Divergent by Veronica Roth : Review

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Synopsis:  "In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made. Together they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them all, Tris must determine who her friends really are--and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes exasperating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers unrest and growing conflict that threaten to unravel her seemingly perfect society, Tris also learns that her secret might help her save the ones she loves... or it might destroy her."

My Review:  It has been a long time since I have picked up a book (an e-book in this instance) and been hooked by the story line so quickly. In fact, I was so engrossed by the characters and the story that I finished the book in 2 days.

Although the story is based in Chicago, it is cleverly written so that the reader need no previous knowledge of the city and is therefore able to place the story into a city or time they believe in, making the story and characters all the more believable.

The story focuses on Beatrice and the faction she belongs too, her family and the Abnegation's   traditions. Once children reach 16 years old they have to decide which of the five factions they want to belong to for the rest of their life. This decision is then followed by weeks of initiation. I found the initiation with their chosen faction, fascinating and well thought out. The author had clearly researched the human aspects relating to each of the five virtues:- Candor, Abnegation, Dauntless, Amity and Erudite. How these personality traits effect the way the different factions interacted, including their prejudices. The book even had me thinking how I would fit into the world? Which of the factions would I choose? Would I even survive!

I did not find any of the storyline difficult or hard to follow, I thought the author described the city and initiation process clearly and thoroughly. The relationships that Beatrice/Tris develops with her fellow initiates is interesting. Are they friends or enemies, are they there to help or hinder.  Does Four the initiations instructor see something special about Tris, does he know her secret, can he be trusted.

I enjoyed following Tris in her efforts to discover more about her secret and others like her, it is clear there is more to uncover about this part of her in the additional books in the series.

I used to regularly read science fiction books, and absolutely loved being transported to another time and place. I think this gap in reading this genre could be one of the reasons why I really enjoyed Divergent,  along with it being the first dystopian style book I have read. Which is probably why I scored it so high. I have already reserved the follow up novel Insurgent from my local library.

I gave this book 5 stars out of 5 on Goodreads where it currently has an average of 4.3 stars.

To find out more about the book or the author visit the following links.
Goodreads ~  Amazon

Angela

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The Fortune Hunter by Daisy Goodwin : Review

Book Review -
The Fortune Hunter
by Daisy Goodwin

The Fortune Hunter by Daisy Goodwin 

Synopsis:  "In 1875, Sisi, the Empress of Austria is the woman that every man desires and every woman envies.

Beautiful, athletic and intelligent, Sisi has everything - except happiness. Bored with the stultifying etiquette of the Hapsburg Court and her dutiful but unexciting husband, Franz Josephs."

My Review: At the start of the book we are introduced to Charlotte, a young lady who will shortly become financial independent when she reaches age and inherits her mothers estate. We also meet Captain Bay Middleton, a young and handsome accomplished horseman with a dream of winning the Grand National. 

Charlotte has no plans to marry a Lord or an Earl like most young ladies her age. She is more interested in the new invention of photography and the opportunity of exhibiting her photographs, much to her aunt and her soon to be sister in law's annoyance. That is until she meets Captain Middleton, both drawn to each other, yet they are unable to act on there wish to marry until Charlotte reaches age. But with neither money or a title the dashing army captain in reality has little to offer young Charlotte, 

But then Captain Middleton one of the best horsemen in the country is asked to ride alongside the beautiful Sissi. Introduce her to the ways of an English Hunt,which she demonstrates great skill as a horse rider, Sissi clearly finds Captain Middleton's lack of  etiquette rather enticing.

The story then follows how these two women battle for the affection of the dashing Bay Middleton. As a reader this story had me alternating as to whether the character Bay deserved their affections, to sympathising for him and the situation he found himself in. For Bay to be even moving in Royal circles presented him with opportunities he would scarcely have imagined. By the end of the book I even empathised with the constraints faced by Sissi. It is easy to take for granted all the opportunities available to young ladies today, yet Charlotte faces caution and disapproval just for being in a room alone with an eligible man. Never mind her plan to travel and explore America being accepted by her half brother and aunt. 

I enjoyed this book it was well written and clearly well researched, I found it an easy read just under 500 pages, it took me about a week to read on and off during the evenings. If this book were a film (who knows maybe one day it will) it would be a Sunday afternoon film, perfect to settle down and enjoy along with your favourite tipple and box of chocolates.

I gave this book 4 stars out of 5 on Goodreads where it currently has an average of 3.41 stars.

To find out more about the book or the author visit the following links.
Goodreads ~  Amazon

Angela

Post may contain affiliate links.

