Jessica Rydill's Blog, page 2
November 26, 2022
Historical Writers day on twitter #HistoryWritersDay22 – just in time for “In Cases of Murder” @BoBookPublicity @JillBookCafe @MishaHerwin @…
I never know about these things until they are whooshing past – but I gather today is all about Historical Writers day on twitter! I shall try to …
Historical Writers day on twitter #HistoryWritersDay22 – just in time for “In Cases of Murder” @BoBookPublicity @JillBookCafe @MishaHerwin @…
November 23, 2022
Review of In Cases of Murder (Bunch Courtney Investigates, Book 4) by Jan Edwards
“Something of a tour de force…”This is the fourth book in the Bunch Courtney Investigates series. Bunch, whose name is a version of the childhood nickname Rosebunch (her true name is Rose) is now in a changed situation following the end of Book 3, Listed Dead.
Still living at the Dower House, with the family home Perringham Hall having been commandeered by a secretive part of the military, Bunch is in charge of a group of young women from the Land Army. Her father is busy in London, advising Winston Churchill, her mother is in a nursing home, and Bunch is running the family estates, under the watchful eye of her grandmother, Beatrice. She also has a semi-official position as a Police Consultant to the local CID, led by the tantalising Chief Inspector Wright.
So when the body of Laura Jarman, daughter of dubious industrialist Charles Jarman, turns up in a trunk on Brighton Station – and it turns out to be the third in a series, the only one that can be identified – Inspector Wright calls on Bunch’s intelligence, courage and growing detective skills to help him investigate the crime.
Against the background of wartime Britain, Bunch’s family life continues to challenge and complicate. Her mother, Theadora, a former alcoholic, is gravely ill. Her widowed sister Daphne (Dodo) lives with her father-in-law, Barty Tinsley, and infant daughter Georgi. Life goes on, and the dangers of war are ever-present, but in this story the clues lead beyond rural Sussex, to London and beyond.
Bunch has to visit mysterious Gellideg House, when Wright calls her in to use her charm on Charles Jarman, horribly scarred in an accident while doing experimental research. His work on munitions is beyond top secret, and she spots her old friend Henry Marsham, himself involved in secret service duties, arriving just as she leaves.
I like the way in which the intricate detail of the story and its background are pieced together, little by little, to build up a picture of the crime and its victims. The research is meticulous but never heavy, and it gives a strong feeling of authenticity to dialogue and descriptions. There is the landscape of rural Sussex in which Bunch is grounded, now transformed by wartime requisitions. And there is London itself, home of the wartime government, where Bunch and Wright travel a long way beyond their comfort zone into the thieves’ dens and munitions factories south of the river Thames.
Bunch herself is a wonderful character. She has two admirers, Henry Marsham and Chief Inspector Wright, but will never admit to herself that she likes them, let alone decide which one she prefers. The spectre of war and imminent death make it hard for her to form attachments, and she is fearful of losing anyone close to her – a fear that is sadly fulfilled before the novel ends.
In one sense, the Courtney family maintains a traditional British reserve and stiff upper lip, but there is never any doubt that they are caring and humane people coping in particularly difficult circumstances.
The mystery of the bodies in the trunks becomes more pressing. Who is the killer, and will they strike again? There are plentiful red herrings and misdirections for Bunch and Wright as they slowly wind in the thread, trying to form a picture of murder victim Laura Jarman, her family and movements. And then another body is found in the same circumstances…
Above all, there is the sinister Haven Cottage with its absent owners, which seems to have been used as a brothel by Canadian airmen at the local camp. Not far from Winchcombe and Perringham House, Haven Cottage may hold the key to the mystery – or not.
Once again, Jan Edwards has spun a gripping and enjoyable tale of murder and mayhem. I was eager to read to the end to find out what happened. There are some cracking characters, not least Bunch herself and the redoubtable women of her family, plus a cast of locals, policemen, military, crooks and even spooks. Everyone has believable character and motive, and though people’s flaws and demons are exposed by the police investigation and the inexorable march of justice, most are viewed with compassion and complexity – right up until the murderer is unmasked, in a nail-biting finale.
