Category: reviews

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Blog Tour: Lords of Uncreation – Adrian Tchaikovsky

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From Adrian Tchaikovsky, author of Children of Time and winner of the Arthur C. Clarke Award, Lords of Uncreation is the final high-octane instalment in the Final Architecture space opera trilogy.

He’s found a way to end their war, but will humanity survive to see it?

Idris Telemmier has uncovered a secret that changes everything – the Architects’ greatest weakness. A shadowy Cartel scrambles to turn his discovery into a weapon against these alien destroyers of worlds. But between them and victory stands self-interest. The galaxy’s great powers would rather pursue their own agendas than stand together against this shared terror.

Human and inhuman interests wrestle to control Idris’ discovery, as the galaxy erupts into a mutually destructive and self-defeating war. The other great obstacle to striking against their alien threat is Idris himself. He knows that the Architects, despite their power, are merely tools of a higher intelligence.

Deep within unspace, where time moves differently, and reality isn’t quite what it seems, their masters are the true threat. Masters who are just becoming aware of humanity’s daring – and taking steps to exterminate this annoyance forever.

My thoughts: Idris sometimes reminds me of Rincewind from Terry Pratchett’s Discworld, a rather nervous man who seems to have stumbled into something bigger than him and doesn’t quite know how to get out of it. In Idris’ case it really is much, much bigger than him. Universe sized really.

He has finally, almost delved enough into the unreal to find the masters behind the planet warping Architects. But can he convince everyone else to go after that and not just the crystalline creatures?

There’s also an attempt at a coup, a very angry Aklu the Unspeakable, the Vulture God limping on, complete with Olli and Kit still on board, even as the rest of crew travel on the Eye with Idris.

This series is hard to explain in a way, it plays with some huge and complex ideas – unspace, the Architects, the Ints like Idris. There are some brilliant concepts too, terrifying ones like the Parthenon and the Essiel and brilliant ones gone a bit awry, like Hugh. The characters are all great, I love Olli and Kittering, their racketing around the universe, holding the ship together with not much more than a few nuts and bolts and determination.

The existing order is in free fall and the ragtag gang trying to fix the universe are all that stands between complete destruction and what’s left of humanity and its allies/enemies/whatever the Hegemony is. I am sad it’s ended, but it was an incredible ride.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.

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Blog Tour: The Ex-Wife – Sally Rigby & Amanda Ashby

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My life was perfect until she came along. Norah.
Younger, prettier and about to marry my own ex-husband, they are a walking cliché.
I hate her. I hate them both.
She’s taken everything from me – my husband, my life, my home – but I refuse to allow her to take Cassie, my beautiful daughter. That’s a step too far.
Now I’ve discovered that Norah plans to have a baby of her own and that causes me no end of problems. She could destroy everything and reveal my deepest, darkest secrets.
That can never be allowed to happen.
No matter what it costs…
A brand new psychological thriller that will keep you guessing till the end! Perfect for fans of Sue Watson, Nina Manning, Shalini Boland
Purchase


Amanda Ashby and Sally Rigby are a crime writing partnership. Both authors live in New Zealand, have been friends for eighteen years and agree about everything (except musicals). They decided to collaborate on a psychological thriller which they then entered into a competition, run by Boldwood, and which they won!

Amanda: Facebook Instagram
Sally: Facebook Instagram
Joint Instagram

My thoughts: this was another clever, assured thriller from the writing team of Sally Rigby and Amanda Ashby. Family dynamics are at the heart of this book. Those of parents, children, couples and siblings.

It’s a tangled mess and a teenage daughter – with a dodgy boyfriend, doesn’t help. As Alice tries in vain to get over her ex, Mark, with his new fiancée Norah a source of huge envy, and co-parent seventeen year old Cassie. Norah only has her brother for support.

And yes, Alice goes too far in basically stalking Norah. But did she kill her? There’s secrets upon secrets here, some of which could ruin lives. Knotty and with some twists that’ll make your jaw drop, this is a brilliant and absorbing read.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.

