Veronika Jordan's Blog, page 107

Cry Baby – A Tom Thorne Novel by Mark Billingham

In the summer of 1996, two boys run from a playground into the adjoining woods, but only one comes out. DS Tom Thorne takes on a case that quickly spirals out of control when two people connected with the missing boy are murdered. As London prepares to host the European Soccer Championships, Thorne fights to keep on top of a baffling investigation while also dealing with the ugly fallout of his broken marriage. A prequel to Billingham’s acclaimed debut Sleepyhead – which the Times voted “one of the 100 books that had shaped the decade” – this compelling novel highlights the case that shaped the career of one of British crime fiction’s most iconic characters.

#CryBaby @MarkBillingham #TomThorne

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My Review

I thought ‘here we go another police procedural’ and for the first third I was becoming a little frustrated. But as I know this author is one of the best crime writers around I persevered and it just got better and better. The excitement ratcheted up a notch or ten and it became more tense and exciting with every new chapter. So many new twists that I had no idea who had taken Kieron up to the very end. Maybe some readers cleverer than me guessed but there were too many red herrings for me to be sure. And there is also an insight into why, when looking at suspects, you shouldn’t always judge a book by its cover.

By the final third I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the next stave (reading with The Pigeonhole for those who don’t know – one stave a day) and by the final one I even considered waiting till one o’clock in the morning to find out what happened.

I didn’t though, but I woke just after six and ploughed straight in. Yet another twist I hadn’t seen coming (to use a favourite book blurb cliche). The last few chapters raced along until everything became clear.

I loved the main characters – our hero Tom Thorne of course, Phil Hendricks (my favourite) and Paula Kimmel and hated in equal measures Boyle, Billy, Angie ‘babe’ and Dean.

Many thanks to The Pigeonhole and my fellow Pigeons for making this such an enjoyable read.

About the Author

Mark Billingham was born and brought up in Birmingham. Having worked for some years as an actor and more recently as a TV writer and stand-up comedian his first crime novel was published in 2001. Mark lives in North London with his wife and two children.

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Deadly Vengeance by OMJ Ryan

Some people can never escape their past.

Deadly Vengeance (Detective Jane Phillips #3) by OMJ Ryan #DeadlyVengeance @OMJRYAN1 #InkubatorBooks @damppebbles #damppebblesblogtours

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When the fifteen-year-old daughter of UK munitions dealer, Sir Richard Hawkins vanishes without a trace – the race is on to find her. But Sir Richard and his wife’s worst fears are realised when they receive a video of Hollie, tied to a chair, with a masked man holding a gun to her head.

The ransom demands are simple, pay four million pounds in cash – or they’ll never see their daughter again. DCI Jane Phillips is assigned to the case, and has no idea of who, or what she’s up against. But as the investigation unfolds, it becomes clear Hollie’s kidnapping was the work of a formidable gang – who operate in the shadows and will stop at nothing to get what they want.

As the pressure mounts, can Phillips and the team find Hollie before it’s too late? Or will this investigation signal not only the death of the Major Crimes Unit, but one of her beloved team, as well?

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My Review

The expression ‘fast-paced’ could have been created just for this book. Set in Manchester, it moves along at a cracking rate. The action never stops. I love the main characters – DCI Jane Phillips and her team DCs Jones, Bovalino and Entwistle. I know they have been together for years and it certainly feels like it. I haven’t read the previous novels in the series but it’s not necessary to do so in order to understand the relationships and history between them. Deadly Vengeance can be read as a standalone, though obviously we would know more about the characters’ back stories if we read the others first.

When Hollie Hawkins – the step-daughter of arms dealer Sir Richard Hawkins – is kidnapped, it becomes a race against time to find her before they carry out their threat to kill her. The kidnappers want four million pounds in cash and Sir Richard has exactly seven days to get the money. He’s a multi-millionaire so it’s pocket money to him, but will Hollie still be alive when they hand it over? And is this kidnapping far more complicated than it at first seems?

