What Was Lost - Catherine O'Flynn

Every character in this story, however minor some may be, is experiencing loss of some kind. For some it is the physical and emotional loss of a loved one, lost through a debilitating health issue or a death. Other have lost their way in their career or personal life. A relationship that's coasting and going nowhere or a job which is mid numbing and depressing. There is also a sense of people being trapped, having trapped themselves creating false barriers which keep them locked in their current predicament because of lost confidence and self esteem. 

There are lots of issues that everyone will be able to relate to in this novel. We all have that feeling from time to time that we may be treading water. O'Flynn's acute observations come across so well especially her descriptions of working in a record shop. How it makes people feel and behave and the kind of people that work there. These experiences are drawn from her personal previous experience of working in that environment. 

I hadn't come across her before and only discovered this book through my Book Club. It's a hard book to categorise as there are elements of all sorts of genres - mystery, detective, thriller and a little supernatural. Is what i would refer to as one of those slices of life that give you an insight how different people live and are affected by a common event. I'll definitely look out for her other books now and would recommend this to anyone who is perhaps between books and unsure what to pick up next.

Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell

"In the first set, each solo is interrupted by its successor: in the 2nd, each interruption is recontinued, in order. Revolutionary or gimmicky?"

So says Robert Frobisher in the concluding part of his story. But surely David Mitchell is provoking us at this point to our own conclusion on his incredible collection of tales spanning the past and future in 'Cloud Atlas'. I'd forgotten what a masterpiece this book actually is, having just re-read it in time for the release of the film this week. It's one I always intended to go back to, after enjoying but struggling a little with it the first time round. There are some stories more appealing to me than others, just like the first time, but the quality of writing and the concept of each story interlinking with the next across the different eras still makes me wonder at the accomplishment of this book. And I am astonished that it missed out on the Man Booker Prize back in 2004.

One of the strongest  themes that appear in the book is the importance of stories. Imparting and recording them for those in the present and future, both vocally and in writing. The purposes vary from instructing, informing, exposing or just simply sharing and entertaining. Clearly stories from Christianity, although the religion itself is not mentioned in those set in the future, have continued to be shared in some form. This is evident in the language used on more than one occasion to describe telling on someone, referred to in the narrative as 'judasing'. Even though we find an unfamiliar spirituality in the last (middle) tale set far in the future beyond exploration and colonisation of foreign lands, radioactive fallout and cloning on an industrial scale this term still appears.

It's not a quick or easy read, but incredibly rewarding and worth staying with to the end even if it does seem a little  bewildering at times. I am intrigued to see how all (or any!) of this could possibly be conveyed on the big screen sufficiently. Hopefully it will encourage those who haven't read it to grab a copy and go on the complete journey across different geographies and time. So revolutionary or gimmicky? Simply 'magnificent' sums it up perfectly. 

The comparisons to be made between the first story set back in the 19th century and the final post-apocalyptic pinnacle pose some interesting questions; where does conflict, tribalism, technology, power struggles, greed and competitiveness really get us? Do we evolve or just go backwards? Or does nothing really change in the grand scheme of things? In every tale there is something good that is revealed about human nature, be it the quest for justice or our powers of creativity.

The English Monster - Lloyd Shepherd

Was the right person convicted for the appalling atrocities that went down in history as the Ratcliffe Highway Murders? Lloyd Shepherd weaves his own story of piracy and ancient curses around one of the most infamous crimes to take place in London. We move back and forth across time and characters to gradually discover the monster at the heart of the novel. We meet policemen who are keen to explore the revolutionary idea of 'detecting' as opposed to simply listening to hearsay and drawing the obvious conclusion.

It's hard not to spoil the story by giving too much away, but it covers the genres of crime, historical fiction and fantasy so should have a wide appeal. So many questions fill your head at the start, but gradually the answers unfold as you get deeper into the book.

And thankfully Harriott and Horton, who succeed in their quest to investigate what really happened, return in Shepherd's latest book 'The Poisoned Island' released at the end of this month!