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Blog Tour: Dust Child – Nguyên Phan Qué Mai

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During the Việt Nam War, tens of thousands of children were born into relationships between American soldiers and Việtnamese women. Tragic circumstances separated most of these Amerasian children from their parents. Many have not found each other again…

In 1969, two sisters from rural Việt Nam leave their parents’ home to find work in Sài Gòn. Caught up in the war that is blazing through their country they, like many other young Việtnamese women, are employed as hostesses in a bar frequented by American GIs. Soon they are forced to accept that their own survival, and that of their family back home, might mean compromising the values they have always held dear. As the fighting moves closer to the city, the elder sister, Trang, begins a romance with a young American helicopter pilot.

Decades later, two men wander the streets and marketplaces of modern Sài Gòn. Phong is a ‘Dust Child’ – the son of a Black American soldier and a Vietnamese woman, abandoned by his mother and ostracized all his life – and is looking for his parents and through them a way out of Việt Nam. Meanwhile war veteran Dan returns with his wife Linda, hoping to ease the PTSD that has plagued him for decades. Neither of them can escape the shadow of decisions made during a time of desperation.

With the same compassion and insight that has made The Mountains Sing a favourite of readers across the world, Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai brings to life the interwoven stories of these four unforgettable characters, and asks what it takes to move forward.

NGUYỄN PHAN QUẾ MAI is an award-winning Vietnamese poet and novelist. Born in the Red Delta of Northern Việt Nam, she grew up in the Mekong Delta, Southern Việt Nam. She is a writer and translator who has published eight books of poetry, short stories and non-fiction in Vietnamese. Her debut novel and first book in English, The Mountains Sing, is an international bestseller, runner-up for the 2021 Dayton Literary Peace Prize, and winner of the 2021 PEN Oakland/ Josephine Miles Literary Award, the 2020 Lannan Literary Award Fellowship, and others, and has been translated into fifteen languages. She has a PhD in Creative Writing from Lancaster University, and her writing has appeared in various publications including the New York Times. Quế Mai was named by Forbes Vietnam as one of the twenty most inspiring women of 2021. Dust Child is inspired by her many years working as a volunteer helping family members unite, and reflects the real-life experiences of Amerasians and their family members. Moving between the Việt Nam war and the present day, DUST CHILD is a powerful and compelling tale of family secrets and hidden heartache nguyenphanquemai.com @nguyen_p_quemai

My thoughts: this is a moving and at times profoundly sad book, chronicling the lives of young Vietnamese women and their children during the years of the war and after. Trang and her younger sister move to the city, hoping to make money to help their parents. Finding work as bar girls, getting American GIs to buy drinks and sometimes their bodies, far from their dreams of a better life.

Trang falls in love with one American but he leaves her pregnant and alone. A story sadly common to many young women like her.

Phong is the child of one such story – abandoned at an orphanage, his life is never easy and as the son of a Black soldier, his appearance marks him out as different. He is lucky in his wife and children, and wants to emigrate to America for a better life for them.

He meets Dan and Linda, Americans on holiday, but with a purpose. Dan was one of those GIs, and he left behind a young woman and their child. He wants to find them and try to make amends. But are they even still alive?

All of the characters have suffered, and some are still suffering, from the after effects of the war. PTSD, poverty, trauma, none of it is easy to bear. But slowly as their stories interweave and the truth begins to reveal itself, they find ways to start to heal, to forgive and move on from the painful past.

Inspired by the author’s work with Amerasians (the children of American GIs and Vietnamese women), this is an important story about love, hope and family.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.

