Tag Archive | book review

Witch Hunt by B D Spargo

Aug14

An Intricate Plotline

Witch Hunt by B D Spargo is a fast-paced contemporary murder suspense which I enjoyed. It is the second book in the DCI Liam Doyle thriller series but can be read as a stand-alone. I recommend reading book one first for character development, background and progression.

I enjoyed meeting with familiar faces, and witnessing their interactions, and seeing their support for each other. The inclusion of nick names shows that the characters feel secure with each other.

After an attack in book one, it was good to see the return of an officer. It was easy to empathise with the feelings of fear and uncertainty. B D Spargo certainly puts the reader in the minds of his characters.

The characters are an eclectic mix. The villains are menacing. The law enforcement officers are relentless in their pursuit of justice.

All the characters are fully rounded and believable. The homelife of some is included. We see the pressure of police work on home lives. Doyle’s young son who has autism was extremely well drawn. He brought out the mothering instinct in me.

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Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult & Jennifer Finney Boylan

Aug12

Be Yourself

Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult  & Jennifer Finney Boylan is a powerful contemporary novel that consumed me from the start.

I have always loved Jodi Picoult’s novels and Mad Honey is no exception.

The plotline surrounds a young man, Asher, who is accused of murdering his girlfriend, Lily. The reader follows the trial through the eyes of Asher’s mother after the event; and we hear Lily’s voice leading up to the event. Two women who love Asher. The reader wants to believe that Asher is innocent – but even his mum has doubts.

A major theme is that of being true to yourself. “You’re the only one who gets to decide who you’re going to be. You don’t have to be just like your father.” We must not let anyone mould us into being someone we are not.

It is heartbreaking to see a character suffering at the hands of the bullies. Even their own father bullies his offspring. There is a heartbreaking scene that leaves a youngster powerless.

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The Very Secret Society Of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna

Aug12

Leave A Window Open

The Very Secret Society Of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna is a very charming contemporary fantasy novel that I adored.

As the novel opened, I sank into its’ pages, cocooned with love, and enchanted by the tale to the very end.

The setting is mainly at Nowhere House in Norfolk, which “was… a place made up of fractured pieces that, somehow, had come together to make something whole and wonderful.” It is a house that has become a home to its’ various inhabitants from all sorts of different walks of life. Love is the glue that binds them all together.

Into this atmosphere comes Mika, a young woman who has been hurt throughout her life. For her safety when she was young, a variety of nannies were employed – the result has been isolation and a lack of love. Mika draws away from feelings, knowing that hurt will follow (in her experience). “Mika has been so deeply hurt that she has taught herself to run before she can lay down roots… all you can do is leave a window open… so that one day, if [she chooses], [she] can come back.” Mika is crying out to be loved and to know that there are people who will love her and want her to love them too. “It’s leap of faith to love people and let yourself be loved.”

We learn about the desire not just for a house but for a home. “I want one place I can be myself. I just want a home.” We all long to belong and be loved.

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My Great Aunt’s Diary by Laura Sweeney

Aug8

Choose Love

My Great Aunt’s Diary by Laura Sweeney is a marvellous dual timeline novel that I thoroughly enjoyed. It is the second book in the Dovecote Cottages series but can be read as a stand-alone.

The action is set in 1943 and 2016. We ‘hear’ about the action in real time and also via an old diary. The diary is about forbidden love. It ends abruptly, causing the Great Aunt’s niece to search for the end of the story. The search takes her across the sea to Ireland and then back again to Dovecote.

The novel opens in Brighton in 1943 and London in 2016. Both time periods see the characters ending up in Dovecote, unexpectedly. 1943 sees a family bombed out of their Brighton house. In 2016 a cottage is left to a character in a will.

There is loss within the novel. “Grief never really leaves you; you just get better at living with it.” The journey of grief is not linear. There are both good and bad days, one just has to cope the best one can.

In 1943 we see characters having to hide their true selves as social norms of the day mean that certain relationships cannot come to light. “I wanted her [Mum] not to pity me or see me as something broken, or deviant. But I didn’t know how she’d react if I told her.” It is heartbreaking to read, especially as the reader learns, along with the character, that her Mum loves her unconditionally.

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