The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Dry by Rachel Joyce

A truly funny and warms you heart type of book by Rachel Joyce as Harold Fry does what many of us have often thought about.

Harold nips out to post a letter one morning unaware of what he is about to do.  He leaves his wife at home who is also completely unaware of what Harold is about to do.  Harold suddenly embarks on a walk, but not any walk, one that will take him from one end of the country to the other.  Completely unprepared for such a walk the novel will have the reader in fits about how Harold manages to walk so far, the problems he deals with, the people he meets, the places he sees and all culminates at the end of the story as to why Harold did what he did and has a truly magnificent ending.

A light hearted funny read and is a page-turner from beginning to end as the reader follows Harold on his epic journey.

Why the walk?  Read the book and you wont be disappointed!!

The Black Country by Alex Grecian

The second book by Alex Grecian following his first novel, The Yard.

Brilliantly written, descriptive, exciting and gripping as the reader follows the trail of Inspector Day and his right hand man Sargeant Hammersmith as they meander their way through the streets of a Victorian Midland village in trying to solve murders.  Inspector Day follows his clues but feels a little out of his comfort zone as his is now in an area of the country that is new to him, in the depths of winter and finds his surroundings as intimidating and mysterious as the cases he has to solve.

Sargeant Hammersmith to the rescue. His support gives Inspector Day the encouragement to continue in dire conditions till the end of the story.  A murder mystery with a Jack the Ripper feel to it set in the Black Country of the Midlands.

Excellent story that any reader who commences to read the book will enjoy.

The Yard by Alex Grecian

This is the first of two novels by Alex Grecian on a 'Jack the Ripper' storyline with Inspector Day of Scotland Yard being the main character in the novel running in parallel with a Jack the Ripper criminal.

The story is of a cat and mouse chase between the two characters in Victorian London, one trying to commit the murders while the other tries his best to solve them.  Scotland Yard has formed a new murder squad with the first forensic science coming on board and headed by Inspector Day, Alex Grecian is first class in writing this detective novel.  The descriptives and the accuracy of this work is first class and the reader is in for a long exciting read.

The story goes into the slums of Whitechapel and surrounding districts as Inspector Day follows all clues, visits many of the non-descript establishments that the local support and frequent and all the while the reader is on the trail of clues being updated on the current position.

A must read as this is a book covering many genres and is sure to be of interest to many readers.

Workhouse Child by Maggie Hope

A novel written by Maggie Hope which tells the story of Lottie who was sent to the workhouse on the death of her mother.

The story comes across as one of Maggie Hope's better works, and while being descriptive of Lottie and her life, the story has a more solid foundation that the reader will find brings life to the book.  Life in the workhouse is grim but Lottie finds herself a niche which makes life bearable within the workhouse.  Lottie suffers tragedy, happiness, sorrow as she grows up and has an unexpected ending.  Maggie Hope keeps the reader's attention from the beginning to the end of the book.

A really nice read, good descriptive work and enoyable too.

Orphan Girl by Maggie Hope

This is a good read but runs along the lines familiar to Maggie Hope's other novels and similar to Catherine Cookson novels.

Lorinda becomes an orphan and is sent to live with her aunt and uncle who own a boarding house where Lorinda is no more than a scivvy and her aunt refuses to let her attend school, The novel encompasses such tragedies of an over-enthusiastic uncle, being alone, befriending a lodger only for him to move on with is work and so forth. Various characters come in and out of Lorinda's life during the novel each affecting her differently as she deals with the daily grind of everyday living in Victorian Britain.

A well written story but lacks that zing or something different but is also a nice read for readers who enjoy this genre

Dolores Claiborne by Stephen King

This is a very exciting unusual novel by Stephen King and it is written in the first person from the beginning of the book to the end which adds to the authenticity of the storyline.

Dolores Claiborne born poor, working all her days as a housemaid for Vera Donovan, a woman who does not suffer fools gladly, poor Dolores has to put up with her alcoholic, tight-fisted husband who is only interested in his next drink, trying to raise her family and put up with Vera's strict ways of running her house does not have an easy time.

When hubby decides to help himself to the college fund that Dolores has been contributing to for years, she decides that things must change, especially in view of the shocking statement that her daughter tells her with regard to her dad.  Murder number one.  Murder number two arises when Vera falls downstairs and slowly dies and Dolores finds herself charged with two murders.

The story is Dolores' confession to the Police, word for word which adds emphasis to the story. It is not a boring one-line story.  Stephen King writes to make the reader feel as if they are in the cop shop beside Dolores and the police as she giver her account of what had been happening.

A real page turning story, sad in places too but one of Stephen King's best works.

Britt Marie Was Here by Fredrik Backmann

A highly comical novel about how Britt-Marie copes with life and the ups and downs she faces.

This is one book whose character we can all relate to someone we know. BrittMarie's efforts to cope with life after becoming a widow and unemployed living in a small town in the back of beyond had me laughing on many occasions. Britt-Marie will change for no-one or nothing and is always convinced that she is right. As the reader goes through the story you begin to understand the reasons for her being as she is and one can sympathise with her at times. Underneath Britt-Marie is a caring female but she needs the right time and place for this to come to the surface. Her obsession with bicarbonate of soda will forever remain with me!! This is a really lovely story and as the reader progresses into the book it becomes more enjoyable and it is certainly a book worth
reading

 A little different in story line but one in which the reader won’t be disappointed.

A Divided Spy by Charles Cumming

Terrific thriller of the year - a gripping must-read!

An excellent novel that has the reader glued to each page as he/she reads through the book! An exciting story which is written in a clear and concise manner and keeps the reader’s attention at all times.