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Blog Tour: Covert in Cairo – Kelly Oliver

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Cairo. December 1917.
Following a tip-off from notorious spy Fredrick Fredricks, Fiona Figg and Kitty Lane of British Intelligence find themselves in the hustle and bustle of Egypt. But ancient mummies aren’t the only bodies buried in the tombs of Cairo.
When a young French archeologist is found dead in a tomb in the desert with his head bashed in, and an undercover British agent goes missing, the threat moves closer to home.
As they dig deeper, soon Fiona and Kitty uncover a treasure trove of suspects, including competing excavators, jealous husbands, secret lovers, and belligerent spies! Fiona wonders if the notorious
Fredrick Fredricks could be behind the murders? Or is the plot even more sinister?
One thing is clear – If Fiona and Kitty can’t catch the killer, they might end up sharing a sarcophagus with Nefertiti.
With humor as dry as the Arabian desert, and pacing as fast as a spitting camel, Fiona and Kitty are back in another sparkling adventure, this time in WW1 Egypt.
Purchase


Kelly Oliver is the award-winning, bestselling author of three mysteries series: The Jessica James Mysteries, The Pet Detective Mysteries, and the historical cozies The Fiona Figg Mysteries, set in
WW1. She is also the Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at Vanderbilt University and lives in Nashville, Tennessee. She is bringing new titles in the Fiona Figg series to Boldwood, the first of
which, Chaos in Carnegie Hall, was published in November 2022.

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My thoughts: we’re in British occupied Egypt in 1917, Lord Caernarvon, Howard Carter, T.E. Lawrence (of Arabia) and Gertrude Bell are all present when Kitty and Fiona arrive (with chauffeur/chaperone Clifford and pooch Poppy in tow). They’re on the trail of the ever annoying Frederick Fredericks and a missing British agent.

The army is in town, with soldiers travelling back and forth to the Western Front, unlike WW2 where fighting took place in North Africa (my great-uncle was a Captain of a tank at the time), there’s no fighting in Egypt but as a British territory, there’s certainly a lot of war related activity. So of course there are spies, and undercover Germans (officially they’d been expelled from the country) as well as unhappy natives who wanted all of the Europeans gone. Then there’s the archaeologists and crooks stealing ancient artifacts to either sell on the black market or send home to museums.

With all this going on, Fiona and Kitty need to locate the agent, arrest Fredericks, hunt down black market smugglers, ensure the Suez Canal is in one piece, oh and Fiona would quite like to find Archie too. Easy. Armed with their collection of costumes, assistance from the local British intelligence bureau, Kitty’s array of skills (definitely not learnt in a French boarding school) and Fiona’s nose for trouble, they’ll be done in no time. Just a few balls, murders and kidnappings first.

It’s more like chaos in Cairo, as a French archeologist is murdered, they both get kidnapped several times, a British agent is poisoned, Fredericks appears and disappears, they hob nob with the local British celebrities and functionaries, and Fiona eats a lot of toast (local cuisine not suiting her). Tremendous fun and a bit silly, even with a war raging away in the background, Fiona even gets to dig out her beard and mustache collection.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own .

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Blog Tour: The Acapulco – Simone Buchholz, translated by Rachel Ward

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State Prosecutor Chastity Riley faces her most challenging case yet, with a violent serial killer at large, who might just be uncatchable…

A serial killer is on the loose in Hamburg, targeting dancers from The Acapulco, a club in the city’s red-light district, taking their scalps as gruesome trophies and replacing them with plastic wigs.

Chastity Riley is the state prosecutor responsible for crimes in the district, and she’s working alongside the police as they investigate. Can she get inside the mind of the killer?

Her strength is thinking like a criminal; her weaknesses are pubs, bars and destructive relationships, but as Chastity searches for love and a flamboyant killer – battling her demons and the dark, foggy Hamburg weather – she hits dead end after dead end.

