Book Review: SORROW AND BLISS by Meg Mason

 

Title: SORROW AND BLISS

Author:  Meg Mason

Publisher:  HarperCollins Australia

Read: September 2020

Expected publication: out now

My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟1/2

 

Book Description:

 

This novel is about a woman called Martha. She knows there is something wrong with her but she doesn't know what it is. Her husband Patrick thinks she is fine. He says everyone has something, the thing is just to keep going.

Martha told Patrick before they got married that she didn't want to have children. He said he didn't mind either way because he has loved her since he was fourteen and making her happy is all that matters, although he does not seem able to do it.

By the time Martha finds out what is wrong, it doesn't really matter anymore. It is too late to get the only thing she has ever wanted. Or maybe it will turn out that you can stop loving someone and start again from nothing - if you can find something else to want.

The book is set in London and Oxford. It is sad and funny.

 

What attracted me to this book:

 

I read YOU BE MOTHER, Meg Mason’s previous book, in 2017, and loved it so much that it made its way onto my “all-time-favourites” list. I couldn’t wait to read her latest one!

My musings:

 

Mason writes with so much heart and humour that it is impossible not to get emotionally involved in her stories. Whilst Abi, our main protagonist in YOU BE MOTHER, is a young, inexperienced mother looking for a family to belong to, Martha in SORROW AND BLISS has chosen not to be a mother, for reasons we will gradually get to find out. What both women have in common, however, is their longing to find their place in the world, among other people, and yet finding they never quite fit. Martha has always struggled with people. Mercurial and sensitive, people find themselves drawn to Martha and yet she always seems to ultimately push them away. After her first marriage fails within the first two weeks, she marries Patrick, an old childhood friend, who seems one of the few people unfazed by Martha’s mood swings. The other constant in her life is her sister, Ingrid, who has always stood by Martha and supported her through her darkest times. But there are moments when the darkness threatens to engulf Martha, with no way out. Ultimately, will it make her loose the two people she loves most?

 

Mason writes about mental illness with a sensitivity and insight rarely found in fiction. Martha’s voice is as authentic as it is unique, warts and all, as she honestly reflects on all aspects of her personality, wondering what it is that makes her different from other people. It was interesting to see how getting a diagnosis changed Martha in ways that someone who does not battle an illness will never truly understand. I loved the way Mason allows us a glimpse inside the deepest corners of Martha’s psyche, even if I felt the weight of Martha’s pain pressing down heavily at times. On the other hand, we get quirky, funny, creative Martha whose sharp wit was refreshing and unique.

 

Most of all, I enjoyed Mason’s portrayal of family, and the way the people in Martha’s life reacted to her mental illness. From denial to unquestionable support, in the end family was what held Martha together, and each of their characters was a pleasure to read. 

 

Summary:

 

All in all, SORROW AND BLISS was a warm, insightful book exploring mental illness through the eyes of a woman who has lived it. Sometimes sad, sometimes funny, and always a revelation, the story carried me along in its wake and made me reflect on the different burdens some people carry through life.

 

 

 

Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins Australia for the free electronic copy of this novel and for giving me the opportunity to provide an honest review.

 

Book Review: PEACE by Garry Disher

 

Title: PEACE

Author:  Garry Disher

Publisher:  Serpent’s Tail

Read: September 2020

Expected publication: 6 October 2020

My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

 

Book Description:

 

Constable Paul Hirschhausen runs a one-cop station in the dry farming country south of the Flinders Ranges. He's still new in town but the community work-welfare checks and working bees-is starting to pay off. Now Christmas is here and, apart from a grass fire, two boys stealing a ute and Brenda Flann entering the front bar of the pub without exiting her car, Hirsch's life has been peaceful.

Until he's called to a strange, vicious incident in Kitchener Street. And Sydney police ask him to look in on a family living outside town on a forgotten back road.

Suddenly, it doesn't look like a season of goodwill at all.

What attracted me to this book:

 

I love nothing better than a compelling, gritty Australian thriller with an atmospheric setting, and I am happy to report that – TA DA! – this fitted that description to a T. An average rating of above 4 on Goodreads of the Paul Hirschhausen series should give you a good indication that this was a great read, and I am even more excited that there are already two more books out in this series!

