Looking for intriguing, captivating books with older female leads?

Lucy Atkins sits firmly on my favourite authors list with her ability of creating enigmatic female lead characters and stories that are not only intriguing but also touched my heart. Whilst her previous two books featured middle aged females (the "invisibles" of our society), her latest novel presents us with an eccentric, plucky octogenarian who harbours a shameful secret. All three books were solid 5-star reads for me and I can't wait to see what she comes up with next. So if you feel that older female protagonists are in the minority in fiction, do yourself a favour and pick up any of these three novels, you won't be disappointed!

WINDMILL HILL by Lucy Atkins

 

If you enjoyed Frederick Backman's A MAN CALLED OVE, then you are going to love Atkin's eccentric 82-year-old heroine Astrid. Ever since the breakdown of her marriage to famous actor Magnus thirty odd years ago, Astrid has been living in a derelict old windmill with only her housekeeper cum friend Mrs Baker and three miniature dachshunds for company. It's merely by chance that Astrid spots an article in the paper announcing that her terminally ill ex-husband Magnus is about to publish his much awaited autobiography. She knows that she will have to stop him at all costs, because of an incident in their past that destroyed Astrid’s own acting career and has altered her life irrevocably. She simply cannot face having to relive the shame. So, this reclusive octogenarian embarks on a journey to Scotland to confront her dying ex-lover.

Atkins tells her story through multiple timelines, jumping back and forth between the past and the present. Whilst Astrid is the main POV, excerpts from letters written by an earlier owner of the windmill to her husband also reveal some of the windmill's tragic past. I admit that initially there were many threads and mysteries that didn't seem connected and didn’t come together until the very end, but it was all worth the wait!

What wonderful characters Atkins has created with her two elderly ladies. Astrid might be over eighty and not as sprightly as she used to be, but she constantly reminds us that she is NDY (not dead yet). As the past threatens her reclusive and humble existence in the windmill, she must face up to one of her life's biggest regrets- with surprising consequences. It's a rare story that can evoke such a range of emotion - I laughed, I cried, and at one point I could hear my heart breaking clean in half. There were so many themes in this book that resonated with me, and I won't forget Astrid in a hurry. There aren't many novels out there that feature old women, especially ones that focus on the present, which made WINDMILL HILL even more special.

WINDMILL HILL has definitely earned a place on my favourites list. Atkins is a master at creating complex characters and intriguing stories (both her previous novels THE NIGHT VISITOR and MAGPIE LANE were also 5-star reads for me). Very highly recommended!

MAGPIE LANE by Lucy Atkins

Let me introduce you to my second 5-star read for 2020 – TA DA! MAGPIE LANE was like my own personal formula for reading bliss. A nanny in an old spooky English manor house in Oxford. Family secrets. A disturbed child who may or may not have some connection to the weird noises and shadows flitting about in the house at night. Characters who ALL have something to hide. All the very things I just LOVE in a mystery!

Dee is a middle-aged woman with some secrets in her past that have seen her live a life looking after other people’s children. She has stayed with many different families and cared for children of all ages and backgrounds, but none has ever got under her skin the same way Felicity has, this pale, mute and unhappy daughter of Oxford’s latest Don.

I immediately loved Dee, from the very moment she shares her self-deprecating humour:

“It may be my functional approach to fashion, but people seem to assume that I’m in charge.”

The picture was painted. A somewhat plain but keenly intelligent middle-aged woman wearing drab clothes to roam the grey streets of a wintry Oxford, wielding an umbrella. I soon realised that I, too, had misjudged her, because Dee was not only smart, but also fiercely loyal to her latest little charge. Not an easy job when you are pitted against Felicity’s father, the arrogant Nick, and her trendy Danish stepmother Mariah.

It wasn’t long until the plot thickened. Nick and Mariah have a dark secret they are determined to keep hidden. Felicity is traumatised. The house, too, has secrets it divulges only at night, in its moving shadows, its silent whispers, its doors that open and close at random, and the spooky little priest hole in the attic where a rotten smell seems to linger. Even Oxford itself, described as: ...a place of dust motes, vaults and arm-span alleys, of angle-poised lamps and dimmer switches, of creaking floorboards and whispers in oak-panelled libraries.” You can see why this was totally irresistible for me! If you are not a fan of the supernatural, don’t despair, because Atkin is always willing to give a perfectly rational explanation for all the things that spooked hell out of me.

