The Rage – Gene Kerrigan

Gene Kerrigan's 'The Rage' is an incredibly well thought out and addictive novel. We are introduced to the story at a point where a crime is being planned. Told through the eyes of a number of different characters – criminals, reformed criminals, the police, witnesses and informers – each protagonist provides another piece of the puzzle and the story starts to take shape. Gradually each perspective comes together to build a network of connections between individuals that literally culminates in the 'rage' that appears in the title.

Set in Ireland a couple of years ago it very cleverly blurs the lines between right and wrong, law and justice – and in some cases injustice. The hierarchy and chains of command that exist within the criminal world echo those which similarly exist within the police, hampering progress to get to the real truth.

This was a random choice for my April Book Club meeting and one of those little gems that I have come across from time to time over the last few years since we started. Winner of The Crime Novel of the Year in 2012 by the CWA, it really is a gripping thriller and one that I'll be recommending fellow crime fiction enthusiasts. 

A Pleasure and a Calling - Phil Hogan

I've always been intrigued by how easily we hand over our front door keys to estate agents as soon as we decide to sell our property. Up until then we do all we can to keep it secure, foil strangers into thinking we're home by leaving a table lamp on, attaching signage such as 'beware of the dog' when we may not even own one. And then we willingly trust our keys and alarm details to a complete stranger so that they may enter whilst we're out, in the hope that they will bring more strangers to roam freely and peruse our treasured possessions, gaining insights into our personal taste. 

What if you were unfortunate enough to hand them over to an estate agent who had an unnatural interest in how people live their lives?

Enter Mr. Heming in the chilling new novel by Phil Hogan. This really is one of those books that are impossible to put down. In fact I was so fed up with having to dip in and out of it I cleared a Saturday afternoon so I could read the last half all the way through without any interruptions. It is a very carefully thought out plot narrated by a very disturbed (and disturbing) Mr. Heming who will stay in your thoughts long after the book has found its way back to the shelf. He has a remarkable story to tell, interspersed with flashbacks from his past that start off as small chinks of unrelated experiences and gradually slot together to reveal more of his past. 

In a similar way to 'Apple Tree Yard' or 'Before I Go To Sleep' I am already urging people to read this and desperately trying not to tell them too much and spoil the enjoyment. It's a story that stays with you and a character that you cannot forget. I predict this will be a hot book club choice when it comes out in paperback. I'm off now to get my locks changed. And abandon any thougths I might have had about moving......

Dickens – A Life by Claire Tomalin

I thought I already knew who Charles Dickens was: our brilliant bearded writer, creator of characters that form part of our very culture; champion for the poor; roamer of the streets of London at night collecting comments, voices, scenes and situations to incorporate into his novels, short stories and articles; forever marred by his father's spell in the Marshalsea. I carried this stereotypical image around with me last December when I visited the Dicken's Museum in Doughty Street (http://www.dickensmuseum.com) but over Christmas I started to read this biography and learned a whole lot more. 

Not all aspects of his personality were applaudable. Certainly the ill treatment of his wife and their eventual separation was most cruel. But the sheer volume of work, travel and socialising he embarked upon throughout his life was astonishing. His charitable work and empathy for those in need was one of many threads that contribute to the man he was. Tomalin takes you through each stage of his life right from childhood as we see Dicken's talent and determination unfold around London and later across continents. His writing habits and the sheer volume and diligence he applied is remarkable and so too are the wealth of relationships that were forged and lost along the way. The depth of some, and equally the shallowness of others, is quite surprising and at some points I started to identify characteristics within Dickens that should belong to some of his most eccentric characters. 

This month The Invisible Woman hits the cinemas offering a further exploration into one of the most significant relationships he embarked upon with Nelly Ternan, the young stage actress who sealed the end of his marriage. Tomalin peels back the layers of secrets that were employed to keep this out of the public eye to reveal a tale of deceit worthy of one of his very own novels. This new film is based on one of her earlier books so it will be interesting to see what Ralph Fiennes, both starring and directing, makes of it. Given the depth of Tomalin's research it should be an interesting portrayal of this complex man. 

This book is a great read for anyone interested in Dicken's and the society he lived in, along with the  company he kept and the London he inhabited. 

2014 Books

2014 Books page will start to be populated very soon! 

Nearing the end of 'Charles Dickens – A Life' by Claire Tomalin, which is a fascinating read so I'll be writing about that shortly. Next book on the agenda will be 'The Wind Is Not A River' by Brian Payton after reading some fantastic reviews recently and picking up my signed copy from Goldsboro Books last week.

Looking forwards to reading new books due out this year from some of my favourite authors and excited to discover some new ones too!