Lee Allen's Blog, page 2

John Grisham's The Exchange - Review

The Exchange by John Grisham

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


The exhilarating sequel to legal thriller ‘The Firm’.

Mitch and Abby McDeere have built a new life for themselves in New York. Now a partner in one of the world’s most prestigious law firms, Mitch has clawed success from a career once brought to ruins.

Taking on a case on behalf of a construction firm suing the Libyan government, Mitch travels to Libya, an unexpected turn of events leading to his associate taken hostage by a terrorist group.

As the terrorists’ motives become clear, Mitch finds himself embroiled in a desperate case with global ramifications, as a woman’s life hangs in the balance.

‘The Exchange’ is a legal political thriller by John Grisham, a sequel to his second novel ‘The Firm’. Set fifteen years after the first book, taking place in 2005, the narrative layers legal drama with themes of organised crime and contemporary geopolitics, fused with international intrigue and suspense, in a race against time to thwart a kidnap and ransom plot by a terrorist gang. Now a partner in one of the world’s largest international law firms, with offices in major cities across the globe, Mitch has safely escaped his past, but the stakes are about to be raised higher than ever before.

Travelling to Rome to meet with an aged senior partner in their Roman branch, Mitch agrees to take on a case of one of their clients, a Turkish company, suing the Libyan government, the country at this time under the dictatorship of Colonel Gaddafi, following refusal to pay for work on a lunatic scheme to build a bridge in the middle of the desert. Mitch is also persuaded to take on Luca’s daughter, Giovanna, based in their London branch, as an associate on the case, a decision that will soon haunt him. During their visit to Tripoli, Mitch is taken violently ill; Giovanna proceeding to visit the site of the bridge alone, she and their security kidnapped en route.

Interlaced with the main plot is the story of Mitch and Abby’s life since the conclusion of the first novel; how they spent time staying under the radar and Mitch later joining his present firm. Early in the novel, Mitch must return to Memphis for the first time since they left to examine a death row case. It is clear that this time of his life and the avenue he pursued to escape continue to haunt him; briefly, he reunites with a former colleague from the firm he brought to its knees, this meeting offering some closure on his past, while the question also lingers as to what became of the mob money.

Grisham delivers a taught, suspenseful novel, a high-stakes race against time that spreads across half the globe from the US to Libya, with stops in Rome, Geneva and London along the way. The terrorists are relentless and determined, brutally murdering Giovanna’s fellow captors, requesting a ransom that may be impossible to raise. The international litigation and covert negotiations expose how fractious the relationship between western nations and Gaddafi’s regime, and critically how the US and UK’s refusal to negotiate with terrorists endangers Giovanna’s small chance of survival.

A riveting, fast-paced thriller, ‘The Exchange’ is a globe-trotting, action-packed escapade, a gripping follow-up to ‘The Firm’, approached from an entirely different angle, moral dilemmas leading Mitch to once again face a crucial decision about the future direction of his life. I hope we will one day return to Mitch and Abby for a third book!



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Lynda La Plante's Crucified - Review

Crucified: The brand new 2025 Detective Jack Warr crime thriller by Lynda La Plante

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


DS Jack Warr returns in a dark, compelling thriller.

Jack is currently taking some leave following the conclusion of a serial murder investigation, the case continuing to haunt him.

When he spots a familiar face in a crowded market, Jack is drawn into the art world, something that ignites in him that drive and passion that’s been missing for many months.

But a brutal murder soon derails Jack’s world once again, initiating an investigation which may unravel his entire life.

‘Crucified’ is the fifth novel in the Jack Warr series by Lynda La Plante. Picking up a year after the events of the previous novel, ‘Pure Evil’, Jack has been struggling, the serial murder trial having taken a toll on him following the traumatic impact of the case itself. As the killer’s trial comes to an end, Jack remains haunted by the nature of the crimes and the still unanswered questions concerning victims whose identities they’ll never confirm, suffering nightmares and fearing justice can never truly be found, as La Plante delves into the effects of investigating serious crime on police officers, the trauma they can experience second-hand through the victims and in undertaking forensic investigations.