Cross Stitch by Diana Gabaldon : Review

Cross Stitch by Diana Gabaldon (uk version) also known as Outlander

Synopsis: Originally set in the 1945 Claire Randall and her husband are on a second honeymoon in Scotland. Whilst her husband is discovering more about his family ancestors, Claire explores the area including a stone circle. It is from here Claire finds herself transported back to 1743, where she crosses paths with her husband’s ancestor Jack Randall whom she soon discovers is a brutal man. What follows is a story that will leave not only Claire Randall shocked by the brutality of the time but also the reader. 

My Review: At the heart of this book is a story based in the Scottish Highlands the hierarchy of the clans and their battle with the English, as seen from Claire the intruder. What follows is a story that will leave not only Claire Randall shocked by the brutality of the time but also the reader. Claire’s skills as an ex battlefield nurse may see her survive with the clan but can she find a place within it, whilst still trying to find a way back to 1945. Having treated an injured Jamie Fraser, a young burly red haired Scot, will then see Claire entangled with his past and his clans future.

This book has an excessive amount of violence, torture and sexual violence. Claire and Jamie’s lives are forced together in order to save Claire's life from the hands of Jack Randall. The story then proceeds to see Jamie and Claire spend every other page romping around the highlands trying to avoid clashes with the English, only to end up having sex, more sex and more sex. Quite frankly I got rather fed up with it, along with Jamie’s not stop need to address Claire as ‘Sassenach’. 

Elements of the book are quite honestly unbelievable and some quite frankly repetitive and unnecessary. At over 800 pages long this book could of easily have been halved to 400. I was disappointed with this book as I love historically based book and did so want to enjoy it and the first 190 pages were good, but I soon tired of it.  This book is the first of the Outlander series, and at its core had the potential to be something amazing however I will not be reading the next. 

I gave this book 2 stars out of 5 on Goodreads where it currently has an average of 4.1 stars.

To find out more about the book or the author visit the following links.
Goodreads ~ Amazon

Angela

Post may contain affiliate links.

Murder at the Maples by Joanne Phillips : Review

Murder at the Maples by Joanne Phillips (Flora Lively Investigates #1)

Synopsis: A tragic death. A reluctant sleuth. A childhood prank that went horribly wrong.
When Flora Lively inherits her father’s business she’s totally out of her depth. Shakers Removals is in trouble, and manager Marshall isn’t helping one bit – the ex-pat American delights only in winding her up. But Flora has other things on her mind, like Joy: surrogate grandmother and resident of the Maples Retirement Village. When Joy’s pet pug has a brush with death, Flora is pulled into a series of bizarre incidents at the Maples, where fear is starting to take hold.

My Review: I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, it was a delightful, intriguing mystery. The main character Flora Lively reminded me of a young Jean Brodie and Miss Marple. Flora is desperate to do the right thing and continue to successfully run the family home removals business 'Shakers' since the death of her parents.  She refuses to accept the help of Marshall the manger who her father trusted.  Flora's lack of decision making around the family business had me virtually shouting at her, just let Marshall get on with the job and stop getting in the way of his ideas!  I loved the relationship between these two characters, everyone but Flora seemed notice there is something between the two.

Whilst Joy a surrogate grandmother to Flora has settled into life at The Maples Retirement Home, things are not as they appear. Are the residents of The Maples safe, is Joy safe, is the dog safe? I liked the relationship Flora built with the older characters at the retirement home, it showed a caring, thoughtful and kind side in such a young person. I must admit that Joy did remind me of my aunt, who can be rather stubborn and cantankerous if people get in her way. I really felt for Flora when she was faced with the dilemma of trusting and believing what Joy was telling her, or doubting whether Joy was getting herself confused. 

Flora with the help of Marshall, her Uncle, Joy and Otto the dog dig into the past of Felix a new resident at the Maples. Or do the answers lie with the manager of the Maples and a local corrupt solicitor.   I was a little surprised by Joy's past that sweet old lady has something of a dark secret.

It was such a delight reading this book as it is based in Shropshire, which is where I live, it really did add to my enjoyment having visited many of the locations particularly the Cliff Railway at Bridgnorth. A thoroughly enjoyable cosy mystery read, I can not wait to read the next in the Flora Lively Investigates series, which according to Joanne Phillips will be out soon.

I gave this book 4 stars out of 5 on Goodreads where it currently has an average of 3.52 stars.

To find out more about the book or the author Joanne Phillips visit the following links.

Goodreads   ~  Amazon

Angela

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How I Wonder What You Are by Jane Lovering

When Molly first meets Phinn, he's drunk, naked, and unconscious. Both are running away from heartbreak, and have found themselves in a small Yorkshire village. When they realise that they are the only ones who seem to be witnessing a strange night-sky phenomenon, the investigation into what it might be draws them closer together.

When reading a romance novel, I find it important to manage my expectations. As I have mentioned in previous reviews, I don't expect to be shocked by plot twists; ultimately, readers go in knowing what they are going to get. As soon as a male and female character are introduced, it's easy to quickly assess whether or not they are 'meant to be', and once you have decided that they are, you are under no illusions as to the culmination of events.