*Thank you to the author and Penkhull Press for the digital advance review copy. As always, my opinion is my own.*
November 10, 2022
A Gathering of Gargoyles by Misha Herwin review (The Adventures of Letty Parker, Book 5)
A captivating story of mystery, magic and skulduggery
Letty Parker is growing up. Her first loves are still her friends: her loyal gang, Hepzibah, Mango and Jeb (Jebediah Hughes); her detective agency; and the city of Bristol itself, vibrant, grimy and fizzing with magic. But Letty is also torn between her feelings for two young men: loyal Jeb himself and the mysterious Gabriel, the half-human son of the Count Nicholas – one of the Dark Ones, the Nephilim, who now rules the city as its mayor.
Letty and her associates have a new mystery to investigate. The Night Creatures that inhabit the rooftops of the city – dragons and gargoyles – are under attack from a mysterious disease. The gargoyles are eroding away and the dragons are corroding: one by one they are dying, and their fate reveals a more insidious attack on the city itself.
Meanwhile, Letty and her friend Hepzibah meet new neighbours at the latter’s home 3 Belvedere Terrace, where she lives with her formidable Aunt Beulah: young scientist Copernica Clifford, who seems remote and unfriendly, and her little brother Newton with his beloved dog Scrap.
The children face eviction since their father, Cawston Clifford, a scientist, has disappeared leaving them no way to pay the rent. Aunt Beulah offers them sanctuary from the bailiffs, but when Copernica returns to her lab to collect her father’s notebook, she is attacked by two thugs who seem to be after the same thing. Who are they and who sent them? Has Clifford been kidnapped and held prisoner against his will?
Letty and her friends set out to find the missing scientist, and to investigate what is harming the gargoyles and dragons. And little by little a complex plot unravels, one that links the Dark Ones to the people of Bristol, and a new invention that seems to threaten the city and everyone who lives there, as well as its magical inhabitants.
I enjoyed A Gathering of Gargoyles very much. There are places where the narrative takes flight; I loved the scenes where Letty and friends encounter the witches, or when she visits the roof of St Nicholas Church to meet with the gargoyles. There’s a nail-biting climax at the Bristol Observatory and Camera Obscura. The evocation of a historic, magical Bristol is one of the best things, especially if you know the city.
I really warmed to the characters, from Jebediah Hughes, who has retired from thieving after a brush with death, to Mango, who has left the gang of street children to which he belonged, both now working for Letty’s detective agency. There is Hepzibah, throwing herself into the investigation despite protective Aunt Beulah, and Letty herself, smart, kind-hearted and resourceful. Newcomers Copernica and Newton are thoughtfully drawn, and even minor characters have a real three-dimensionality (and names to match).
The adults are much more flawed and unreliable. There is a real darkness in the story that recalls the novels of Leon Garfield: grown-ups are not heroic, and difficult choices have to be made. Herwin’s vivid evocation of the city and its population, along with the dialogue and a cast of memorable characters – gang leader the Bear’s daughter Emmalina, half-human and half-bear; the mysterious Humunculus Ridden, who may or may not be an ally; and the sinister Mr Tranter in his stovepipe hat – remind me of Joan Aiken once again.
The story will be enjoyed by young adults (12+) and adults alike.
November 3, 2022
In Cases of Murder #crimefiction #newtitle @Corinneleith @MishaHerwin @swirlandthread @razumova @BoBookPublicity
New from Jan Edwards – In Cases of Murder!
Coming very soon! In Cases of Murder!
May 6, 2022
Winter Downs special offer! #kindle #crimefiction #offers
This is a great cosy crime series if you haven’t discovered it yet, from winner of the Arnold Bennett Award Jan Edwards.
With A Case of Murder : Bunch Courtney Investigation #4 scheduled for later this year now would be a good time to catch up on the rest of this award winning ww2 crime series.