Let’s also talk briefly about the unique POV the story is told in. Dee, the nanny, is being interviewed by police who are trying to establish the whereabouts of Felicity, Dee’s young charge, who has disappeared from the house whilst Dee was in London and the girl was in the care of her stepmother. As Dee tells the story of how she came to be the nanny, the full picture slowly emerges in flashbacks and confessions until .... well, that’s something you have to find out for yourself.

I really can’t divulge any more without giving things away, so let me just say that this book was a perfect for me. If you like an atmospheric setting, a creepy mystery and characters that are as mysterious as the setting itself, then you can’t go wrong with this one. Good spooky mysteries are hard to find, and it doesn’t get any better than this. 

THE NIGHT VISITOR by Lucy Atkins

Ever since reading Lucy Atkins’ latest book MAGPIE LANE I have been a huge fan of the way her mind works and have been reading my way through her previous books. I was touched by Kali’s quest to find out about her late mother in THE MISSING ONE and enchanted by the wild landscape of Vancouver island, with its rugged coastline and its many natural wonders. I was fascinated by the cover of THE NIGHT VISITOR, which features a dung beetle of all things, and immediately taken in by the premise of the dark story of obsession and lies that lay beneath it.

Professor Olivia Sweetman is a renowned historian who is about to launch her first novel, a story based on the diary of Victorian woman Annabel Burley, a female physician who penned the secret confession of the murder of her husband in its pages. Vivian Tester, the socially awkward housekeeper of Ileford Manor, who initially found the diary, has been helping Olivia with her research, unearthing fascinating facts about the women herself and her family, whose last remaining member is wiling her last days away at a nursing home. Whilst Vivian’s research has been invaluable, Olivia has found her personality to be challenging and can’t wait to get her out of her life once the book has been published. But Vivian has other ideas ....

It is difficult to put the complex plot of this book into a few words, especially without giving spoilers, so let me just say that the dynamics between the two women were fascinating, tense and sometimes utterly terrifying! Whilst Atkins offers us insight into Vivian’s head by her first person POV, we only ever hear from Olivia in the third person, creating room for doubt and suspense. In the process of reading this twisted tale, I found my allegiance shifting constantly from one woman to the other, never quite sure who I could trust. It’s interesting how all of Atkins’ characters – intelligent, independent women - have their origins in academia and science, giving the story additional depth and adding some interesting background information to the story.

As in the other two books I have read by the author, Atkins uses an atmospheric setting to create additional tension, and the old manor of Ileford House is a perfect stage to let the story play out. And whilst I learned fascinating facts about orcas in THE MISSING ONE, I was fascinated by the background information about dung beetles in this one. This may sound like a strange stage prop, but let me assure you that it all fits perfectly together in the way only and accomplished author like Atkins can pull off. And whilst the house in itself is not exactly creepy in a traditional sense, the images of Vivian’s night visitor and the old haunted well do create a Gothic feel that gave me goosebumps. As a fair trigger warning I should also say that the book contains a horrific scene involving the death of a dog, which was fairly traumatic.

All in all, Atkins has cemented her name firmly on my list of favourite mystery writers and I was as enamoured with this one as I was with her other books. If you like a dark tale of obsession and revenge set against a delicious creepy old manor house setting, then look no further. As the story progressed and the tension mounted, I had little idea of how this tale would play out. I dare you to guess the ending if you are game – I certainly did not see THAT coming.

Book Review: YOU by Caroline Kepnes

 

Title: YOU

Author:  Caroline Kepnes

Read: July 2021

My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

 

Book Description:

 

When a beautiful aspiring writer strides into the East Village bookstore where Joe Goldberg works, he does what anyone would do: he Googles the name on her credit card.

There is only one Guinevere Beck in New York City. She has a public Facebook account and Tweets incessantly, telling Joe everything he needs to know: she is simply Beck to her friends, she went to Brown University, she lives on Bank Street, and she’ll be at a bar in Brooklyn tonight—the perfect place for a “chance” meeting.

As Joe invisibly and obsessively takes control of Beck’s life, he orchestrates a series of events to ensure Beck finds herself in his waiting arms. Moving from stalker to boyfriend, Joe transforms himself into Beck’s perfect man, all while quietly removing the obstacles that stand in their way—even if it means murder.

My musings:

 

Why did I wait so long to read this book? Once I got started, I couldn’t put it down!

 

Writing snarky, twisted and yet believable characters is an art form mastered by very few. I am generally not fond of getting the POV of a sociopathic killer, because very often they are either stereotypes, or utterly despicable, or both. But not Joe. Joe is something else entirely. I admit that I haven’t had this much enjoyment out of getting into the head of a twisted sociopath since Jane in JANE DOE, or Lily in THE KIND WORTH KILLING. Is it safe to admit that I even cheered Joe on at times, or does that make me an accomplice in his crimes?