An exciting plot whilst the story encompasses many characters and countries and each chapter of the book brings the reader nearer to the exciting and unexpected plot in the book. Follow the exploits of Thomas Kell who faces danger in every chapter but is determined that this is one mission that he will not fail and will see through to the end.

A gripping, thrilling story - a must read this year for all lovers of spy, thriller and espionage genres and the reader won’t be disappointed!!

Eden Gardens by Louise Brown

A beautiful historical and thrilling novel set in the era of the decline of the Indian Raj.

 ‘Eden Gardens’ takes the reader to India set in the latter part of the 1940's when India was in the turmoil of obtaining independence.

The book is written in such a way that the reader is beside the characters in the book, all of whom are beautifully described by the author. However the reader experiences India from the poverty side of the country and brings reality to the characters in the book. Each character develops as the story unfolds, poor Maisy trying to survive each day, her selfish dominant mother, Pushpa the ever loyal servant, Charlie - Maisy's son, MacBraye her lover and of course Sunil. ‘Eden Gardens’ is truly down to earth in relation to language used and also the events that take place. Love, drunkenness, prostitution, affairs, theft being some of the events which make the book such a vociferous read.

 A truly brilliant novel, covering several genres, one I found difficult to put down and can thoroughly recommend it as the reader won’t be disappointed!

The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper by Phaedra Patrick

A lovely novel which is a sheer delight to read from beginning to end.

 This is one of those books that once you start reading it takes over your life until you finish it.

 A truly sweet and charming novel detailing the adventurous journey of Arthur Pepper, a pensioner stepping out of his comfort zone after the death of his wife in order to find out the stories behind the charms of a charm bracelet that he found in his late wife's possessions but knew nothing at all about its existence - intending to find out about the secret life his wife had before she met him.

A lovely well written book covering many genres with happy, sad, unexpected twists throughout the book. The author has written in a light-hearted manner which allows the reader to follow the story with pleasure and curiosity to see what happens next.

Definitely a must-read for this year!!

Foxlowe by Eleanor Wasserberg

A brilliant, eerily, keep turning the pages story.

Once in a while a book comes along that just captivates your attention from the beginning to the end and ‘Foxlowe’ is just one of those stories. This is a book that takes a little time to get into but once you are in it you are hooked

 Foxlowe is a commune set isolated from the everyday world, but has an everyday world within itself. It has its rules and regulations, various characters in competition with each other and have a New Age feel to them trying to live a past way of life in the present and Foxlowe is the house where it is all happening. They avoid new things and outsiders and have live with a fear they name The Bad which they try to keep clear of.

 At first I thought it was a supernatural novel but it is written in such a way that the author is describing her experiences as if she was living there in reality which gives the story a more personalised feel. Following the acts of each of the members at Foxlowe and their impact on the other members keeps the reader turning the pages to find out what happens next.

A simple story with a hidden agenda. An excellent worthwhile read.

The Museum of You by Carys Bray

A delightful story that is a pleasant read for many genres.

This is a delightful, heart-warming and feel-good story, which tells the story of 12 year old Clover Quinn, an only child and the relationship between herself and her single-parent dad, Darren. Clover has been brought up by her father but now, one summer, as she is growing up from a child into a young adult, she begins to realise other factors in her life and commences to become increasingly curious about her mother, who she was, what she was like and so forth and decides to embark on this route by using her mother’s personal items that are stored in a bedroom in her home. Clover is also re-assessing her relationship with her father and the story describes this loving relationship and the struggles that her father has had to cope with.

The book is well written and also written in third person which gives the story a more realistic feel. The story itself is lovely and will keep the reader’s attention throughout the whole book as the relationship between Clover and her father unfolds.

A book to cover many genres but a definite must-read!

Underground Airlines by Reg H Winters

A terrific and gripping read that will keep you hooked from beginning to end.

This is a fantastic story regarding Victor living in the USA where slavery is still acceptable in certain States. Send a thief to catch a thief type of storyline in that the main character himself was once a slave but ' freed' under the conditions that that he search for and catch runaway slaves who decide to try and escape from their owners. The story is told through the eyes of Victor, which makes the reader feel as they are at Victor's side and constantly being updated about how his latest case is progressing and his own personal feelings on the matter.

 A great book that falls into several genres but one that is a little different and totally enjoyable. Written in a factual down-to-earth style Underground Airlines makes for a fantastic read.

Truly Madly Guilty by Liane Moriarty

An excellent novel, which brings the reader into the story making them feel as if they are part of the drama as it unfolds.

A truly powerful read! A typical Australian suburb with neighbours and friends all going about their everyday lives with the story evolving around two friends Erika and Clementine but this story has undercurrents. On the surface life seems normal but there are undercurrents relating to not only Erica and Clementine but to all the characters in the novel.

The barbeque where an incident happens that changes all their lives and here the book really opens up the undercurrents of misjudgement, fear, guilt, disbelief, blame, shame - a whole spectrum of human emotions affecting everyone Liane writes in such a way that the reader is given a real descriptor of each of the characters and how they react with each other and to the situations that they encounter in the story and often I felt I knew someone in real life who could slip into a character easily. Liane takes you into the private thoughts of the characters which is a big part of the book and allows the reader a deeper understanding of the character leading up to, during and after the barbeque. A powerful novel especially describing the life-changing thoughts and events in the aftermath of the barbeque.

 A well written novel which will keep the reader's interest as both the story and the characters develop, and this is a book that could take its place in many genres and thus interest a wide range of readers.