The fun in reading a romance, therefore, is not found in the basic plot journey between girl meets boy and girl gets boy. It's found in all of the ephemera; the central conceit of the story, the supporting characters, and what happens to the girl and boy before they manage to end up together.

Unfortunately, How I Wonder What You Are didn't really provide me with too much fun in that ephemera. I liked Molly and Phinn well enough, and it was fun to watch them slowly realise that they like each other, only to have various obstacles thrown into their path. But at the centre of the story are the mysterious lights that they see in the sky, and which nobody else seems to be able to see. For me, it just seemed as though it was a heavy handed way to throw the couple together, and it didn't really work.

It wasn't a total failure; I engaged with the characters, and cared about their ultimate fate, but it's not a book that I'd rush to recommend to anyone else. Ultimately it was just a perfectly acceptable way to step away from the reality of my own life for a couple of hours.

How I Wonder What You Are
First published: December 2014
Choc Lit
Review copy provided by publisher

Never Marry a Politician by Sarah Waights

The unusually named Emily Pemily has spent many years becoming the model wife. Married to a junior politician, she has allowed a political party to shape the way she lives her life, and now, as her husband's profile grows, she finds that she is having to make bigger changes, and sacrifice more and more, in order to remain the wife she is expected to be.

I can't say that I am ordinarily a fan of out and out romance novels. I prefer my romance to come as a side to adventure, or comedy, or history. So when I am presented with the chance to read a book like this, I sometimes have to think twice, but it does present the possibility for me to be pleasantly surprised, and that's what happened with Never Marry a Politician.

The story was engaging, and the characters easy to identify with. Emily is a heroine that the reader can quickly empathise with; she married Ralph (pronounced 'Raph') after a whirlwind romance, and as the book progresses, it becomes clear that she was on the rebound from a love affair that she never quite gets over, despite settling down to a happy life with Ralph. For his part, her husband is quickly established as the villain of the piece, but he's not a one-note antagonist. He's an ambitious man, who, through a series of events, progresses through the ranks of his party very quickly. His ambition doesn't leave room for Emily's doubts, so she is left to deal with the whirlwind changes on her own.

Part of the fun of reading a story like this, is knowing where it is going. I don't read books like this to be surprised by the twists and turns of the story. I enjoy reading a story where I know the eventual outcome within a couple of chapters, and the fun comes from seeing how the characters reach that point.

I read Never Marry a Politician in one sitting, last month, when I was trying to reach my yearly goal. A lazy afternoon between Christmas and New Year is the perfect time to read a book like this; without expectation that it is a literary masterpiece, it is able to pleasantly surprise.

Never Marry a Politician
First published: November 2014
ASIN: B00P9KVWA8
Choc Lit
Review copy provided by publisher

The Cleaner of Chartres by Sally Vickers : Review

The Cleaner of Chartres by Sally Vickers

I was inspired to read this novel following a talk given by the author Sally Vickers at Wellington Literary Festival in October 2014. Sally talked about her time as a psychoanalyst and how her travels to France and Italy inspired her writing.  It was an interesting talk and as a result I felt encouraged to read one of her novels. Her novel The Cleaner of Chartres was part of the Literary Festival display in my local library.

Synopsis
"There is something very special about Agnès Morel. A quiet presence in the small French town of Chartres, she can be found cleaning the famed medieval cathedral each morning and doing odd jobs for the townspeople. No one knows where she came from or why. Not Abbé Paul, who discovered her one morning twenty years ago, sleeping on the north porch, and not Alain Fleury, the irreverent young restorer who works alongside her each day and whose attention she catches with her tawny eyes and elusive manner. She has transformed each of their lives in her own subtle way, yet no one suspects the dark secret Agnès is hiding.

When an accidental encounter dredges up a series of tragic incidents from Agnès’s youth, the nasty meddling of town gossips threatens to upend the woman’s simple, peaceful life. Her story reveals a terrible loss, a case of mistaken identity, and a cruel and violent act that haunts her past. Agnès wrestles with her own sense of guilt and enduring heartbreak while the citizens piece together the truth about her life."

My review
I really struggled to get into this book, I was just not hooked by the story. The book is only 296 pages, which for me is a short read and for that I was grateful. I found the first 200 pages slow going, and a number of the characters unlikeable, and as such I was not interested in their story. The pace picked up in the final 90 pages, when I did start to enjoy it. In fact I was almost surprised by the slight twist of discovery at the end of the story.  Though nothing is confirmed by the author it is left with the reader to interpret the evidence. On a positive note, I did enjoy the interaction between Alain and Agnes, and found their exchanges of knowledge and wisdom endearing.The history behind the architecture of the cathedral was fascinating, and cleverly told through Alain.