 

Not only has Kepnes nailed the portrayal of an obsessive stalker, but she also does so in a format that has never worked well for me in any other book. Because the whole story is narrated through Joe’s POV, as if he is talking to the object of his affection / obsession, the almost equally dysfunctional but beautiful Beck. In effect, we, the readers, not only get a deep insight into Joe’s disturbed psyche, but almost feel as if Joe is talking about us, or to us, making it an emotionally much deeper and more personal experience. Also, Joe is funny! His cynical, sarcastic but honest thought processes, especially those concerning the nasty people standing between him and Beck, were often laugh-loud-loud hilarious. As were the many obstacles that popped up every time he almost got what he wanted – to get Beck into bed with him. Joe is not holding back in using obscenities or explicit sexual content to tell his tale, and whilst this is usually a complete turn-off for me, it strangely worked here. Caroline Kepnes, what kind of magic spell have you cast over me?

 

Through Joe’s eyes, the other characters soon took on a life of their own. Beck, certainly. But also her manipulative friend Peach, or Benji, the object of her affection, or Nicky, who should have known better. Perhaps it was easy to overlook Joe’s homicidal tendencies because each and every one of his adversaries was so flawed and unlikeable. I admit I didn’t want him to be caught. Even though I knew he would be one creepy dude in real life. But somehow Joe wormed his way into my psyche and his flawed logic made – not sense, exactly – but at least for a compelling argument.

 

 

Summary:

 

In summary, I was as obsessed with reading this book almost in a single sitting as Joe was with trying to get Beck into bed. Joe really was one of a kind! It’s difficult to say why all the things that are usually a turn-off for me in a book (the POV of the sociopathic killer, the unusual story telling format, the swearing, the sex) strangely worked well here. It’s a credit to Caroline Kepnes to have come up with one of the most enigmatic and funny sociopath in modern crime fiction. I immensely enjoyed this book and will definitely read the next in the series – soon.

 

 

 

 

Book Review: THE STRANGE ADVENTURES OF H by Sarah Burton

 

Title: THE STRANGE ADVENTURES OF H

Author:  Sarah Burton

Publisher:  Legend Press

Read: June 2021

Expected publication: out now

My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟1/2

 

Book Description:

 

Orphaned young, H is sent to live with her doting aunt in London. H's life is a happy one until her lecherous cousin robs her of her innocence, and the plague takes away the city and the people she loves. H is cast out—friendless, pregnant and destitute--into the rapidly emptying streets of London under quarantine.

Forced to fend for herself, she is determined to gain back the life she lost. H will face a villain out for revenge, find love in the most unexpected places, and overcome a betrayal that she never could have foreseen. Weathering it all, can H charm, or scheme, her way to the life of freedom and independence that she longs for?

 

My musings:

 

What a curious little jaunt through 17th century London this book proved to be! I admit that it was pure cover love that first drew me to the story, and I am so glad that I embarked on this journey. Covering historical events such as the plague, the Great Fire of London and the Shrove Tuesday Riots, this was not only an unusual but refreshingly honest (and sometimes funny) tale told through the eyes of an enigmatic, plucky young protagonist.

 

After having been orphaned as a young child,  the girl “H” and her older sister are sent to live with an aunt in London, where they act as part surrogate daughters, part hired help in their relative’s large and comfortable house. Life is good until a series of disasters (being raped by an older cousin, falling pregnant and losing most of her remaining family to the plague), H finds herself on the streets, having to fend for herself to survive. But she is nothing but resourceful, and the following story tells of her adventures ...

 

If you think that having a character only referred to as “H” is strange, don’t let this put you off from reading this delightful book – you will find out the reason soon enough! H was a wonderful protagonist, representing the life of a young woman in the era, even if her journey was anything but ordinary. This is not the type of dry, tedious historical fiction often encountered when reading about the late middle ages, but a story full of family drama, intrigue and adventure. The setting in old London town is atmospheric and evokes the era perfectly, especially in the grip of the plague and with a fire destroying great parts of the city. I also fell in love with many of the other colourful characters starring in H’s life, which added interesting side elements to the story.

 

At times, I was divided between taking the book as an entertaining romp (it appears at times not to take itself too seriously, with H’s often quite humorous observations) and wanting a bit more emotional depth, for example the terrible stresses encountered during the plague, which sometimes felt rushed and a bit glossed over. Covering a large timespan, the story often jumped over details I really wanted to explore a bit deeper.

