Tag: historical fiction

books, reviews

Book Review: Maid of Heart – Emily Owen

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1871

The final book in the Abernathy series.

When Nancy Sullivan accepts a situation as under housemaid to the famous inventors, George and Douglas Abernathy, she is resigned to a life of domestic drudgery as the price for escaping past mistakes. Naturally bright and curious, she intends to exist quietly amongst the house’s other occupants and hide her intelligence. But fate has other ideas… 

Nancy unwittingly ignites a passion in the heart of one of her masters, and becomes the inspiration for their latest project: a mechanical maid for the mass market. Matters are only further complicated when Douglas remodels the prototype maid to create Jezelle, an electric-powered girl capable of feeling every human emotion – including love.

The ensuing chain of events sends shockwaves across England and beyond, threatening to destroy everything the Abernathy family hold dear.

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About the Author

Emily Owen studied English Language and Literature at the University of Leeds, and completed her Masters by Research in 2018. Her debut novel The Mechanical Maestro was released in 2020, the first book in her series following the adventures of the Abernathy family and their clockwork creations. The second book in the series, The Copper Chevalier was released in 2022, followed by Mr Gearhart in 2023. She lives in Wakefield, West Yorkshire.

My thoughts: This is the last book in the Abernathy series and it brings change to the whole family, human and android.

I have really enjoyed this series, it’s a steampunk/historical/adventure and a lot of fun, the characters felt very real and I especially liked the Colonel (the Copper Chevalier himself) and Pirouette’s relationship, proving that perhaps these androids are pretty close to human.

In this final installment, Nancy accepts a position as a housemaid, despite it being a step down for her, but she needs a job, and unlike their previous maids, is made of sterner stuff, in the eccentric Abernathy household. She takes the unusual family in her stride, accepting the Colonel, Pirouette and the other mechanical members as naturally as the human ones. 

Her duties aren’t too heavy and she soon finds herself assisting George in his work, her mathematical brain quickly working through the calculations he needs to develop his newest invention. 

Meanwhile Douglas is harbouring a secret in his rooms and Molly might finally start planning her wedding to the ever patient Arthur. 

But unfortunately for the Abernathys, anti-android sentiment is growing and as things reach a terrible head, the family may all be in danger, not least from one of George’s creations gone horribly wrong. Can they weather the storm?

There are some heart-wrenching moments as the androids and the human family members (including the staff) have to make decisions about their futures and literally fight for their lives. And as the book ends the brothers must decide whether to continue their business or go their separate ways and find new avenues.

However, the epilogue gives me hope that somewhere, in the alternate universe where the Abernathys live, they find a way to go on creating and come together as a family, a rather unusual one, but mechanical or flesh, always together.

The book is out now which means you can buy the entire series and start from the beginning or simply complete your collection.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, all opinions remain my own.

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Blog Tour: Copperopolis – Carolyn Morgan 

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1860s Swansea, where copper can make your fortune – at a price.

John runs away to sea to escape rural poverty. The ocean fuels his wanderlust and he becomes a master mariner.

Margaret, a fiery Gower farmer’s daughter, falls in love with his adventurous spirit. A pioneering woman of her era, she learns to navigate, and they sail together, sharing a passion for the ocean.

When John’s ship is wrecked, rumours that it was scuttled jeopardise his reputation. Short of options, John gambles on the copper trade with Chile, skippering a ship round Cape Horn – the ultimate test of seamanship but a graveyard for crews.

Meanwhile, Margaret uncovers the damage copper inflicts on Swansea’s community, causing destitution and deadly pollution, as smelter Vernon grows rich.
Horrified, she collaborates with shipowners conspiring to wrest control from Vernon. But when Vernon discovers the plot, the family’s reputation and livelihood is at stake…

Goodreads Purchase

A keen amateur sailor and navigator, Carolyn Morgan has always been fascinated by her great-great grandfather John Clement, who skippered ships around Cape Horn to Chile for the 1880s copper trade in Swansea. Following a career in magazines, she studied writing with Curtis Brown Creative.

Her debut novel, Copperopolis, was highly commended in the Irish Writers Centre
Novel Fair 2024.