This is a perfect police procedural for fans of the genre – exciting, fast and furious. Lots of red herrings and in-depth investigations, lots of action and heart-stopping moments. Sir Richard is ghastly – every time he opens his mouth you know he cares more about the money than about Hollie. He name drops and throws his weight around and accuses everyone of being inadequate in their jobs. Jane’s boss Fox is also horrible as is Saxby from the Met who is brought in to advise on the kidnapping aspect of the investigation.

There is the usual banter between the ‘good cops’ as well as arguments and mud-slinging with the ‘bad cops’. It all adds to the interest. This would be a great TV series!

Many thanks to @damppebbles for inviting me to part of #damppebblesblogtours

About the Author

Hailing from Yorkshire, OMJ Ryan worked in radio and entertainment for over twenty years, collaborating with household names and accumulating a host of international writing and radio awards. In 2018 he followed his passion to become a full-time novelist, writing stories for people who devour exciting, fast-paced thrillers by the pool, on their commute – or those rare moments of downtime before bed. Owen’s mission is to entertain from the first page to the last.

Deadly Vengeance is the third Detective Jane Phillips book in the series and OMJ’s fourth book with Inkubator Books.

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The Resident by David Jackson

Thomas Brogan is a serial killer, and he has nowhere left to hide. At least until he finds an abandoned house at the end of a terrace on a quiet street. And when he discovers that he can access three other houses through the attic space, the real fun begins. Because the one thing that Brogan enjoys even more than killing, is playing games with his victims. And his new neighbours have more than enough dark secrets to make this game his best one yet…

#TheResident @Author_Dave   @ViperBooks

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My Review

This is a book about a serial killer – Thomas Brogan – on the run, who hides in the attics above four terraced houses, which can be accessed right across. The first house is empty and that is how he enters through the kitchen. House number two belongs to Elsie, an old lady who lost her son Alex in a tragic accident and whose only visitor is her carer, Kerry. House number three is occupied by Pam and Jack, who are constantly arguing, and a giant House of the Baskervilles. But it’s house number four that is the most exciting. Martyn and Collette live here and Collette is VERY attractive.

But Brogan isn’t just any old serial killer. He’s a sadistic, murderous, torturing ba*&^rd with an axe to grind (or a knife in this case). Brogan’s past is very unhappy and disturbed and he has committed some terrible crimes. So how can a book about a sadistic serial killer include humour? Well this one does. Very dark humour indeed. Even the burglar hitting Brogan with a frying pan (is this an homage to Bottom?) made me laugh.

I was reminded of the first episode of Luther series 3 in which the serial killer hides under the bed and watches the woman get undressed. He then gets the husband to look for the cat in the loft, kills him and pushes his head through the rafters. But at least he didn’t kill the cat and neither does Brogan. Well the dog in this case – Ralph next door who never seems to bark after the first ‘meeting’.

‘He knew it was Ralph.  “Ralph!” he said. At least that’s what it sounded like. Difficult to tell. It was more of a bark than a word. Which is only natural, seeing as it was coming from a dog.’

This book is like no other. It’s horrific and funny and terrifying all at the same time. Just the idea that someone is living in the loft is like one of those 1970s slasher movies where we scream ‘don’t go up there’ or ‘don’t open the cellar door’ but you know they will. It’s creepy and scary and not to be read when you are alone at night and definitely don’t open the hatch to the attic….you never know who might be hiding there.

Many thanks to The Pigeonhole, my fellow Pigeons and the author for making this such an enjoyable (if that’s the right word) read.

About the Author

From David himself: “I am the author of a series of crime thrillers featuring Irish-American NYPD Detective Callum Doyle. The first in the series, Pariah, was Highly Commended in the Crime Writers Association Debut Dagger Awards. It is published by Pan Macmillan. The follow-ups are The Helper and Marked, and I am hard at work on the fourth in the series. My writing influences include Ed McBain, Dennis Lehane, George Pelecanos, Robert Crais, Michael Connelly and Harlan Coben, amongst many others. My favourite quote about my work is one from the Guardian, now carried on the front of my novels: ‘Recalls Harlan Coben – though for my money Jackson is the better writer.'”

