His Father's Son by Tony Black

A poignant, tender and darkly comic story about a father and son from Irvine Welsh's favourite crime writer .....

"Soulful and stunningly written, this reads like a future classic" ~ Lisa Jewell

Tony Black is a very successful crime writer, having written seven previous novels.  His Father's Son was published by Black & White Publishing on 3 September 2013, and is his first novel outside of the crime genre.

His Father's Son is a a breathtakingly beautiful read.  It is Irish to the core, depicting the culture of 1970s Ireland perfectly with eloquent phrasing and wonderful characters.  The story exposes the culture of religion first, quickly followed by family, a culture that remains in many places in Ireland to this day.  My mother is Irish, from County Donegal on the north west coast, and although I was brought up in England, we spent our summers in a small Donegal town, surrounded by characters just like those in Tony Black's novel.  The use of language and the humour throughout this story is touching and delicate, the characters are larger than life, natural and very authentic.

Joey Driscol and his wife Shauna left Ireland in the late 60s, they went as far away as they could, to Australia, to start a new life, away from their troubles and their critics.  Happily settled, with plenty of work, a nice house and a small son Marti, Joey believes that life could not get much better - he will never return to Ireland.  To Joey, Australia is the lucky country, a land of opportunity where people do not judge him and accept him for what he is.   Sadly Shauna continues to battle the 'Black Dog', a depressive illness that has haunted her for many years.    When the Black Dog finally conquers, Shauna takes Marti and returns to Ireland.  Joey follows them, and begins a journey that is not just one of many miles, but one of confrontations and realisations.

The father-son relationships in this story are tenderly examined.  Joey's relationships with both his son and his father are central to the story, and whilst the emotional fallout is immense, the humour creates a perfect balance.

Tony Black has produced a novel that will warm the heart of any reader, and those that have a link with Ireland will especially relish this story.   I thought the pitch of the story and the writing on the whole was perfect, and have to agree with Lisa Jewell's comment - this really could be a future classic.

My thanks to Emma Draude from ED Public Relations who sent my copy for review.

Tony Black is the author of seven previous novels and was described by Irvine Welsh as his 'favourite British crime writer'.  An award-winning journalist, his parents moved from Scotland to Australia in the 1960s and he was born in New South Wales in 1972.  His family moved back to Scotland after his birth but then moved to Ireland in 1979 mirroring the age that Marti arrives in the 'old land'.  Semi-autobiographical, (Tony's father was a rugby player and hard-nosed dockyard fitter and his bookish son, Tony. mystified him) His Father's Son is also inspired by the birth of Tony's own son and the joy of becoming a father himself.
Tony lived in Dublin until last year with frequent visits back to Australia but now lives in Ayrshire with his wife and little boy.  His Father's Son is dedicated to his son and is Tony's first novel outside of the crime genre.
For more information about Tony Black and his writing, visit www.tonyblack.net  he also has a Twitter account.

 

Bellman & Black by Diane Setterfield

Diane Setterfield's first novel; The Thirteenth Tale is one of my all-time favourite novels.  I read it in
hardback, when it was newly released in 2006, almost seven years ago and when I'm asked for book recommendations I always urge people to read it.   It's a gothic tale, a book about books, a mystery, a ghost story - it's book-shaped perfection.

I went to hear Diane Setterfield talk about her writing, at Waterstone's in Lincoln, I think it was in the winter of 2007.  I remember a very softly spoken lady who spoke eloquently, with a passion.  She seemed to be more than a little overwhelmed by the success of her novel, a book that had taken many years to write and that had sat hidden away in her desk drawer for a long time before it was published.   Although she mentioned that she was finding it quite difficult to produce her second novel, I don't think that any of us thought that it would be another six years before that much anticipated book would arrive.

At last, the second novel is here.  Bellman & Black : A Ghost Story will be published by Orion Books on 10 October 2013.  I was delighted to get an advance copy to review, this is a book that I have been eagerly waiting to read for so long.

I'll start with the cover design.  It's really stunningly beautiful, conjuring up a ghostly, gothic read.  The gold lettering along with the shadowy outline of the rook is eye-catching and is sure to stand out amongst the many books displayed on shelves.