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My thoughts: Inspired by the lives of the author’s great-great-grandparents, this is a fascinating story of a time when Swansea was a wealthy industrial town, where copper imports from South America made some men wealthy and cost others their lives, either at sea or in the smelting works.

John’s wanderlust is fulfilled by his life on the high seas, but Margaret is frustrated by her life as wife and mother, she dreams of the wide oceans too.

As their family grows and grows up, John takes greater risks, the most dangerous being the route around Cape Horn to Chile, there are bigger rewards, but is it worth it?

As Margaret discovers the damage the copper trade wrecks closer to home, and tries to find a way to resolve it, or at least to better support the workers not the owners.

An interesting and evocative slice of history combining the story of the author’s ancestors with the imagining of a life at sea and among the families praying their loved ones make it safely home again. Having worked with modern seafarers, that’s something that never truly changes, the world’s oceans remain far from entirely predictable.

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

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Audiobook Tour: Armored Hours – Stephanie Hansen

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We love a good audiobook and Armored Hours ticks so many boxes! Think Cable Girls meets Peaky Blinders meets Titanic!

Armored Hours (Reincarnated Souls Book One)

Release Date: July 7, 2026

Genre: Historical Fantasy

Narrators: Eric Smies & Elise Arsenault

@blush_audiobooks @tantoraudio

  • Historical romantasy
  • Girl squad
  • Opposite sides of the track
  • Loveable rogue
  • Prohibition era
  • Matchmaking mother
  • Dandy friends

The girls had forged a bond together like iron that could not be broken. Claudia, Kiersten, Lina, and Florian were on the brink of making history with their powerful feminist movement, but then they suddenly disappeared without a trace.

Alexander was a desperate bootlegger who was willing to risk it all to search for them. Not only were they in cahoots with him to help smuggle feminist contraband and forbidden booze, but Claudia had also unknowingly captivated his heart. He vowed to find them at any cost, but little did he know that their disappearance was part of a much bigger and sinister plot from the upper echelons of society.

Set in 1920s Paris of the Plains, Armored Hours is a thrilling tale of love and mystery interwoven with hints of magical realism.

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Book Review: Seething Lane – Jack Jewers

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January 1670. London is enduring its worst winter in decades.
But for Samuel Pepys, the darkest days are yet to come.

When a strange young man turns up at his office on Seething Lane asking for help, Samuel Pepys is too distracted to take him seriously. Nell Gwyn is about to make her scandalous return to the stage and he wouldn’t miss it for all the world.

But in the cold of a winter’s dawn, tragedy strikes. Called upon to investigate the brutal murder of a libertine aristocrat, Pepys discovers that the dead man is connected to his mysterious visitor in the most shocking way possible.

A trail of secrets leads Pepys from the backstreets of London to the glamorous world of the theatre, where nothing is quite as it seems. But whatever the dangers, he may find that the deadliest threat lies closer to home…

Reimagining one of Britain’s greatest historical figures through a 21st century lens, Seething Lane sees the return of infamous diarist Samuel Pepys, complete with his trademark audacious wit, keen eye for observation and gripping historical adventure.

My thoughts: Samuel Pepys is a fascinating person, he lived through a tumultuous time in history and luckily for us, documented it all in his famous diaries.

This book, the sequel to The Lost Diary of Samuel Pepys, sees him during the time he served in the Admiralty offices, but also imagines him working for a secret organisation serving Charles II, as an investigator. There weren’t really police at the time so he isn’t stepping on any toes as he looks into two murders.

It also features the king’s most intriguing mistress, actress Nell Gwynn. She’s a lot of fun, as I imagine the real Nell probably was. She plays a fairly important role in the story, helping Pepys go undercover at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane.

The Duke of Monmouth, Charles’ illegitimate son, is implicated in a plot to get himself on the throne as Charles had no legitimate children with his wife. His best friend is one of the murder victims that Pepys and his colleague Will are trying to find the killer of.

Pepys is also investigating a non-conformist preacher, Wrath, who is very fire and brimstone and possibly preaching sedition at the same time.