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Purple People by Kate Bulpitt

A curious scheme is afoot in Blighty. Attempting to tackle spiralling levels of crime and anti-social behaviour, the government has a new solution: to dye offenders purple.

For once, even journalist Eve Baxter is shocked – she’s spent years gathering the world’s weird and wacky news, but has never seen anything as loopy as this. Learning of these shamed ‘bruises on society’, the nation is agog – and divided. There’s anger and agreement, protest and debate. Oh, green and pleasant and now purple land…

But still, there’s a mystery to be solved: just how do the transformations to Purpleness occur? Transfixed by clues and conspiracies, Eve wonders if this could be her route into real news. And when her friends and family are affected by the Purple scheme, she begins to investigate…

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My Review

This book is original, hilarious, wacky and current. I can see this being my choice for most original book of the second half of 2020 and it’s only July.

There are so many parallels with what’s going on at the moment as well as things from the past. The question is asked at one point whether getting it wrong from time to time is worth it because it’s the best deterrent possible. People used to say that about capital punishment – in fact for a lot of people I know that is why they are against it (not because it’s barbaric, medieval and inhumane). Then there are the human rights issues (groan from the anti-snowflakes), the lack of transparency (I’m talking government secrets not a semi-opaque shade of lavender), how it’s administered, who is doing it – the questions are endless. I keep thinking Boris and Brexit – let’s let the public decide (more groans this time from the Remainers).

As a ‘liberal snowflake Remoaner’ (my favourite Twitter insult) I hate the whole idea, but even for me there are times during the book when I think – well I won’t lose any sleep over HIM being ‘turned’.

These are the serious issues though. The humour in this book is so brilliant. The purple people are referred to as Lavs (a mash-up of lavender and chavs) and there are endless different versions of purple from plum and mauve to indigo and violet, with a good degree of alliteration thrown in. The banter between the characters is one of the best things about the book. It’s hilarious.

Then of course we have Eve our hero and main protagonist. Eve is my soul sister – always feeling like an under-achiever, not taking the bull by the horns because she is not brave enough. Taking the easy route and hating confrontation. But this is her chance to prove herself and she throws herself in, albeit more stumble than jump, but we love her nonetheless.

And there are lots of other characters that we love or hate – her horrible brother Simon,  her Lothario dad, her doormat mother, Simon’s friend Duncan, Adio, Womble, Helena, conspiracy theorist Bob, Annie and of course Magnus. We all had a bit of a crush on Magnus.

Many thanks to The Pigeonhole, my fellow Pigeons and to Kate for making this such an enjoyable read.

About the Author

Kate grew up in a small seaside town, and after spending her formative years writing stories – and being most strongly influenced by the unlikely combo of George Orwell, Victoria Wood and Smash Hits – went to university to study Writing and Publishing. She then spent over a decade working in film, mostly in New York (capers included being a casting gal on quite the cinematic smorgasbord: from Robert De Niro’s The Good Shepherd and Paul Greengrass’ United 93, to an assortment of romantic comedies, and Spiceworld, the Spice Girls movie). While in New York she also dabbled in stand up comedy. In 2011 she was part of the second Curtis Brown Creative novel-writing course, and recently a short story anthology written by that group, The Book of Unwritten Rules, was published. In addition to developing further novels, Kate is also writing a sitcom series. A seaside lass once more, Kate believes her achievements to include resistance to owning a smart phone, and being told that she has a`troubling addiction to parentheses’.

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Blood Red City by Rod Reynolds

A witness with no victim. A crime with no crime scene…

#BloodRedCity #BlogTour @Rod_WR @OrendaBooks

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When crusading journalist Lydia Wright is sent a video of an apparent murder on a London train, she thinks she’s found the story to revive her career. But she can’t find a victim, much less the killers, and the only witness has disappeared. Wary she’s fallen for fake news, she begins to doubt her instincts – until a sinister call suggests that she’s not the only one interested in the crime.

Michael Stringer deals in information – and doesn’t care which side of the law he finds himself on. But the murder on the train has left him exposed, and now he’ll stop at nothing to discover what Lydia knows. When their paths collide, Lydia finds the story leads through a nightmare world, where money, power and politics intersect … and information is the only thing more dangerous than a bullet.