Still feeling a little lost and dislocated, a chance encounter leads Jack into perilous territory. Adam Border, the art forger we last saw in the third book, ‘Vanished’, returns, it soon becoming clear he has another scheme in play. But events take a dark turn with a macabre, brutal murder, the victim currently identified, and Jack begins his own private investigation, getting dangerously close to being connected to the case by his colleagues. Adam is an undoubtedly cunning foe, playing a cat and mouse game with Jack, a villain intensely committed to his art and his amoral code. Jack fears Adam may be the murder victim, or that he might even be capable of committing this brutal crime.

Jack’s tendency to be a bit of a maverick and skirt the fringes of the law may be beginning to catch up with him; this influence from the darker side of his nature that he discovered when delving into uncovering the identity of his biological father. His family and personal life continues to be a major element of the plot, his relationships tested like never before. Jack’s friend and colleague from US law enforcement, Josh, also returns from ‘Vanished’, with a warning to police and prison services of a dangerous new drug that has been hitting the streets in the US and causing astronomical harm to those who abuse it, something that plays a pivotal role in the unfolding story. Meanwhile, Jack returns to work to find much changed and continues to feel unsettled, his passion for the job ebbing as it had done years earlier; his unofficial investigation where he finds his old fire.

Lynda has gifted us another gem of a novel; ‘Crucified’ is an engrossing entry in this fantastic series and I was once again gripped from start to finish. A riveting, character-driven thriller, with fascinating insights into the art world and art forgery and drawing on numerous plot threads, La Plante has woven a fast-paced, multi-layered narrative around an intriguing central mystery, navigating numerous twists and turns, painting a picture of a dangerous, unstable mind and the extremes to which they will go in the name of art; suspense building to an action-packed revelation with Jack at its heart, then leaving us with tantalising glimpses of what may be to come. I shall be eagerly awaiting book six and where Jack’s journey takes him!



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Sarah Harper's Ella's Ghost - Review

Ella's Ghost by Sarah Harper

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


A captivating supernatural psychological thriller.

Barely surviving a vicious assault by her partner, Ella is left psychologically and physically wounded, feeling lost and alone.

Haunted by the abuse and fearing she truly cannot escape him and this toxicity masquerading as love, Ella attempts suicide.

Saved by the intervention of an entity, Ella is left questioning her own sanity, wondering whether something has truly reached across the veil to save her life.

'Ella's Ghost' is the debut novel by Sarah Harper, a psychological thriller with fusions of the supernatural, exploring the devastating impact of domestic abuse and the healing power of connection. An intense and gripping novel; we are plunged immediately into the visceral violence as a fearful Ella is attacked by her partner, barely left alive. Heartbreaking and superbly written, this is part crime thriller, part supernatural mystery, part survival story, with touches of romance and humour to balance the darkness of themes and events.

Harper delves deep into the insidious nature of abusive relationships, superbly captured in the first few chapters - the subtle pushing of boundaries, the manipulation of perception and empathy; the simplicity of twisting what on the surface mimics something benign, innocent and reasonable, but is truthfully moulding a perception that being controlled is normal and everyday. Through Ella, we experience the dizzying polarisation of aggression and affection, the abuser’s profuse apologies after "mistakes" and claiming the role of the victim for themselves; the obsessiveness and possessiveness; the criticism, planting and weaponising insecurities, wearing a victim down psychologically through gaslighting and the distillation of fear, escalating to violence and sadistic cruelty; and the devastating impact on mental health, physical wellbeing, and safety.

The supernatural twist takes the story in an unexpected direction, one that is enriching and sublime. Throughout her attack and its aftermath, something has been trying to reach out to Ella. Feeling entirely alone, haunted by her trauma and the spectre of her partner, Ella attempts to take her own life. This proximity to death brings into sharp focus the spirit that has been trying to reach her. Ben is himself haunted, his life having been ripped from him suddenly and cruelly. He barely acknowledges his death. Together, they embark on a journey of introspection, self-discovery, and healing.

Harper has developed a stunning, intricately woven narrative, a rich and moving tale of lost souls, both living and dead. The relationship that develops between Ella and Ben is heartwarming and beautiful. Even in death, Ben’s spirit touches Ella in a way she has never known, teaching her how love truly feels – gentle, kind, and protective. Mystery is threaded throughout, as Ben discovers his purpose for why his spirit remains, his unfinished business, and how he and Ella’s fates are inextricably linked. Perhaps they were always destined to meet, in one way or another.