As Pepys investigates, all the threads start to slowly come together and he finds that his investigations have connections. His wife Elizabeth is unwell and her poor health worries him, but the work distracts him from his concerns.

It’s a really enjoyable and interesting book, I like the characterisation of Pepys and how he handles his work, although his official job gets badly neglected, but since it’s on the king’s business he gets away with it. I felt bad for Elizabeth, Pepys isn’t really there for her and medicine in the 17th century was really primitive.

The court is full of fascinating figures, most of them real, and I liked the way Jewers portrays the king and Nell, as well as Lady Castlemaine, the outgoing mistress. Jewers does a great job of bringing the world of Restoration London to vivid life.

I hope there’s more cases for Pepys and the other characters, he’s an astute investigator, putting things together, often without much evidence.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for reading and reviewing, but all opinions remain my own.

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Blog Tour: Felix Grey and the Seven Assassins – Mario Theodorou

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Seven assassins. One election. The fate of the British Empire hangs in the balance. Felix Grey returns in a high-stakes historical mystery of power, politics and murder.

Prime Minister Felix Grey is still reeling from the fallout of his last ordeal, which left his home secretary dead and his own reputation in tatters. With a general election looming, a fragile Labour party emerging, and an odious Tory leader waiting to seize power, he would rather retreat than fight. Duty, however, and the quiet pressure of King Edward VII, leave him with no choice.

As tensions rise at home, danger gathers abroad. In India, demands for independence grow louder, and a shadowy group of seven assassins is dispatched to strike at the heart of the British establishment. Their targets include senior politicians and even the king himself. The message is clear: empire will not be preserved without bloodshed.

Relying on his wits and a loyal circle of allies, Felix must uncover the conspiracy before it tears the country apart. Felix Grey and the Seven Assassins is the second novel in this historical crime series, combining political intrigue, real historical figures, and a high-stakes assassination plot into a fast-paced, witty caper that will delight fans of classic historical mysteries and intelligent, plot-driven fiction.

My thoughts: Prime Minister Felix Grey is up for re-election, and then he’s warned that a team of assassins from India are in Britain with the hope of striking a blow for independence and he’s on their list.

With the help of his friends and loyal steward Humphrey, Felix plans to find the potential killers and stop their plan, protecting the king and staying alive himself too.

There’s a visiting Swami as well, and while he purports the importance of ahimsa (non-violence to all living things), Felix isn’t sure that he isn’t involved in some way.

I really enjoyed this book, Felix is a great protagonist and his friends are all fascinating too – especially Alfred, the young man Felix rescued in the previous book. He’s investigating the secret office through the Downing Street fireplace, as it seems someone else has been accessing it. He’s also taken up photography, accompanying Felix on his campaign as his official photographer, and learning to read thanks to Felix’s housekeeper.

This book covered a complicated period of time, as India attempted to wrest control of its destiny from the British, and the principles of non-violent protest clashed with those who were willing to do anything to achieve their goals.

Felix is much more moderate than the real politicians of the time, and more willing to listen to people and understand their point. He might not be able to do much as the rest of the Establishment was against home rule for India, but he’s not completely beyond redemption. I’m looking forward to the next book.

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

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Blog Tour: A Blighter is Bumped Off – Helen Golden

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The only thing worse than a persistent suitor? A dead one on your lawn.

London, 1892. Alice, Duchess of Stortford, has returned to town determined to enjoy her first Season as a wealthy widow. But instead of balls, flirtation, and whispered gossip, she finds herself besieged by ambitious bachelors—none more persistent than the insufferably smooth-talking Miles Fonthill. When Alice firmly refuses his sudden proposal, she assumes the matter is settled.

Instead, he turns up dead in her garden.

The police are happy to call it a tragic accident. Alice is less convinced.

Why was Miles climbing over her garden wall in the middle of the night? Why had he become so determined to win her favour? And what did he really want?

As Alice begins to dig into Miles’ final days, her search leads her into the glittering heart of London society, where old loyalties run deep, secrets are guarded fiercely, and reputation matters more than truth. But when whispers of the mysterious Order of the Golden Key begin circling dangerously close to her own late husband’s name, Alice realises this death may be far more complicated than one unwelcome suitor meeting an unfortunate end.

