The Secrets of Hartwood Hall - Katie Lumsden

There is no better book to read on a dull and rainy day, than a Gothic mystery. The weather in my part of the world was the backdrop on a wet Sunday for Katie Lumsden's debut novel, The Secrets of Hartwood Hall. The cover and title promised the perfect tale. 

What makes this genre such a favorite of mine? Well let me tell you... it's the historical time frame, the run down manor, the village nearby and it's refusal to have anything to do with the manor and it's inhabitants, the whisper of ghosts, the knock in the night, the mixed personalities of the staff, including the handsome gardener, the mystery that surround the Lady of the manor and her son and last but not least the new addition to the manor - a recently widowed governess. Oh - and secrets - lots of secrets!

Katie Lumsden's book is set in 1852. She has captured the social strata, manners and mores of the time period. Her descriptions of the setting(s) are rich in detail and provided strong mental pictures for me. The cast of characters is perfect and I really liked Margaret as a lead character. She isn't one to accept all of those rules and expected behaviors. Hers is the only point of view. Lumsden has taken all of those facets I look forward to and added her own touches to the Secrets of Hartwood Hall. The ending caught me off guard as I had expected a different outcome. On reflection it's a fitting one that's perfect. 

If you enjoy this genre, than this is a book for you. See for yourself - read an excerpt of The Secrets of Hartwood Hall. I quite enjoyed this debut and wouldn't hesitate to pick up her next book. More please!

The Wicked Sister - Karen Dionne

Karen Dionne's debut novel, The Marsh King, was a runaway bestseller. She follows that success up with her newly released second novel, The Wicked Sister.

Rachel either committed or witnessed a horrific crime as a child. She has virtually no memory of the death of her parents at their remote log cabin. She ran into the woods and wasn't found for two weeks. Remarkedly, she was in good shape. Fifteen years later, she has chosen to keep herself voluntarily locked away in a psychiatric hospital. For company, she often speaks to the spider in the corner of her room. But when the journalist brother of another resident takes an interest in the killing and offers up new evidence, Rachel knows she has to confront her past - if she can remember it.

Dionne employs one of my favorite storytelling devices with past and present narratives. We follow Rachel in the present as she tries to find answers. And we meet Jenny, Rachel's mother as we come to know the past. How Rachel and her sister, Diana, grew up on a large wilderness property, communing with nature. That back and forth technique always makes for addictive reading - having to get back to a timeline, armed with new knowledge.

The Marsh King's Daughter had fairy tale elements woven through it and I found myself looking (and finding) the same in The Wicked Sister. Deep in a wood with an enchanted feel, animals endowed with a magical feel, a good sister vs. a bad sister, and more.

Dionne did a really good job with her characters. The confusion of one sister and the incarnate evil of the other jumped off the page. There are some really creepy scenes that had me shivering.

The title's a bit of a giveaway - we know that one of them is evil, but it's a roundabout trail to the final answer. One element used was a bit of a stretch for me -  but note that I am quite pragmatic. A decidedly different read with the suspense genre label. Here's an excerpt of The Wicked Sister.

Just for fun, look up the meanings of both names - I wonder if Dionne chose the names for her lead characters based on their meanings?

Someone We Know - Question and Answers with Shari Lapena

If you're looking to start packing your beach bag (okay - porch bag) for summer reading, make sure you add Shari Lapena's suspense novel, Someone We Know, to the list. The paperback releases May 12/20. I've read it and can happily recommend it! (my review) I really enjoy Lapena's books and am also looking forward to her forthcoming book - The End of Her - releasing July 28/20.

In the meantime, get to know Shari and her writing a bit better......

In Someone We Know, Raleigh, a teenaged boy, is the person of interest in a series of home break-ins. What inspired this character?
It was something I saw on the internet about a kid breaking into someone’s house in the middle of the night to use their wifi. I guess he’d had his own wifi restricted at home. It got me thinking about what a teenaged boy might do, and what the repercussions might be—and it just went on from there.