And so, to the novel itself.  This is probably one of the most difficult reviews that I've ever had to write.  I actually finished the book over a week ago and have been thinking about what to write here ever since. As much as I really hate having to say this, I'm afraid that Bellman & Black was a huge disappointment to me. I'm really sad, I wanted to love it so much, but I didn't for many reasons.   There is no doubt at all that Diane Setterfield writes very well, she can set a scene and her descriptions are vivid and quite hauntingly beautiful at times.  The prologue is enticing, but actually doesn't tell much more than the accompanying blurb for the book.  William Bellman kills a rook with his catapult, and this event changes his life, although at the time he does not realise this.

As William matures, everything he touches seems to turn to gold.  He turns the family business around, he starts new and exciting ventures and succeeds.  Yet his life is marred by loss and grief, with every success diluted by another disappointment.   Funerals and mourning were important in Victorian times and the author's research is meticulous.  The reader comes away with an insight into the best way to run a mill, how to set up and succeed in the mourning business and a great deal about rooks.  Lots of information, but not a lot of story.  It's a very slow read, it's full of description, but very little plot or exploration of the characters. I really wanted to know more about William and Dora, their inner feelings, their true feelings.  The author seems to have concentrated more on scene setting and atmosphere, which is very well done but there has to be a plausible story to go with it.

So, there it is.  One of my most difficult reviews, and one that I really wish was very different.   I have to be honest though, as much as it hurts.  I'm positive that there will be readers who really enjoy this story, I really hope that there are.

On a positive note, I was really delighted to learn that The Thirteenth Tale is currently being made into a film by the BBC starring Olivia Coleman and Vanessa Redgrave, it will be broadcast later in 2013.

Diane Setterfield is the author of the acclaimed international bestseller The Thirteenth Tale.  She is a former academic, specialising in twentieth century French literature.  She lives in Oxford.

Colman and Redgrave cast in The Thirteenth Tale

Bafta award-winning actress Olivia Colman will join Vanessa Redgrave in BBC Two's adaptation of Diane Setterfield's novel The Thirteenth Tale.

The story focuses on a biographer, played by Colman, who investigates the mystery surrounding the childhood home of writer Vida Winter (Redgrave).

It is the latest leading role for Colman, who won two Bafta awards this year for her performances in BBC shows Twenty Twelve and Accused.

Her profile has increased since she appeared in the ITV hit Broadchurchearlier this year and she has recently filmed forthcoming BBC One dramaThe 7.39.

Ben Stephenson, commissioning controller of BBC Drama, described The Thirteenth Tale as a treat that "illustrates BBC drama at its best - attracting the highest calibre of talent and making the most ambitious content possible".

The 90-minute film has been written by Christopher Hampton, who adapted Atonement and won an Oscar for Dangerous Liaisons.

It will also be made by The White Queen director James Kent and Harry Potter producer David Heyman with his mother Norma Heyman, who also worked on Dangerous Liaisons.

Executive producers are Polly Hill (BBC) and Rosie Alison (Heyday Films).

Filming is due to begin in June for transmission later this year.

The Deaths by Mark Lawson *Pan MacMillan Reading Groups Panel*

Early in 2012 I was invited to join the newly created Pan MacMillan Reading Groups Panel.  Twenty keen readers were selected from over 200 applications.   We are a diverse mix of people; a wide age range, a mix of professions and almost entirely female.   Yesterday we met at The Rotunda in Kings Cross to debate our latest read; The Deaths by Mark Lawson.

The Deaths is marketed as a 'two in one' book, both social satire and a crime story.  Everything about The Deaths was discussed yesterday in much detail, from the cover image, to the marketing slant, to whether this was based on real people.  Personally, I thought that our The Deaths discussion was the best yet, it was so interesting to find that other members of the group had not considered things that seemed so important to me in the story, and that I'd totally missed points that were crucial to other readers.   We talked, we dissected, we analysed, we laughed, and then we got to meet the author!  Poor man, faced with so many questions, it was a bit of a grilling.

So, back to the book, and my thoughts.   The setting is a beautiful Berkshire village, a commuter village, on the London trainline.  The characters are 'The Eight'; four couples who live with their assorted children and dogs in four wonderful houses.  Houses that were built originally for the old aristocracy and have now been renovated and modernised to be occupied by the new elite.   Bankers, financiers, doctors, lawyers, successful business people - these are the people that are reaping the rewards of the boom years.  Seats in the first-class carriages on the daily commute, short breaks to Marrakesh and designer coffee - these are the important things in their lives.   But things are changing in Britain, businesses are crumbling, the recession is hitting hard, how long can The Eight keep up their lifestyles, how long can they hide their problems from each other?