I do not like to give up on a book, hence the reason why I continued to read this book to the end, and the story did improve towards the end.  I am just grateful  though that I borrowed this book from my local library and did not buy it.

I gave this book 2 stars out of 5 on Goodreads where it had an average of 3.7 stars.

To find out more about the book or the author Sally Vickers visit the following links.

Goodreads ~ The Book Depository  ~  Amazon

Angela

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The Hard Way by Lee Child : Review

I hope you enjoy my first book review for Hanging on Every Word, for it is in fact my first ever book review. 

Synopsis reads: Jack Reacher is alone, the way he likes it. He watches a man cross a New York street and drive away in a Mercedes. The car contains $1 million of ransom money. Reacher's job is to make sure it all turns out right - money paid, family safely returned. But Reacher is in the middle of a nasty little war where nothing is simple. What started on a busy New York street explodes three thousand miles away, in the sleepy English countryside. Reacher's going to have to do this one the hard way.

My Review: The Hard Way is the tenth book Lee Child has written about the character Jack Reacher. All of the Jack Reacher books stand on their own, there is no need to have read any of the previous books.

The book starts with Reacher an ex army cop unknowingly witnessing a kidnapping money drop. With the family of missing Kate eager to know all that Reacher witnessed, it soon becomes apparent they are not your average family.

Reacher want to to help put right this wrong and to help reunite Edward Lanes family. With strictly no police involved all of Reacher's investigative skills are required. Edward Lane seems a little cagey divulging his history - a previous wife also kidnapped, his own Mercenary army, and the ability to pay kidnappers millions in cash within hours.

Reacher has to balance investigating and resolving the kidnapping, whilst trying to discover the truth about Edward Lane and his loyal mercenaries – or are they loyal?  There are twists and turns a plenty as the kidnapping develops. Although I did predict two elements of the kidnapping plot as I progressed though the book, there were still plenty of the story I could never have predicted.

I liked the relationship between Reacher and Pauling the ex-FBI agent involved in investigating the kidnapping of Lane’s first wife. Both respecting and bouncing off each others methods of investigating, though not always agreeing. Yes, there is something between the two, but it is not love – Reacher never does love.

Through the book Reacher wants to ensure the right thing is done, this includes payback for any wrong doing and payback in the most appropriate and deserving way. An aspect of his character I actually found quite endearing.

Lee Child does not shy away from violence in this book, any story that features a small army of mercenary is never going to just play nicely. This is no fluffy read, I accept that violence has a place in this story, there is one particular scene set in West Africa that stayed with me.  That said this is not just a book to be read by men, as a woman I really enjoyed this book. When Lee Child writes a female character they are usual strong, intelligent woman. Pauling the ex-FBI agent, Kate the kidnapped wife, Patti the sister of Lanes first wife and Dee Marie sister of Hobart one of Lane’s mercenaries -all exceptional female characters.

I guarantee once you pick it up you will not be quick to put it down. Never will you read 500 pages quite so quickly. You know how it goes with a good book. I will just read to the next chapter and then I will turn the light off and go to sleep – yeah really, that was at midnight its one a.m. and the light is still on!

I gave this book 4 stars out of 5 on Goodreads where it had an average of 4.5 stars.

To find out more about the book or the author Lee Child visit the following links.

Goodreads ~ The Book Depository  ~ Amazon   

Angela

Post may contain affiliate links.

The Camellia Resistance: Review

SYNOPSIS

2044. Willow Carlyle is the youngest cultural epidemiology research director in the
history of the Ministry of Health and is on the fast-track for further promotion until
a night of passion shatters her carefully constructed life.

Marked and unemployed, Willow falls in with a band of dissidents. Everyone wants
something. In the process of discerning friend from foe, Willow begins to unravel
secrets that will shake the New Republic of America to its foundation.

 Review

I'm not sure what I was expecting from this book, I've found a love for dystopian over the past year and so I was excited to get my hands on this book, in fact I remember reading about it being a night of lustful sex that changes Willows life forever leaving her jobless and marked. I assumed she would be pregnant, perhaps the world had reverted to an old way of looking at things - oh how wrong could I be.

My first thought when I found out that the book revolved around Herpes was what HERPES! Honestly I couldn't get this high pitched exclamation of HERPES out of my head - but don't let that put you off.

The Camellia Resistance is set in a society that is ruled by cleanliness, after pandemics have wiped out much of the population, rules surround ever interaction, from the use of gloves at all times, to body condoms to be used when intimate relations happen and of course those only occur between legally partnered people.

A night of intimacy outside the rules leaves Willow suffering from a altered strain of herpes one that affects her nervous system altering it, to give her almost superhuman (could that come later?) abilities - her foray into the dark side leads her to begin to question everything they are brought up with and know.