 

Summary:

 

All in all, THE STRANGE ADVENTURES OF H was an atmospheric, entertaining romp through 17th century London, led by an enigmatic female lead. Exploring the darker elements of the time through a tongue-in-cheek lens, the book never became dark or confronting despite not shirking away from the hardships faced by women of the era. The book made a pleasant change from others in the genre, not overly romanticizing history but also managing to remain upbeat and often laugh-out-loud funny when seeing the world through H’s eyes. I really enjoyed it and look forward to reading more from this author in future.

 

 

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

Five star book review: THE INVISIBLE LIFE OF ADDIE LARUE by V.E. Schwab

 

Title: THE INVISIBLE LIFE OF ADDIE LARUE

Author:  V.E. Schwab

My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 all the stars!

 

Book Description:

 

France, 1714: in a moment of desperation, a young woman makes a Faustian bargain to live forever and is cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets.

Thus begins the extraordinary life of Addie LaRue, and a dazzling adventure that will play out across centuries and continents, across history and art, as a young woman learns how far she will go to leave her mark on the world.

But everything changes when, after nearly 300 years, Addie stumbles across a young man in a hidden bookstore and he remembers her name.

 

My musings:

 

Five star reviews are the hardest to write, because how could I possibly do a book justice which touched my heart on all levels and totally captivated me from beginning to end? These types of stories don’t come around very often, and I am eternally grateful for my book buddies who talked me into this one. “Magical realism isn’t really my thing”, I can still hear myself say. And hear the devil laugh. Which is a bit of poetic justice because this is a book about a pact with the devil. “A pact with the devil?” I hear you say, and yes, I get it, because I thought it would be a bit strange as well. But wow, what a wonderful read this book turned out to be!

 

Meet Adeline (Addie) LaRue, a young girl living in the 18^th century who is being forced by her parents into a marriage  with a boy from the village. In a desperate plea to escape this fate worse than death, Addie makes a deal with the devil. But her wish for freedom will have unforseen consequences, because the devil is clever and cunning and you should be careful what you wish for. Because now Addie may have her freedom, but she is also unable to leave a mark on the world, and everyone who sees her will instantly forget her again. Across the ages, a beautiful young woman called Addie LaRue will remain a shadow, flitting in and out of people’s lives, of history, but never leave as much as a footprint behind. Until in 2014, she meets a young man called Henry in a bookstore, and he remembers her name ...

 

Playing out in parallel timelines exploring both Addie’s life in the past as well as the present, the book explores what it means to be human. There are so many themes in this story to be discussed and explored that this would make for the perfect group read. I was lucky to read it as part of a buddy read and we brought up some of life’s essential themes: what is more important, to live a good life or to leave a mark when you’re gone? How important are human relationships in our life, and can we live a life free of attachment and be happy and fulfilled? At what points in your life have you been so desperate that you would have happily made a deal with the devil to get you out of a situation? I could go on and on because there was just so much to talk about.

 

But let’s forget about meaning and just talk about the sheer entertainment value of the book. It had a bit of everything: some historical fiction, adventure, a strong female lead, a bit of romance, a villain you still can’t help but root for, and some truly painful moral dilemmas. I was utterly consumed by the story and couldn’t tear myself away. Let me also mention that the audio narration was fantastic and well worth the 15 hours of listening.

 

To  cut a long story short, THE INVISIBLE LIFE OF ADDIE LARUE has earned itself a spot on my all-time favourites shelf. It had everything I look for in a book and totally swept me away in its fantasy world. My words will never do it justice, so go and see for yourself how brilliant this book really is!

Book Review: THEY NEVER LEARN by Layne Fargo

Title: THEY NEVER LEARN

Author:  Layne Fargo
Read: July 2020

Expected publication: 13 October 2020

My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟1/2

Book Description:

Scarlett Clark is an exceptional English professor. But she’s even better at getting away with murder.

Every year, she searches for the worst man at Gorman University and plots his well-deserved demise. Thanks to her meticulous planning, she’s avoided drawing attention to herself—but as she’s preparing for her biggest kill yet, the school starts probing into the growing body count on campus. Determined to keep her enemies close, Scarlett insinuates herself into the investigation and charms the woman in charge, Dr. Mina Pierce. Everything’s going according to her master plan…until she loses control with her latest victim, putting her secret life at risk of exposure.

Meanwhile, Gorman student Carly Schiller is just trying to survive her freshman year. Finally free of her emotionally abusive father, all Carly wants is to focus on her studies and fade into the background. Her new roommate has other ideas. Allison Hadley is cool and confident—everything Carly wishes she could be—and the two girls quickly form an intense friendship. So when Allison is sexually assaulted at a party, Carly becomes obsessed with making the attacker pay...and turning her fantasies about revenge into a reality.