“Bunch Courtney stumbles upon the body of Jonathan Frampton in a woodland clearing. Is this a case of suicide, or is it murder? Bunch is determined to discover the truth but can she persuade the dour Chief Inspector Wright to take her seriously? n January of 1940 a small rural community on the Sussex Downs, already preparing for invasion from across the Channel, finds itself deep in the grip of a snowy landscape, with an ice-cold killer on the loose.”
With that in mind the Kindle version of Winter Downs is available now on Amazon uk for just 99p! Amazon.com kindle store for just $1.24!
The paperback is also on sale at .UK for a…
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December 7, 2021
Review of Freecycling for Beginners by Misha Herwin
Freecycling for BeginnersI wasn’t sure what to expect when I started this novel. It’s a contemporary fiction set in the present and based in Bristol. The plot is simple: how the lives of several characters intersect and are changed by using Freecycle.
Freecycle too has a simple principle: donating items or services for free, or advertising for what you need.
The key word here is synchronicity: what happens when chance or fate seem to produce meaningful results, more than mere coincidence.
On this basis, the author weaves a story about a group of people whose paths cross. The result is like a fairytale. It’s not all plain-sailing, and there are dark shadows: cancer, grief and loss, autism and divorce. But there is also hope and the notion that a chance encounter can open up new possibilities for people who thought they had none.
The characters include Jane, who has to get rid of her late husband’s much loved chair before she moves into a new flat;
Her daughter Anna, in a relationship so detached she doesn’t really care when her partner ends it;
Robyn, a painter struggling to care for her three children after their father left her alone to deal with the last, autistic son, Finn;
Animal-loving Debbie, struggling to make ends meet and desperate to find a prom dress for her daughter Frankie;
Tracy, working hard in a house mortgaged up to the hilt, while her husband Eddie has what seems like secure work as a lorry driver, and her mother, cold and snobbish, is more of a hindrance than a help;
Dan, a handsome older man with a loft apartment who has just been dumped by his glamorous but selfish lover;
And Robyn’s brother Craig, a red-haired musician who shows up whenever he can to help out with the kids and give his sister a rest.
The old chair, symbol of Jane’s dead husband Hugh, becomes the fulcrum on which these encounters turn. Jane lists the chair on Freecycle and when Robyn accepts it as a seat for models in her studio, a connection is made.
I loved this and found it harder to put down as time went on. There is a sense of real jeopardy and you fear for the characters and will them to succeed. They are likeable, realistic people, not flawless. There are few truly horrible characters, though Tracy’s mother has a good go.
What the novel evokes beautifully are the sights and sounds of Bristol, the smells of a hot summer and some really appetising food. The characters are portrayed sympathetically and with heart and compassion. There is a heart-rending description of Finn, the autistic child, and his desperation because he can’t understand his environment; but the story does not romanticise how difficult it is to care for such a child unsupported, for mother and siblings.
Also embedded in the story is the idea of found families, how important they are and how connections with people who were strangers can bring hope and new possibilities.
(This review is cross-posted to various places).
November 29, 2021
The Alchemy Press Book of Horrors 3 review
The Alchemy Press Book of Horrors 3 by Peter Coleborn and Jan Edwards
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Any anthology is a bit like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re going to get inside. And a horror anthology comes with a frisson of fear, a touch of M.R. James’s “pleasing terror”.
I am happy to report that there are no duds in The Alchemy Press Book of Horrors 3: A Miscellany of Monsters., to give it its full title. Indeed there are some real doozies.
Horror stirs up our deepest fears. Death, disintegration, loss of self, fear of being devoured. Along with that are recurring themes of grief and loss. And of course there is humour, whether dark or mischievous.
The monsters are as diverse as the stories. Most are physically horrifying and many are disturbing. Some are beautiful and some (almost) sympathetic. Some may only exist in the narrator’s mind. You can’t be sure…
Build Your Own Monster!!! Guaranteed to Scare the Whole Family!!! by Bryn Fortey and Johnny Mains is funny and satisfying. Emily Vaught opens a kit from a long-vanished company in America, ignoring the warning on the box, with unexpected consequences for her and her beastly brother, Jason.