Personally after getting over my original thoughts I found this a good book, I wanted to know what happened next and felt compelled to keep reading, it is an adult book which includes one graphic sexual scene and many other situations that are aimed at an older reading audience.

However I think this is a great different take on a dystopian novel and one people should at least give a chance, I can't wait to see what future books in the series bring.

Where to purchase The Camellia Resistance

Amazon - Kindle
Amazon - Paperback
B&N - Paperback

* Add The Camellia Resistance to your Goodreads Shelf *

About the Author

A.R.'s Blog / Twitter / Google + / Goodreads

A.R. Williams is obsessed with language and myth, not just playing with words and making up stories, but with the real-world impact that our words have on the way we live. Words are the only puzzle that never gets boring, and writing is the only thing she has wanted to do consistently. Other interests, such as sewing and photography, become alternate means to feed the writing habit.

Ms. Williams feeds her obsession with curiosity: people, philosophy, technology, psychology, and culture. Living in Washington D.C. is a good source of inspiration. From the sublime heights of arts and achievement available for free at the Smithsonian to the bureaucratic banality of Beltway politics and scandals, it is a great city for fantasy, possibility, power, and consequence—ideal fodder for the fictional life. She lives between an ordinary external life filled with time cards, meetings, and deadlines; and an extraordinary imaginary world where anything is possible and everything is fueled by music.
 

Follow the entire Camellia Resistance tour HERE

* This tour is brought to you by Worldwind Virtual Book Tours *

Discord Trillogy: Review

I don't think I'll ever get over my slight love of all things Vampire related and when a introduction to The Discord Trilogy dropped into my inbox I knew I had to read it.

Tara and her sisters are modern day witches, they juggle the slaying of mythical creatures, using their blood talents and the usual activities of young women; school, work and having some fun. Born as Milunfran half-blood witches, the four sisters hold a powerful attribute - each one of them harness a different element and each wields a powerful ability, one of the reasons the Milufran Twelve gave them back their powers and asked them to fight for them.

The Golden Apple of Discord begins with a bang, seeing the 4 sisters in action, banishing a foe, something they have become pros at after four years practice, business is usual in the first few chapters as we get to know a little about them, that is until Tara is kidnapped by unknown enemies and begins a night that will change not only hers but her sisters lives for ever, for the people who took her are vampires and they need her.

Tara is that night changed into a vampire and only just makes it away from her captures, running through the night to return to her family, which is where the story really begins.

Witches don't fight vampires - they are just too strong for them and while the sisters believe The Twelve can restore Tara to her former state, that is far from the Milufran leaders minds when they turn up at the sisters residences ready to execute Tara and remove the powers from her sisters.

They of course manage to escape but have to disappear into hiding, which they find out soon enough is not just from the Milufran Twelve, but from the vampires as well. To survive Tara has to do one of the hardest things, turn her sisters and as each turns they lose their connection to their element, while their active powers are amplified.

The sisters in their running come across another coven of vampires - three males, Taralie isn't sure they should trust them, but Ann insist they need to and so Tara lays her trust both in Ann and her ability and they follow the three home.

The Severin sisters, learn a lot from there new found allies, with romance quickly blooming between certain parties - however Tara has reservations about Alex - the new covens leader, perhaps they are too alike?

As the book progresses things warm between Tara and Alex a mind reader who can't read Tara's mind making him feel as though he can relax and enjoy the peace and calm around her and while they worry about the two warring sides of vampires searching for the sisters, they come to find they feel like they are at home.

Abomination - While The Golden Apple of Discord was told by Tara, Abomination is told by Alex - the pair are getting ready to wed in a double ceremony with Thomas and Ann, and the girl's father is flying in to be part of the big day.

In fact everything seems to be fine, until Alex and Tara are on honeymoon and come across a coven of vampires feeding on innocents; Tara can't let them kill someone who doesn't deserve it and scares them off, making them run to the Noricum to check on their feeding quota, a small, perhaps lifesaving thing for most, but an action that opens the flood gates from the Noricum and starts a war. A war in which no one will leave the same as the entered.

Sadly the Noricum do the unthinkable to the two covens, something Alex was sure they would never do and something that Tara so far into madness she begins to enjoy the torture and murder of Noricum higher members.

Abomination is a roller-coaster ride through happiness, sadness, madness and in the end abomination for one, when Tara uses her mimic powers on Noricum prince in a way no one expected.

Rubicon - Changing between Alex and Taralie's views, Rubicon see's Tara being realised from abomination, but the person who comes out is far from the Tara we have come to know over the previous two books.

The war between the coven and Noricum is raging and the sister and their husbands have been joined by an old Noricum prefect - one who defected after he saw the Noricum for who they really were.