What attracted me to this book:

I am immensely grateful to the bookish community (Jayme, I’m looking at you in particular) for sending this book recommendation my way, because this was exactly the type of book I love: a story about a kick-ass, unscrupulous woman character seeking her own kind of justice – or revenge? Borderline sociopathic, fearless, intelligent and driven, this type of character will steer you through the rough seas of a wonderfully twisted tale, and it delivered all that and more.

My musings:

If you love twisted, kick-ass women characters like Lily out of THE KIND WORTH KILLING, Jane from JANE DOE or Zoey out of THE RED HUNTER, then you will feel immediately drawn to Scarlett Clark, an English professor with a deep dark secret she isn’t afraid to share with her readers. Just make sure you buckle up for the ride she is about to take you on!

I am hoping that it says more about Fargo’s skill as a writer than my own suppressed psychopathic tendencies that I was on Scarlett’s side the whole time and was hoping she would get away with the special brand of justice she is doling out. Does it take a certain lack of moral fibre to root for such an obviously disturbed character? Or is it the exact opposite, that the kind of tale Scarlett tells awakens our inner craving for justice? Justice, or revenge? This would make for a great debate with a reading group! But let’s not get too deep here. THEY NEVER LEARN was a compulsive dark tale from beginning to end and had me totally in its grip. It’s cleverly constructed, rolling out in two seemingly unrelated narratives that seamlessly come together somewhere near the middle of the book, at which point you may sigh, as I did: “Ah, yes, I can see it now!”

I appreciated the way the author fearlessly presents her twisted main character, unapologetic for the rising body count, and quickly gets her readers on her side. Scarlett is the type of successful, intelligent woman many of us may aspire to be, except for – oops – she is also a serial killer. And not ashamed to admit it. But does that make her any less likeable – no, Sir! And, Sir, you may do well to stay on her good side! Was I scared of her? Hell, yes! But if you have ever witnessed the slow grindings of the justice system, especially for vulnerable women, then you may also feel a small satisfactory glow at her own brand of justice.

My only small quibble was that Carly’s story could have been trimmed a little bit in parts to make the otherwise fast paced story flow a bit better. I admit that at times I was much more invested in Scarlett’s story than Carly’s, especially after the cliffhangers in Scarlett’s later chapters that had me reading the whole book in one massive sitting. Will Scarlett get away with her latest murder? Did I want her to – yes, yes, yes I did! Don’t judge me too harshly though, because once in Scarlett’s world, you may feel exactly the same.

Summary:

All in all, THEY NEVER LEARN was the type of compulsive, twisted, entertaining tale that doesn’t come around very often. Fast paced and led by a strong female lead, it gripped me after the first page and didn’t let up until I had finished it. With its atmospheric boarding college setting and characters that all elicited a strong emotional response, I was totally swept away on one heck of a journey.

Thank you to Edelweiss and Gallery / Scout Press for the free electronic copy of this novel and for giving me the opportunity to provide an honest review.

Book Review: THE WIVES by Tarryn Fisher

Title: THE WIVES

Author: Tarryn Fisher
Publisher: Graydon House
Read: January 2020

Expected publication: out now

My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

“Fighting was the sandpaper that smoothed out the first years of a relationship. Sure, there was still plenty of lifelong grit after that, but the fighting stripped everything down, let the other person know what was important to you.” (Tarryn Fisher, The Wives)

Book Description:

You’ve never met the other wives. None of you know each other, and because of this unconventional arrangement, you can see your husband only one day a week. But you love him so much you don’t care. Or at least that’s what you’ve told yourself.

(This is all you need to know - best to delve in blind.)

My musings:

Do you like a crazy ride of a thriller that twists and turns and makes you question everything you just read? Unreliable narrators that may be lying, or crazy, or both? A premise that is so far removed from your own life experience that you read open-mouthed, turning the pages just to find out how this could possibly all work out? If you said yes to one or more of these questions, then put this book on your wishlist right now!

THE WIVES  was one of the craziest page-turners I have read in a while, and I loved it. My notes around the 50% and 75% mark read something like:” I am so confused. I have no idea what is going on here. This is insane!”  Normally have lots of theories, but this book totally stumped me. At one stage, daring to speculate, I shook my head with a wry laugh: “No, that would be just too crazy!” Insert narrator’s voice here: “But she was wrong. Because it was even crazier. A kind of crazy she could never have imagined.” Yes, I was way off, and the conclusion took me totally by surprise.