My musings:

 

Set in a remote, rural South Australian town, it doesn’t get more atmospheric than this. Farms affected by drought and its many repercussions, small town politics and a cop who has been posted there as a punishment all set the stage perfectly. Hirsch was an enigmatic character I liked immediately, and I don’t think that anything could really ruffle his feathers too much as he always keeps a calm and composed demeanour even in circumstances that made my blood boil just reading about them. Starting off slowly with descriptions of the one-cop town Hirsch has been stationed in, and brimming with interesting hardy Aussie characters like you only find in the bush, the book inexorably wove its spell over me. By the time the book released its true grittiness, I was well and truly hooked and could not put it down!

 

Seeing how much I love rural Aussie crime, I cannot believe that I have never read any other books by Garry Disher before! It is obvious that he has an innate understanding of the bush and what makes people in rural areas of this vast land tick, because each and every character literally leapt off the pages. Some were so authentic that I was sure I had met them at some point during our own stints of living in remote Australia, which made it even more intriguing. But even if you have never set foot on Australian soil, Disher’s vivid descriptions of his setting and his cleverly constructed plot will soon catch you in their intricately woven web. For fans of more hyped up books, such as THE DRY or SCRUBLANDS, this is a must read!  Am willing to bet that you will enjoy this gritty tale equally as much.

 

 

Summary:

 

All in all, PEACE should be on every bookshelf of readers who love rural noir or who appreciate a great atmospheric small town setting. Don’t be fooled by the book’s innocuous start, because the gritty bits will soon be washed in by the tide and you will be swept up by the story and dumped back to shore, emotionally wrung out and probably tired from reading all night! I thoroughly enjoyed it and can’t wait to read the other books in the series.

 

 

 

Thank you to Netgalley and Serpent’s Tail for the free electronic copy of this novel and for giving me the opportunity to provide an honest review.

Book Review: THE TRUTH HURTS by Rebecca Reid

 

Title: THE TRUTH HURTS

Author:  Rebecca Reid

Publisher:  Harper Perennial

Read: August 2020

Expected publication: out now

My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟1/2

 

Book Description:

 

In this twisty, compelling thriller, a young woman quickly embarks on what she thinks is the relationship and love of a lifetime, and she’s thrilled when her new husband insists they follow one rule: they don’t talk about the past, but it’s a rule that has dangerous consequences.

 

My musings:

 

 

Pretty Woman meets Rebecca in this deliciously dysfunctional tale of a marriage gone wrong! It may start sweet and romancy, and I was briefly wondering if I had misinterpreted the “thriller” description that made me pick this book off the shelf, but as I got deeper into the story it became obvious that this could not end well!

Twenty something nanny Poppy finds herself stranded in Ibiza after confronting her (horrible) employer and getting fired on the spot. With no return ticket and hardly any money to her name, she is indeed in trouble. Enter handsome, forty-something Drew, a wealthy businessman holidaying on the island, who chats up the downcast Poppy in a bar she has sought refuge in. Hearing of her tragic circumstances, he offers her to stay with him in his luxury apartment – and BAM! A steamy one night stand later, Drew declares his undying insta-love for Poppy, who is also smitten by her rich and gentle lover. In a whirlwind romance they get married. But of course there is a catch – there would be, right? Drew does not ask for a prenup, but he asks that the condition of their marriage is that the past must never be spoken of. Shady, right? Well, our lovely Poppy has her own secrets, so she is not totally opposed to that plan. Until she finds herself installed in the old mansion in England Drew bought for her as a wedding present – and discovers that there may be some secrets in Drew’s past that have come back to haunt them.

 

THE TRUTH HURTS was the type of fast, entertaining and surprisingly fun popcorn read I love to relax with. Best enjoyed with a cold bevy in one hand whilst sunning yourself on a deckchair and escaping into a world where you know that things are screwed up but you don’t care because it’s fun to watch these characters gradually get more and more entangled in their lies and slowly implode. I liked Poppy, who is energetic and plucky and just had an energy I enjoyed, so the story quickly swept me along and kept me entertained. Just as I thought I knew how it would all end, BAM! The author inserted another twist I had not seen coming.

