This Week on the Blog
On Monday I awarded five stars in my review for the psychological thriller Her Husband’s Lover by Julia Crouch, a masterpiece of plotting and misdirection. Her Husband’s Lover starts with a car crash and the death of Louisa Williams’ husband and children.
My excerpt post on Tuesday was from a standalone book Rush of Blood by Mark Billingham which sounds like it will be a very interesting read.
This Week in Books had me spotlight my upcoming read, a book that I’ve owned since September 2015; The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. This book is widely perceived to be one of the important pieces of feminist literature, first published in 1892.
On Thursday I hosted an Author Post by Caimh McDonnell as part of the blog tour for The Day That Never Comes, where Caimh talks about the inspiration for the book.
My review on Friday was for the much hyped Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough complete with the hashtag WTFthatending. I was thoroughly entertained and gripped by this psychological novel.
Yesterday my final review of the week was for The Day That Never Comes by Caimh McDonnell, a mixture of crime and humour.
This Time Last Year…
I was reading The Woman in Blue by Elly Griffiths, the eighth book in the Ruth Galloway series. In this novel the theme of Madonna runs strongly through the investigation into the death of a hospital patient found wearing a blue nightgown.
You can read my full review here or click on the book cover
Blurb
A vision of the Virgin Mary foreshadows a string of cold-blooded murders, revealing a dark current of religious fanaticism in an old medieval town.
Known as England’s Nazareth, the medieval town of Little Walsingham is famous for religious apparitions. So when Ruth Galloway’s druid friend Cathbad sees a woman in a white dress and a dark blue cloak standing alone in the local cemetery one night, he takes her as a vision of the Virgin Mary. But then a woman wrapped in blue cloth is found dead the next day, and Ruth’s old friend Hilary, an Anglican priest, receives a series of hateful, threatening letters. Could these crimes be connected? When one of Hilary’s fellow female priests is murdered just before Little Walsingham’s annual Good Friday Passion Play, Ruth, Cathbad, and DCI Harry Nelson must team up to find the killer before he strikes again. Amazon
Stacking The Shelves
Let’s just say that I’ve been keeping our good old postie busy this week delivering books!
First to arrive was The Orphan’s Tale by Pam Jenoff which will be published with a huge number of other books on my pile on 23 February 2017.
In Nazi-occupied Holland, seventeen-year-old Noa snatches a baby from a train bound for the concentration camps, fleeing with him into the snowy wilderness surrounding the train tracks.
Passing through the woods is a German circus – a troupe of waifs and strays, led by the infamous Herr Neuroff. They agree to take in Noa and the baby, on one condition: to earn her keep, Noa must master the flying trapeze – under the tutorage of mysterious aerialist, Astrid.
Soaring high above the crowds, Noa and Astrid must learn to trust one another…or plummet. But with the threat of war closing in, loyalty can become the most dangerous trait of all. Amazon
And then another wartime novel When the Sky Fell Apart by Caroline Lea which will be published in paperback on 2 March 2017. I couldn’t resist this one because after bemoaning the fact that there are no books set in Jersey where I live, here’s another one.
Jersey, June 1940: it starts with the burning man on the beach just after the bombs land, obliterating the last shred of hope that Hitler will avert his attention from the Channel Islands. Within weeks, 12,000 German troops land on the Jersey beaches, heralding a new era of occupation.
For 10-year-old Claudine, it means a re-education under German rule, and as she befriends one of the soldiers, she inadvertently opens the gateway to a more sinister influence in her home with devastating consequences.
For Maurice, a local fisherman, it means protecting his wife at all costs. He has heard the whispers from France of what the occupiers do to invalids like Marthe and he is determined to keep them away from her – even if it means endangering his own life.
Edith, the island’s unofficial homeopath, is a Jerriais through to her bones. She sees her duty as caring for those who need her in their darkest time, but even she can’t save everyone, no matter how hard she tries.
And as for English doctor Tim Carter – on the arrival of the brutal Commandant, he becomes the subject of a terrifying regime that causes the Jersey locals to brand him a traitor, unaware of the torment he suffers in an effort to save them. Amazon
From the remainder of my Christmas voucher I bought a copy of In Cold Blood by Truman Capote, another book I feel as an avid crime reader, I really should have read before now!
The chilling true crime ‘non-fiction novel’ that made Truman Capote’s name, In Cold Blood is a seminal work of modern prose, a remarkable synthesis of journalistic skill and powerfully evocative narrative published in Penguin Modern Classics.
