A View to a Kilt - Wendy Holden

Description

Forget about Cool Britannia and Gallic Chic. Scotland is having a fashion moment...

'Effing marvellous' JILLY COOPER. 
'Funny and smart' INDIA KNIGHT. 
'Total bliss' DAILY MAIL.

London's most glamorous glossy magazine is in trouble. Advertising revenues are non existent, and if editor Laura Lake can't pick them up, she's out of a job.

According to those in the know, Scotland is having a fashion moment. Haggis tempura is on Michelin-starred menus, smart spas are offering porridge facials, and a chain of eco-hotels is offering celebrity bagpipe lessons. So Laura's off to a baronial estate in the Scottish Highlands to get a slice of this ultra-high-end market.

It's supposed to be gorgeous, glitzy and glamorous. But intrigue follows Laura like night follows day. And at Glenravish Castle – a shooting lodge fit for a billionaire – Laura finds herself hunting for a scoop that won't just save her job, it could save her life...

Review

This is the first book I have read by the author and I didn't realise that it is the third in a series featuring Laura Lake. It certainly didn't hinder my reading of this book and I was able to read it as a standalone book.

I was attracted to reading this book because of the magazine setting and it didn't disappoint. Laura has a new CEO - think Miranda Priestley meets Ugly Betty - she wants it all and she wants it now. So Laura goes off to Scotland in pursuit of the latest fashion Scotland style and to lure advertisers for her magazine. 

The book is very tongue in cheek throughout with the names of the various characters and places in Scotland making me continually smirk. There's also the champagne detector which was used very cleverly and the fabulous virtual assistant Fiona who manages to take control at the estate agency with fantastic panache.

I loved Laura's friend Lulu who is so rich she has a pink helicopter and I loved the fact that it had a Vivienne Westwood orb on the roof!!! The helicopter is also expertly piloted by her female butler Vlad who has an unusual way to uncork champagne down to her army training. 

Just when I thought the book was going to be a just a little fluffy read an actual mystery started which I hadn't expected. Like all cliffhangers it switched back and forth between two characters and I was racing to get back to what was going to happen next. 

A delicious read for when you just want a completely relaxing novel and a good chuckle. I am giving this book 5 out of 5 stars and my thanks to Netgalley and Head of Zeus for my ARC to review.

Louis & Louise - Julie Cohen

Description

ONE LIFE. LIVED TWICE.

Louis and Louise are the same person born in two different lives. They are separated only by the sex announced by the doctor and a final 'e'.

They have the same best friends, the same red hair, the same dream of being a writer, the same excellent whistle. They both suffer one catastrophic night, with life-changing consequences.

Thirteen years later, they are both coming home.

Review

This is the story of one person from their birth. However the twist is that it is told in two timelines - one where they are born Louis and one where they are born Louise.

I wanted to read this book as I was intrigued to see it spelt out how different a life would be whether you were born a boy or a girl. I don't want to spoil how things turn out for each of the genders, but in general I found that apart from some obvious of the time stereotypes imposed on them, their lives worked out pretty well all in all. I did think that there are from a woman's perspective so many other ways in which you can be discriminated against in life - even today, that weren't touched upon. This in fact led me to think the book was written by a man - as I just began the book without a thought to the gender of the author.

I'll admit to getting a little confused at times about which person we were reading about. It was usually just before the storyline switched - it only last a moment as I had to mentally switch to the other storyline.

What I wasn't prepared for was the absolutely beautiful writing - it felt like a warm hug wrapped around you. I also had a couple of misty eyed tissue moments at some of the key relationship moments. I really wanted to finish the book and did so in a day, but at the same time I didn't want this voice to end - I really liked it and want to read more by this author.

There are comparisons of this book mechanism with Sliding Doors -  I can see that but really this is a much deeper experience and one you shouldn't miss. 

I'm giving this book 5 out of  5 stars. My thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. 

Sweet Pea - C J Skuse

Description

Shortlisted for the CrimeFest Last Laugh Award 2018

‘If you like your thrillers darkly comic and outrageous this ticks all the boxes’ The Sun

The last person who called me ‘Sweetpea’ ended up dead…

I haven’t killed anyone for three years and I thought that when it happened again I’d feel bad. Like an alcoholic taking a sip of whisky. But no. Nothing. I had a blissful night’s sleep. Didn’t wake up at all. And for once, no bad dream either. This morning I feel balanced. Almost sane, for once.

Rhiannon is your average girl next door, settled with her boyfriend and little dog…but she’s got a killer secret.

Although her childhood was haunted by a famous crime, Rhinannon’s life is normal now that her celebrity has dwindled. By day her job as an editorial assistant is demeaning and unsatisfying. By evening she dutifully listens to her friend’s plans for marriage and babies whilst secretly making a list.

A kill list.

From the man on the Lidl checkout who always mishandles her apples, to the driver who cuts her off on her way to work, to the people who have got it coming, Rhiannon’s ready to get her revenge.