As panic sets in and the death toll rises, it becomes increasingly clear that it may already be too late. For everyone…

Simone Buchholz was born in Hanau in 1972. At university, she studied Philosophy and Literature, worked as a waitress and a columnist, and trained to be a journalist at the prestigious Henri-Nannen-School in Hamburg. In 2016, Simone Buchholz was awarded the Crime Cologne Award as well as runner-up in the German Crime Fiction Prize for Blue Night, which was number one on the KrimiZEIT Best of Crime List for months. The critically acclaimed Beton Rouge, Mexico Street, Hotel Cartagena and River Clyde all followed in the Chastity Riley series, with The Acapulco out in 2023. She lives in Sankt Pauli, in the heart of Hamburg, with her husband and son.

My thoughts: Chastity Riley is back. After her travels to Scotland, she’s back at work investigating crimes in Hamburg as a prosecutor, aided by detectives from the local police. Murdered pole dancers are being found in the streets, scalped and wearing cheap wigs. They’re all young, and work in the same club – The Acapulco.

The team look into their lives and the customers at the club. Someone really wants to humiliate these women – taking their hair and scalp, replacing them with gaudy wigs that you could buy anywhere. And is there a connection to a murdered pimp?

Chastity’s relationship with her neighbour has also stepped up a notch, spending nights in each other’s beds. Then there’s the theatre director, is he connected to the killings or just after Chastity? And her best friend, possibly her only friend, is acting a bit strange. Can she solve that mystery too?

I really like Chastity, she’s a complicated person, with a weakness for drinking and staying out all night, at odds with her professional life. She doesn’t let many people in and she takes too many risks. Faller and the other detectives worry about her, but she even shrugs them off. She’s put herself in danger before and probably will again.

This was another dark, twisted, clever thriller, looking deep into the heart of the nightlife in this district of Hamburg, itself a city of many faces. I enjoyed learning more about the area and the culture, and the passion for football that a lot of the characters share. This series gets better with each book and you learn a little bit more about Chastity each time too.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.

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Blog Tour: Death on Cromer Beach – Ross Greenwood

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A brutal double murder on a Norfolk beach horrifies the town of Cromer. The way the victims died is chilling and so Norfolk’s Major Investigation Team task DS Ashley Knight to manage the case.
It soon becomes clear that the murders were carefully planned and the finger of suspicion points to an organised crime gang, but as the evidence mounts, a far more sinister theory emerges.
Ashley has been allocated a young but opinionated partner in Hector Fade, and sparks soon fly.
Annoyingly for Ashley, Hector is no pushover and looks destined for great things. When the pair delve into the case, they struggle to understand who would inflict such suffering on their victims and
hope the crime is a one off from a deranged and dangerous individual. But then another body is found.
There’s a killer on the loose who wants them to believe that the beach has a memory. They must be caught, or others will meet their end by the sea.
Purchase


Ross Greenwood is the author of crime thrillers. Before becoming a full-time writer he was most
recently a prison officer and so worked everyday with murderers, rapists and thieves for four years.
He lives in Peterborough.

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My thoughts: a new series from Ross Greenwood and he’s moved on to Norfolk, a place that seems very popular with crime writers, despite its sleepy reputation. I know that Cromer is famous for its crab, and indeed one of the characters is a crab man. When a severed head and a buried woman are found by an older lady walking her dog on the beach, the local CID spring into action.

The victims are a pair of local drug dealers, and hippies, mostly harmless. But they’re connected to a tragedy years before. As is the next victim, and there’s some strange graffiti that seems to be linked to these deaths.

While the Norfolk tourist board might not enjoy this book, I certainly did. I liked the relationship between Ashley and her newbie Hector, on the fast track to management, if he survives his training.

Ashley is experienced and dedicated, if a bit frazzled. Her personal life’s falling apart but she’s sure she can close this case and stop the killer. She just needs to work out the link between the victims, oh and find out how her boss is connected.

Clever, with plenty of twists and turns, and some entertaining characters, I think this is going to be a good series.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.