A terrible act of violence happens within the first few pages.  One of the families is wiped out, a murder-suicide - the father kills his entire family.   The mystery that the reader is faced with is which one of The Eight is no more?  Mark Lawson has created an extremely clever, fairly complicated story here, but a story that is so compelling that despite the obnoxious characters, who I will admit that I hated from page one, it becomes one of those 'can't put down' books as the emotional fragilities and hidden secrets of each family is uncovered.

The world of designer coffee is central to this story.  The reader is introduced to Jason, a delivery driver for CappuccinGo - an up-market drinks company who deliver their special coffee capsules to the new aristocracy.  Jason has his own views about The Eight - they provide his living and he's grateful, but to him, this upper-class obsession with posh hot drinks is a real sign of the times.  The coffee theme continues as the reader learns more about each of the families.  Who managed to get the special limited-edition capsules this week?    The reader is also introduced to the world of supermarket snobbery, and the temptations that arise when faced with the trusting 'scan your own' groceries.

This is a novel about the new rich, and also about how the new rich are becoming the new poor.   The husbands in this book do not come out well, not at all.   They are an assortment of characters, with different careers and very different bank balances, but their common bond is that they are all pretty vile.  Their wives don't fare much better, on the whole they do a lot of doing nothing.     Only Tom and Emily seem to have any redeeming features, she's a GP, he's ex military and they do seem to realise that life in the village is based on what people have instead of what people are.  Despite this, they don't do anything to discourage the lifestyle and seem happy enough to be part of the elite.

The Deaths is very current, it deals with current situations and Mark Lawson has based his characters on people that he has come across in real life.   For me, living in a small market town in the depths of Lincolnshire which is most definitely not on the commuter line, it was a revelation.  I do not come across people like this, ever.  Yes, I know they exist, one only has to read the newspapers to realise that.  I'm pretty pleased that I don't have to endure families like this, I find them fascinating, but they would drive me mad!

Despite the obnoxious characters and their luxury lifestyles, I did get very emotional towards the end of the story.  Mark Lawson exposes their vulnerabilities and their failings so well, that I shed a tear.  Not for the characters really, but for the waste.  The waste of their potential and the fact that their stubbornness and way of life prevented them from being honest, with themselves and with their friends.

This is a novel that raised so many questions for me.  Despite having finished it over 6 weeks ago, the characters have remained in my head.  I was very much looking forward to our Panel Discussion, which was lively and quite fascinating.   Meeting the author was a bonus, and we were able to ask questions and get answers that only reinforced my feelings about the story.

I think that The Deaths will be a very important novel in years to come.  It is a story of it's time, a social history for generations to come.  

The Deaths will be published in hardback by Pan MacMillan on 12 September 2013.

Mark Lawson is a novelist and cultural critic. He has published four novels including Idlewild,Going Out Live and Enough Is Enough. He is the presenter of the BBC Radio 4 arts programmeFront Row and BBC Four's Mark Lawson talks to... series. He also writes for the Guardian.

The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty - BLOG TOUR

At the beginning of July I read and reviewed The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty.   I really enjoyed it, take a look at my full review to find out exactly what I said about it.
My favourite part of the book was the epilogue, I realise that sounds strange, but it was just stunning and I thought it was the perfect ending to the story.

The Husband's Secret was published here in the UK by Penguin at the end of August, and I'm really delighted to be part of the Blog Tour for the book.

I have a paperback copy of The Husband's Secret to give away too, entering is easy-peasy, just fill out the Rafflecopter widget at the bottom of this post.

Liane Moriarty is the Australian author of five internationally best-selling novels, Three Wishes,The Last Anniversary, What Alice Forgot, The Hypnotist's Love Story and The Husband's Secret.

Writing as L.M.Moriarty, she is also the author of the Space Brigade books for children, (published in the US as the Nicola Berry, Earthling Ambassador series).

It's great to welcome Liane to Random Things today, she's answered a couple of questions;

    How did you get the idea for the novel?

Two years ago I stumbled upon a fascinating article about real-life deathbed confessions. I learned about Christian Spurling, who confessed on his deathbed to faking a notorious photo of the Loch Ness Monster. There was afamous songwriter who was dying of cancer who wrote a letter admitting, after years of adamant denials, that she had plagiarized a lullaby melody. Then there was the hapless man who, after suffering a stroke, confessed he’d killed his neighbour thirty years earlier. The only problem was that he didn’t end up dying. After he was released from hospital, he went straight to jail. These stories, particularly the one about the man who didn’t die, got me thinking. I was intrigued by that overwhelming desire to share your darkest secret. So I came up with the idea of a man who feels such a powerful desire to share a secret that he sits down and writes a letter to his wife, to be opened in the event of his death. It’s a deathbed confession, except he’s not dead.