What was your inspiration for writing Someone We Know? How is it different from your previous thrillers?
As I said above, the idea was tweaked by something interesting I saw on the internet. That was enough to get me started. I knew the boy had to stumble onto something big—I needed a murder. It’s always easy to come up with a dead body—it’s how that dead body got to be there that’s more difficult, and a lot more interesting. That’s where the story comes in.  In many ways, Someone We Know is similar to my other thrillers—it’s fast paced, it’s twisty, and you want to get to the bottom of it all.  But this one focuses also on whole families, on parents and sons in particular, rather than focusing only on couples. It feels richer and deeper to me in that way.

Which character in Someone We Know did you have the most fun creating? Which one was the most challenging to write?
For fun, I’d have to say Raleigh, because he’s a teenager who’s got himself into a world of trouble. He’s a likeable mess, so you have to feel for him. The most challenging character to write was probably Robert Pierce, because it’s always tricky to get a probable psychopath just right. 
The one I liked best was Olivia, Raleigh’s mother. I feel for her, I really do.

What is your process for developing characters? Are any of these characters based on anyone you know?
I never base a character on any particular person, although I’m sure I take the occasional trait here and there from different people I see and incorporate them into my characters as I see fit. I develop characters organically—I put a character into a particular situation—usually a difficult one—and see what they do and say. They grow and develop as the story goes on and they face ever greater challenges. There’s no better way to learn about your characters than to put them in a situation of conflict and see how they react. Much better than creating a chart with eye color and shoe size and how they take their coffee—although that would help to keep the details straight! 

Do you know at the beginning who the killer will be or do you decide as you write? 
No, I don’t know who the killer will be at the outset, but I know it has to be one of several people. I start with a situation with a lot of possibilities, one that can go in a lot of different directions, and then, as I develop all the threads, and as I come to the end, the best answer presents itself. 

Your plots have many twists. How do you come up with these plot turns? Do you plan everything out beforehand or do you wing it and see where the story takes you?
The plot twists come instinctively, I guess. I’m not a planner, in that I don’t plan a novel out ahead and then write it. I start with an exciting premise, and I get inside the characters—they’re in a fraught situation, and they take things where they’re meant to go.  The twists and turns just come. I really believe that the unconscious mind is working all the time. I believe that that’s where our ideas and creativity come from, and you have to be receptive to it. Practically speaking, I have to set up an interesting situation that could go in a lot of directions in the first place, with some characters with unknown backstories, so that these twists and turns can arise. Once I have my premise, I can get started and let things unfold as they will. Still, I think about things as I go along, how the situation might become more complicated, more difficult for the characters, and the different ways it might be resolved.

Why do you think your books have struck a chord with readers? To what do you attribute your ability to predict what thriller readers want?
It’s been such a thrill, really. I didn’t expect it. But yes, something about my books resonates with readers. I think with The Couple Next Door, there was something about the parental lapse of judgment that resonated with many, many people. A Stranger in the House didn’t have that sort of premise, but readers gobbled it up—and An Unwanted Guest too. I think generally speaking, what has made my books successful—and I’m going by what my fans say, which is almost always “I couldn’t put it down”—is that my books have a relentless forward momentum that they enjoy. They’re fast moving, and you just have to know what’s going to happen next, and you want the answers to all your questions—the answer to not just what happened, but why. And also, they’re twisty—and readers love to have their expectations upended.

Sounds good, doesn't it!? Read an excerpt of Someone We Know.

The Poison Garden - Alex Marwood

I stumbled across Alex Marwood's writing back in 2013 with her debut and Edgar Award winning novel, The Wicked Girls. (my review) I've been hooked ever since. Each of her novels has been completely different, unexpected and addicting. Her latest is The Poison Garden - and it too was a story I couldn't predict.

Romy was a toddler when her mother moved them to The Ark, a cult who is waiting and prepping for the end of the world. (Marwood does a great job of world-building with the cult.) They know they will be saved. As we find out from the first chapter, the end of the world comes - for The Ark. Romy is thrust back into the 'world of the dead' as The Ark referred to the outside world. She has to learn how to adapt to this world - and the family her mother left behind.

Marwood tells Romy's story in a past and present timeline. We learn about the cult/commune before the downfall - the pracitces and beliefs, the members and what led up to the the demise of The Ark. But how did Romy survive? We're with Romy from her first day back in the 'real world'. Those time lines progress until they ultimately meet. I love this method of storytelling. The back and forth had me up late, needing to know what is happening on each side of that final resolution and reading 'just one more' chapter.