You know how hard it is to review the premise of a mystery that relies on surprise elements to provide a thrilling read, so I will just give you the bare bones. The book is written from the POV of main protagonist Thursday, a young woman in her late twenties, who shares her husband with two other wives. And if that’s not strange enough, she has never met any of her sister wives, nor does she know their names (she calls them Monday and Tuesday for the days of the week her husband Seth spends with them). As you shake your head in disbelief, I can hear you thinking: this can’t possibly end well. And of course it doesn’t. Would you be content to live in blissful ignorance whilst your husband, who you’re madly in love with, spends a majority of time with other women? Exactly! Thursday is curious, and does some snooping, and finds out a few things about hubby that worry her.

From then on follows a crazy, twisted story of a woman’s quest to get answers. THE WIVES was one of those page-turners I could not put down. The more weird and wonderful things Thursday uncovered, the crazier the story got, the more I needed to know how it would all tie together.

The only reason this was not a five star read for me was the ending, which was a bit too bizarre even for me, and I so like a twisted roller-coaster-ride of a thriller. Perhaps it was just that I had hoped for a different outcome. Never mind. One thing that I learned was: polygamy is not for me. Going on my murderous thoughts towards Seth very early into the novel, I would probably end up in jail rather than gaining favourite wife status. 

Summary:

Anyway, enough said: if you like crazy, twisted and original stories then I urge you to give this one a go. I found it highly entertaining, evidenced by my all-night read-a-thon that gave me the biggest book hangover the next morning. Buckle up, delve in and enjoy the ride!

Book Review: AFTER SHE WROTE HIM by Sulari Gentill

Title: AFTER SHE WROTE HIM

Author: Sulari Gentill
Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press
Read: January 2020

Expected publication: 4 April 2020

My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

“Perhaps telling lies is the only way to find the real truth.”

Book Description:

Madeleine d'Leon doesn't know where Edward came from. He is simply a character in her next book. But as she writes, he becomes all she can think about. His charm, his dark hair, his pen scratching out his latest literary novel . . .

Edward McGinnity can't get Madeleine out of his mind--softly smiling, infectiously enthusiastic, and perfectly damaged. She will be the ideal heroine for his next book.

But who is the author and who is the creation? And as the lines start to blur, who is affected when a killer finally takes flesh?

My musings:

I have always been irresistibly drawn to the “book within a book” concept. AFTER SHE WROTE HIM, however, takes the whole idea one step further, because here we potentially have two books within a book, and no idea which one is reality and which one is fiction. If this totally confuses you, then hey – give it a go! It certainly was one of the most original, intriguing ideas I have ever come across, and it really messed with my mind.

Madeleine D’Leon is a lawyer and a crime writer of a detective series that has been selling well and has many followers. One day, despite her agent’s misgivings, she has an idea for a different type of story. It all starts with Edward, her main protagonist, who appears to her out of the blue and quickly takes on shape in her imagination. As she writes her story and orchestrates his fate, the picture of him in her mind becomes more vivid, until he is almost as real to her as a flesh-and-blood person.

Edward McGinnity is a writer of contemporary fiction. One day he has an idea for a story involving a main character who is a crime writer. He calls her Madeleine. As he writes and orchestrates her fate, her picture becomes clearer in his mind, until she is almost as real to him as a flesh-and- blood person.

Do you see where this is headed? Exactly! Now, who is the writer and who is the fictional character?

Gentill introduces some very interesting topics here that really made me think. One particularly pressing question was Madeleine’s dilemma – with Edward becoming almost a friend to her (even though he is her fictional character), she feels guilty throwing him into some nasty situations in her crime story. As a writer, she becomes the orchestrator of his fate, dictating his life by the whims of her imagination. Fascinating!

As the story progressed, I felt more and more unsure of the line between reality and fantasy, a battle both Madeleine and Edward face. This blurring of the boundaries between what is real and what is imagined, sanity and madness, is something I really enjoy in a thriller, especially if it is as cleverly handled as in this book. As we get sucked deeper into Madeleine’s and Edward’s worlds, the story took on an almost dream-like quality where the borders were no longer clearly defined, a real challenge for my analytical mind!

Summary:

AFTER SHE WROTE HIM was originally published under the title CROSSING THE LINES, which I thought was a title that perfectly sums up the book! This clever, original and thought provoking mystery will appeal to people who enjoy thrillers that dare to blur boundaries, step into uncharted territory. Caution to readers who don’t enjoy alternating POVs that swap and change frequently, even within the same chapter. Personally, I thought that it added to the story, showcasing how the two characters become more and more enmeshed, but I think you should be aware. This was the first book I read in 2020, and as we say in Australia – what a ripper!