A nerve-shattering and brutally realistic thriller, Blood Red City bursts with energy and grit from the opening page, twisting and feinting to a superb, unexpected ending that will leave you breathless.

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My Review

Excellent read. Fast-paced, exciting with two brave protagonists who come together to find everyone is guilty and almost no-one can be trusted. But can they trust each other?

At times you will really have to concentrate to know what is going on. I had to re-read some pages to work out who is who and what is what. This is not my usual genre but I was certainly hooked from start to finish.

Lydia Wright works for a newspaper. While investigating some dodgy business dealings and having almost outed the perpetrator, she was stopped in her tracks. Now she is relegated to the night shift where she has to trawl social media and celebrity gossip pages to write about stuff she has no interest in. Then she is sent the video of the murder on the train and she is on the trail of the killer and back in the role of investigative journalist before you can say boo to a goose. And knowing Lydia, she will not let go until she uncovers the truth, which turns out to be far more intricate and contrived than she can possibly imagine.

I liked Lydia as a protagonist (she swears too much for my liking) but nowhere near as much as I liked Michael Stringer. At first he seems like a hired thug who deals in information, but you soon realise he has a conscience, especially where his sister and niece are concerned. And for some reason, he is drawn to Lydia and wants to protect her. Personally, I think he fancies her like mad, but that is never even hinted at.

Apart from having all his limbs intact and wearing much smarter clothes, I was reminded a little of Cormoran Strike in the Robert Galbraith novels. Enigmatic, complicated personal life, split from his wife, caring for his sister, often living out of a suitcase and always in trouble or annoying someone dangerous. But that’s where the similarity ends. And Stringer is skinny (like a string bean?) and with a less glamorous background.

When this comes to TV (and I’m sure it will) I can once again cast David Tennant in the lead role, but I’ll need to think carefully about Lydia. Anyone who has read my reviews know I love to cast the heroes and villains of the books I review for film or TV!

Many thanks to @annecater for letting me be part of #RandomThingsTours

About the author

Rod Reynolds is the author of four novels, including the Charlie Yates series. His 2015 debut, The Dark Inside, was longlisted for the CWA New Blood Dagger, and was followed by Black Night Falling (2016) and Cold Desert Sky (2018). The Guardian have called the books ‘Pitch-perfect American noir’. A lifelong Londoner, in 2020 Orenda Books will publish his first novel set in his hometown, Blood Red City. Rod previously worked in advertising as a media buyer and holds and MA in novel writing from City University London. Rod lives with his wife and family and spends most of his time trying to keep up with his two young daughters.

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Top four advantages of reading on a Kindle

Don’t have a Kindle yet? Love reading paperbacks? Or even hardbacks? I know – you love the smell and feel of a real book. So do I, especially one signed by the author, but my top four advantages of reading on a Kindle might just change your mind.

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Photo by Perfecto Capucine on Pexels.com

Here are my top four reasons for using a Kindle e-Reader:

Portability. You can carry thousands of books in one go. No humping about loads of books when you travel and then leaving them behind because you bought more and have now gone over your weight limit (if travelling by plane). And you won’t break the strap on your expensive Radley messenger bag!
Backlighting. Remember those funny little lights you could attach to the top of a paperback or the original Kindle so you could read in the dark? The Kindle Paperwhite has its own light source so you can literally read anywhere – even in pitch darkness. And you can adjust the light to wherever you are preventing eye strain.
Font size. If like me you are as blind as a bat and avoid books with small print (or have to use a magnifying glass) then you can bump up the font size to whatever you like. You might end up with 25 words per page but at least you’ll be able to see them!!
Discretion. You can read Fifty Shades of Grey on the train and NO-ONE will be any the wiser. If anyone asks you can say: ‘Just devouring Proust for my MA’. They’ll never know why you’re smirking. And you won’t have to cover your shady (no pun intended – well a little) novel in brown paper like we did with our school books (that probably dates me).

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Disclaimer: Please note that if you click on the above link I am redirecting you to a product on Amazon. I don’t believe in misleading my blog readers in any way when it comes to affiliate marketing,

The Perfect Life by Valerie Keogh

How far would you go to maintain the illusion of The Perfect Life?