And if someone is willing to kill to keep their secrets…this Season may prove positively deadly.

Perfect for fans of feisty female sleuths, Victorian High Society, and secret scandals, all served with a dash of humour and a cup of tea.

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About Helen Golden

Helen Golden spins mysteries that are charmingly British, delightfully deadly, and served with a twist of humour.

With quirky characters, clever red herrings, and plots that keep the pages turning, she’s the author of the much-loved A Right Royal Cozy Investigation series, following Lady Beatrice and her friends—including one clever little dog—as they uncover secrets hidden in country houses and royal palaces. Her new historical mystery series, The Duchess of Stortford Mysteries, is set in Victorian England and introduces an equally curious sleuth from Lady Beatrice’s own family tree—where murders are solved over cups of tea, whispered gossip, and overheard conversations in drawing rooms and grand estates.

Helen lives in a quintessential English village in Lincolnshire with her husband, stepdaughter, and a menagerie of pets—including a dog, several cats, a tortoise, and far too many fish.

If you love clever puzzles, charming settings, and sleuths with spark, her books are waiting for you.

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My thoughts: Alice, Duchess of Stortford is coming up on a year since her husband’s death and the determined men are getting a bit too much. Especially the social climbing Miles Fonthill. His proposal leaves her cold, even more so when it’s clear he’s only after her money. And then his body is found in her garden, what on earth was he doing there in the middle of the night?

The police decide it was an accident, but Alice isn’t so sure. There’s some things that don’t add up, the mud on his shoes, the missing key to the garden gate. Then Alice discovers that Miles was a blackmailed, suddenly there’s plenty of suspects.

With the help of her footman George, her brother-in-law and the detective she’s used before, Alice will work out who wanted Miles dead and then, like her hero, Sherlock Holmes, she’ll hand the killer over to the police with all the evidence neatly gathered up. And still have time to decide what she wants to do about the other pesky suitors!

Funny, clever and charming, this entertaining series is tremendous fun and Alice is a great protagonist, even if heavily disapproved of, a Duchess shouldn’t be so keen on crime!

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

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Blog Tour: Then There’s Trust – Susan Gray

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A forbidden love…a relationship in jeopardy…a tested trust

Darcy Dukas is fearless and feisty – but can she be trusted? Left bereft after a personal
disappointment, her vulnerable mindset causes her to seize an opportunity to pursue her dream career.

When Marcel Duval arrives in Durham to establish his detective agency, she agrees to work
with him. But is she prepared for the risks she will encounter? Risks for her safety…risks for her young marriage…and risks affecting her family’s trust?

In 1952 Josh Smallwood, Darcy’s brother, returns home after completing his national service. Trying to sort his future, he begins working on the family farm and befriends Judy, a young nurse. He is
baffled to discover any liaison with her is forbidden by her family. This mystery fuels an intense, secret relationship…can they overcome obstacles to be together?

A shroud of guilt clings to Chantal Martin – will she ever be free from its taint? As an unmarried mother, her once tenacious trait seems to have deserted her. Striving towards the final hurdle, an unexpected decision and an untimely event threaten to blight her resilience…can her trust be
rewarded?

Then There’s Trust is a gripping, emotional story of love, fidelity and trust set in 1950’s northeast England.

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‘Never too old to follow your dreams’ has become Susan Gray’s mantra since beginning to write novels after celebrating a significant birthday. Susan endeavours to entwine the genres of mystery and romance and sets her books in the Twentieth Century.

She lives with her husband in northeast
England, setting her books in this picturesque area. She has a son and daughter, both married, two granddaughters and a grand dog. When not writing she loves to spend time reading, puzzling, walking and catching up with friends over a coffee. She enjoys travelling and tries to include many of
the places she has visited in her books.

Her plots are inspired by ‘life’ and how her characters navigate the waters. She loves to ‘people watch’ and creates her characters based on the many
strangers she has observed.

She has written eight novels, but only four are published so far. SPANISH HOUSE SECRETS was her debut novel. BLOSSOMING OF TRUTH, HOPE ON HOPE and THEN THERE’S TRUST are a series.