 

Summary:

 

In summary, pick up THE TRUTH HURTS when you’re in the mood for a fast, fun entertaining read chockablock full of characters who tumble headlong into disaster but who are still enigmatic enough that you want to root for them. With an energetic young lead, the story will sweep you off on a fantasy ride that is perfect for a beach or holiday read, with a G & T in one hand whilst lounging in a deck chair in the sun.

 

 

 

Thank you to Edelweiss and Harper Perennial for the free electronic copy of this novel and for giving me the opportunity to provide an honest review.

 

Book Review: THE WICKED SISTER by Karen Dionne

 

Title: THE WICKED SISTER

Author:  Karen Dionne

Publisher:  G.P. Putnam’s Sons

Read: August 2020

Expected publication: out now

My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

 

Book Description:

 

For a decade and a half, Rachel Cunningham has chosen to lock herself away in a psychiatric facility, tortured by gaps in her memory and the certainty that she is responsible for her parents' deaths. But when she learns new details about their murders, Rachel returns, in a quest for answers, to the place where she once felt safest: her family's sprawling log cabin in the remote forests of Michigan's Upper Peninsula.

As Rachel begins to uncover what really happened on the day her parents were murdered, she learns—as her mother did years earlier—that home can be a place of unspeakable evil, and that the bond she shares with her sister might be the most poisonous of all.

What attracted me to this book:

 

I loved Karen Dionne’s previous novel, THE MARSH KING’S DAUGHTER, an atmospheric mystery that made it onto my favourites list in 2018, so I was very excited to read her latest one!

My musings:

 

In THE WICKED SISTER, Dionne continues to share her knowledge and love of the Michigan UP wilderness areas with her readers. Rachel, our main protagonist, grew up in the forest, in an old hunting lodge that has been in her father’s family for generations. It made sense to her that her scientist parents should choose such a remote location, which gave them access to the wilderness they were writing about. Little does she know the real reason why her parents chose to relocate here from their suburban home, nor is she aware of the cascade of events that led to her parents’ murder-suicide when Rachel was eleven. Haunted by disjointed memories of holding the gun that killed her mother, and plagued by feelings of guilt that she may have been responsible for her parents’ death, Rachel has spent the last fifteen years in a mental institution. Now, if not cured then at least pronounced able to return into society, it’s time for Rachel to go home.

 

In another timeline was hear from Jenny, Rachel’s mother, telling of the events leading up to her and her husband’s death. And if you have read Dionne’s previous novel, then you will know her knack of delving into the darkest corners of the human psyche and creating a tale that is truly chilling to the core. I wished that I had read this with a buddy, because I needed counselling after this disturbing tale! If I had to sum it up in one word only, “unsettling” comes to mind. Shaken to the core is another. As layer after layer is stripped away and Rachel’s fragmented memories fall into place, the truth is a picture you will not forget in a hurry.

 

As much as some of the story’s aspects disturbed me, I thoroughly enjoyed the wilderness setting and the rich descriptions of all kinds of wildlife found there. THE WICKED SISTER is the kind of book where the setting acts like another character, and I was instantly transported there. As with her previous book, Dionne incorporates aspects of legends and fairy tales into her story. Maybe it’s the creation of a child’s mind surviving trauma that Rachel thinks she is able to communicate with animals, or maybe it’s just her survival instinct, but it has saved her life more than once. Even though this element may seem somewhat whimsical, it gave me a sense of hope of how a young child may cope in extreme psychological distress.

 

 

Summary:

 

All in all, THE WICKED SISTER was a dark and unsettling psychological thriller that drew me in very quickly and had me glued to the pages for hours. I especially enjoyed the remote wilderness setting and Dionne’s rich descriptions of the dense forests of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, which made for armchair travel of the best kind. Even though some aspects of the plot – especially the ending – seemed slightly farfetched, this did not distract from my overall feeling of quiet discomfort that I really appreciate in a mystery. I look forward to Dionne’s next book, and hope she will take us back to the forest she loves and knows so well.