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Blog Tour: Fires of the Forsaken – Stephanie E. Donahue

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FireoftheForsaken copy

Welcome to the tour for Fires of the Forsaken, a sassy, adult, romantic fantasy by Stephanie E. Donohue! Preorder a copy today!

image1

Fires of the Forsaken (Across #1)

Expected Publication Date: May 17th, 2023

Genre: Adult Fantasy/ Romantic Fantasy

Addie wanted a gosh-darn pizza.

Lass wanted to avoid being cooked over a spit.

Neither figured they’d end up with a one-way ticket to the end of days.

Addie did not have “getting plucked from the 21st century and thrown into a rudimentary fantasy world” on her “fun things to do at 30” checklist. Yet here she is, struggling to survive in the hellscape known as Sakar, a place where Wraiths flame-broil humans and Celestial armies wage war with each other over a centuries-old spat. Thankfully, Cheriour, the hunky commander of the human army, takes her under his wing—although he’s allergic to giving straight answers. And talking.

As Addie reluctantly starts to care for him, and the rest of the Sakarians, she also learns why she was sent to this world. And it’s a doozy…

The violent society of Sakar is the only home Lass has ever known, and it’s been a wretched one. She has spent her life being tormented and twisted into an inhuman hybrid by the Celestials and hunted by the humans who fear her. But she finds solace with a cocky, blue-eyed boy who comforts her, even after she accidentally slaughters innocents.

As Lass struggles to control her volatile powers, she slowly transforms into the monster the humans believe her to be. And even the boy she loves is in peril…

At the end of time, there is only fire. And neither Addie nor Lass will escape unscathed.

Pre-Order Here!

About the Author

image0

As a child, Stephanie E. Donohue roamed Narnia with the Pevensie siblings and rode the Hogwarts Express with Harry and his friends. She never tired of discovering new and magical worlds through the pages of a book. And, when the yearning to explore still wasn’t satiated, Stephanie turned to writing. With a pen and a few sheets of paper, she learned to craft new worlds, and vibrant characters to explore with.

That passion has never died. Stephanie still enjoys writing stories that take readers on exciting, and sometimes dangerous, adventures.

When she’s not writing, Stephanie can usually be found cuddling with her two cats, obsessively re-watching The Office, or rocking out to a Pound Fitness class.

Stephanie E. Donohue

My thoughts: when Addie is kidnapped from the parking lot of her favourite pizza place and finds herself in what she thinks is an extreme LARP-ing nightmare. Except it isn’t, it’s another world where humans are engaged in a desperate fight for their lives against flesh eating creatures called Wraiths and their creators – Celestials.

Wise cracking and a fan of pop culture references, Addie does not fit in at all. She hasn’t got any skills that might be of use, she’s a hairdresser, and that’s not a priority right now.

There’s also venomous horses, Púcas, to contend with, and people who just don’t trust her. Luckily there’s a hunky “Viking” around to help her out.

Running parallel is the story of Lass, an orphan living in this awful world, struggling to survive. She has a terrifying power – she can produce fire from her fingers, in a world with a lot of wooden buildings, that’s a problem.

A clever, funny and entertaining read set in a world a bit like ours, but mostly not, thankfully.

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*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.

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Blog Post: Atalanta – Jennifer Saint

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Exposed on a mountainside, the defenceless infant Atalanta is left to the mercy of a passing mother bear and raised alongside her cubs under the protective eye of the goddess Artemis. Swearing that she will prove her worth alongside the famed heroes of Greece, Atalanta leaves her forest to join Jason’s band of Argonauts. But can she carve out her own place of legend in a world made for men?

Thanks to a lifelong fascination with Ancient Greek mythology, Jennifer Saint read Classical Studies at King’s College, London. Since September 2022, she has been a Visiting Research Fellow in the Classics Department there. In between, she spent thirteen years as an English teacher, sharing a love of literature and creative writing with her students. Ariadne is her first novel, Elektra is her second, and Atalanta is her latest mesmerising mythological retelling.

