The Devil's Ribbon - D.E. Meredith

We're back in 19th century London in all its festering beauty and intrigue.A cholera epidemic is keeping Hatton and Roumande busy at the morgue, whilst a tale of Irish unrest in the heart of the capital fed by a history of inequality and betrayal unfolds.This is turning into quite an addictive crime series and I can't wait for the next instalment. The characters are totally endearing and feel like old friends now. Their crusade to develop forensic examination techniques, to ensure that criminals are identified and punished for their crimes, becomes even more relevant now that that they have to work alongside the rather flamboyant  Inspector Grey - who doesn't always care for little details like evidence that might stand in the way of closing a case. Devoured (see my earlier review last year) was superb and this follow up does not disappoint. Let's hope there's lots more to come!

Autobiography of Us - Aria Beth Sloss

In the opening chapter Rebecca refers to her friendship with Alex as ‘braided’ which is a great description of how their lives remained forever intertwined since that unlikely childhood friendship began.
Their friendship is a complex entanglement of trust, admiration, love and betrayal which is a consuming mass of emotions that sits at the heart of their very existence. It’s as fragile as it is deep, as spiteful as it is loving.This book explores two girls aspirations to become the individuals they aspired to be, to achieve more than their parents were able and the struggle they experienced to think and behave in new ways that would transform their lives in this era. 
Set in the early 1960s onwards attitudes towards education, affluence, sex, sexuality and race are all explored through Rebecca’s eyes illustrating the impact these all have on a generation of young women trying to strike out on their own and achieve their own versions of success. In the background to Rebecca’s story the effect of the last financial crash, the Vietnam war and race relations all simmer.
At the heart of this debut novel Sloss captures the female struggle through the enduring friendship and the different paths Rebecca and Alex pursue. The story was so fresh and engaging it really kept me speculating where it would eventually lead and ultimately who Rebecca was really addressing in her narration. I really couldn’t put it down until I had finished it. Rebecca's voice felt so genuine and natural as if she were directly opening up to me to reveal her incredible story. 

The Sense of an Ending - Julian Barnes

How well do we really remember events from times gone by? An action, tone of voice or glance that we interpret and store away. Do we sometimes choose a more favourable version of a memory that shows us in a better light, allowing us to live with ourselves a little more comfortably?

Tony has gone through life seemingly with little impact on those around him. He’s coasted through an average unassuming life - work, retirement, marriage and a thoroughly amicable divorce. He presents to us his recollection of his youth; the clique he belonged to; the ex girlfriend he never really understood and the tragedy of his closest friend Adrian that punctuates the end of his student life. All these memories are revisited and reevaluated when he finds out he has been left Adrian's diary in a will.

Barnes takes us through a fascinating, thought provoking exploration of Tony’s past at a pace that keeps you trying to figure out what has really happened. When the conclusion unfolded it struck with such effect that it stayed with me long after I finished reading it. The first time I read it I wanted to start it over again as soon as I had got to the end. I wanted to go back and see what I had missed and re-read it with the knowledge of the ending in mind. It’s one to keep on the shelf and revisit.  

The Beauty of Murder - A.K. Benedict

Stephen Killigan joins Cambridge University as a lecturer in Philosophy  and soon discovers the body of a beauty queen wearing an ancient stone mask who went missing a year previously. But by the time he has alerted the police the body vanishes and the reliability of his account comes into question. This deeply unsetting encounter leads him to make his own investigations into what happened and introduces him to a dark side of Cambridge he could never have imagined. 

The story unfolds across the centuries as he searches for the truth. And the elusive Jackamore Grass, the villainous culprit is luring him along the way. Is it possible to catch him? Does he want to be caught? 

This is crime fiction with a compelling twist. It's a fantastic debut that leaves you wanting to read more. The idea of time travel in any kind of novel would never normally appeal to me, but it is done so elegantly it just transported me back and forth without protest. 

The vivid characters and settings evoked draw you into this sinister tale with a darkly gothic feeling of a hidden Cambridge, where on the opening page the scene is set "as the sky is in liver mortis". And the cold seeps into your bones just as it does Stephen's. It's a chilling read you won't be able to put down and one I can't recommend highly enough. I guarantee you will want to share tea and a packet of Custard Creams with the enchanting Iris Burton!! 

Fingers crossed A.K. Benedict follows this up with an equally absorbing sequel.