 

  

 

Thank you to Edelweiss and G.P. Putnam’s Sons for the free electronic copy of this novel and for giving me the opportunity to provide an honest review.

 

Book Review: THE SEARCHER by Tana French

 

Title: THE SEARCHER

         Author:  Tana French

         Publisher:  Penguin Group UK / Viking

         Read: August 2020

         Expected publication: 5 November 2020

         My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 all the stars!

 

Book Description:

 

Retired detective Cal Hooper moves to a remote village in rural Ireland. His plans are to fix up the dilapidated cottage he's bought, to walk the mountains, to put his old police instincts to bed forever.

Then a local boy appeals to him for help. His brother is missing, and no one in the village, least of all the police, seems to care. And once again, Cal feels that restless itch.

Something is wrong in this community, and he must find out what, even if it brings trouble to his door.

 

What attracted me to this book:

 

There is a reason why Tana French is one of my all-time favourite authors, and her books are on my most anticipated auto-buy list. And even though I am still hoping for another instalment in the Dublin Murder Squad series, this did not curtail my excitement on finding out that her new stand-alone novel is coming out later this year. I did a happy dance that sent the dog scurrying outside in fright when I received an ARC from Netgalley!

My musings:

 

Every one of Tana French’s books may be quite different from each other, both in characters and even writing style, but there hasn’t been a single one where I have not instantly felt transported into another world within a few paragraphs. THE SEARCHER was no exception. I would almost say that it was French’s most atmospheric book yet, but then I think of the claustrophobic housing development in BROKEN HARBOUR, or the rickety old mansion in THE LIKENESS, or the spooky forest of IN THE WOODS, and come to see that atmospheric settings are her forte! Let’s just say that I particularly liked this one, the small village somewhere in Ireland, surrounded by gently rolling green hills, forests and mountains, and so idyllic at first glance. This is exactly what has attracted retired American detective Cal Hooper to the area and motivated him to settle across the Atlantic in his newly purchased tumble down farmhouse. He just wants a quiet life, and this place promises exactly that. Until a raggedy teenager turns up on his doorstep, and Cal becomes embroiled in a mystery some people are prepared to keep hidden at all cost.

 

Please note that THE SEARCHER is a slow-burning, character driven book that relies heavily on atmosphere and the things left unspoken to carry the story along. So if you are looking for fast-paced, you may be disappointed. However, if you – like me – love a story brimming with atmosphere and appreciate an undercurrent of menace and danger that is entirely being created by seemingly benign things, then you’re in luck! I enjoy nothing more than a small town setting that oozes intrigue and where everyone has something to hide. French recreates this setting so well!

 

I also appreciate the way that each character in the book ultimately managed to surprise me as we got glimpses beneath the surface. There again we had that bittersweet feeling of melancholy that is another one of French’s hallmarks. Whether it is the dream of friendship and family (THE LIKENESS), or of a beautiful forever home (BROKEN HARBOUR), or this time a peaceful life and healing from a failed marriage – we can all relate to those at some level, can’t we? However, like life, French has other plans for her characters, and the expulsion from an imagined paradise leaves behind a slight taste of sadness. We know that life for our characters will never be the same after this, and will always carry the scars, and the echo of things that could have been.

 

 

Summary:

 

All in all, THE SEARCHER is the type of slow burning, atmospheric novel oozing with an undercurrent of menace and danger I have come to expect from the pen of Tana French. Grabbing me from page one, it didn’t let go until the very last page had been turned, and consumed my thoughts for quite some time after that. I enjoyed everything, from the rural Irish setting to its authentic characters and the mystery at the heart of the novel that threatens everything our main protagonist has hoped for when he moved here. I enjoyed every minute of it!

 

 

 

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin UK / Viking for the free electronic copy of this novel and for giving me the opportunity to provide an honest review.