The Head by Gary Kilworth. Primal body horror in this tale of an explorer who uses Maori techniques to sail from Australia to Hawaii. Ship-wrecked on a coral reef in the isolation of the South Seas, he has to face death – or worse.
Inappetence by Steve Rasnic Tem. There’s a painful irony in this story of an old man facing the indignity of a lingering death. Gripping and deeply melancholy.
Songs in the Dark by Jenny Barber. In this lyrical and chilling tale, the question of who – or what – is monstrous is turned on its head, as a cynical smuggler gets more than he bargained for. These are not Disney mermaids!
The Beast of Bathwick by Sarah Ash. Based on local legend, this mischievous story suggests a solution to the nature of the beast, with a flavour of Saki as magic intervenes in the main character’s life.
Cuckoo Flower by Tom Johnstone. An ecological horror rooted in fear of nature and its revenge for human depredations. A bleak and impressive view of invasive species that you really don’t want in your back garden.
A Song for Christmas by Ashe Woodward. Sheer body horror and plenty of yuck factor in this story about the Christmas from Hell. If you’re not keen on the festive season, this won’t improve your view. Or it could be an antidote to the mawkish sentimentality.
Dream a Little Dream of Me and My Shadow by Adrian Cole. This starts out like a US-style police procedural with pulp vibes before exploding into gothic horror. The hero and his smart and glamorous sidekick Ariadne find themselves hauled into the Dream Realm. A gripping fantasy horror mystery with some truly unpleasant monsters.
Memories of Clover by K.T. Wagner. A creepy story about family and bee-keeping that will probably put you off honey for life. The moments of unexpected beauty lull you into a false sense of security. The denouement and reveal are devastating.
Sun, Sand, Stone by Marion Pitman. Another deceptively beautiful story about love, guilt and loss with a harrowing ending. Is the narrator a murderer? The mythical past invades the present to decide their fate.
Redwater by Simon Bestwick. An eerie and melancholy tale that evokes a post-apocalyptic England with a strong sense of place, and visceral horror from under water. This mixes folk horror and yearning for a lost past with brutal violence.
Dreamcatcher by Pauline E. Dungate. In a bleak contemporary setting, the resourceful heroine discovers the power of nightmares, with unexpected consequences
The Daughters by Tim Jeffreys. A folk horror about a Cornish fishing village you really wouldn’t want to visit. Street-smart young wife Kiara has to overcome her scepticism and attempt to rescue her husband from unspeakable horrors.
Black Spots by John Llewelyn Probert. Sadness is at the root of this story about bereavement and creatures from English folklore. Adapted to the modern world they have not lost their cruel power.
Echoes of Days Past by Mike Chinn. With a wealth of historical detail, this is a chilling story in which experimental sonar in World War II disturbs something from the deep. A vividly imagined terror on board a submarine.
What the Snow Brings by Ralph Robert Moore. A grim and gripping tale that gives a new meaning to the phrase “cabin fever”. It evokes the bleakness and horror of the wilderness in winter, and the indifference of nature to human suffering.
February 14, 2021
Please Miss The Cat Ate It @razumova @Chataboutbooks1 @Mishaherwin @SamanthaLHowe @KTScribbles @BarryLillie1 @penkhullpress #amwriting #…
We have all come up with those excuses for lost/unwritten/forgotten homework – or even just missed phone calls home, and I just knew I had to tender…
Please Miss The Cat Ate It @razumova @Chataboutbooks1 @Mishaherwin @SamanthaLHowe @KTScribbles @BarryLillie1 @penkhullpress #amwriting #…
December 9, 2020
December news
In the New Year new editions of my books will appear under our Midford Books banner.
These will include a new title, Tunguska. The Girl from the Sea is already available.
Watch this space for further updates…