     What do you do in your spare time when you’re not writing?

I read in bed, read in the bath, read in the TV commercials, sleep, eat chocolate, work off all that chocolate in gym classes, ski (not that I ski every weekend, but I thought I should mention something outdoorsy), and now it occurs to me that I haven’t mentioned my children, and I don’t know how I could have forgotten them, because they are currently with the babysitter, screaming their darling little heads off in the hallway just outside my office door. What I actually do when I’m not writing is take care of my five-year-old son and three-year-old daughter, and I like that very much.

Take a look at the promotional video for The Husband's Secret :

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Never Coming Back by Tim Weaver

"A secret that will change lives forever .....

It was supposed to be the start of a big night out.  But when Emily Kane arrives at her sister Carrie's house, she finds the front door unlocked and no one inside.  Dinner's cooking, The TV's on.  Carrie, her husband and their two daughters are gone.

When the police draw a blank, Emily asks missing persons investigator David Raker to find them.  It's clear someone doesn't want the family found.

But as he gets closer to the truth, Raker begins to uncover evidence of a sinister cover-up, spanning decades and costing countless lives,  And worse, in trying to find Emily's missing family, he might just have made himself the next target .....

Published on 29 August 2013 by Penguin, Never Coming Back is the fourth in the David Raker series written by Tim Weaver.  I'd never come across the author before, and was hesitant about reading number four of a series with no prior knowledge of the main character.  However, I have read mid-series before, in other crime series, and managed to follow the story, so thought I'd give it a go.

Tim Weaver gives just enough background information about Raker, this lets the reader suss him out.  It's clear he has 'baggage', he's recovering from a pretty serious stab injury, he's a bit of a disaster in the relationship stakes and he used to be a journalist.  He now works as a missing persons investigator, and it's obvious that he really does care about the people that he is trying to find.  He's spending some time in his childhood home, trying to come to terms with what has happened to him lately - and trying to avoid his partner Liz.  It's a pretty ordinary Devon village, Raker doesn't expect to get caught up in another investigation quite so soon.    When his childhood sweetheart Emily visits and tells him that her sister and her family have disappeared, it's not long before Raker finds himself in the middle of the mystery.

The plot is great, it's an intriguing premise and a mystery that I really wanted Raker to solve.  What I did struggle with was the over-complication of the entire story.   The action flits back and forth between Las Vegas and Devon.  The story is told in the first-person, then changes to the third-person. Even the font changes now and again.  The reader is taken back a few months, brought back to the present, and then back again.  It really does make for a confusing, and at times, very difficult story to follow.

I liked the character of Raker.  I can see him on the big screen - the story would make a great TV Series or film.  It's a better screenplay than it is a novel.   It is very clever, but does tend to veer into the unbelievable at times.

I'm not sure that I would rush out to read any of the other Raker stories, but fans of Simon Kernick and the like, will probably really enjoy Never Coming Back.

With thanks to Real Readers who sent my copy for review.

Never Coming Back has been selected as one of the WH Smith Richard & Judy Autumn 2013 reads.

 

 

 

The World Is A Wedding by Wendy Jones

This time last year, I stumbled upon a wonderful novel called The Thoughts and Happenings of Wilfred Price, Purveyor of Superior Funerals by Wendy Jones, I fell head-over-heels in love with Wilfred, with the story and with Wendy Jones' writing.  I was delighted to receive a pre-publication copy of The World Is A Wedding - the next instalment in the life of our hero Wilfred.

First, I have to say how beautifully presented The World Is A Wedding is.  Published in September 2013 by Corsair, this really is a gorgeous looking book.  A small hardback with the cover design embossed in gold and black print - no dustjacket, just straight onto the book - it's very lovely and a fine addition to anyone's bookshelf.

The story begins where The Thoughts and Happenings..... left off, and my advice to anyone who hasn't yet read the first book would be to get hold of a copy and read it first.  The World Is A Wedding does work as a stand-alone story, but reading the first one really will enhance the enjoyment of the story, you'll find out a bit more about the characters, and how they found themselves in their current situation.