When I wrote my previous novels, Ariadne and Elektra, my aim was to bring women whose roles in myth had been side-lined back into the spotlight. I wanted Ariadne to take centre stage over Theseus and for Elektra to be defined by something more than her famous obsession with her father – I wanted to view these women as fully human, multidimensional characters with a life of their own who didn’t just exist as adjuncts to the heroes who attracted all the glory. But when I came to write my third novel, Atalanta, I realised that at least Ariadne and Elektra had been allowed a role, however limited, in the retellings of their lives. Atalanta, meanwhile, had been written out of her story altogether. Virtually everyone has heard of Jason and the Argonauts, but when I began to tell people that my next novel was about Atalanta, very few recognised her name at all. But in ancient myth, Atalanta was legendary: a woman who led a rich and colourful life in which the quest for the Golden Fleece was one of many episodes. Part of this novel is a retelling of Apollonius’ Argonautica, but where the epic poem refuses Atalanta permission to board, claiming instead that she gave Jason a spear to take on the voyage in her place, I have put her back in the heart of the action. It’s allowed me to reinterpret the mythical voyage through her eyes; a journey on which she learns to question everything she believes about heroism as she carves out her own place in the legends. But there is so much more to Atalanta’s story than just one quest. Atalanta is a heroine unlike any other: exposed on a mountainside to die as an infant, she is instead rescued by a bear and grows up in the wild. Growing up as a powerful, fleet-footed huntress who lives beyond the confines and restrictions of society, Atalanta has a unique freedom. Her unusual life brings her into contact with a host of famous characters from Greek mythology – Jason of course, but also Medea, Heracles, Orpheus and Artemis among others. Atalanta’s name means ‘equal in strength’ and I wanted to bring her to readers who haven’t had the chance to get to know her before now and show a woman who is fearless, independent and strong: a woman who gets to have as many adventures as the heroes of Greek myth have – adventures that don’t end with the capture of the Golden Fleece. Greek mythology can be a way for us to explore the darker elements of the human experience and it’s often full of tragedy. In this novel, I wanted to showcase a more joyful aspect to the myths and to bring to light a story that’s rooted in nature, full of thrills and led by a woman fuelled by passion, courage and rebellion. Atalanta is a woman who defines her own destiny, and I am honoured to be bringing her story to the audience she deserves.

My thoughts: I don’t remember Atalanta getting much mention in any lessons on Greek mythology, even at uni, which is a real shame because her story is cracking. More so than some of those so-called heroes (yes, Jason, I’m looking directly at you).

She’s abandoned on a mountainside, raised by a bear, then by nymphs, serves that most unforgiving of goddesses Artemis, joins the Argonauts, is better than them in pretty much every way, stops them getting too off track in their quest, is mates with Heracles, kills a murderous boar, is an insanely skilled archer, could outrun Usain Bolt and somehow gets forgotten by history (men).

Men who get raised by wild animals found cities (Romulus & Remus), serve gods in huge wars ( Troy) and we remember their names. This was also a nice reminder that if it wasn’t for Medea, Jason wouldn’t have got that fleece. He’s one of history’s scumbags and for good reason.

In this retelling Atalanta is the one who keeps the “heroes” of the Argo on track. She saves their skins in various ways as they sail to claim the Golden Fleece, but nobody stops to thank her. Written out of the stories, forgotten among the various men she travelled with, despite her prowess and being favoured by Artemis (until she breaks a vow), I’m glad that Jennifer Saint has written her back into the story.

The boom in retellings is fascinating, these are some of our oldest stories, ageless almost and I love the number putting thr women back in the heart of them. Atalanta makes a good point when she asks about Heracles’ wife (who he killed) and no one can tell her her name (Megara for the record), women are so often nameless and faceless, not the centre of their own stories, but thankfully things are changing and women like Atalanta are where they belong.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.

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Blog Tour: The Bone House – Caroline Mitchell

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When hundreds of birds fall from the sky into Slayton’s lake in a terrifying freak event, the waters are dredged – revealing a dark, long-held secret.