Because the girl everyone overlooks might be able to get away with murder…

Review

If you are in the UK you may have seen or heard of a TV programme called Fleabag - well this book reminded me very much of the main character in that show - although I doubt Fleabag is a killer! The book also has the same narration, breaking the fourth wall as it is known in TV, by talking to the reader.

This is a dark book. At the beginning I was pretty scared what was going to happen to Rhinannon as she was out late one night on her own. That was until I realised she can look after herself, in fact more than look after herself. That was my first shock, and yet the chattering dialogue of the book made me forget it until something happened again and again and left me with my mouth hanging open each time.

There is not much to endear you to Rhiannon, and yet the little lists of who she would like to kill, did on occasion resonant with me. I laughed out loud, gasped out loud - a shocking book but oh so good with it. At times I began to think maybe I shouldn't be finding this amusing - was I becoming like Rhinannon? This book has taken me longer than usual to read because every page is dense with words - mainly the outpouring of Rhinannon's mind. You can't skim read it because you will miss the essence of it and some gems of humour too.

Don't read this book if you are not broad minded - there are some graphic descriptions of all manner of things including her sex life and there is also bad language.

It's certainly original. I'm giving this book 5 out of 5 stars. My thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

A Different Class - Joanne Harris

Description

After thirty years at St Oswald’s Grammar in North Yorkshire, Latin master Roy Straitley has seen all kinds of boys come and go. Each class has its clowns, its rebels, its underdogs, its ‘Brodie’ boys who, whilst of course he doesn’t have favourites, hold a special place in an old teacher’s heart. But every so often there’s a boy who doesn’t fit the mould. A troublemaker. A boy with hidden shadows inside.

With insolvency and academic failure looming, a new broom has arrived at the venerable school, bringing Powerpoint, sharp suits and even sixth form girls to the dusty corridors. But while Straitley does his sardonic best to resist this march to the future, a shadow from his past is stirring. A boy who even twenty years on haunts his teacher’s dreams. A boy capable of bad things.

Review

I've had this on my TBR pile for ages - initially drawn to it by the author as I loved her earlier work.

This is in a different vein to the books I've read by her before. There is a book before this one set in the same school but I hadn't read it and it doesn't seem to matter to the story if you haven't. 

Set in 2005 with flipping to 1981 Latin master Roy Straitley annoyed me at first. He will not read emails, instead he has them printed and put in his pigeon hole in the staff room until they are removed in favour of workstations. I encountered some of this in the past but it was earlier than this - maybe that is what riled me.  The next thing was that Mr Straitley loves to have a little fun using Latin which as someone who never took Latin was lost on me. I did look some of it up, but it got that it was too long winded to do so.

The book has a narration set in 1981 by a pupil - but we don't know their identity. I guessed and was wrong! I began to lose my grip on who was who as for most of the book the boys in the school are referred to by their given names, but then when the pupils narrate they use nicknames. It all just got a bit confusing.

However, a bit like lines or detention I was not going to let the book beat me and I stuck with it. I was glad I did, because when it all began to come together it was really a great tense thriller. Getting to this part had felt a little protracted though.

I'm giving this book 3 out of 5 stars. My thanks to Netgalley for an ARC to review.

Needlemouse - Jane O'Connor

Description

Time to come out of hibernation...

Sylvia Penton has been hibernating for years, it's no wonder she's a little prickly...

Sylvia lives alone, dedicating herself to her job at the local university. On weekends, she helps out at a local hedgehog sanctuary because it gives her something to talk about on Mondays - and it makes people think she's nicer than she is.

Only Sylvia has a secret: she's been in love with her boss, Professor Lomax, for over a decade now, and she's sure he's just waiting for the right time to leave his wife. Meanwhile she stores every crumb of his affection and covertly makes trouble for anyone she feels gets in his way.

But when a bright new PhD candidate catches the Professor’s eye, Sylvia’s dreams of the fairy tale ending she has craved for so long, are soon in tatters, driving her to increasingly desperate measures and an uncertain future.

Sylvia might have been sleep walking through her life but things are about to change now she’s woken up…

Review

When I first began to read this book I was unsure that I was going to like it. Narrated by Sylvia it seemed that her thoughts were just streaming onto the page and a lot of it made cringeworthy reading. 

Sylvia is infatuated with her boss and at first I couldn't make out whether it was reciprocated or not, as I judged the world Sylvia inhabits at the university through her rose tinted lens. I mean he does take her out for meals and buys her a lovely bracelet for her birthday which he covertly presents to her. 

I began to get annoyed with Sylvia, why couldn't she see what was happening. The gatekeeper for her "Prof" she is the epitome of many a person in a similar position I have encountered. You only get what you want on her terms and only if she decides she wants you to. But the thing about Sylvia is she is also clever and this aspect of her character hooked me in. Although at first I thought she was very mean spirited, as the pages turned and her character unfolded together with her past, I was on team Sylvia all the way.

I liked the way the author managed in the end to present the inner Sylvia. I think there are lots of her out there but she's outnumbered by the "regular" characters. People like Sylvia are usually portrayed in a one dimensional way but this time we got to see the world from her point of view. 