This last book sees us follow them all as Taralie fights to work out who she is and as they try to save themselves from the armies Noricum have been gathering to try and defeat the sisters.

So who will win?

There is so much more I could say about these books - the curse, the Greek gods, more in depth taking but I don't want to spoilt it for you - I want you to read these books as I did - griped from one page to the next and often wanting to scream WHAT ARE YOU DOING! At the characters.

While to some these books may at first glance seem reminiscent of Twilight you really are looking at a different vampire love story intertwined with fights for survival of not just the main characters but others that live.

If you're looking for a trilogy to get stuck into this summer, why not pick up these three.

PURCHASE THE BOOKS

Amazon - Kindle
Amazon - Paperback
B&N Nook
Kobo

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lauren's Website / Twitter / Facebook / Pinterest / Instagram

I'm Lauren Hodge, a chemist turned author with three children, a lot of friends no one else can see, and a swearing habit. Writing is something I stumbled into on accident. I was reading fiction for the first time as an adult and wondered if I could do it. It never crossed my mind to publish until my twin got a hold of my manuscripts and pressured me into it like the cool drug seeking kid from the After School Specials.

Because of that, my books are different. I don't write because I have a story to tell. I write because there is a story inside my head and it's merely using my fingers to get out. I enjoy writing protagonists that are flawed and enemies that aren't. Not everyone is all good or all bad and I love the philosophical process of defining that grey area.

There are two parts of communication. What is articulated and what is received for only the latter can compel action. You, the reader, are more important than me, the author. I relish understanding what you receive from my articulation. To help with that, I have editors - lots and lots of editors. Editors are the heroes authors need, but not the heroes they deserve. As an author, I strive every day to be worthy of professional editors.

I'm the oldest of seven and have an identical twin/perfect organ donor.

The Whitechapel Virgin by Carla Acheson | Review

Synopsis

Catherine, a fifteen year old runaway, stumbles into a seedy brothel-house tavern in the back streets of Whitechapel, London. She hesitates at the scene before her, one filled with low class prostitutes and drunkards, but it is late, and the dimly-lit labyrinthine alleyways are filled with deviant fellows and petty criminals.

Weary and hungry, she meets Eddie, the rugged young tavern boy who shows her to a room for the night. She settles down only to be awoken in the early hours by piercing cries from the room next door. Arising to find the cause of the commotion, she becomes witness to a gruesome abortion.

Filled with revulsion, Catherine decides to flee as soon as daylight arrives, but Eddie quickly soothes her fears and convinces her to stay, arranging for her to meet Madame Davenport, the nefarious brothel-mistress who employs Catherine as a serving girl, under the proviso she begins work ‛servicing’ men once she is settled in.

Difficulties arise, however, when Eddie’s growing romantic affections for Catherine clash with her sudden infatuation for the dashing middle-class gent, Mr Cross. Unknown to Catherine, the lothario is keeping a diary of his affairs with Whitechapel’s whores, with the dishonourable intention of turning his writing into a successful ‛gentleman’s, publication.’ Mr Cross quickly seduces the fresh young virgin, allowing his sexual fantasies to escalate into an unfathomable obsession.

As Catherine tries her hardest to fit into the ways of life at the lodging house, she encounters only jealousy from Eddie, and resentment from the other prostitutes who reside there. Annie, in particular, dislikes the new girl who has blossoming beauty and youth on her side.

Unexpectedly one night, a crime occurs within the narrow landing of George Yard Buildings. Local prostitute Martha Tabram is found brutally hacked to death by a cruel assailant. The police can unearth no explainable motive. The Victorian crime stuns the entire Whitechapel district, causing widespread panic amongst the prostitutes who each fear for their own lives.

Catherine’s anxiety increases when Edward Cross begins to show signs of ‘odd’ sexual behaviour and mental decline, as he brutally tries to expunge the girl of her virtues. When two more gruesome murders occur in the area, the prostitutes realise that there is no escape from the vicious killer who calls himself Jack The Ripper. But who is he? And who will be the next Jack victim?

Review

I am a big fan of all things Jack The Ripper - I love watching any TV dramas about that period of time, I particularly love the Johnny Depp film 'From Hell' and I even started watching Ripper Street in the hope that it would be about Jack - it wasn't but I still loved it nonetheless. 

Whilst what Jack The Ripper did to his victims was completely abhorrent, the case is so interesting because he was never identified - although many names have been floated about for years. It seems plenty of people nowadays have a keen interest in the case of Jack The Ripper - and so Sarah dutifully passed this review copy onto me in the hope it would be of interest to me.

Previous TV shows and films about Jack The Ripper have usually identified Jack as one of the real life people who found themselves accused back then. This book uses fictional characters instead and so all previous assumptions or suspicions you may have about the identity of Jack The Ripper go out the window.

