's Wells. Ballerinas Clara and Olivia are sisters, twins no less. Identical on the outside but not, wediscover that she had to leave West Point Military Academy during herfinal yearlearn, on the inside. And not on stage, for reasons she prefers to keep to herselfeither. I continued to read under the assumption Because there's a lot that Hailey had done something which forced her to leavebuilds a dancer. Hernext move is Some things that can be taught or learnt – discipline, attention to L.Adetail – and some things, that ''je ne sais quoi'', where she spent that don't come from the latter part of her childhoodclassroom.During these yearsA stage presence, her mother with whom she hasa charm, at besta ''joie de vivre''. The difference between a hard-worker, a very strained relationship is no source of comfort and Hailey develops a very close attachment to her cousin CJ. Aspects of this relationship make for uncomfortable reading at timesstar.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1847373577</amazonuk>0861544080
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{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Andrew GrantHeather Fawcett|title=Die Twice (David Trevellyan)Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries
|rating=4
|genre=General Fiction
|summary=The title Emily Wilde is very much at home an expert academic scholar on faerie lore, and in keeping with the thriller genre she has travelled extensively, and itresearched meticulously, to write her life's both eye-catching and also has a perfectly reasonable explanation which comes right at work, the very end first encyclopaedia of the storyfaeries. I must admit Whilst she is brilliant at research and speaking to thrillers generally faeries, she is not being my most favourite reading materialso good with people. Some can be a bit flashySo when she finds herself far, a bit trashy even. But far North in the small village of Hrafvsnik, having somehow offended the village matriarch, she is not this novel. Right from the start I felt I was in for a goodsure what she has done, intelligent read. There were pointers nor how to this all over redeem herself and put her final investigations for her book back on the placeright track. For startersEnter Wendell Bambleby, her dashingly handsome and insufferable rival who arrives unexpectedly, all charm and delight, David Trevellyan has a nice line in witty humourmuch to Emily's frustration. There are numerous snazzy one-liners. But why is he here? What does he want? It all went down very well.And what exactly is going on with the faerie folk around Hravsnik?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0230747582</amazonuk>0356519120
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{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Jonathan Lee1398515388|title=Who Is Mr Satoshi?The Boy and the Dog|author=Seishu Hase and Alison Watts (translator)|rating=34.5
|genre=General Fiction
|summary=The novel opens somewhere First of all, it was the earthquake, deep in the Home Counties ocean floor, which created the tsunami and Rob Fossick is attending his mother's funeralthis, in turn, caused the nuclear meltdown. The event in itself is extremely distressing result was complete and also depressing for him; factor in that he's become a bit of a recluse lately and I could feel the sheer loneliness creeping into Rob's very bonesutter devastation. Lee describes The deaths were uncountable, and the event as 'Zimmer frames, bifocals, trifocals, dark grey coats with yawning shouldersloss of livelihoods was widespread. The apparatus fact that many pets were separated from their owners came far down the list of old agepriorities but - six months after the tsunami - Kazumasa Nakagaki discovered a dog outside a convenience store. He wasn'|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0434020419</amazonuk>t a dog person but the convenience store owner's comment that he would call Public Health prompted Kazumasa to open his car door and Tamon the dog jumped in.
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{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Hazel McHaffieChristopher Bowden|title=Remember RememberMr Magenta
|rating=4
|genre=General Fiction
|summary=Christopher Bowden's latest novel is a patient untangling of a seemingly ordinary woman's life, carried out by her nephew after she has died. The story starts at the end and works back in time. This works extremely well as we see Doris Mannering, mother, grandmother aunt who always provided a safe harbour and great-grandmother now living in a residential home. The decision little bit of indulgence to 'put mother' into a home was very, very difficult and young nephew had had a much more interesting life than that nephew Stephen had been put off time ever realised and time again. We come it seems to realize that this was a heart-wrenching decision. The daughter and carer, Jessica, will always be asking herself if she'd done the right thing, made the right decision for the right reasons. A veritable minefield. And here is where many him an ethical dilemma lies for many families in real-life similar situationsobligation to find it all out.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1906817294</amazonuk>B0B6Z9VJDW
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=John NivenJennifer Mason|title=The AmateursPartitions of Unity
|rating=4
|genre=General Fiction
|summary=Gary Irvine only wants two things out of life. He'd like to have children and he wants to reduce his golf handicap. Nothing extraordinary thereHere at Bookbag Towers, you might think except for the fact that his wifewe first met Elizabeth Cromwell, Paulinedominatrix and unintentional detective in [[Preposterous: An Elizabeth Cromwell Mystery by Jennifer Mason|Preposterous]], is planning to leave him for a self-made carpet millionaire when she investigated and Gary is unravelled a dreadful golferseries of disappearances. His handicap is eighteen – but IIn 'm not entirely certain how he got it down to that level in the first place. His family doesn't give him much solace either. His brother Lee is on the fringes Partitions of the local criminal underworld and hasnUnity''t the wit to keep himself out of trouble with Ranta Campbell, the local overlord. Ranta could be quite likeable if it wasn't for his penchant for a certain type of violence designed she sets her mind to keep the others in line rather than to teach the victim solving a lessonmurder...|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0099516667</amazonuk>B09LQR9FRF
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{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Adam RossWill Carver|title=Mr Peanut|rating=3.5|genre=General Fiction|summary=The main couple who tend to take centre stage here are called David and Alice Pepin. They live a kind of comfortable, middle-class life in busy and bustling Manhattan. After more than a decade of generally happy married life together, they want to take the next step and have a family. Easy to say but things don't quite work out according to plan. We are taken on various 'dark' journeys within their marriage. These are situations which most of us can identify with. Some of these situations are painful, stressful, unhappy.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0224087738</amazonuk>}} {{newreview|author=Nicholas Shakespeare|title=InheritanceDaves Next Door
|rating=4
|genre=General Fiction
|summary=Andy Larkham's life and career are going nowhere. He works for Five strangers come together in one moment as a small publishing house, Carpe Diem, that specialises in publishing self-help books, his fiancée is about to dump him and he has no money and mountains of debt. And that's before we begin suicide bomber prepares to talk about detonate his dysfunctional familyvest on a London tube line. His only real role model was As their fates overlap, the Montaigne-loving teacher, Stuart Furnivall, whose funeral he story is late for. But an unexpected inheritance of £17 million has a habit of changing one's outlook on life. But while he trades self-help for help yourselftold in backwards order, Andy also realises that he has inherited a mysteryleading up to the fateful moment.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1846553156</amazonuk>1914585186}} {{newreviewFrontpage|author=Cath StaincliffeJennifer Mason|title=The Kindest ThingPreposterous: An Elizabeth Cromwell Mystery
|rating=4
|genre=General Fiction
|summary=Imagine that your partner of twenty or so years discovers that they are dying from ''A struggling poetry zine, a mom-and-pop mobile diner in the Northern California redwoods, a 400-meter hurdler who just missed the 2004 Olympics, a terminal disease. Now imagine that theywomen've asked you to help them to die s track coach with a little sooneryen for bullwhips, on their own terms. What would you do? This is a billionaire with a state-of-the dilemma that faced Deborah and-art S&M dungeon, a man serving a life sentence in Alabama, an enigmatic signature, after she went ahead and helped her husband Neil to dieK(s, she found herself charged and standing trial for murder with her own teenage daughterx), Sophieon a cheap oil painting, testifying against heran erotic art dealer in Georgia...|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1849012083</amazonuk>}}''
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