An old pram is pulled from the depths, with the bones of a baby still strapped inside.

It’s the moment that new mother, Cora, has been dreading since she moved to Slayton – because someone knows, and is going to make her pay.

With the help of forensic anthropologist Sophia Hudson, and the extraordinary young Elliott Carter, Detective Sarah Noble gets to the bottom of a cold case that refuses to stay in the past. Will she survive the secrets of the bone house?

My thoughts: poor Cora, her childhood was pretty awful, her stepfather was a monster, and then in care, she was abused. She’s trying to start over, to rebuild her life with her baby daughter Millie, and her bookshop. But someone knows about her tragic past and is willing to expose her secrets.

Thankfully the police are more or less helpful and compassionate. At least Sarah is, she wants to help Cora, to punish the people who hurt her and protect her and Millie from harm. Can the two women triumph over the darkness that seems to have been following Cora her whole life?

The story goes to some dark and horrible places, filled with collections of bones and stories of witches and madness. There’s several really horrible deaths and some nasty people who don’t seem remotely sorry for the terrible things they’ve done. Cora isn’t one of them, I felt sorry for her, she’d been punished enough. Sarah is a great character, filled with righteousness and compassion, she’s kind and genuinely wants to help people. From the homeless man in the police station reception to her friend’s son Elliot. And now Cora.

Gripping and creepy, this was hugely enjoyable and with just the right amount of horror. Although I will be skipping Slayton on any holidays I take.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.

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Blog Tour: The Heart Ladder – Sibby Spencer

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As the war in Vietnam stutters to a close, a heavily pregnant Faith flees America for a new life in England. Leaving behind everything she knew, including the mystery of what happened to the father
of her unborn child after he went missing behind enemy lines. Three decades on and her son, thirty-something slacker Dan, knows he’s wasting his life in pubs, nightclubs, and his dead-end job. That all
changes, though, when a man with storied eyes and an old army jacket introduces himself as the father Dan never had a chance to know.
But is Jacob, a battered and broken war veteran, really who he claims to be? As Jacob’s true purpose in seeking him out becomes clear, Dan comes to understand that his life is very far from meaningless and that the choices he makes might have deadly and irredeemable consequences.
Readers who enjoy genre-bending books that play with themes of reality and identity will love The Heart Ladder!
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Sibby Spencer is an author, poet, podcaster and regular book reviewer for BBC Radio Derby. She enjoys playing around with the themes of reality and possibility, and creating characters who are very human in their flaws – yet capable of revelation and redemption. She loves getting lost in a good novel, swimming in the sea, learning new things and dancing in her kitchen. She lives in Derbyshire with her husband and two children.

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My thoughts: this started off one way and then went somewhere very different. Dan is a somewhat aimless young man, working in a bookshop by day and hanging out at clubs and parties, getting wasted with his friends by night. He’s in love with his colleague Fiona, but won’t admit it. When a stranger appears, claiming to be his dad, Jacob, MIA in Vietnam years ago, he’s not sure what to believe.

He’s also getting involved with an activist group, but one that perhaps can’t be trusted, the leader Quinn, is charismatic but there’s a darkness in him and Dan might just be dragged into something terrible.

Can Dan learn the truth before it’s too late? Who is the man claiming to be his missing father? Why has he appeared now? The book takes a sudden twist that throws the whole plot so far in a different direction, but if Dan can learn the truth, he might be able to stop disaster in its tracks and find out about his past too.

Dan was a bit of a useless man to begin with, and he isn’t very nice to his mum, Faith, or Fiona at times, he seemed a bit lost. When he finally learns some things about Jacob, he realises he needs to change and fix his relationships. In doing that, his whole life gets better. I liked Faith and Fiona, I’m glad they got on. Dan needs them both to steady him and help him grow up a bit. An interesting and quirky read.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.