Marwood kept me on my toes - there was no way to predict where this story was going to go. I so appreciate being surprised by a plot. Marwood's prose flow easily. And as before, I didn't see the ending coming. It finished the book, but left some nice little what-ifs to keep the reader wondering.

Alex Marwood is a pseudonym for a London journalist and her books have a gritty, authentic feel to them. The Poison Garden was another dark and delicious read. Here's an excerpt of The Poison Garden.

How to Find Love in a Bookshop - Veronica Henry

I do love my mysteries, but every so often I crave a sweet, feel-good read with a happy ending. How to Find Love in a Bookshop by Veronica Henry was all of the above and the perfect read for a lazy Sunday.

Nightingale Books has been a fixture in the village of Peasedale for almost thirty years. "After all, a town without a bookshop was a town without a heart." Julius, the owner, is just as beloved by the residents. When he passes away, his daughter Emilia returns home to take over the shop she grew up in.

"Millions - there must be so many millions - of words. All those words, and the pleasure they had provided for people over the years: escape, entertainment, education...He had changed minds. He had changed lives. It was up to her to carry on his works so he would live on...."

Well, starting off with a bookshop at the heart of a tale had me hooked without turning a page! And then I met the inhabitants of Peasedale and became totally immersed in Henry's imaginings. Her characters were so warm and real. They're people you would like to have in your circle of friends. Many of them are holding on to secrets, running from or wishing for love and happiness - and some of them don't even realize it....

Henry's emotional descriptions of her characters and their wants and wishes was very well done. The memories of Julius had me reaching for a tissue more than once. I could only hope that they all would find what they needed by the end of the book. There are lots of miscommunications, missed cues and missteps along the way. But, this being a chick lit type of book, we know we can expect some happy endings by the final pages....and the journey there was so very enjoyable.

There were so many great book quotes and references throughout the novel. Bibliophiles will appreciate them all. "There's a book for everyone, even if they don't think there is. A book that reaches in a grabs your soul."

I really enjoyed How to Find Love in a Bookshop - it was charming, sweet and a lovely read. Five stars for pure escapist enjoyment reading. I'll be checking out what else Henry has written. Read an excerpt of How to Find Love in a Bookshop.

Fans of Jenny Colgan would enjoy Veronica Henry. You can connect with Veronica on her website, like her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter.

Giveaway - Eastman Was Here - Alex Gilvarry

Alex Gilvarry's new novel, Eastman Was Here has been named 'one of the most anticipated novels of the summer' by Buzzfeed, Nylon, and Huffington Post. And I have a copy of Eastman Was Here to giveaway to two lucky readers!

What's it about? From the publisher, Viking Books:

"An ambitious new novel set in the literary world of 1970s New York, following a washed-up writer in an errant quest to pick up the pieces of his life.

The year is 1973, and Alan Eastman, a public intellectual, accidental cultural critic, washed-up war journalist, husband, and philanderer; finds himself alone on the floor of his study in an existential crisis. His wife has taken their kids and left him to live with her mother in New Jersey, and his best work feels as though it is years behind him. In the depths of despair, he receives an unexpected and unwelcome phone call from his old rival dating back to his days on the Harvard literary journal, offering him the chance to go to Vietnam to write the definitive account of the end of America’s longest war. Seeing his opportunity to regain his wife’s love and admiration while reclaiming his former literary glory, he sets out for Vietnam. But instead of the return to form as a pioneering war correspondent that he had hoped for, he finds himself in Saigon, grappling with the same problems he thought he’d left back in New York.

Following his widely acclaimed debut, From the Memoirs of a Non-Enemy Combatant, Alex Gilvarry employs the same thoughtful, yet dark sense of humor in Eastman Was Here to capture one irredeemable man’s search for meaning in the face of advancing age, fading love, and a rapidly-changing world." Read an excerpt of Eastman Was Here.

“With his second book, Gilvarry establishes himself as a writer who defies expectation, convention and categorization. Eastman Was Here is a dark, riotously funny and audacious exploration of the sacred and the profane—and pretty much everything in between.” —Téa Obreht, New York Times bestselling author of The Tiger’s Wife."