Wilfred is the town undertaker, the town is Narberth in Wales, the year is 1926.  Wilfred is newly married to his great love Flora Myffanwy whom he met and fell instantly in love with on the day of her father's funeral. Both Wilfred and Flora have a past.   Wilfred was briefly married to Grace, a girl he mistakenly proposed to and regretted until the day they divorced.  Flora's first love was killed in the War.  Wilfred is going to try extra hard with this marriage, he feels as though he's been given a second chance, although he does feel terribly guilty about Grace.   Flora knows that Wilfred adores her, and although she wants to make him happy, she can't help but compare him to her lost love.

Grace fled Narberth after her divorce.  Rejected by her cold-hearted Mother, let down by her weak Father and horrified by her hero-soldier brother, she finds herself a job as a chamber-maid at the Ritz in London. Grace has a terrible secret to hide, and London seems like the only place where she can be ignored.

Once again, this appears to be something of a simple and straight-forward story, but Wendy Jones has a knack of dealing with some pretty serious and at times, quite dark issues without losing the warmth and affection from the story.  Her characterisation is amazing, she creates a cast that are deceptively simple, but are multi-layered and quite complex as the story evolves.

The World is a Wedding is a very worthy follow up to The Thoughts and Happenings .......   Wendy Jones has moved Wilfred on, he's become just a little more worldly wise, but has retained a touch of innocence and simplicity that endeared him to readers so much.

I must say a huge thanks to Sam Evans at Corsair, Constable & Robinson for sending my copy for review.

Wendy Jones grew up in 1970s suburbia, reading Mandy comic and eating Angel Delight for desert. Aged seven, she got a Brownie 'Hostess' Badge for which she set out a gold, wheeled trolley with a tea set and poured tea for the examiner.
Holidays were more productively spent at the 'end of the world in the west of Wales', playing in the undertaker's workshop and paint shop that belonged to an uncle.  It was a lot more fun than being good in suburbia and has provided ample material for her novels.
The first person to do an MA in Life Writing at UEA, Wendy has a PhD in Creative Writing from Goldsmiths, where she teaches.  She wrote Portrait of an Artist as a Young Girl, a biography of Grayson Perry, and hosts the literary programme 'Interesting Conversations' on Resonance104.4fm. The Thoughts and Happenings of Wilfred Price, Purveyor of Superior Funerals, the first in the Wilfred Price series, has been optioned for a television series by Carnival Films, the producers of Downtown Abbey.

Foodie Penpal Reveal - August 2013

Yes, it's that time of the month again.  Can you believe that it's the end of August already?  It's been such a lovely summer, I love the sunshine.

This month I sent some local Lincolnshire goodies to Hayley who lives in Irvine in Scotland.  Hayley doesn't have a blog, but I think that she enjoyed her treats.
My parcel came from Anna.  I'm not really sure where Anna lives, all I know is that she is somewhere in the UK.  It's always very exciting when the parcel arrives - opening it up with absolutely no idea what delights will be inside.  Anna really did me proud, she sent me a really lovely selection.

The Spice Tailor Spinach Curry Mix - I'd told Anna that I like spicy food, but not too hot.  This mix is really mild and Anna says it's really yummy too.  I'm looking forward to trying this one out - I'll do it with chicken I think.

Forest Feast Blueberries - because I'd said that I love fruit, Anna thought that these were a little different. They are, they are really really gorgeous.  The perfect snack, I think I may be addicted already!

Crespo Dry Black Olives - these were to satisfy my love of Greek things!  I've not actually tried these yet as I'm currently making my way through an over-large box of fresh olives and marinated garlic that I got from the Continental Market in Marshall's Yard last week, but I do like the dried olives and will be indulging just as soon as my fresh olives are finished.

Vegetable Kettle Chips - these are so so lovely and very moreish - a huge bag but I didn't stop eating until they were all gone.  A selection of parsnip, sweet potato and beetroot - perfect, just perfect!

Oh and then there were boiled sweets!   My guilty pleasure - I know I shouldn't, my dentist will probably curl up in a ball and cry, but I just love boiled sweets.  I always have a bag of sweeties in the car.  Anna sent two whole jars full.  Fizzy Lemons and (my all time favourites) Pear Drops.  Old fashioned wonderfulness!

All in all, a great parcel from Anna - she did very well.

I love being part of Foodie Penpals - it's like Christmas every month.  If you'd like to find out a bit more, or maybe take part yourself, check out the joining instructions over at the Rock Salt blog.