The story begins with Catherine Bell fleeing from her aunt's house after her aunt's flit in the dead of night, leaving Catherine with bills to pay and no money to pay them with. She stumbles into Edward Cross, a middle-class gentleman and after making their apologies, she stumbles into the Boars Inn.

It is quite clear from the outset that this brief encounter with Edward Cross may be Catherine's first but it certainly won't be her last. Whilst appearing charming when we first meet him, we soon see a different side to him which Catherine herself is not oblivious to and she soon becomes even more suspicious of him when local prostitutes start getting murdered.

I loved Catherine as a character, although I did find her naivety when it came to Eddie, the tavern boy, a little irritating - she knew he liked her and knew that he was taking her actions as something more than what they were yet she always seemed so shocked and upset when he or Annie were short with her - why could she not just say that she wanted to be friends or realise that they were angry because it seemed like she was messing with his feelings?

I loved the way Carla portrayed the prostitutes who lived in the brothel of Boars Inn - most versions talk about prostitutes of that time in a horrid and demeaning manner, however Carla does well to remind you that these ladies are people too - and haven't always had it easy themselves.

The ending was an almighty shocker - and whilst I had worked out who Jack was a couple of chapters before the end, it is a fantastic read as we find out the reasonings why.

I was very impressed with this book, not least because it is based on a topic that I love. I will definitely be reading more of Carla Acheson's work. Fantastic.

Where to Purchase The Whitechapel Virgin

Amazon - Kindle
Amazon - Paperback

About the Author

Carla's Website / Goodreads / Facebook

Carla lives in Gibraltar with her family and is a member of the Freelance Writers Association. She works as a book reviewer and has interviewed and published book reviews and articles for best-selling and award-winning authors. Her articles and reviews have been featured in various press publications, as well as Waterstones Quarterly UK Magazine.

Her debut fiction novel ‘The Last Gift’ released October 2012, is available on both Kindle and paperback.

Carla is also the founder of the Rock Writers Group formed in Gibraltar in 2009.

Music production, singing, reading and writing have always been the main essential ingredients in Carla’s life.

To Catch A Creeper by Ellie Campbell

A little while back, I shared my review of the first book in the series by Ellie Campbell - Looking for Lala (you can read that here) and after a slight delay, here I am with my review of the follow up in the series, To Catch A Creeper.



Find the book on Goodreads | Find the book on Amazon

Synopsis

Cathy is riding high in her brand-new job at a (surprisingly bitchy) top London advertising agency working with best friend Rosa. But when Rosa’s pregnancy goes amiss and enemies sabotage her new career, she finds herself leading a chaotic double life of lies and deception, hiding a shameful secret from all, especially husband Declan who appears in the throes of a nervous breakdown. Meanwhile she’s agreed to unmask the notorious Crouch End Creeper, a burglar terrorizing their neighbourhood. Little does she know that her meddling, assisted by fellow mothers (the Wednesday Once Weeklies) and the Neighbourhood Watch, will lead their dangerous opponent to murder. And that it's not only the tall elegant transvestite who is placing herself at risk...


I will be totally honest and admit that I didn't enjoy this book as much as the first, however I did like it a lot. I think the first appeals to me more because of the whole introduction to such important characters as Cathy, Declan and Rosa. 

When we last left Cathy, she just had found out who Lala truly was and what a shock it was - I had my suspicions for ages but never realised the culprit. The same should be said for this book - the culprit wasn't one of the more obvious choices and I like that about these stories - I hate it when watching a crime drama on TV and you work out the villain within seconds; I prefer going through the clues just like Cathy.

Not only does Cathy have to deal with enemies in the workplace in her new high flying job but after her detective work with Lala, she finds herself investigating the Crouch End Creeper. With her friend's husband hiding a secret and fitting the suspect's profile, Cathy knows she needs to find the Creeper before an innocent man could potentially be arrested.

Whilst Cathy's attempts to find the Creeper are amusing, my favourite parts were actually when she was at work, trying to find out her saboteur - this time I saw the culprit coming though! Her work scenes, however, were incredibly well written - remember Cathy was portrayed as a naive, downtrodden stay at home mum in the first book so to see her dressed up to the nines for this high profile job was always going to see some slip ups - and Cathy has quite a few. It was funny to read how Cathy is so desperate to fit in that sometimes she really doesn't act like herself.

All in all, this is a great read - you are left guessing who the Crouch End Creeper is (believe me, you will be surprised!) and fall just a little bit more in love with Rosa! Well worth a read!

Guest Review: The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon

The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon

(Goodreads/Amazon)

Samantha Shannon has published her debut book called The Bone Season and I can only hope that it is the first of many.  Set in a dystopian future in the year 2059, we follow the story of Paige Mahoney, a nineteen year old girl on who works in Seven Dials.  Paige is no ordinary girl though, she has a special talent, one that has given her work in the criminal underword of Scion.  