 

Book Review: THE NIGHT SWIM by Megan Goldin

 

Title: THE NIGHT SWIM

Author:  Megan Goldin

Publisher:  St Martin’s Press 

Read: August 2020

Expected publication: out now

My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟1/2

 

 

 

Book Description:

 

 

After the first season of her true crime podcast became an overnight sensation and set an innocent man free, Rachel Krall is now a household name―and the last hope for thousands of people seeking justice. But she’s used to being recognized for her voice, not her face. Which makes it all the more unsettling when she finds a note on her car windshield, addressed to her, begging for help.


The small town of Neapolis is being torn apart by a devastating rape trial. The town’s golden boy, a swimmer destined for Olympic greatness, has been accused of raping a high school student, the beloved granddaughter of the police chief. Under pressure to make Season Three a success, Rachel throws herself into interviewing and investigating―but the mysterious letters keep showing up in unexpected places. Someone is following her, and she won’t stop until Rachel finds out what happened to her sister twenty-five years ago. Officially, Jenny Stills tragically drowned, but the letters insists she was murdered―and when Rachel starts asking questions, nobody seems to want to answer. The past and present start to collide as Rachel uncovers startling connections between the two cases that will change the course of the trial and the lives of everyone involved.


Electrifying and propulsive, The Night Swim asks: What is the price of a reputation? Can a small town ever right the wrongs of its past? And what really happened to Jenny?

 

What attracted me to this book:

 

With THE ESCAPE ROOM having been a five-star read for me, I was thrilled to receive an ARC of Goldin’s latest novel, THE NIGHT SWIM. Do you keep some books on your TBR for a special treat to cash in at a time you really need it? Well, I did that here and it totally paid off.

 

My musings:

 

Over the last couple of years, I have noted a rise in mysteries featuring social media and podcasts, and I enjoy the inclusion of various types of media to flesh out the story. Goldin’s main protagonist, Rachel Krall, is the creator of a popular true crime podcast, and her recordings feature as separate chapters telling part of the story. It almost had the feel of a “book within a book” concept, and I love that!

 

THE NIGHT SWIM may have triggers for some readers, such as violence and rape, but it did make for compelling and contemplative reading. Rachel Krall is covering a rape trial in which a small town’s golden boy has been accused of raping the sixteen-year-old granddaughter of the police chief. The town is divided. Is she lying? Is he guilty? As Rachel knows, rape trials are excruciating agony for the victim, as they have to re-live all the gory details of the attack. It doesn’t help that it usually comes down to a he-said-she-said trial, in which each solicitor is trying to win over the jury by whatever means they can. It is Rachel’s goal to provide her audience with as much neutral facts as she can.

 

But Rachel’s attention is not purely focused on the trial after receiving an anonymous letter from a woman who is asking for help in finding her sister’s killer. Allegedly the murder occurred in the same small town where the trial is taking place, over 20 years ago. Once Rachel starts asking questions, she feels like she is hitting a brick wall, and her curiosity is piqued ...

 

A tale of two rapes, in the same small town, decades apart – this may not sound like uplifting reading, but it was woven into a compelling mystery with such skill and sensitivity of a brilliant writer that I could not tear myself away. All the feels with this one: fear, fury, grief and a fist-clenching anxiety as I was waiting for justice to prevail. THE NIGHT SWIM is a book that will take you on a rollercoaster of emotion and spit you out, breathless and exhausted, but not after the last page has been turned. Told trough the POVs of both Rachel and Hannah and interspersed with episodes of Rachel’s podcast, I frantically turned the pages to find out more. I was disappointed that this was not a real podcast I could get addicted to, because it ticked all the boxes for me – the podcast that puts you in the jury box. Yes please! Harrowing – yes. But utterly compelling.

  

Summary:

 

It is hard to believe that both THE NIGHT SWIM and THE ESCAPE ROOM came from the pen of the same writer, because on the surface they couldn’t be more different. But once you look deeper, you will see some similarities, mainly in the strong female leads and their quest for justice. And, of course, the brilliant writing! Edgy, raw and very relevant today, this was a total winner for me and I cannot recommend it highly enough.

 

 If you enjoyed the podcast elements in this one, you may also like:

 

 

Thank you to Edelweiss  and St Martin’s Press for the free electronic copy of this novel and for giving me the opportunity to provide an honest review.