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

Book Review: PROBLEM CHILD by Victoria Helen Stone

Title: PROBLEM CHILD

Author: Victoria Helen Stone
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Read: October 2019

Expected publication: 24 March 2020

My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟

Book Description:

She’s cold, calculating, and can deceive with a smile. Jane Doe is back in the Amazon Charts bestselling series—and this time she’s met her match.

After a brutal childhood, Jane Doe has been permanently wired to look after herself and only herself. Now, looking next to normal, Jane has a lover and a job. But she hasn’t lost her edge. It sharpens when she hears from her estranged family.

Jane’s deeply troubled sixteen-year-old niece, Kayla, has vanished, and no one seems to care. Neither does Jane. Until she sees a picture of Kayla and recognizes herself in the young girl’s eyes. It’s the empty stare of a sociopath.

Jane knows what vengeful and desperate things Kayla is capable of. Only Jane can help her—by being drawn into Kayla’s dark world. And no one’s more aware than Jane just how dangerous that can be.

My musings:

When I first stumbled across the sociopath character of Jane in JANE DOE I thought I had hit the book jackpot – not only was she an interesting person who stood out from all the other protagonists in the huge sea of thriller out there, but she was also kick-ass, funny and ruthless. I was totally in awe of her determination to right a wrong done to her friend, going to extreme lengths to get revenge. Sociopath or not, I thought she also had a soft and fuzzy side, which she hid under the somewhat pragmatic view of herself as a cold-hearted, abnormal person who could not feel the same emotions as others. In short, I absolutely adored her, and couldn’t wait to get my hands on the second book in the series.

Now, after having delved into the ARC of PROBLEM CHILD with a gusto reserved for my most anticipated new releases, and finishing it way too long before publication (sometimes I just cannot resist those temptations), I've been sitting with it for a while and I'm still not sure about it. Often I find that I love the first part of a book and then feel let down by the end. Here it was the opposite. For the first 3/4 of the book I found Jane somewhat mean-spirited, sarcastic (which I normally enjoy but sometimes she crossed a line into plain rudeness), crass and a bit of a bully. Where was the soft side she showed us in Jane Doe, even if only in her feelings of affections for her cat? Sometimes I felt that the author was trying too hard to show Jane’s sociopath side, pushing it a bit over the line into unlikeable character territory for me. The interactions with her unlikeable family members were utterly depressing, as was her background story, and I would have preferred not to learn all that much about it. The story initially moved along very slowly for me, and I didn’t feel fully invested as Jane goes in search of her niece. What exactly were her motivations? Boredom? The thrill of the chase? Certainly not love for her long lost relative, she makes that very clear from the start. I was gutted that I didn’t love the book as much as I had anticipated.

All that changed at around the 3/4 mark. Suddenly it all got very interesting! I can’t really say any more without giving away spoilers, but now there was the potential for Jane to kick butt again and get her own back with some nasty people (with the help from an unexpected ally). And then came the ending - uh-oh! Now Jane has a problem. I really wished that all this had come up earlier in the book rather than the filler story I had slogged through with little emotional involvement. Now I was fully invested again I wanted more! Talk about a bookish cliff hanger!

I guess I will just have to wait for Jane Doe #3 to come out to get exactly what I had hoped for in this one. It certainly has a great premise to make a great read, and I will be lining up to get my hands on it as soon as it comes out. So even if Jane did not deliver all the goods in this book for me, she set the scene for the series to continue with a bang! I very much look forward to finding out how this will pan out – and I have a feeling that Jane may have bitten off a bit more than she can chew. Watching this space with anticipation.

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

Book Review: THE POISON GARDEN by Alex Marwood

Title: THE POISON GARDEN

Author: Alex Marwood
Publisher: Penguin Books
Read: December 2019

Expected publication: 14 January 2020

My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 all the stars!

Book Description:

Where Romy grew up, if someone died you never spoke of them again.

Now 22, she has recently escaped the toxic confines of the cult she was raised in. But Romy is young, pregnant and completely alone - and if she is to keep herself safe in this new world, she has some important lessons to learn.

Like how there are some people you can trust, and some you must fear. And about who her family really is, and why her mother ran away from them all those years ago.

And that you can't walk away from a dark past without expecting it to catch up with you...

