The Tyranny of Flies by Elaine Vilar Madruga t. Kevin Gerry Dunn BLOG TOUR #TheTryrannyofFlies @evilarmadruga @KevinGerryDunn @Harper360UK @RandomTTours #BookExtract

 

Growing up on a Cuba-esque Caribbean island, Casandra, Calia, and Caleb endure life under two tyrannies: that of their parents, and the Island’s authoritarian dictator, Pop-Pop Mustache. Papa was the dictator's former right-hand man. Now, he’s a political pariah and an ugly parody of a tyrant, treating his home as a nation which he rules with an iron fist. As for Mom, his wife and hateful second in command, she rules from the mind. Obsessed with armchair psychoanalysis, she spends her days reading self-help books and seeks to diagnose the kids, and perhaps even herself.

But within these walls, a rebellion is fomenting. Casandra, a cynical, self-important teenager with the most unlikely of attractions, recruits Caleb, meek yet gifted with a deadly touch, to join her in an insurrection against their father’s arbitrary totalitarianism. Meanwhile, Calia, the silent, youngest sibling who just wants to be left alone to draw animals, may be in league with the flies—whose swarm in and around the house grows larger as Papa’s violence increases.

Equal parts Greek tragedy and horror, with a touch of J.D. Salinger and Luis Buñuel, The Tyranny of Flies is a biting and wholly original subversive masterpiece that examines the inherent violence of authority and the frightening and indelible links between patriarchy, military, and family.

Translated from the Spanish by Kevin Gerry Dunn

The Tyranny of Flies by Elaine Vilar Madruga was published by HarperVia on 18 July 2024 and is translated by Kevin Gerry Dunn

As part of this #RandomThingsTours Blog Tour I am delighted to share an extract from the book with you today 

Extract from Tyranny of the Flies by Elaine Vilar Madruga

translated by Kevin Gerry Dunn 

The flies talk to us, okay? This is fly country. Flies fly all around us, a nation of ideas buzzity buzz buzzing above Calia’s head. She’s unfazed, as usual, focused on her drawing of an elephant. The drawing, anatomically precise, isn’t just the product of boredom and the summer heat. Calia never even looks up. One of the fattest flies lands on her fore- head and wends its way over the pores and hairs and sweat droplets, flaps its wings, cleans them, what a lovely spot it’s chosen to watch the action, to contemplate the elephant draw- ing, to admire and extemporize upon Calia’s artistry and offer a thoughtful critique of her work. For example, the fly might remark that the elephant in the drawing is more than just a realist rendering of the original pachyderm, it might observe that the elephant is actually flawless, so perfect it’s practically alive, and the fly might wonder if, any moment now, an invis- ible curtain will drop down Calia’s sheet of paper, a closing flourish in the miraculous process by which the elephant draws breath and takes solid form. The fly dreams of landing atop the elephant’s hulking gray mass. A beautiful mass. Notes of dung. 

The fly waits on Calia’s forehead. 

An exercise in patience.

Do the flies dream of her drawings? 

We do. 

Just three years old. No, not the flies. The flies are much younger than my sister. 

No one remembers when Calia started drawing. At this point, we just assume she was born with a paintbrush in hand and made her first watercolor with strokes of blood, amniotic fluid, and the mucus plug. I guess some anatomical masterpiece must’ve emerged from her experience in the birth canal; in any case, she never stopped, and the drawings keep multiplying like ants. 

Her oeuvre can be studied, like any other genius’s, according to her obsessions. Calia only draws animals. Like I said (and the flies are clearly also interested), her drawings aren’t clumsy doodles like you’d expect from a kid her age, the page sinking under the weight of so much colored wax; they’re fucking perfection. 

She started with insects. Ants were her favorite. And spiders. I’d say that was her darkest period. Drawings of predatory ants and spiders at the exact moment they dismembered their prey, a victim that was no longer animal but merely an object of the hunt, caught in a state of limbo between the jaws of death and the remote possibility of escape. 

Then came the birds. Mostly sparrows. It’s easy to understand the rationale behind that pictorial decision. The only birds Calia has ever seen are the few emaciated sparrows that still fly in this country, fenced in by hunger and heat, sparrows with hearts as small as the pad of your little finger, sparrows that go into cardiac arrest and expire in people’s gardens. After that, Calia moved on to monkeys. Monkeys with big fat asses. Veiny and bulbous, swaths of reds and purples. Those monkey butts brought an explosion of color to Calia’s formerly sober pages. 

And that brings us to today. Her elephant period. Thankfully, Calia hasn’t yet considered what the genitals of an elephant in heat look like. She’s just focused on their hooves, the shades of gray in their wrinkles and scars, the spindly hairs on their trunks. 