Molly Chatwell has a beautiful house, a handsome husband, two children and a job she likes. It all seems so perfect but when her two children leave for university, she realises her life has become dull and empty. When her husband refuses to go away with her, Molly decides to go alone.  But what should have been a relaxing break turns into a nightmare. 

Back at home in London, Molly tries to put it all behind her but when the police arrive at her door and tell her that a body has been found with connections to her, Molly realises that her perfect life is under threat…

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My Review

The Dublin Murders was one of my favourite TV series last year. In fact I loved it so much I voted for it in the TV Awards.

Unfortunately this book just didn’t really do it for me. We know from the synopsis that a body will be found with connections to Molly, but there was so much information beforehand about Molly’s ‘perfect’ life that I got impatient. She just isn’t that interesting. She makes astonishingly bad choices and her husband is a pig. I think if the body had turned up earlier (then we’d flashed back) and the victim been more significant, I might have been more engrossed.

I’m not saying it isn’t a good story. It is and Valerie Keogh is a highly accomplished author. In fact I feel so guilty giving 3 stars (probably 3.5 is nearer the mark) when so many people have given it 5 stars. There are lots of twists and turns and red herrings, but I hated two parts of the outcome (I can’t say which) connected to someone so insignificant that we had totally forgotten about them, but particularly one other thing. Not who but what happens. You’ll have to read to the end and make up your own mind.

Many thanks to The Pigeonhole and my fellow Pigeons for making this an enjoyable read. And I will definitely look out for more from Valerie.

About the Author

Valerie started to write several years ago. She self-published eight crime novels and one psychological thriller before signing a two book contract with Bookouture in March 2018. She is a registered nurse with a degree in English and a Masters in American Literature. Recently she has given up nursing to concentrate on her writing career.

The Perfect Life is a stand-alone novel published in 2020.

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Blunt Force by Lynda La Plante

Jane Tennison must navigate the salacious world of theatre to solve a brutal murder in the heart of London’s West End, in the brilliant new thriller from the Queen of Crime Drama, Lynda La Plante.

Things can’t get much worse for detective Jane Tennison. Unceremoniously kicked off the adrenaline-fuelled Flying Squad, she now plies her trade in Gerald Road, a small and sleepy police station in the heart of London’s affluent Knightsbridge.

With only petty crime to sink her teeth into, Tennison can feel her career slowly flatlining. That is until the discovery of the most brutal murder Jane has ever seen: Charlie Foxley has been found viciously beaten to death with a cricket bat – his throat cut and he has been disembowelled.

As a big-time theatrical agent, Foxley had a lot of powerful friends – but just as many enemies. And alongside her old friend DS Spencer Gibbs, Tennison must journey into the salacious world of show business to find out which one is the killer, before they strike again.

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My Review

I am not the biggest fan of Lynda La Plante’s writing style – it’s a bit blunt for me – (no pun intended) – I am more lyrical waxing and poetic prose, but boy can she write a cracking good story. Not for the fainthearted, Blunt Force is chock full of dodgy characters, murder, drugs, prostitution and screaming ex-wives.

Just when Jane Tennison was getting bored in wealthy Knightsbridge, the brutal killing of Theatrical Agent Charles Foxley takes place right on her patch. This is my first Jane Tennison book (not my first La Plante) and I have never seen Prime Suspect, but it didn’t take me long to find out about her previous job (with the Sweeney), why she left and who her friends were.

The story rattles along – there’s also a side story going on related to her time with the Sweeney – and all sorts of interesting minor characters  – Elliott, and Mandy Pilkington to name but two, and plenty of red herrings. I was hoping for a bit of romance and humour. More of the latter than the former – even some of the darker characters have their moments of fun.

We were left hanging with one part at the end, but then I have the feeling that Jane has opened a nest of vipers and we will see them in the next book.