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My thoughts: I haven’t read the previous two books in this series, so I wasn’t familiar with the characters and how they’re all connected, so it took me a little while to get them all sorted in my head.

The story itself was a lot of fun to read, even the sad bits, because it was so engaging and full of energy and excitement.

There’s thwarted love, undercover shenanigans and drama at every turn. The members of this extended family don’t exactly live quiet, easy lives. Darcy is an investigative journalist, who after a terrible loss, decides to raise awareness of how women like her are treated, determined to make change. She also assists a private detective in some of his cases, even though she’s put in danger by doing so. She’s a very modern woman trapped by the mores of the 1950s.

Her brother, Josh, also struggles against the rules, few young women these days would allow their fathers to behave as his girlfriend, Judy’s does. Controlling and even kidnapping her because he doesn’t like Josh’s family. Although after some digging into the past, things change.

Then there’s Darcy’s aunt, Chantal. Her partner Sam is still married to his miserable wife in Scotland, who won’t grant him a divorce, even though she lied to get him to marry her. Chantal has to live with the stigma of being unmarried and a mother to twins. Nowadays it’s not such a big deal and Sam would probably find it easier to get a divorce too.

All of these characters are trapped by the social conventions and attitudes of their time, pushing against the way society perceives them. But they’re also very lucky to have each other for support and aid when they need it.

An interesting and enjoyable read, strange to think things were so different not so long ago.

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

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Blog Tour: The Death of Shame – Ambrose Parry

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When you are a prisoner of your secrets,
the death of shame is the only path to liberty

Annabel Banks was promised work as a maid with a prestigious Edinburgh family. But on her first day, she’s nowhere to be found. Concerned relatives contact Sarah Fisher to help. Sarah might know her way around the city – its light sides and dark – but soon she’ll discover the plight of dozens of girls ensnared in its many brothels: lured, abused and left ruined in the eyes of the world.

Meanwhile, a prominent society figure throws himself from the Scott Monument. Will Raven is asked to establish whether the death was suicide or if someone else was involved. Drawing upon real historical events, The Death of Shame takes the Raven and Fisher series into a treacherous labyrinth of shame and the pitfalls of a culture obsessed with moral purity.

Ambrose Parry is a pseudonym for a collaboration between Chris Brookmyre and Marisa Haetzman. The couple are married and live in Scotland. Chris Brookmyre is the international bestselling and multi-award-winning author of over twenty novels. Dr Marisa Haetzman is a consultant anaesthetist of twenty years’ experience, whose research for her Master’s degree in the History of Medicine uncovered the material upon which this series, which begun with The Way of All Flesh, is based. The Way of all Flesh was longlisted for both the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award and the McIlvanney Prize for Scottish Crime Book of the Year. @ambroseparry

My thoughts: i really like this series, probably because it’s well written, well researched and the cases are so fascinating. Blending historical figures of Edinburgh’s past with the fictional Will Raven and Sarah Fisher, who dig into mysteries surrounding the medical fraternity of the city.

This time, it’s Will’s father-in-law at the centre of the case. Having apparently committed suicide, from the Scott Monument, but Will’s wife, Eugenie, insists her father would never do that. Will discovers that he was being blackmailed. Could that be why the eminent doctor took his own life?

Meanwhile Sarah has been asked to find her late husband’s niece, Annabel, who arrived in Edinburgh for a job as a nursery maid but then disappeared. Has she met a terrible end or is she as tough as Sarah and somehow survived?

As Will and Sarah investigate, an unwanted figure from Will’s estranged family appears and Sarah finds herself in terrible danger.

Another absolutely gripping adventure for the two doctors (Sarah’s determined to be one) and investigators, which finally also gives us some answers about their relationship too.

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

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Blog Tour: The Silver Thread – Kate Lord Brown

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THREE CITIES. TWO WOMEN. A STORY OF ONE HUNDRED YEARS . . .

London, 1875. Bel has secured a design job at the newly opened Liberty store, where Japonisme is all the rage. When Hiro, a fellow designer, travels with her to Tokyo to source silks and inspiration, little does she know it will be the start of an unforgettable love story.