Elaine Vilar Madruga is a playwright, poet, and one of the foremost young novelists in
Cuba. 

She has a degree in Playwriting from the Higher Institute of Art (ISA), has published over thirty books, and her work has appeared in numerous literary journals and anthologies around the globe. 

The Tyranny of Flies is her first work to receive widespread attention throughout the wider Spanish-speaking world, winning Spain's Cálamo Prize for "Book of the Year.” 

She lives in Havana.

X @evilarmadruga

IG @elainevilamadrugalibros

Kevin Gerry Dunn is a Spanish/English translator whose projects include
COUNTERSEXUAL MANIFESTO by Paul B. Preciado and EASY READING by Cristina Morales (for which he received a PEN/Heim Grant, a PEN Translates Award and a residency at the Banff International Literary Translation Centre), as well as works by Daniela Tarazona, Ousman Umar and Cristian Perfumo. His shorter translations have appeared in Granta, Financial Times, Michigan Quarterly Review, Latin American Literature Today and Asymptote.

He also heads the FTrMP Project, an effort to make Spanish translations of vital migration paperwork available for free online. He holds an M.A. in Hispanic Language and Literature and a B.A. in Spanish and English, both from Boston University.

Twitter/IG: @KevinGerryDunn

Website: www.kevingerrydunn.com

The Drownings by Hazel Barkworth #TheDrownings @BarkworthHazel @headlinepg #BookReview

 

These waters became wild centuries before this university was dreamed of. Leysham has always been a dangerous place for women . .

Serena arrives on campus reeling from the injury that destroyed her champion swimming career. She is lost until she meets Jane, an enigmatic tutor obsessed with the historic witch trials that took place in Leysham's freezing waters.

When several young women are assaulted, the university's shadowy legacy becomes inescapable. Those in power turn a blind eye, but Jane urges Serena and her friends to rise up. As their anger builds into an inferno of female rage, Serena takes matters into her own hands.

Leysham has reawakened something within her, a dark, impossible power. In the waters, she can see what must be done - and the sacrifice it will demand.

From the author of Heatstroke, an intoxicatingly atmospheric new novel about competition, obsession and influence - for readers of The Things We Do to Our Friends, Weyward and Promising Young Woman.

The Drownings by Hazel Barkworth is published on 1 August 2024 by Headline. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review. 

This is one hell of a read. Hazel Barkworth has created a story that concentrates on the power of the rage of women; the consequences of events from many years ago; the way that social media can whip up a storm, and then turn in the opposite direction; and how oppression can lead to danger. 

Serena is a first year student at Leysham university - the campus is made up of dark, foreboding buildings, not far from the coast, with a river running through it. That river is the focus of Serena's first days. She's always been drawn to water, having been a top swimmer, bound for the Olympics in 2024. However, injury has forced her out of the sport that has been her complete life up until now. Her shattered knee has just been released from the plaster cast, and as she sits by the river she sees a girl stumble and fall. Despite her agony, Serena cannot sit by and watch. It is during this incident that she meets Jane. An older, composed woman, a lecturer at the University and who will become central to Serena's experiences there. 

This river has had many victims over the years. It's dark and dangerous, and also surrounded by myths. There's talk of the drowning of witches in years gone by, and this theme is predominant throughout the story.

Also at the University is Serena's younger cousin Zara. Serena's success in the swimming pool has always overshadowed anything that Zara could achieve. However, the tables have now turned and Zara is a well known influencer, with hundreds of thousands of followers. She celebrates her body shape, her ripples, her dimples, her body positive image encourages women and girls just like her. 

This is a complex, finely tuned and well paced novel that delivered something a little bit different for me. The characters are utterly flawed, damaged and carry a lot of baggage. There are hidden secrets, about the main players and also about the history of the university that are shocking and carefully revealed. 

As Serena and her group of friends get louder and louder, campaigning against their treatment by the most elite and entitled members of the community, the danger increases. There are mishaps and events that may or may not be accidental, culminating in a tragedy that nobody will foresee. 

This is a stylish, atmospheric read that is totally gripping. Packed with modern up-to-date issues combined with historical detail that has contributed so much to societal faults of today. 

Evocative and beautifully written. Highly recommended by me. 

Hazel grew up in Stirlingshire and North Yorkshire before studying English at Oxford. 

She then moved to London where she spent her days working as a cultural consultant, and her nights dancing in a pop band at glam rock clubs. 

Hazel is a graduate of both the Oxford University MSt in Creative Writing and the Curtis Brown Creative Novel-Writing course. 