The hauntings, indeed Ella’s ghosts, are both figurative and literal, psychological and spiritual; we explore how one doesn’t have to be dead to be living in Purgatory, how a harrowing of Hell can be psychological as well as spiritual. This is a story about living with abuse, surviving abuse, and healing from abuse; as well as the desire for justice – the power of karma, and striving for retribution and redemption; and the hope for a life after survival. Even when all seems lost, that glimmer of love can save you from despair, healing the lingering scars of abuse, trauma and fear, and, perhaps, even death itself.

Compelling and hard-hitting, ‘Ella’s Ghost’ is an incredible debut novel; a powerful, impactful tale of survival. I will be eagerly awaiting more books by Sarah Harper in the future.



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Paul Tremblay's The Cabin at the End of the World - Review

The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


A gripping thriller of psychological horror and apocalyptic dread.

Eric, Andrew and their daughter Wen are holidaying in a remote cabin in the New Hampshire wilderness.

Their idyllic lakeside retreat is soon ensnared by terror when a group of strangers arrives, prophesising cataclysmic events if the family don’t comply with their entreaties.

With the fate of their family in peril amidst the strangers' insistence that their fate is entwined with that of the entire world, the nightmare is only just beginning.

'The Cabin at the End of the World' is a psychological horror novel by Paul Tremblay, a riveting suspense thriller that begins on a glorious summer’s day, as we are introduced to a young girl, Wen, playing with grasshoppers outside the cabin in calm, picturesque isolation. A stranger appears, Leonard, caring and friendly on the surface; unease creeping in before everything begins to spiral into the unexpected. Primarily told from the perspectives of Wen, Eric and Andrew, with additional insights from the perspectives of the strangers as more of what led them to the cabin is revealed, we witness the unfolding horror for everyone trapped within the confines of this cabin far from civilisation.

Tremblay weaves a deeply psychological narrative, a riveting home invasion thriller that quickly escalates as the family are faced with an impossible choice. The mystery at the novel’s heart surrounds the mysterious strangers, perhaps members of a cult of evangelical radicals, repeating their rhetoric like a mantra, appearing convinced in their beliefs and calling for the family to make a sacrifice in a desperate attempt to save the world. But there are cracks, even the strangers themselves struggling to know what to believe as their mission unravels. The novel delves into themes of religion and spirituality, in particular related to the Christian prophesy of end times as foretold in the Book of Revelation.

Constantly questioning and philosophising, this is rich, character-driven story, brimming with tension and bursts of violence and brutality, delving into the characters’ beliefs, emotions and memories; a slow trickling of unease and paranoia, indoctrination and manipulation, an abuse of faith and fear as events spiral and tragedy becomes inescapable. So artfully done is the ever-present underlying question as to what the truth may be - whether this is indeed a microcosm of apocalyptic doom, or simply the crazed delusions of a group of criminals?

Engrossing and thought-provoking, ‘The Cabin at the End of the World’ is relentlessly gripping, slow-burning suspense.

The novel was adapted for the screen by M. Night Shyamalan as 'Knock at the Cabin' in 2023, becoming the first of Tremblay’s works to receive a screen version.



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Peter James' Need You Dead - Review

Need You Dead by Peter James

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


A troubling investigation for Roy Grace.

Lorna Belling's plan to escape her abusive marriage and begin a new life with the man she loves is about to be shattered to the core.

Discovering her lover is not whom he claims triggers a confrontation that leads to her tragic death.

Detective Superintendent Grace and the team investigate, pursuing an increasingly desperate criminal who will do whatever it takes to escape justice.

'Need You Dead' is the thirteenth novel in the Roy Grace series by Peter James; another gripping thriller in the police procedural series, following Grace and the team investigating a woman's suspicious death, faced with the tragic reality of many crimes - bad decisions and spur of the moment reactions escalating to actions that cannot be undone.