Many thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

About the Author

Born and raised in Liverpool, La Plante trained for the stage at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), where her fellow students included Anthony Hopkins, John Hurt and Ian McShane. After finishing her studies, she began her career as an actress appearing with the Royal Shakespeare Company in a variety of productions, as well as popular television series including Z-Cars, The Sweeney, The Professionals, Bergerac and Rentaghost.

Whilst filming The Gentle Touch with Gill Gascoigne, La Plante wrote a treatment for a TV series based on a botched bank robbery. Widows was commissioned by Verity Lambert of Euston Films for Thames Television. It became one of the highest rating series of the early 1980s.

Following the overwhelming success of Widows, La Plante became a sought-after crime writer and subsequently signed her first book deal with Pan MacMillan. Her debut novel, The Legacy, was published in 1987 and received both critical and best-seller success. Her second, third and fourth novels came soon after – The Talisman (1987), Bella Mafia (1990) and Entwined (1993) – all of which became international best sellers.

In 1990 La Plante started working on her next television project, Prime Suspect, which was released by Granada in 1991. Prime Suspect starred Helen Mirren as DCI Jane Tennison, airing in the UK as well as on PBS in the United States.

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Lynda La Plante was made a CBE (2008) for services to Literature, Drama and Charity.

She is a member of The Crime Thriller Awards Hall of Fame and is the only lay person to be made a fellow of The Forensic Science Society.

She lives in London and New York with her son Lorcan and Cockapoo Max.

For more information about Lynda please visit her website…

 

 

 

The Miseducation of Evie Epworth

Yorkshire, the summer of 1962. Sixteen-year-old Evie Epworth stands on the cusp of womanhood. But what kind of a woman will she become?

@matson_taylor_ @ScribnerBooks #TheMiseducationOfEvieEpworth @annecater #RandomThingsTours

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Up until now, Evie’s life has been nothing special: a patchwork of school, Girl Guides, cows, milk deliveries, lost mothers, and village fetes. But, inspired by her idols (Charlotte Bronte, Shirley MacLaine and the Queen), she dreams of a world far away from rural East Yorkshire, a world of glamour lived under the bright lights of London (or Leeds).

Standing in the way of these dreams, though, is Christine, Evie’s soon to be stepmother, a manipulative and money-grubbing schemer who is lining Evie up for a life of shampoo-and-set drudgery at the local salon.

Luckily, Evie is not alone. With the help of a few friends, and the wise counsel of the two Adam Faith posters on her bedroom wall (‘brooding Adam’ and ‘sophisticated Adam’), Evie comes up with a plan to rescue her bereaved father, Arthur, from Christine’s pink and over-perfumed clutches, and save their beloved farmhouse from being sold off. She will need a little luck, a dash of charm and a big dollop of Yorkshire magic if she is to succeed, but in the process, she may just discover who exactly she is meant to be.

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Many thanks to @annecater for letting me be part of #RandomThingsTours

My Review

Probably one of the reasons I loved this book so much was because it is set in my era. I was not even 10 at the time, much younger than Evie, and still at Primary School, but I remember everything she talks about, from Adam Faith (I loved him – his was the first record I ever bought) to Atora Suet (still don’t know what that is but I can still see the packaging) and our Dansette record player, though ours was red.

I didn’t live in Yorkshire or anywhere near but lots of things were still the same, unless you lived in London, but I didn’t go there until 1972. I did something in fashion like Caroline. It was still vastly different from our narrow-minded, parochial, suburban life in the Cotswolds. I had never heard of a lesbian when I was 10 years old, possibly not even at 16. Things were different in those days.

The storytelling from Evie’s point of view does at times make her sound younger than 16 or maybe we were just a lot more naïve and less street-wise back then. There are brief interludes when we hear how her father Arthur met her mother, but the rest is all about Evie.