My musings:

THE POISON GARDEN, a great title that immediately got my attention, was one of those rare books that grabbed me from page one and utterly absorbed me into the story and its characters. Now that I have finished the book, the ghost of its rich cast is still with me, and I am wondering how their story will go on. It’s the sign of great writing when the setting and characters become so real that I can picture them vividly in my mind like flesh-and-blood people.

I find books about cults fascinating, but rarely has an author managed to capture the essence of it as Harwood has done. By offering us insights into the minds of several characters who are involved in the cult – some of whom have been born and raised there – a deeper understanding grows. Why was Somer initially attracted to join the cult led by its enigmatic leader Lucien, ready to believe his seemingly outlandish ideas? How did baby Romy fare, born on the outside but member of the “family” since she was a baby? And her siblings, Eden and Ilo, one of whom is Lucien’s child? As the story revisits the past 15 or so years of Romy growing up in the folds of the community, the answers slowly emerged to form a full – frightening - picture.

I love books that make you question your own belief  systems, and as I was ready to sneer at Lucien’s congregation for being so gullible, I soon came to see that we are all a product of our upbringing, and the programming (or brainwashing) we receive through family and friends in our lives. Sarah, Romy’s aunt, who is her contact in the world “outside”, beautifully brought this point home to me, as her life has also been coloured by the fanatical beliefs of her own parents, even if in different ways. There was a constant sense of impending doom that made this book a real page turner, and I feared for each and every character – with good reason!

It is impossible to discuss this book without spoilers, even though I would love to. It affected me deeply in many ways, and I am itching for my friends to read it so we can talk about it! Any book that can do that to me, as well as keep me up all night because I just can’t put it down, deserves a solid five stars. It’s a great finale to my year’s reading, and one I thoroughly enjoyed all the way. I can’t wait to read more from this talented author!

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

Book Review: JANE DOE by Victoria Helen Stone

Title: JANE DOE

Author: Victoria Helen Stone
Read: July 2019

My Rating: all the stars! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Book Description:

Jane’s days at a Midwest insurance company are perfectly ordinary. She blends in well, unremarkably pretty in her floral-print dresses and extra efficient at her low-level job. She’s just the kind of woman middle manager Steven Hepsworth likes—meek, insecure, and willing to defer to a man. No one has any idea who Jane really is. Least of all Steven.

But plain Jane is hiding something. And Steven’s bringing out the worst in her.

Nothing can distract Jane from going straight for his heart: allowing herself to be seduced into Steven’s bed, to insinuate herself into his career and his family, and to expose all his dirty secrets. It’s time for Jane to dig out everything that matters to Steven. So she can take it all away.

Just as he did to her.

My musings:

Don’t you love it when a book sneaks up on you out of nowhere and then dazzles you with its brilliance? JANE DOE was that type of book for me. I unwittingly downloaded it on Audible on some daily or monthly deal, really knowing nothing about it at all. It started off quite slowly, and I was wondering if it was really for me. And then – BAM! Things start happening. Suddenly I was so hooked that I sat in the driveway in the middle of the night after coming home from work so I could listen just a little bit longer.

Jane is probably one of my favourite protagonists in crime fiction - ever. She never tries to hide her own shortcomings, admitting from the very start that she is a sociopath who does not subscribe to the same morals and conventions the rest of us do. Which makes it a lot easier for her to act out her perfect plan of revenge for the death of her best friend. Intrigued yet? If you have ever dreamed of revenge, I bet it was tinged with a sense of guilt the likes Jane would never submit to. In Jane’s world, it’s all about logic, and no time is wasted on useless feelings. A wrong has been committed, and she is setting out to put it right. An eye for an eye. Justice, old testament style. And not only is Jane very driven, but she is also very smart. Note – if you are going to piss someone off, don’t pick someone as clever and ruthless as this woman!

To be honest, by the halfway mark I was ready to throttle Steven myself with my own bare hands if Jane wasn’t getting a move on. I was cheering for her the whole way. Does this make me a sociopath, too? I felt similarly about the main character in John Marss’ THE GOOD SAMARITAN, except that his character was seriously disturbed. Jane isn’t, not really. She is just out to teach Steven a lesson, and she is planning to make it one he will never forget.

I loved Jane. Not often have I encountered such an honest, feisty, devious and smart protagonist. By the end of the story I was sad to see her drift out of my life. I already missed her wicked sense of humour, her sarcasm, her sense of justice. Characters like this don’t come around very often! 

Summary:

Has a book ever snuck up on you out of nowhere and landed right smack bang on your favourites list? JANE DOE was that book for me! If you want a thriller with a protagonist that stands out from the rest, go and pick it up today!

You may also like:

 The Good Samaritan, by John Marrs