"Alex Gilvarry is the author of From the Memoirs of a Non-Enemy Combatant, winner of the Hornblower Award for a First Book, named Best New Voice 2012 by Bookspan.  He has received fellowships from the Harry Ransom Center and the Norman Mailer Center. He is a professor at Monmouth University where he teaches fiction." You can connect with Alex Gilvarry on his website and follow him on Twitter.  And if you'd like to read Eastman Was Here, enter to win one of two copies I have to give away. Open to US only, no PO boxes please. Ends Sept. 9/17.

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Giveaway - The Art of Language Invention - David J. Peterson

Did the text on the cover catch your eye? Were you able to read it? Well, you're going to want to read David J. Peterson's brand new release, The Art of Language Invention: From Horse-Lords to Dark Elves, the Words Behind World-Building.

From the publisher, Penguin Books:

"In The Art of Language Invention, master language creator David J. Peterson lays out a creative, highly accessible guide to language construction for science-fiction and fantasy fans, writers, game creators, and language lovers. Peterson begins with a brief history of constructed languages—also known as conlangs—from J.R.R. Tolkien’s Quenya and Sindarin to Star Trek’s Klingon to the thriving global community of language construction. Then, using examples from a variety of languages including his own conlangs, Peterson offers a captivating and lucid overview of language creation, providing a basic foundation of essential linguistic tools for inventing and evolving one’s own lexicon. Along the way, behind-the-scenes stories lift the curtain on how he built languages for television series and movies like Dothraki and High Valyrian for HBO’s Game of Thrones and Shiväisith for Marvel’s Thor: The Dark World, and an included phrasebook will start fans speaking Peterson’s conlangs.

An inside look at a fascinating culture and a perfect entry point into an art form as old as civilization, The Art of Language Invention is a wild linguistic adventure that will have readers ready to rub shoulders with horse lords and dark elves and perhaps inspire them to create their own languages."

Fascinating eh? Read an excerpt of The Art of Language Invention.

David J. Peterson began creating languages in 2000, received his MA in Linguistics from the University of California, San Diego, in 2005, and cofounded the Language Creation Society in 2007. He has created languages for HBO’s Game of Thrones, Syfy’s Defiance and Dominion, the CW’s Star-Crossed, and Thor: The Dark World. He is also the author of Living Language Dothraki.You can connect with David J. Peterson on his website, as well as on Twitter. He's also starting a new YouTube series about The Art of Language Invention on Sept. 29/15.

And if you think you'd like to explore The Art of Language Invention, I have a copy to giveaway courtesy of Penguin Books. Enter using the Rafflecopter form below. Open to US only, no PO boxes please. Ends Oct 17/15.

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A Magnificent Mother's Day Giveaway!!

Okay, so Mother's Day is just around the corner.....(Sunday May 10th).....and you're still debating on what to get your mom, your daughter, your grandmother - or maybe even yourself! Well, you can't go wrong with a book!

Penguin Books has some great book recommendations ..... and I have a copy of each of these titles to giveaway to one lucky reader to share with the maternal figure in your life!

"Fans of historical fiction will love Sue Monk Kidd’s THE INVENTION OF WINGS, her bestselling novel, now in paperback, about two unforgettable American women: Hetty “Handful” Grimke, an urban slave in early nineteenth century Charleston, and Sarah Grimke, a daughter in the wealthy Grimke household." Read an excerpt of The Invention of Wings." Read an excerpt of The Invention of Wings.

"For a fun, fast-paced read (but, as a Jojo book, still heavy on the feelings!) ONE PLUS ONE by Jojo Moyes is the rollicking road trip story of a single mom and her family whose road trip disaster is saved by a quirky but charming stranger." Read an excerpt of One Plus One.

"CUT ME LOOSE by Leah Vincent will be a great gift for memoir fans – it’s the electrifying story about a young woman’s self-destructive spiral after being cast out by her ultra-Orthodox Jewish family." Read an excerpt of Cut Me Loose.

Three great choices! If you'd like to enter to win a copy of all three titles, use the Rafflecopter form below. Open to US only, no PO boxes please. Ends May 16/15.

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The Killer Next Door - Alex Marwood

I read Alex Marwood's debut novel, The Wicked Girls, last year (my review) and immediately knew she would be on my 'must read' list. Well, her second novel, The Killer Next Door, is even better than her first book.