I laughed out loud some of the time. Maybe if you are too young to recall the sixties you may not find it as hilarious as I did. The characters are richly drawn often to the point of caricature, especially the ghastly Christine who wants to marry Arthur, sell the farm and get her hands on his money. And poor Arthur is so nice he just doesn’t see it coming. But Evie does. She’s intelligent and funny and always has her head in a book – which to Christine is just being lazy. Christine loves everything manufactured from man-made fibres – Tupperware, nylon, plastic. Especially if they are pink or leopard-print. Now I am quite fond of pink and leopard-print though probably not at the same time, but it’s Evie’s description of ‘sticky-outy’ dresses that made me laugh. And the bit when she tries on Christine’s pink, chiffon, baby-doll nightie and gets stuck and has to be rescued by best friend Margaret was so funny. This actually happened to me in an M&S changing room, though not a baby-doll nightie or any type of nightie, but let’s not go there. Everything old and made from wood is rubbish to Christine. My house is a shrine to pine – Christine’s worst nightmare.

Apart from these three we have Christine’s awful mum Vera, her obese friend Mrs Swithenbank, superstitious Mrs Scott-Pym next door (you’ll find out why I say she is superstitious when you get to that bit) and her wonderfully eccentric, estranged daughter Caroline.

But one of the stand-out things for me about the book is how Matson has managed to capture perfectly the ‘playful’ (his word) voice of a 16 year old girl in the sixties. Hard enough for someone like me who was there!

So grab a copy and a cuppa and enjoy. With a slice of cake from Betty’s of course.

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About the Author

Matson Taylor grew up in Yorkshire but now lives in London. He is a design historian and academic-writing tutor and has worked at various universities and museums around the world; he currently teaches at the V&A, Imperial College, and the RCA. He has also worked on Camden Market, appeared in an Italian TV commercial, and been a pronunciation coach for Catalan opera singers.

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Matson Taylor on The Miseducation of Evie Epworth:

“The book is a bittersweet comedy set in the Yorkshire countryside, written from the first-person perspective of Evie, a clever, confused and, I hope, very loveable sixteen-and-a-half year old. It’s about that funny time (in both senses of the word) between childhood and adulthood. It’s a book about lost mothers, uncoping fathers, and muddled daughters. It’s also the story of when the ‘50s finally became the ‘60s in Evie’s small village, with the modern world arriving in all its pop glory. I like to think of it as the lovechild of James Herriot and Sue Townsend with a good dollop of fairy tale and a dash of magical realism. I really wanted the book to have a strong, fresh, playful voice and, importantly, to have a heart as well as raise a smile. It’s basically a warm, sad, funny story about growing up and being lost then found.”

Question and Answer with Matson Taylor

I asked Matson some questions about being a writer. This is what he told me.

How much research did you need to do about the 60s? Music, fashion etc. As a historian you must be used to doing research.

I did a lot of research for the book but, as you say, it’s my day job so I’m very used to it! I love immersing myself in a period and it was great to find out about lots of different aspects of the fifties and sixties that I didn’t know about. I spent hours (days, weeks!) looking through fashion magazines and music papers; I could easily lose myself for hours at a time… The adverts were best – you can learn so much from them – they give you a real sense of how life was lived at the time. I played a lot of the music too (mainly when washing up) and also tried to watch as many films from the period as I could. I also kept phoning my dad to ask him questions about ‘old money’ – he can be a very helpful research assistant when he wants to be!

How important is setting to your novel?

In one sense, setting is really important – Yorkshire is almost a character in the book. I really wanted to get a sense of the county and the people and the humour too. But in another sense the book could take place in any rural setting – most villages and small towns have a similar feel to them: the way everyone knows everyone; the way there’s a set rhythm to life; the way things change pretty slowly; the way that community underpins almost everything. And there’s also, for some, that sense that there’s something else, another life, waiting to be lived elsewhere.

Did you start with the character of Evie? Or the plot?

Evie and the plot arrived almost simultaneously! Or at least certain key elements in the plot. I always knew I wanted a strong first-person narrator with a playful, naive, but knowing voice around the age of 16/17. This is because I wanted to explore the idea of not quite being an adult (yet) but not really being a child either. And the plot arrived with Evie because I knew that this kind of voice would work best set against a true ‘baddy’, someone who sees herself as being older (and better) then Evie. In a way, Evie and Christine represent two different decades – Evie is the sixties and Christine is the fifties and I partly built the plot around this tension. 

What’s your typical day as a writer pre- and post-Covid?