We meet Lorna as her life begins to crumble, her dream of a new start shattering. Her lover isn't the man she believed him to be, his identity faked, and with this realisation her hopes of escaping her husband are in tatters. Their confrontation erupts into violence, leaving Lorna dead and her lover frantic. When Lorna's body is found, her abusive husband appears the obvious prime suspect. But other possibilities surface as more evidence is found, inconsistencies niggling in Grace's mind despite how clear cut the case seems. As the police get closer, a killer plots to evade capture.

Picking up four weeks after the shocking conclusion of the previous book, 'Love You Dead', Grace is preparing to meet his son for the first time, after discovering his first wife Sandy was pregnant when she disappeared over ten years ago. The personal turmoil and the fallout from the truth of Sandy's disappearance and what followed her reappearance are taking their toll on Roy, threatening to dislodge his focus. Strands of previous cases are also threaded through the narrative, Grace in trial preparation for the murderers apprehended in the last two books, with another dangerous killer currently comatose in hospital.

With each novel, James takes a different approach with themes, perspectives and the focus of the investigation, keeping each chapter fresh and revitalised, while maintaining the series' fast-paced and procedurally-detailed storytelling, complete with psychological thrills, action sequences, and suspense; as the new investigation delves into the sickening nature of domestic violence, unearths police corruption, and confronts the sad and dark reality that one never knows what may be happening behind closed doors or within a person's mind.

As always, with the conclusion of the investigation, we are left poised with tantalising hints of what may come next. I'm very much looking forward to the next in the series, 'Dead If You Don't'.



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S.T. Gibson's A Dowry of Blood - Review

A Dowry of Blood by S.T. Gibson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


A rapturous Gothic horror romance of the brides of Dracula.

Constanta is saved from the brink of death on the battlefield by a mysterious stranger, thus beginning their romance of blood and lust.

But Constanta soon learns her beloved’s darkness is far beyond her imagining, before he takes another bride with whom she must share him.

As their family of the undead expands to include a third bride, Constanta must confront the truth of their master’s nature and pursue the only avenue of escape that can truly set them free.

'A Dowry of Blood' is the debut novel by S.T. Gibson, a tale of gothic horror and dark romance, reimagining the Dracula legend from the perspective of one of his brides, Constanta. Told in the form of a letter to her murdered husband, Constanta looks back over centuries of their life together, an immersive and seductive history drenched in blood. So deeply familiar are we with the image of the three vampire brides who hunt Jonathan Harker in the dead of night at Castle Dracula; here they are given a voice, a history, and an identity. Beautifully written and instantly immersive, Gibson’s delicious, poetic prose sweeps us away with a narrative of vampirism, seduction, sadomasochistic yearning, polygamy and survival.

Constanta’s recounting of the early decades of her undead life as the vampire’s bride are equally entrancing and discomforting, a torrid tale of psychological abuse and coercive control, rich with desire and decadence; haunting, intense and emotive. She introduces us to the brides who succeed her – Magdalena and Alexi – the envy and discomfort this initially inspires and the total disregard on her husband’s part for how she may feel about sharing him emotionally, consent manipulated from her rather than sought, and the life they lead under the dominion of their master as a polyamorous family.

Dracula's presence dominates over the narrative – his power, his control over his brides, his capacity for evil; but also his charm, his beauty, his intellect, his allure enduring through the centuries, as much in reality as in fiction. Yet, through her narrative, Constanta strips his identity from him, as he has done to her and her fellow brides, so much so there are only minor direct references that would allow us to identify him. Her eternal struggle is to not see this twisted and obsessive devotion as anything but love, despite the fear he instils in them all, each experiencing something akin to Stockholm Syndrome in their unflinching belief that he truly loves them.

It should be noted that the novel diverts from the canon of Stoker's novel, for the most part in subtle ways, but significantly in the timeline (the family are in Berlin at the time the Count was in Transylvania and London) and in disregarding the conclusion of 'Dracula'. It would have been exciting to explore the alternative history of those events from the perspective of the brides, while ‘Dracula’ purists may prefer to take advantage of Dracula’s reduced identity. Yet the novel is so well-written, this doesn’t detract from its excellence.

Evocative and provocative, ‘A Dowry of Blood’ is one of those books that sucks you into its embrace and sinks in its teeth; horrific and romantic in equal measure, harking back to Gothic classics, with a sleek, modern edge – dark, sensual, disturbing, and psychologically and emotionally stark. I adored it from beginning to end.



