What a Shame - Abigail Bergstrom

 

Description

There is something wrong with Mathilda.

She's still reeling from the blow of a gut-punch break up and grieving the death of a loved one.
But that's not it.

She's cried all her tears, mastered her crow pose and thrown out every last reminder of him.
But that's not helping.

Concerned that she isn't moving on, Mathilda's friends push her towards a series of increasingly unorthodox remedies.

Until the seams of herself begin to come undone.

Tender, unflinching and blisteringly funny, What a Shame glitters with rage and heartbreak, perfect for fans of Emma Jane Unsworth, Dolly Alderton and Holly Bourne.

Review

I wasn't sure what to make of this book. I was confused at first as Mathilda is talking to someone she addresses as "you". Then I began to realise that the "you" was two different people, which would be correct if this was in your own head, but to read it is a different matter.

Intrigued by what the remedies her friends would go to I pressed on.   I wasn't overly convinced of their methods. The last method was a little too out there for me and too many pages were taken up describing it all in detail.

My favourite part of the book is where she befriends Constance an elderly lady who still has opinions on lots of things and I thought worth listening to.

There are a couple of what I deem to be comical episodes, but I didn't find them that funny. Overall I found the book a little depressing and even more so when what I had suspected from the beginning is revealed. There could be some trigger points for some readers.

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

The Twyford Code - Janice Hallett

 

Description

*** THE NEW NOVEL FROM THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE APPEAL ***

 'It totally foxed me. So clever and totally brilliant' - LISA HALL  'Enid Blyton meets Agatha Christie with a cracking twist' - MARION TODD   'An elegant puzzle of a book with an exquisite heart' - MATT WESOLOWSKI 

It's time to solve the murder of the century... Forty years ago, Steven Smith found a copy of a famous children's book by disgraced author Edith Twyford, its margins full of strange markings and annotations. Wanting to know more, he took it to his English teacher Miss Iles, not realising the chain of events that he was setting in motion. Miss Iles became convinced that the book was the key to solving a puzzle, and that a message in secret code ran through all Twyford's novels. Then Miss Iles disappeared on a class field trip, and Steven has no memory of what happened to her. Now, out of prison after a long stretch, Steven decides to investigate the mystery that has haunted him for decades. Was Miss Iles murdered? Was she deluded? Or was she right about the code? And is it still in use today? Desperate to recover his memories and find out what really happened to Miss Iles, Steven revisits the people and places of his childhood. But it soon becomes clear that Edith Twyford wasn't just a writer of forgotten children's stories. The Twyford Code has great power, and he isn't the only one trying to solve it... Perfect for fans of Richard Osman, Alex Pavesi and S.J. Bennett, The Twyford Code will keep you up puzzling late into the night.

Review

Written through the use of audio transcripts, the style grated with me.

The story starts with Inspector Waliso forwarding the transcripts to a Professor for his professional opinion. It's pointed out that the transcription of the audio is phonetic. So for example, Miss Iiles is Missiles throughout these transcripts. Any profanity is shown as e.g. s[EXPLICIT]t - realistic maybe but clumsy to read from my point of view. Add into this the flip flopping around of the storyline and I nearly gave up reading a few times. I was intrigued though so I read onto the end.

Around half way through the book I actually got fully drawn into this book and it felt like a real mystery. Later as the twists began to be revealed I felt cheated by the author. I can't say more without spoiling the book but I wished I hadn't invested time reading this book.

I recognise this is a clever plot concept but it just wasn't for me. I'm giving this book 3 out of 5 stars. My thanks to netgalley for the ARC to review.

Wahala - Nikki May

 

Description

'Sex and the City' with a killer edge for fans of QUEENIE, EXPECTATION and MY SISTER, THE SERIAL KILLER

See me, see trouble

Ronke, Simi, Boo are three mixed-race friends living in London. They have the gift of two cultures, Nigerian and English, though they don't all choose to see it that way.

Everyday racism has never held them back, but now in their thirties, they question their future. Ronke wants a husband (he must be Nigerian); Boo enjoys (correction: endures) stay-at-home motherhood; while Simi, full of fashion career dreams, rolls her eyes as her boss refers to her 'urban vibe' yet again.

When Isobel, a lethally glamorous friend from their past arrives in town, she is determined to fix their futures for them.

Cracks in their friendship begin to appear, and it is soon obvious Isobel is not sorting but wrecking. When she is driven to a terrible act, the women are forced to reckon with a crime in their past that may just have repeated itself.

A darkly comic and bitingly subversive take on love, race and family, Wahala will have you laughing, crying and gasping in horror. Boldly political about class, colorism and cooking, here is a truly inclusive tale that will speak to anyone who has ever cherished friendship, in all its forms.

Review

As a fan of Sex and the City (TV series, not the book) and having loved Queenie and My Sister the Serial Killer I just had to read this book and I was not disappointed. No wonder it is set to soon be a BBC TV serial. I can't wait to meet these women all over again.

The story centres around three mixed-race friends who met at Uni and now all live in London. They all have careers, one has a child and they are strong women. Yet somehow that begins to be undermined for each of them by something they've done/will do that they are not proud of. 

Enter Isobel childhood friend of Simi. One by one she reinvents for them either, their outlook, fashion taste or life. Isobel is the life and soul of the party and knows how to have a good time and she's got the money to back it up to. But as she begins to divide and conquer the friends will things ever be the same again between them and their loved ones?

This is not chick lit - although it does have some great shopping parts that had me wondering about doing some online shopping myself! But it also has a physiological thriller aspect to it that had me turning the pages so fast. I couldn't wait to get back to read what would happen next.

When I got to the end of the book I had to go back and re read the very beginning. It was so cleverly written that I had to read it twice more before I really understood. I loved all the characters (even Isobel at times) they were so well drawn and lifelike. So many references to Nigerian food I was beginning to think I needed to find out about some of these dishes. When I reached the end and there were the recipes too!

I'm giving this book 5 out of 5 stars. My thanks to Netgalley for the ARC to review. This books is out on 6 January 2022.