My Book Reviews for June 2024 (Part Two)
My Book Reviews for June 2024 (Part Two) include a current bestselling sensation, two non-fiction titles, a YA thriller and several NetGalley titles I had the privilege of reading.
The story opens with a classic police procedural premise: bones are found by builders in an old house when new owners renovate.
DS Mark Nicholson's investigation leads him to 69-year-old Edith, who grew up at the property. Although she would likely have been too young to be the killer, Mark suspects she's hiding something.
Many chapters are told from Edith's viewpoint. We see her day-to-day work as a primary school teacher during the later stages of the covid pandemic when pupils returned to school under strict social distancing regulations. Here the author's background in education comes into play as she gives an authentic description of teaching and child protection.
She is also accurate in her depiction of ageism, a subject not often tackled in fiction, perhaps it should be. It struck a chord...
It's the third title in Maureen Myant's Glasgow Southside Crime Series. I haven't read book 2 yet, in which Mark Nicholson's boss, DI Alex Scrimgeour, takes the lead. However, I have read book 1, The Confession, when Mark and his chaotic private life is centre stage. His story picks up in book 3 and he continues to lurch from one calamity to another. Because of these distractions, his detective skills are not the sharpest and sometimes it is Megan, a new police constable, who spots some of the clues.
The story works perfectly well as a standalone, but I intend to go back to book 2, The Deception, to get the full enjoyment of this series. This author has really hit her stride so I also look forward to book 4 when it's published.
Yellowface by Rebecca F. Kuang
As well as because of the extensive marketing campaign (I can’t walk through a London Underground station without seeing the striking cover on a billboard), another reason for this book’s phenomenal success must surely be that everyone connected with publishing has bought a copy. And when you look at the size of the industry in its widest sense - authors, editors, PR teams, critics, reviewers, readers, bloggers, academics, librarians, booksellers and many more – that’s a lot of people reading one book and possibly saying, as I did: “Yep! That’s exactly what happens…”
Told from the viewpoint of a struggling author (she’s published but hasn’t reached the dizzying heights of Athena, her contemporary at Yale), the story is the rise and fall of said author, June Hayward. When June is present at the freak death of Athena, she takes Athena’s work in progress and, after extensive revision and expansion, passes it off as her own. As the book becomes the publishing phenomenon of the year, we see June enjoying the praise and attention she’s always craved. But it’s not long before the whispers start. First the social media trolls, then the academics and literary critics. But it’s not only allegations of plagiarism that June faces; several of her detractors are convinced she did write the book but shouldn’t have done because she’s written about a generational trauma that is not hers. As the title suggests, Yellowface explores cultural appropriation and stolen suffering. As my PhD thesis was on this topic (I used the term trauma appropriation), I nodded my way sagely through this novel until I gave myself a headache.)
It’s also a great insight into how the publishing model works, how bestsellers are made and how these lead titles support the rest of the list. I’d recommend it to anyone interested in all aspects of mainstream publishing. However, it’s also a great read for anyone who enjoys rounded, complex characters. June is duplicitous and vulnerable; opportunist and lonely; unreliable and occasionally self-aware.
Show, Don’t Tell by Sandra Gerth
This short book covers a lot of ground in easy-to-read sections and with many examples to illustrate the points. Not only is it a comprehensive review of ‘Show Not Tell’ technique, but it is also helpful for editing in general, especially for assessing the first draft. For writers at all levels of experience.
The World at the End of the Garden: a novella-in-flash by Gillian Walker
I had the honour of reading an early copy of this excellent novella. The writing is sharp and concise, yet also evocative of setting and character. I look forward to reading more by this talented writer.Here’s the blurb: An English textile artist accompanies her husband to live in Tucson, Arizona for a year. Her world shrinks to a gated community of strangers and the view of the arroyo at the bottom of the garden. Escaping from a regime of fertility treatments and miscarriages, she learns to tolerate the heat and the snakes. With the help of Samuel, a mysterious boy who lives across the arroyo, she explores the landscape, learns its history and falls in love with Tucson’s flowers and seasonal rains. As the year passes, she pioneers a new direction for her art and, finally, accepts that she will never be a mother.
The Tube Mapper Project: Capturing Moments on the London Underground Hardcover by Luke Agbaimoni
This is a beautiful coffee table book that I bought for my son, who's mad about the London Underground.
This is taken from the blurb:
The Tube Mapper project deliberately captures moments of subconscious recognition and overlooked interests, showcasing images that can be seen near or at many of London’s Underground, Overground and DLR stations… photographs consider such themes as symmetry, reflections, tunnels and escalators, as well as simply pointing out and appreciating the way the light falls on a platform in an evening sunset. This book reveals the London every commuter knows in a unique, vibrant and arresting style.
This Book Kills by Ravena Guron
Murderous goings on in a boarding school, and the murderer seems inspired by scholarship pupil Jesminder’s short story. As a seasoned mystery reader, I guessed the culprit, but I think the author wrote a great thriller for the younger end of the teen market. No wonder a school library I know has a long waiting list of pupils wanting to read the library copies of the book. This will be the start of a big career for this talented author.
The Serpent Dance by Sofia Slater
Ideal for fans of blended crime genres. There’s domestic psychological suspense here, alongside elements of police procedural, which – due to the eccentric cast of suspects participating in strange rituals in deepest Cornwall – heads towards Midsomer Murders territory.With thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy in exchange for an independent review.I enjoyed Sofia Slater’s first novel, Auld Acquaintance. My review is here.
Things Don’t Break on Their Own by Sarah Easter Collins
Twenty-five years ago Willa’s teenage sister vanished without a trace. So why does Willa think she sees her sister everywhere? A chance remark at a dinner party makes Willa revisit the memories she holds. With the dinner party of the blurb playing only a small part, this is more a story of childhood and early adult recollections. Ideal for readers who like detailed flashbacks told in straightforward language.
With thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy in exchange for an independent review.
The Stranger’s Companion by Mary Horlock
Inspired by a real-life mystery when clothing of a man and a woman were found on a Sark beach in the 1930s, the novel is fluently written and, with its large cast of islanders, has a similar feel to Under Milk Wood.With thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy in exchange for an independent review.
The Reunion Party by Penny Bachelor
Five former friends gather at a hotel to remember Tanya. Since her death twenty-five years earlier, the group has drifted apart. As the drinks flow, supressed secrets from the past and present rise to the surface. A solid, standard premise that works well for fans of psychological thrillers told from multiple viewpoints in a straightforward style.
With thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy in exchange for an independent review.
So those were My Book Reviews for June 2024 (Part Two). I'll be back next month with reviews of some great reads I have lined up for July.