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Sabrina Voerman's Ashen Heart - Review

Ashen Heart by Sabrina Voerman

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


A bewitching dark fairytale of lust and power.

Torenia Luca has felt loathed by her family since her childhood, and has long dreamt of leaving her life in Silvania far behind.

Delving into her family’s legacy of witchcraft, she is finally embracing something akin to happiness when her life is once again torn to devastation.

Finally making her escape, she becomes embroiled with blood cult The Brotherhood, discovering a dark kingdom of blood lust and power games, one that may promise her all she has ever desired.

'Ashen Heart' is a dark fantasy novel by Sabrina Voerman, the second in 'The Blood Bound Series', taking place between the dual timelines we explored in the first novel 'Blood Coven'. We follow the life story of Torenia Luca, perhaps the most notorious of the Luca witches since Azalea, from her humble, lonely beginnings and her discovery of the Craft, charting her rise to power to become the merciless queen of Osleka and its legion of vampires. Weaving luscious descriptive prose, frothing with gothic imagery, Voerman conjures a gripping, character-driven narrative; a sensual, tense and bloodthirsty tale of empowerment and survival – simultaneously devastating and alluring; an unflinching portrait of the corruption of a soul.

We begin with Torenia’s childhood, finding her often neglected by her parents in favour of her sister. Feeling alone and worthless, she longs to be beautiful, to be seen. When she discovers the power she can wield in her teenage years, inspiring desire in another, she seeks an outlet for her pain. As the rivalry with her sister intensifies, she begins to learn the legacy of the Luca family, the lure of magic intoxifying. But her family and the villagers have no tolerance for witchcraft, fearing its power and history repeating itself. When she believes she may have nowhere left to run, Torenia meets Roman, a mysterious man of the night who promises he can bestow upon her all she has ever wished for – infinite power, eternal youth, staggering beauty. Yet this comes with a life fraught with danger and paranoia, as she finds herself caught in the midst of a blood feud between three brothers, monarchs whose grasp on the throne is tenuous, under constant threat of conspiracy and betrayal.

Voerman seduces us with a staggering cocktail of depravity and sin, Torenia immersing herself in a life of desire, indulgence and avarice, fully embracing the vanity, envy and rage that has danced in her heart since trauma laced her blood with their masochistic sting. In her quest for survival and dominion, she becomes cold, brutal and vicious. Taking much inspiration from the Evil Queen of the 'Snow White' fairytale, with touches of Elizabeth Bathory, the novel presents a delicious fairy tale retelling, combined with the lore of witchcraft and vampirism to create a rich dark fantasy, with elements of horror and erotica sewn into the seams - a thrilling delight charting the trajectory of a villain, an origin story and condemnation tale. Confronting us with the stark horror of abuse and misogyny, as we witness the effects of the insidious poison of insecurity and unhealed wounds, Torenia’s story is often relatable, beginning as deeply sympathetic, but ultimately she becomes more depraved and intolerable as she embraces evil and hatred, nevertheless remaining intensely captivating as her unquenchable thirst for vengeance and power turn her once-innocent heart black.

The novel ends with a tantalising glimpse of the future, dovetailing with the end of 'Blood Coven' as the narratives diverge for the fourth and final novel 'Blood Queen'. In the meantime, strands of 'Ashen Heart' also lead us into the third novel 'Song of the Sea'. I’m excited to read both books after the strength of the first two in the series!



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Audrey Niffenegger's The Time Traveler's Wife - Review

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


A searing, captivating time travel romance.

As a child, Clare Abshire meets the man who will be her future husband.

Yet, it will be many years before Henry DeTamble meets Clare, while she commits to spending a lifetime waiting for this moment to arrive.

For Clare’s husband is a traveller in time, their romance a complex web of interconnected past and future moments, the present all too temporary and fleeting.