If you liked Eleanor Oliphant, or the Rosie Project then I think you will like this too. BTW "Needlemouse" is hedgehog literally translated from the Japanese - which has a twofold meaning in the book. There are also delightful hedgehog snippets for the seasons as you go through the book.

I'm giving this book four out of five stars. My thanks to netgalley for an ARC. The book is out on 27 June 2019.

The Death of Mrs Westaway - Ruth Ware

Description

When Harriet Westaway receives an unexpected letter telling her she’s inherited a substantial bequest from her Cornish grandmother, it seems like the answer to her prayers. She owes money to a loan shark and the threats are getting increasingly aggressive: she needs to get her hands on some cash fast.

There's just one problem - Hal's real grandparents died more than twenty years ago. The letter has been sent to the wrong person. But Hal knows that the cold-reading techniques she’s honed as a seaside fortune teller could help her con her way to getting the money. If anyone has the skills to turn up at a stranger's funeral and claim a bequest they’re not entitled to, it’s her.

Hal makes a choice that will change her life for ever. But once she embarks on her deception, there is no going back. She must keep going or risk losing everything, even her life…

Review

This is the third Ruth Ware novel I have read and I think it's her best yet. 

From the description I was expecting Harriet to be a real piece of work as she owes money to loan sharks and sets off to deceive a family to inherit a bequest. I was so surprised to find the character to be the complete opposite of what I had imagined and enjoyed her role so much. I also enjoyed the tarot card aspect of the book - which surprised me. It was well written about throughout and was a nice twist to the plot.

I thought that the book built a gripping suspense that was always just bubbling under the surface of the normal day to day activities. I also felt I should be able to work out how the mistake of Harriet getting the letter about the inheritance occurred - teasingly it just kept out of my grasp. 

I couldn't wait to get back to this book and in the end I invested a few hours to finish it in one sitting as I just needed to know what was going to happen. I certainly didn't expect the ending which was real nail biting stuff.

If I have one problem with the book it is the nickname of Harriet being Hal - couldn't get used to it and kept thinking of the AI in the film 2001. 

I'm giving this book 5 out of 5 stars. My thanks to Netgalley for an ARC to review.

A Letter from Sarah - Dan Proops #LoveBooksGroupTours

I'm so pleased to be part of the book tour today for A Letter from Sarah by Dan Proops.

Description
Adam's sister, Sarah, has been missing for seven years, but he hasn't given up hope of finding her. He is a sculptor and lives with his bedridden father who is a bully and a curmudgeon.

One morning, as the anniversary of Sarah's disappearance nears, Adam receives a letter from her and she is apparently alive and well, living in New York. Adam travels to Brooklyn to search for Sarah as he's desperate to see her, but she seems determined to avoid him.

Sarah's letters arrive weekly, but she continues to remain elusive. Adam is perplexed by Sarah's requests for secrecy, as is his father and his girlfriend, Cassandra.

He is determined to find her, whatever the cost to his wellbeing, health and sanity....  

Review

I don't recall ever having read a book like this before - the writing style is very unique almost like you are not reading something happening in the real world. It's hauntingly beautiful in many ways but equally disturbing in places too.

Adam's sister disappeared seven years ago and yet he has now begun to receive letters from her in New York, with no return address. Despite this Adam decides to visit New York to find her.

At several points in the book I began to question whether what I was reading was actually happening, or was it all in the imagination of Adam? I began to get a little ansty with the events as they happened and I got an uneasy feeling. This of course was all down to the brilliant writing - as I said it is not like anything you've read before so just go with it.

One character whom I despised throughout the book and has not been redeemed on post analysis is Nigel. He really took the biscuit as a character and I found myself tutting when his latest antic landed on the page. I'm still wondering now whether I got the true measure of him could he be that awful? 

When you near the end of the book I think you will realise why the book has the tone it does. I am now revisiting parts of the book in my mind - realising why they were maybe written that way. Especially the poundshop gifts from Mr and Mrs Smith!

I'm giving this book 5 out of 5 stars. My thanks to Love Books Group Tours for an advance review copy of the book.

You can buy the book by following this link https://amzn.to/2CG4DZu

Dan Proops has been a full time writer for six years and has completed four novels and a memoir. Previous to this he was a professional artist, organising a one man show at the age of fourteen. He has had many exhibitions over a long career and his artwork was purchased by internationally acclaimed art dealer, Eric Franck. His artwork appeared frequently in the national press and his painting was featured in Image of the Week in the Times. One of his exhibitions was previewed in the Telegraph by columnist Colin Gleadell.

Dan is a Twitter influencer and has a following of 22,000; last year 1.2 million people read his tweets, and he currently attends the advanced writing class at Morley College, run by the renowned radio four dramatist Mike Walker. Dan Proops is also the grandson of legendary advice columnist, Marjorie Proops. He lives and works in London.

@UrbaneBooks

@Dan_Proops

#LoveBooksGroupTours