I think for most writers pre and post-Covid are almost the same! We’re used to squirrelling ourselves away when we’re in the middle of writing. I like to start early – I usually get up around 6 and read/edit yesterday’s work while I’m having a pot of tea. Then I have breakfast (more tea) and listen to the radio for a bit before starting work, either at university (teaching) or at home (writing). Pre-lockdown I’d usually meet friends for a drink or a bite to eat after work and then come home and try and have another hour or so writing – but with lockdown I’ve found writing in the evening much more difficult to do so I’ve generally been relaxing in front of the TV or on the sofa with a good book.

What music do you listen to when you write? Did you listen to lots of Adam Faith? Or do you prefer silence?

I need absolute silence. I’m definitely not a writer who can sit in a busy (noisy!!!) cafe. Every hour or so I’ll put some music on to have a stretch and a jiggle around though.

What do you like to read and what is your favourite book ever? Just one.

I read everything and anything! Old, new, classic, contemporary, fiction, non-fiction, high-brow, low-brow. I’ve always loved reading and I hope I always will. My favourite book ever?!?! That’s really hard and changes quite often! Today it’s The Diary of a Provincial Lady by E M Delafield – a classic that would be right up there with Three Men in a Boat and The Diary of A Nobody if it had been written by a man…

Have you discovered any new hobbies during lockdown? Gardening? Baking? Painting?

Exercising out on my little terrace! That’s my one new lockdown hobby (to try and off-set my old lockdown hobby: eating)

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

I’d love to say something profound and philosophical here (ending poverty, curing cancer etc) but I can’t so instead I’ll just say that I’ve been overwhelmed by the amount of love for Evie from readers; it’s been such a wonderful experience for me to know that something I’ve written has made so many people laugh (and cry – in a good way, hopefully) – without doubt she and the book are my greatest achievement.

How do you unwind?

A good walk is always helpful. And a good pie and a pint. And a good film. Probably avoiding the news too at the moment!

Thank you so much to Matson for answering questions readers will be dying to ask.

The Last Wife by Karen Hamilton

Two women. A dying wish. And a web of lies that will bring their world crashing down.

Nina and Marie were best friends—until Nina was diagnosed with a terminal illness. Before she died, Nina asked Marie to fulfil her final wishes. But her mistake was in thinking Marie was someone she could trust.

What Nina didn’t know was that Marie always wanted her beautiful life, and that Marie has an agenda of her own. She’ll do anything to get what she wants. Marie thinks she can keep her promise to her friend’s family on her own terms. But what she doesn’t know is that Nina was hiding explosive secrets of her own…

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My Review

This story is really quite different from anything else I’ve read recently. Maybe because we are reading in the first person POV from Marie, who is a very strange and mixed up character. Apart from the fact that her first real boyfriend Charlie died while she was on holiday with her friends Nina and Camilla in Ibiza, we initially know very little about her background. We know she was at school with Nina and we know they were best friends. Then Nina marries Stuart and they have two lovely children. Marie is jealous of Nina’s so-called perfect life. When Nina dies of a terminal illness we start to find out more and more about their relationship and about Marie herself.

At first we all dislike Marie. She says things that most of us would not even dare to admit to ourselves. She lies and justifies her lies. Even to the numerous therapists she has seen over the years. But is she the only one who lies?

And then Camilla re-appears with her daughter Lulu in tow. Marie insists on calling her by her full name Louise. The more we find out about Nina and Camilla the more we ‘almost’ sympathise with Marie.

I’ve read The Perfect Girlfriend, which I really enjoyed, but this is so much more my type of book. It was brilliant. We are drip-fed information constantly and we never know who is telling the truth until the very end.

Many thanks to The Pigeonhole, my fellow Pigeons and the author for making this such an enjoyable read.

About the Author

Karen Hamilton caught the travel bug after an early childhood spent abroad (Angola, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Belgium and Italy) and having worked as cabin crew for a major airline. In 2006, she and her husband put down roots in Hampshire UK and she gave up flying to raise their three sons and concentrate on her writing.

In 2009, she decided to ‘become a writer.’ Her first novel The Perfect Girlfriend was published in March 2018. The Last Wife is her second novel.

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