‘The Time Traveler’s Wife’ is the debut novel by Audrey Niffenegger, a science-fiction romance that takes us back and forth through time to reveal the complex tapestry of Clare and Henry’s entwined lives, told from the dual perspectives of both characters at different points of their lives. Intricately woven and beautifully written, its non-linear narrative is both captivating and thrilling, the romance immersive and emotional, beautiful and tragic. Henry meets Clare for the first time at his place of work, twenty-eight and twenty years old respectively, having no idea who she is, despite her having known him since she was six, when she meets him for the first time at thirty-six in what will become their special place for many years to come. We also meet Henry at five years old, who meets his future self at twenty-four the first time he time travels, going on to be his own mentor to survive in his uniquely dangerous situation.

Niffenegger weaves a deeply moving and thought-provoking tale, an exhilarating dance through time, a journey through destiny, the tale of two people’s entwined lives, delving deep into the emotional impact of such a relationship on the two central characters, excavating the depth of their emotion and their shared memories - how thrilling and incredible, but also how difficult and heartbreaking. Henry has no control over his travelling, neither when it happens nor when and where he will turn up. Nevertheless, his travelling is often concentric to significant events and people – he continues to revisit his mother’s death, his own childhood, times throughout Clare’s life and the life they share together. He often struggles to keep track of his own timeline, many aspects of his life only becoming clear as he goes on to experience them in real time. All the while, his condition ages him, the danger it presents threatening to one day be impossible to outrun.

I adored this book. For me, the concept of time travel proves to be one of the most romantic (second only to twin flames and soul mates) – this notion that two people are destined to be together, their entire lives entwined to the point where cause and effect blur and their love endures for as long as they live, entirely timeless and unbound by the limitations of a linear lifespan. Throughout, we explore many philosophical questions through the lens of a beautiful love story – touching on themes of free will and consent, fate and determinism, faith and spirituality, physics, evolution and genetics; all wrapped in a deeply human narrative of two people finding each other in the most bizarre of circumstances, never giving up on each other, despite all the challenges - their futile wish for life to simply be normal, their desire to have a child, their hope that a cure can be found for Henry’s condition, the dreams they share for a future that may just be unattainable.

The inevitability of what is to come becomes apparent very early on – what begins must end, and in the case of time travel, it is something perhaps evermore both present and distant – and when we finally see just how it will end, it is heartbreaking. On this tapestry of the impossible, as with all the best works of fiction, we experience something that remains very true to our own lives. We will all, one way or another, lose the people we love. It is inevitable, yet we live every day ignoring it. Yet loss and separation can teach us to truly cherish the time we do have, the moments we share that become precious memory, and that, most of all, the most important of those moments is the one we are in now. Also, perhaps, something else, that no one is ever as truly lost to us as we might believe.

The novel has been adapted for the screen twice – first as a film version in 2009, adapted by Bruce Joel Rubin (writer of ‘Ghost’) and directed by Robert Schwentke; and as a TV series in 2018, written by Steven Moffat (whose work includes ‘Doctor Who’, ‘Sherlock’ and ‘Dracula’ (2020)). Niffenegger has also been working on a sequel, with the working title ‘The Other Husband’, with publication anticipated imminently, the novel having been expected to be completed by 2023.

A truly masterful novel, ‘The Time Traveler’s Wife’ is a timeless tale of love and woe that can be told again and again.



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Carrie Dalby's Mosaic of Seduction - Review

Mosaic of Seduction by Carrie Dalby

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


A tale of forbidden lust and demons of the heart.

Eliza Melling appears to have all that one could wish for – creative brilliance, flawless beauty, daughter to a wealthy family, her entire life ahead of her expected to be charmed.

Yet she possesses a rebellious spirit that refuses to be tamed. She longs for more than life can offer her – a life of freedom and pursuing all that her body, heart and soul may desire.

As she plays the heartstrings of two men and plots an escape from her tyrannical parents, Eliza’s fearless tempting of fate may prove to be her undoing.

‘Mosaic of Seduction’ is a Southern Gothic historical fiction novella by Carrie Dalby, part of her Gothic family saga ‘The Possession Chronicles’, taking place between the first novel ‘Perilous Confessions’ and the second ‘Murmurs of Evil’. Enriched by historical detail and descriptive prose, Dalby paints a vivid portrait of early twentieth century society, exploring themes of romance and morality, through a fast-paced, character-driven narrative. Set across the year of 1905 and into January 1906, we follow the tale of Eliza’s passions and temptations, in a pivotal chapter in the history of the Melling family.