Paige is clairvoyant, a gift some might some, but for the government of Scion, this is classed as treason.  The sheer fact that Paige is alive, is reason for her detainment by the authorities and it is one of the things she fears.  

Life as she knows it is altered in ways she could never imagine when she is hunted down and kidnapped.  Taken to a secretive Oxford she is greeted with what can only be described as a terrifying and unfamilliar sight, she is plunged into a fight for her life and that of her fellow captives.

Without wanting to give too much away, I will say that Shannon takes the reader on a completely new journey, like none I have been a part of before in all my years of reading.  The heroine is fierce and unforgiving, challenged with and pitted against a set of circumstances that is both familiar and completely unique at the same time.  This conflict makes for some of the most incrediblly vivid and exciting scenes to leap from the page of a book in years.

Shannon articulates and paints the story around your imagination, placing you in the center of a battle you will have never witnessed before.  A world is laid out before you, with maps and hierarchies to help you make sense of the complex nature of the story as it unfolds.

All in all, I can not recommend this book highly enough.  If you like a good dystopian piece of fiction, but are looking for something you have never encountered before, then read The Bone Season, you wont find disappoint on a single page of the book!

This was a guest review by Erika from Eclectic Enchantments - please do pop over to her blog and say hi!

Poems Of Love, Life and Me by Stephanie Mamo

Poems of Love, Life & Me - Stephanie Mamo

When Stephanie got in contact with me and asked if I would like to review her poetry, I jumped at the chance. I have really slacked in poetry reading over the last couple of years and wanted to get back into it with a bang. That I certainly did.

I love her dedication and acknowledgements - she is a girl who has been through the wars and come out fighting and that is something I admire in any person. I knew that this personality would shine through in her poetry and I certainly wasn't wrong.

As you can probably guess by the title, her poems are all about life, love and her - there are some real emotional poems in there and then she breaks them up with something light hearted like The Man or TECHNO!


My particular favourite poem of the collection has to be Stars - the poem is absolutely beautiful. I love these few lines especially 'Until the world no longer turns, this flame for you will always burn. The stars are there to remind me of all the good times that we had. When you're not here the stars are empty - and my heart is sad' - could she have described love any better? I don't think so.

This poetry collection has something for everyone - fun poems such as TECHNO!, slightly risque for younger readers like The Man, poems of pure emotion such as This Heart Will Love Again. I truly recommend everyone picks up a copy from Amazon here - £5 for an eBook copy or £5.37 for a paperback. Enjoy!

No Angel by Penny Vincenzi

No Angel, by Penny Vincenzi, tells the story of the Lytton family from the early 20th century up to the 1920s. At the centre of the story is Celia, wife of Oliver, who works hard to get what she wants. She wants to marry Oliver, so she gets pregnant to force her parents' hands; she wants to work with her husband at the family publishing firm, and she eventually proves herself to be an valuable asset.

I read No Angel because I'm currently in the middle of an A-Z challenge, and I needed to read a V author. I have never read any of Vincenzi's books before, but I could tell I would enjoy this as soon as I picked it up. No Angel is the first in a trilogy called The Spoils of Time, and I've always loved sprawling family sagas, particularly when they take in the two world wars. 

This is a long book, full of lots of characters, and at times it took me a minute or two to remember who some of the minor characters were! Celia is obviously at the centre of the plot; we get to hear the thoughts of other characters from time to time, but this is really Celia's story. She battles to marry the man she considers (at the age of 18) to be the love her life. At a time when women were expected to marry, stay at home and bring up children, Celia decides that she would much rather have a career, and manages to secure a senior position at her husband family publishing firm. 

I liked the character of Celia a lot; even when she makes some questionable decisions, it is easy to see why she is making them. Her life, along with everyone else who lived through the atrocities, is irrevocably changed by World War I. 

My one major criticism of the novel is that I feel sometimes it over relies on the in-the-nick-of-time plot device. At various points throughout the book, just when something is about to happen that will cause a huge disaster, something else happens to avert the danger. Of course, it is an effective way to build tension, but after the third or fourth time of it happening in one book, you begin to slightly tire of it. 

I'd also say that I think the book is probably slightly too long, at over 700 pages. In the final third, I felt as though everything was being dragged out to ensure a last minute, tension-filled denouement, and I think the book suffered as a result. 

Having said that, I did enjoy reading it, and I know I'll be looking out for the other two instalments to read. No Angel is soap opera style entertainment, with love affairs, death, betrayal and celebration throughout. If you enjoy that sort of thing and can stomach 700+ pages, you'll definitely enjoy it! 

* This review also appears on Goodreads.