The Poisoned Island – Lloyd Shepherd

Another superb tale of mystery, myth and crime unfolds in Shepherd's latest novel. Following on from the English Monster, which introduced us to the wonderful sleuthing duo of Harriott and Horton  and their quest to introduce detective work into the role of the police, we find them undertaking an equally tangled and seemingly inexplicable case. 

It involves a number of sailors meeting a grisly disturbing end following  a voyage of discovery to Otaheite (Tahiti today). The shipmates and their captain all have something to hide from their journey to collect exotic botanical examples to fill Kew Gardens. The story travels back and forth so that the present day case unfolds alongside the background context filling in the details behind the  characters, motives and actions.

Once again we have some true historical details which the story is framed around so you really get a feel for the period, along with the keen desire for knowledge that was prevalent during this time.

I think I enjoyed this one even more than The English Monster, which I would urge readers to go for first. Not simply because it's a great story (up for the HWA this year no less!) but also because I think Harriott and Horton's characters and relationship are worth following right from the beginning. They'll quickly become an endearing pair you'll look forward to following in this gripping series.

Kiss Me First – Lottie Moggach

How much can you infer from studying someone's email correspondence? From the varied ways they choose to greet and sign off their communication to others? Or the version of the persona they choose to present? How easy is it to assume that persona, creating the illusion that they still exist, when they may not? What bits matter? How meaningful are those 'in-jokes' and how important are they to people and their relationships?

Leila is of the strong opinion that people have the right to choose their own future and the time upon which they want to end their life. She sets out to help Tess fulfil her human right and achieve it in the most humane and sensitive way. She assumes Tess's identity whilst she disappears abroad to take her own life after telling friends and family she wants to get away from it all and start afresh. Then Leila takes over all correspondence online – emails, facebook etc until Tess is expected to gradually fade out of everyone's lives. She'll be forgotten and people will lose touch. Job done.

But Leila starts to enjoy living Tess's virtual life. And suddenly the line blurs between the real world and her online world. Their characters that started out at polar opposites begin to meld. The 'best' of Tess merges with the 'best' of Leila – in her eyes at least.

This is an incredibly relevant novel to the world today and our obsession with our online presence. It explores the personas that we create and how far from the truth they can be. It looks at the Facebook generation and our interpretation of 'friends' on this platform. It takes you through the fantasy and the repercussions that occur when that fantasy comes crashing into real life.

I think this book is going to be huge. I read it over the last bank holiday weekend and could not put it down. It's bizarre and somewhat fantastic, yet so real and enthralling you really do need to keep going to find out just where it will all end. It mingles the discomfort you might have felt watching the film 'Single White Female', with the page turning quality of the likes of 'Gone Girl' or 'Before I Go To Sleep' and stays with you long after you've  finished it. This will be a great one to discuss at Book Clubs. I can't wait till it's release so I can start discussing it with others!

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.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon

Christopher discovers the dead body of a pectin his neighbours garden and sets out to find who is the culprit of such deed. This simple premise opens out to illustrate the life of an Aspergers Syndrome sufferer and the impact that has on their family. It also provides an insight into how Christopher is treated by society as he explores and investigates outside his immediate comfort zone and routine. 

Christopher's direct first person narrative creates a very powerful voice that speaks out to all those unfamiliar with the world of an Aspergers sufferer. The way that he strives to function within everyday life and the processes and logic he has to apply to get through the day is quite exhausting to read. 

It's a very easy book to read, save for the passages of mathematical problems and reasoning that pepper the narrative. But this is the first time I have managed to get my head around the Monty Hall problem, to the point where it hash started to make sense! I believe that I read this elsewhere in The End of Mr Y by Scarlett Thomas, but no amount of slow re-reading made any sense to me at the time. 

Looking forward to seeing the stage production of this novel next month which has had fantastic reviews.