Picking up following the final scene of the first novel, Eliza attends Mass at The Church of the Assumption with her brother Alexander, where she meets deacon Claudio De Fiore for the first time, becoming immediately enthralled with his beauty and charm, determined to tempt and seduce him. Yet the passion between them is forbidden, not only by society’s views of female chastity, but also by De Fiore’s commitment to the Roman Catholic priesthood. Eliza’s pursuit of her forbidden desires for the trainee priest is soon sidetracked by her passion for Sean Spunner, a young solicitor whom her parents deem a suitable match.

Eliza is a superb character – rebellious, artistic, and beautiful, she’s intensely captivating; simultaneously endearing and flawed, making many questionable choices that we would really prefer her not to make, but relishing how it drives her story. She feels trapped under her parents’ control and expectations, crushed by their vile attitudes and behaviour, wishing only to pursue her art, choose whom she loves, and live a carefree and happy life. But this is not the life that society or her family has mapped out for her, and she becomes increasingly desperate to escape.

Alexander continues to suffer heartbreak at his separation from Lucy, his distractions and his demons enabling Eliza’s freedoms to thrive. We get to know Sean a little better, our sympathy for him growing as it becomes clear he genuinely cares for Eliza, after having suffered the despair of losing someone he loved in the past (more of Sean’s backstory is explored in ‘Malevolent Hearts’, the first in ‘The Malevolent Trilogy’). One also cannot help but feel enormous sympathy for Claudio, the challenges to his faith and his conflict at choosing between God and the woman he loves all the more devastating as we wonder if Eliza truly returns the affection of either man, her desire to escape eclipsing any genuine emotion she may feel. Her love affairs and desperate bid for freedom build to a bitterly tragic climax, leaving us poised to delve into the haunting darkness of the second novel.

A thrilling chapter in the saga, ‘Mosaic of Seduction’ is a tale of forbidden romance and desperate desire, fraught with tragedy.



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Val McDermid's Queen Macbeth - Review

Queen Macbeth by Val McDermid

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


A thrilling tale of love and loss, power and destitution.

In the unforgiving wilderness of medieval Scotland, Queen Macbeth is on the run for her life.

King Macbeth is dead, and she desperately mourns his loss, while fearing for her son whom she has been separated from.

This is the tale of the tragedy behind the tragedy, a story of love discovered and lost, and a desperate quest for survival.

‘Queen Macbeth’ is an historical fiction novella by Val McDermid, retelling the history behind Shakespeare’s tragedy ‘Macbeth’ from the perspective of the queen, in a far more sympathetic portrait than the Machiavellian villainess Lady Macbeth of the play. McDermid delves into Shakespeare’s historical inspiration in search of the true story behind the myth – not of a man spurned to violence and tyranny by his fatal flaws of greed and ambition, encouraged by his equally megalomanic and bloodthirsty wife, but of Macbethad, an early king of Scotland (in its contemporary political geography of several kingdoms), and his beloved wife Gruoch, whom he recues from an abusive, loveless marriage.

The tale is narrated from Gruoch’s perspective, who is now in hiding, being pursued for her life and her son’s throne following the death of her second husband. Through flashbacks, we discover their beautiful love story, their intense emotion and attraction blooming from an instant connection. But their love is forbidden – Gruoch is married to the cruel and murderous Gille Coemgáin. Yet the love between Gruoch and Macbeth is powerful and nothing can come between them and their destiny to be together, these flashbacks the shining heart of the novella; along with Gruoch’s relationship with her three companions, their characterisation another piece of historical realism analogous to the three witches of Shakespeare’s tragedy.

The narrative moves seamlessly between the dual timelines, as, in the present, Gruoch’s pursuers catch up with her and her allies, and they must flee the grounds of the monastery where they have been granted safe haven to seek new sanctuary, facing more bloodshed and deeper tragedy. The novella subtly questions perception – consider the misogyny of a patriarchal society; how the victors of war record the history of conflict – while toying with allusions to the original play and crafting a legend around a history about which little is known fact.

A beautifully written story, ‘Queen Macbeth’ takes us on a tragic and emotional journey along with endearing characters; a moving companion to the Scottish Play, shedding light on its darkness and reminding us there is often another perspective to every story.



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