Controversial and compelling, In Cold Blood reconstructs the murder in 1959 of a Kansas farmer, his wife and both their children. Truman Capote’s comprehensive study of the killings and subsequent investigation explores the circumstances surrounding this terrible crime and the effect it had on those involved. At the centre of his study are the amoral young killers Perry Smith and Dick Hickcock, who, vividly drawn by Capote, are shown to be reprehensible yet entirely and frighteningly human. Amazon
And the final pennies were spent on Anne Perry and the Murder of the Century by Peter Graham. A book that I first came across on Fiction Fan’s Book Reviews in April 2014 – and it’s been on the wishlist ever since but since I read Harriet Said by Beryl Bainbridge which was inspired by this crime, I thought it time that I read this one too.
Blurb
On June 22, 1954, teenage friends Juliet Hulme better known as bestselling mystery writer Anne Perry and Pauline Parker went for a walk in a New Zealand park with Pauline s mother, Honora. Half an hour later, the girls returned alone, claiming that Pauline s mother had had an accident. But when Honora Parker was found in a pool of blood with the brick used to bludgeon her to death close at hand, Juliet and Pauline were quickly arrested, and later confessed to the killing. Their motive? A plan to escape to the United States to become writers, and Honora s determination to keep them apart. Their incredible story made shocking headlines around the world and would provide the subject for Peter Jackson s Academy Award nominated film, Heavenly Creatures.
A sensational trial followed, with speculations about the nature of the girls relationship and possible insanity playing a key role. Among other things, Parker and Hulme were suspected of lesbianism, which was widely considered to be a mental illness at the time. This mesmerizing book offers a brilliant account of the crime and ensuing trial and shares dramatic revelations about the fates of the young women after their release from prison. With penetrating insight, this thorough analysis applies modern psychology to analyze the shocking murder that remains one of the most interesting cases of all time. Amazon
In addition to those lovelies I was approved on NetGalley for See What I Have Done by Sarah Schmidt
Blurb
Lizzie Borden took an ax
And gave her mother forty whacks
When she saw what she had done,
She gave her father forty-one.
Or did she?In this riveting debut novel, See What I Have Done, Sarah Schmidt recasts one of the most fascinating murder cases of all time into an intimate story of a volatile household and a family devoid of love.
On the morning of August 4, 1892, Lizzie Borden calls out to her maid: Someone’s killed Father. The brutal ax-murder of Andrew and Abby Borden in their home in Fall River, Massachusetts, leaves little evidence and many unanswered questions. While neighbors struggle to understand why anyone would want to harm the respected Bordens, those close to the family have a different tale to tell—of a father with an explosive temper; a spiteful stepmother; and two spinster sisters, with a bond even stronger than blood, desperate for their independence.
As the police search for clues, Emma comforts an increasingly distraught Lizzie whose memories of that morning flash in scattered fragments. Had she been in the barn or the pear arbor to escape the stifling heat of the house? When did she last speak to her stepmother? Were they really gone and would everything be better now? Shifting among the perspectives of the unreliable Lizzie, her older sister Emma, the housemaid Bridget, and the enigmatic stranger Benjamin, the events of that fateful day are slowly revealed through a high-wire feat of storytelling. NetGalley
Have you read any of these? Do you want to?
Since my last post I’ve read a total of 4 books but gained 5 new ones making the grand total of 190
Physical Books – 111
Kindle Books – 67
NetGalley Books – 12
Good morning =Günaydın 🙂
english = Turkish
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Günaydın 🙂
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<happy days
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I’m reading Her Husbands Lover now, agree it’s really good. And ooooh What have I done sounds very interesting, I’ll check it out.
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It is very good, not what I expected at all! I think out of all my new books this week, I’m most looking forward to What Have I Done!
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I’ve only read In Cold Blood out of that little lot but have already been eyeing up several others. I have Behind Her Eyes coming up soon and excited to see what you think about See What I Have Done.
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I really need to read In Cold Blood – I will keep you posted 😉
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Hi. I’ve read, and loved Capotes book. A clever blend oif fiction and non fiction. Have you read HHhH (forget the author)?. Did this wonderfully too.
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Hi Ian, I haven’t read HHhH, I had to look it up but it is definitely worth looking out for thank you.
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I’m really excited for ‘See What I Have Done’ and I’ve seen the movie with Kate Winslet called ‘Heavenly Creatures’ which is based on that crime. I’ve got ‘In Cold Blood’ on my TBR for a while now.
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I still need to see the film but I thought I’d read this book first – I need to read In Cold Blood, I’ve heard great things.
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See What I Have Done has such a creepy jacket!
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I have a feeling the story might be quite creepy too.