23 Beulah Grove is a run down London house, divided into six tiny rooms and overseen by a decidedly creepy landlord. Each of the six residents have their own stories - and their own secrets. So the house suits - cash rent, no references, no questions

You'll be hooked from the opening pages as we slowly come to know Lisa, newly moved into number 23. And as she meets the others, we know something she doesn't - one of them is a killer. An accident at the house one night pushes the residents into an uneasy alliance -and gives them all one more secret to keep.

Oh man, can Marwood write an absolutely creepy, addicting, thrill ride of a read. Each new chapter adds another clue as to who the killer might be. The killer has his own chapters - his mindset and crime(s) are suitably gruesome - and quite imaginative. (fair warning to gentle readers)

Marwood paints vivid pictures of this run down house and its occupants. I had a clear picture of the dank basement, the underlit hallways and the peeling wallpaper. Each of the players is just as vividly depicted and I often found myself holding my breath along with the characters.

The plotting is ingenious and absolutely kept me off balance - I thought I had sussed things out, but was proven wrong. There are twists, turns and herrings everywhere. Along with some darkly humourous moments as well.

I think this would actually make a great movie. Absolutely recommended - I can't wait to read what Alex Marwood writes next. Read an excerpt of The Killer Next Door. You can find Alex Marwood on Twitter.

Giveaway - The Price of Blood - Patricia Bracewell

Here's a great giveaway for  historical fiction readers!

Patricia Bracewell's new novel, The Price of Blood, releases February 5/15. I have a copy to giveaway AND a copy of the first book in this trilogy, Shadow on the Crown, as well!

What's it about? From the publisher, Viking Books:

"Menaced by Vikings and enemies at court, Queen Emma defends her children and her crown in a riveting medieval adventure. Readers first met Emma of Normandy in Patricia Bracewell’s gripping debut novel, Shadow on the Crown.


Unwillingly thrust into marriage to England’s King Æthelred, Emma has given the king a son and heir, but theirs has never been a happy marriage. In The Price of Blood, Bracewell returns to 1006 when a beleaguered Æthelred, still haunted by his brother’s ghost, governs with an iron fist and a royal policy that embraces murder.

As tensions escalate and enmities solidify, Emma forges alliances to protect her young son from ambitious men—even from the man she loves. In the north there is treachery brewing, and when Viking armies ravage England, loyalties are shattered and no one is safe from the sword.

Rich with intrigue, compelling personalities, and fascinating detail about a little-known period in history, The Price of Blood will captivate fans of both historical fiction and fantasy novels such as George R. R. Martin’s Game of Thrones series."

credit: Christine Krieg

"Patricia Bracewell grew up in California where she taught literature and composition before embarking upon her writing career. She has always been fascinated by English history, which led to her studying Anglo-Saxon history at Downing College, Cambridge University. She has two grown sons and lives with her husband in Oakland, California."

You can find Patricia Bracewell on Twitter @PatBracewell. Pat will be tweeting out interesting #AngloSaxonFact throughout February. You can find Patricia Bracewell on Facebook as well.

Sound like a story you'd enjoy? Simply leave a comment to be entered. One reader will win a copy of both books. Open to US only, no PO boxes please. Ends Feb 7/15.

Winner - Moth and Spark - Anne Leonard

The randomly chosen winner of a copy of Moth and Spark, by Anne Leonard, courtesy of Penguin Books is:

Curlypow!

Congratulations! I've contacted you by email for your mailing address. Please respond within 48 hours. After that time, a new winner will be chosen. Keep your eye on the sidebar for other great giveaways!

Giveaway - First Impressions - Charlie Lovett

I've got a wonderful giveaway for Jane Austen fans today! Charlie Lovett's new novel First Impressions: A Novel of Old Books, Unexpected Love, and Jane Austen releases October 20/14..

What's it about? From the publisher, Viking Books:

"Charlie Lovett’s best-selling debut novel The Bookman’s Tale introduced scores of readers to the true meaning of the word bibliophile. In his delightful second novel, FIRST IMPRESSIONS: A Novel of Old Books, Unexpected Love, and Jane Austen, Lovett once again immerses readers in a world where books hold closely guarded secrets that threaten to turn the literary world upside down. For Lovett, a former antiquarian bookseller and collector, old books hold a power like none other; in his thrilling, suspenseful mysteries, their contents become matters of life and death.