Hotel du Lac - Anita Brookner

After an incident that causes her friends more embarrassment than herself it seems, Edith Hope takes a break at the hotel de Luc in Switzerland. Her aim is to let all the fuss die down and concentrate on writing her next novel in a tranquil environment in which she can focus, where she is unknown to the guests that surround her.

She is soon befriended by the glamorous Mrs Pusey and her daughter Jennifer, who share a very close, somewhat bizarre, relationship. She becomes their regular companion and then shortly gets to know the enigmatic Mr Neville who propositions her with a life she feels compelled to take. But her ideas of love, both from personal experience and the kind of love she writes about, challenge her decision.

It's a very well written short novel, reminding me a little of Ian McEwan's On Chesil Beach, where such a short period of time is analysed under the microscope. The story goes back and forth so that we can fill in the details of what brought Edith to the hotel. I found it quite hard to determine when the novel is set. The language and character descriptions tended to hark back to a later period than it actually intended - more of a feel of the 40s. Had it been a larger book I may not have persevered as it wasn't the most exciting or gripping story, but it was a reasonable short read.

Gone Girl - Gillian Flynn

A wife goes missing in suspicious circumstances on her fifth wedding anniversary and all you have to go on is her husband's version of events, the crime scene and a diary charting her last 7 years. The story soon shapes up to be pretty cut and dried. But is it? Confusion and contradictions ensue and suddenly you start to question who is really telling the truth. The further you get into the book the more you get to know the characters and their motives.

The story twists and turns and you really don't know how it will all end until you get there. This is one of those ultimate page turners, in the same vein as Before I Go To Sleep by S J Watson. A really great thriller that keeps you guessing. One I am recommending to lots of people at the moment, whilst desperately trying not to give anything away!

(No picture for this one, i read this on my kindle but this book seems to be everywhere at the moment so easy to find). 

The Misinterpretation of Tara Jupp - Eva Rice

Meet Tara Jupp - one of a very large family brought up in the rural idyll of Cornwall, discovered for her remarkable singing voice and transported to London. Set in the swinging sixties Tara's naive world suddenly expands as she meets the rich and influential, all chasing fame and notoriety. Along the way her elder, more attractive sister Lucy is carried along with Tara and her sub story runs in tandem.

It's a nice enough tale, but very romanticised - the portrayal of London in this era is not the one you'd expect. It may be inhabited by rock stars and bohemian characters at eccentric parties, but nothing like the wild, edgy excitement usually associated with such an influential and creative decade. It's an easy read and the story carries you along perfectly adequately, but everything works out in the end far to neatly. Every girl gets to be with the guy they want and are destined to be with and it's all happy ever after.

This book wouldn't  encourage me to read any more of Eva Rice's novels, which is a shame as her previous one seems to have had some great reviews. Wouldn't surprise me if this one gets adapted for TV. It has that sunday night slot feel to it!!

The House of Silk - Anthony Horowitz

Reading this on the train heading into town as the snow was descending definitely added to the atmosphere Horowitz creates of Holmes’ wintry, foreboding London. He really has done a fine job of keeping enough familiarity that the reader feels automatically transported into a classic Conan Doyle mystery, whilst giving Holmes a fresh and original case.

Watson narrates us through the entangled web of intrigue that takes us around London and across the pond to America.  He also has an interesting, albeit brief, confrontation with Moriarty, which adds a wonderful dimension to the story. The way in which Moriarty contrives the meeting and the information he imparts is a secret that remains between Watson and the reader, never shared with Holmes even after the case is closed.

The character I had in mind whilst reading this is very much the traditional Jeremy Brett version of Holmes, rather than the big screen Robert Downey Jr. This is the one that I grew up with and in reading Horowitcz’s end note, was the one that he feels most close to. 

The story evolves from one of robbery and blackmail into the far more sinister areas of child  abuse and mistreatment. As Holmes gets closer to the truth we see him framed and imprisoned leading to a spectacular escape and final showdown with those responsible. 

This is one I am recommending to everyone I know who loves a good mystery, or the legendary Sherlock Holmes himself.