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I have a copy of The Orphans Tale too, it looks good. I really want to read See What I Have Done but will probably wait for the book to come out.
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I think out of this selection See What I Have Done is the one I’m most looking forward to.
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Funny, I haven’t read Cold Blood either (although had it on the shelf for ages!).
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What are we like? haha
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I know, call ourselves ‘well read’?!
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When The Sky Fell Apart sounds really good.
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I’m keen to read it and in true ‘small island’ style I showed it to my daughter this evening and someone she works with is friends with the author!
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So many lovely books. You know, I still have a hard time understanding about Anne Perry and that crime. I need to read that book. Seems like I might have seen the movie, but I don’t recall much about it. Still – Anne Perry – I’ve enjoyed many of her books. And the new one about Lizzie Borden. That one sounds like a book I should try. I have not read IN COLD BLOOD. I ought to, but honestly, Truman Capote kind of gives me the creeps. He was in a movie, a comedy, years ago called Murder By Death and his voice…still creeps me out.
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I’ve been meaning to watch the film too but I think I’ll read the book first.
I’m most excited about the Lizzie Borden book, I was properly thrilled to be approved.
Isn’t it funny how something like a voice influences us so much? 😊
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I read In Cold Blood while studying journalism years ago. It inspired me to try something similar, but very hard to do
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Yes I should have read this one years ago…
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I read In Cold Blood a while back, looking forward to reading your thoughts on it xxx
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Yes, I just need to find time to read it now! X
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What a nice mix of books you’ve got here, Cleo. I am interested in The Yellow Paper, so I’m really looking forward to your review of that. And you have such an interesting set of books there on true crimes. When those novels are done well, they can be absorbing. Looking forward to your take on those, as well.
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Thank you Margot – to be honest it is good to branch out a little and I’m delighted with this weeks collection
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I am with you on Truman Capote. I have loaned it out of the library several times but never read it…one day!
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I know there are a fair few books on my list that go under that heading!
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My TBR is now at 70 which is an all time low and I attribute to my new “rules” around not straying from what I know I enjoy, and not browsing NetGalley (which is so so hard)!
This week I read a wonderful fantasy novel which I bought about a year ago. I think one of the best things was reading something I had actually bought for pleasure, I think sometimes we forget to do that when we are sucked into the ARC machine!
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Well done you – I have reduced my NG books hugely but there are so many books I want to read and I enjoy discovering something different. I’m really enjoying spending time reading many of those I own but I’m probably a lost cause 😏
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I want to read The Orphan’s Tale so much ❤
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It does sound very good 😊
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I loved The Orphan’s Tale…and hope to get my hands on Behind Her Eyes.
I’ve only read one of the Ruth Galloway series, but The Woman in Blue captured my interest early on, so I may have to skip ahead!
I enjoyed In Cold Blood…although there were parts that felt as if the author had distanced himself from what was happening. Detached. Maybe he did that on purpose. It came across as “informative,” which did nothing to draw me in. I hope you like it more than I did.
I loved the movie, though. LOL.
Have a great week, and here are MY WEEKLY UPDATES
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I love the Ruth Galloway series and I have her latest coming up next month. I really do need to read In Cold Blood as I’ve heard so much about it… I will bear your comments in mind.
Thanks so much for visiting and leaving your link 🙂
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Ooh, a delightful haul this week! Haha! I still haven’t read The Murder of the Century either – it’s still on my wishlist too! Maybe I’ll wait and see what you think of it now… 😉 I also have In Cold Blood on my list – in fact, it’s one of my Classics Club books, so I’ll definitely be reading it at some point. And I too have a copy of See What I Have Done – sounds great, doesn’t it? 😀
PS You’ll need to work harder to get into the 200 Club…
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Haha when I was checking I couldn’t find a review – your TBR was much smaller back in April 2014 😂 I can’t believe how, when I was doing so well that the TBR is growing week on week! Hopefully no new books for a few weeks! I was delighted with the See What I Have Done!!
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In Cold Blood is a cracker. Two v good films made about the writing of it – Capote with Philip S-H and Infamy with Toby Jones.
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I’ve been asked so many times if I’ve read it so I really do need to do so!
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I’m curious about See What I Have Done. I’ll be interested to see reviews! I’ve never read In Cold Blood, but I hope it’s a good one.
-Lauren
http://www.shootingstarsmag.blogspot.com
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I think out of the entire batch See What I Have Done is the one I’m most looking forward to reading although it has a freaky cover!
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I haven’t read any of them, but they do look good.
sherry @ fundinmental Sunday Memes
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Thank you Sherry 🙂
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