In 1796, Jane Austen is living in Hampshire and working on her first book, an epistolary novel tentatively titled Elinor and Marianne, when she strikes up an unlikely friendship with an aging cleric named Richard Mansfield. An author himself—albeit of a less-than-artful book of allegories—Mansfield soon becomes Jane’s closest literary companion. On long walks through the countryside and engaging chats by the fire, they offer each other not only friendship, but also professional advice. Neither can foresee the impact their collaborations will have on future generations.

In present day London, Sophie Collingwood is a lifelong book lover bereft at the loss of her beloved Uncle Bertram. After his books are sold off to pay debts, Sophie takes a job at an antiquarian bookshop hoping to earn enough to slowly buy back the books and restore his collection. When, on the same day, two customers request a copy of the same obscure book—the second edition of Little Book of Allegories by Richard Mansfield—Sophie is drawn into a mystery that will cast doubt on the true authorship of Pride and Prejudice.

Sophie, a dogged a dogged researcher and devoted Jane Austen fan, is quickly drawn into a frantic search for a book that threatens not just Jane Austen’s reputation, but Sophie’s own life. Combining a very Austen-like love triangle; a portrait of one of our greatest literary legends; and a tribute to the typesetters and printing presses of the eighteenth century, First Impressions> will charm bibliophiles and Jane Austen lovers everywhere. Lovett skillfully pulls readers into his world where true joy comes from a life lived in books."


"Charlie Lovett is a former antiquarian bookseller, an avid book collector, and a member of The Grolier Club, the preeminent club for bibliophiles in North America. He and his wife split their time between Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and Kingham, Oxfordshire, in England."

PS - Did I mention that a hardcover copy of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, courtesy of Penguin Booksis part of this prize pack? For a chance to win both books, simply leave a comment with the title of your favourite Jane Austen book. Open to US and Canada, no PO boxes please. Ends Oct 25/14.

A Killer Conversation....

Sarah Hilary

 

Alex Marwood

 

Penguin Books (@PenguinPbk) will be hosting a killer Twitter chat between two wonderfully talented British suspense/mystery authors—

Sarah Hilary (@sarah_hilary),
author of Someone Else's Skin
(I've read it and loved it)

and

Alex Marwood @AlexMarwood1),
author of The Wicked Girls (also loved it) and her forthcoming book The Killer Next Door (can't wait to read it!)

 

 This killer conversation will take place on

Wednesday, August 20
from 12-1 pm EST under the
hashtag #killerfiction.

Don’t miss your chance to ask questions to these up-and-coming authors in the genre!

Goodnight June - Sarah Jio

Following on the heels of yesterday's post, today's entry is another book about books and bookstores. Sarah Jio's latest is Goodnight June. Close to the title of that classic children's book Goodnight Moon, right? Well, Jio actually imagines what the origins of Goodnight Moon  might have been in this cosy read.

Jio's books often tie the present and past together in a back and forth narrative. Goodnight June follows this formula as well. June is a high powered banker who is in overdrive every day. When her beloved Aunt Ruby dies, she leaves June Bluebird Books, the children's bookstore she started in 1940. June takes a few days off to settle the estate. But that timeframe stretches to a few weeks as she begins to discover things about her aunt's past that she didn't know. Specifically, that she was great friends with Margaret Wise Brown - the author of Goodnight Moon. The two women's lives are slowly revealed through a set of letters, as well as a mystery. The cute owner of the café beside the store is also an incentive to stay.

Jio has again crafted an easily read, enjoyable novel. Her imagining of the connections between Wise and her aunt is imaginative. As with all of Jio's books, there is a light mystery, some heartbreak, some romance and an ending that will please readers. There are a few plot devices that are overly fortuitous, but I was reading for that happy ending, so I didn't let them bother me.  I find Jio's books to be good, light reading for the plane or the beach. If you've read other Jio books, then you will enjoy this latest.

Love found, love lost, and a love of books all figure into the plot of Goodnight June. Read an excerpt of Goodnight June. You can keep up with Sarah Jio on Facebook and on Twitter. Jio's next book, The Look of Love releases in November of this year.