Paris, 1985. Mira, a recently qualified art curator, is hired to catalogue the contents of an apartment which has been closed for decades. As she works through the treasures it reveals, she longs to discover what happened to famed designer Isobel Bright – and why her apartment has been locked for so many years. . .

Crossing oceans, cultures, and timelines, this is a sweeping story of a patient and everlasting love – and the moments that tie people together forever.

Kate Lord Brown was a finalist in ITV’s The People’s Author contest, and her novel The Perfume Garden, which has been published in nine languages, was shortlisted for the Romantic Novel of the Year 2014. In 2020 she was highly commended in the RNA Elizabeth Goudge Trophy.

Kate has also written editorial, reviews and regular columns for Traveller, Conde Nast, Good Housekeeping, Writers’ News, Arts Business, Gulf Times, Woman, the Daily Telegraph, Sunday Express and others. She wrote the first book club column in the Middle East for two years, introducing a host of writers to the region through the pages of Ahlan! After many years living overseas, she has returned to the wild and beautiful southwest of England, where she grew up.

My thoughts: This was a fantastic read about a pioneer in fashion, sadly fictional, who created her own fashion house in Paris and every time things went sour, somehow found a way to rise again.

It’s also a beautiful story about love, a love that spans the globe and decades, hidden away in the apartments and ateliers of Paris and the quiet life of a silk merchant in Japan. Brought to the light by a researcher years later, who wants to solve the mystery of Isobel Bright and her disappearance from the fashion world.

Just a lovely read, bringing to life the development of fashion and the truly delightful bond between Bel and Hiro, who even though they both marry others, and spend decades apart, never stop loving one another and communicate in letters and fabric, shipped between Japan and France.

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

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Blog Tour: The Glass Field – Guy Burt

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In 1986, with Chernobyl smouldering on the news and the Cold War casting a deep shadow, Scott becomes convinced that nuclear conflict is inevitable. Sensitive, watchful, and haunted by personal grief, he immerses himself in post-apocalyptic stories and survival games, drawn to the clarity they offer when the future feels out of control.

Jodie is brilliant, abrasive, damaged. Fiercely determined to keep the world at arm’s length, she wears loneliness like armour, trusting her solitude to protect her.

Drawn together by their fears, Jodie and Scott form an uneasy, wary alliance. But as time passes, their shared vision of cataclysm becomes increasingly seductive.

The Glass Field is an intimate, quietly unsettling novel about what we cling to when the world feels close to breaking.

My thoughts: I was born in 1986 so I can’t really imagine how the Chernobyl explosion impacted on people in the UK, far enough away from the fall out zone but close enough for deadly dust to drift over. I asked my mum and she said that for some it wasn’t really a big deal, plenty of other things to worry about but there were those who did think the world was close to nuclear annihilation.

Scott and Jodie fall into this second group. Two young teenagers, with mostly absent parents, left alone with the news, Scott’s Judge Dread comics and knowing some older young people in CND and similar groups. They also live close to an army base and Jodie’s dad works on a top secret missile building project, that she both knows too much about and not enough.

They’re lonely and the long summer stretches ahead of them. Scott quits his summer job and they begin to prepare for nuclear fallout and the horrors Scott’s comics warn them of. Finding an abandoned WWII bunker, they buy what they think they will need for the coming amageddon.

It’s a sad story in many ways, they find joy in their friendship yes, but their parents are too busy, too wrapped up in their own lives to notice their children and both are only children so no siblings to question what they’re up to either. Neither have many other friends, Scott’s best friend moved away, Jodie is the weird kid.

But it was also a really good read, the relationship between Scott and Jodie, their hobbies and interests before they became so focused on the end of the world, the dinner party Scott throws, these are all delights within the darkness.

Scott is still grieving his mother, his father has become so lost in his pain, he can’t be there for his son. Jodie’s mother worries about her but in an overbearing way that Jodie pushes against, her dad is always at work. Neither fit in with the other local teens, and their sense of isolation feeds their paranoia.

I found this book fascinating and compelling, a portrait of outsiders who hopefully grew up to find things aren’t always as bleak as they feel at times.

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