She now works in Oxford, where she lives with her partner

X @BarkworthHazel

IG @hazelbarkworth

Our Daily War by Andrey Kurkov BLOG TOUR #BookSpotlight @AKurkov @OrendaBooks

 

Ten years on from the annexation of Crimea, two years on from Russia’s all-out invasion of Ukraine, the Ukrainian people continue to fight back. In the second volume of his war diaries, Andrey Kurkov gives a fresh perspective on a people for whom resistance and solidarity have become a matter of survival.

 Our Daily War is a chronological record of the heterogeneous mix that comprises Ukrainian life and thought in the teeth of Russian aggression, from the constant stress of air raids, the deportation of citizens from the occupied regions and the whispers of governmental corruption to Christmas celebrations, crowdfunding and the recipe for a “trench candle”.

 Kurkov’s human’s-eye view on the war in Ukraine is by turns bitingly satirical, tragic, humorous and heartfelt. It is also, in the manner of Pepys, an invaluable insight into the history, politics and culture of Ukraine. Our Daily War is the ideal primer for anyone who would like to know what life is like in that country today.

Our Daily War by Andrey Kurkov was published by Open Borders Press, an imprint of Orenda Books on 18 July 2024

I'm shining a spotlight on the book today, as part of the Blog Tour 

“A vivid, moving and sometimes funny account of the reality of life during Russia's invasion,” Marc Bennetts, The Times

“Uplifting and utterly defiant,” Matt Nixson, Daily Express

“No-one with the slightest interest in this war, or the nation on which it is being waged, should fail to read Andrey Kurkov,” Dominic Lawson, Daily Mail

“Andrey Kurkov [is] one of the most articulate ambassadors to the West for the situation in his homeland,” Sam Leith, Spectator

“Immediate and important … From the grim incredulity at Russians massing on the border to the displacement of millions of people, this is an insider's account of how an ordinary life became extraordinary. It is also about survival, hope and humanity,” Helen Davies, The Times

“Ukraine’s greatest novelist is fighting for his country,” Giles Harvey, New York Times

 

“The author's on-the-ground account is packed with surprising details about the human effects of the Russian assault ... His voice is genial but also impassioned, never more so than when deploring Putin's efforts to erase Ukrainian culture and history. Ukraine, he says, "will either be free, independent and European, or it will not exist at all". That's why the war has to be fought, with no concession of territory. And he remains quietly hopeful that it will be won,” Blake Morrison, Guardian

Andrey Kurkov was born near Leningrad in 1961, and graduated from Kyiv Pedagogical
Academy of Foreign Languages in 1983. 

After working as a prison guard in Odesa and as a journalist, he self-published his writing and found renown as a novelist. 

His most recent novel, Grey Bees, tells the story of a lone beekeeper as he navigates the conflict in Eastern Ukraine after the Russian annexation of Crimea. 

His novel Death and the Penguin, his first in English translation, is an international bestseller translated into more than thirty languages, and has been in print since its publication in 2001. 

Since the beginning of the Russian invasion, the author has issued unrivalled reports from his war-torn country in newspapers and magazines all over the world. 

Not only has he been a regular presence on radio and television, including BBC Radio 4's Letter from Ukraine, but he has travelled far and wide to lecture on the perilous state of his country. 

He has, in the process, become a crucial voice the people of Ukraine. 

His work of reportage, Ukraine Diaries: Dispatches from Kiev, was published in 2014, followed by Diary of an Invasion in 2022.

X @AKurkov

Saving Elora by Jackie Watson BLOG TOUR #SavingElora @JackiewWrites @RandomTTours #BookExtract

 

Anna has it all, or so it would seem. Fiercely protective of her daughter and husband, the secrets from her past and ten-year marriage remain hidden. But is that all about to change?

Basking in a tropical paradise, a con artist tires of easily seducing gullible females. He craves a challenge, and the greatest one presents itself. To descend on a quaint Greek fishing village and betray his ex-wife for a second time.

Meanwhile, the mistress of a mafia don gives birth to a daughter. But the baby isn’t his, and it forces a childless wife and her adulterous husband to flee with Elora. And so begins a deadly game of cat and mouse. With all trust in her marriage gone and longed for motherhood thrust upon her, can Dominique protect her new family? Or will her hate, fear and guilt seal their fate?

Hairline cracks are appearing in Anna’s idyllic Greek island life. Somebody is no longer willing to endure the happily-ever-after family façade. And when unwanted and unexpected visitors arrive on her doorstep it can mean only one thing. Anna’s carefully constructed world begins to crumble with devastating results.

Get ready for an emotional and explosive action-packed sequel. In Saving Elora, discover what sacrifices people are willing to make for love, the power of forgiveness and the possibility of second chances.

For fans of gripping suspense and powerful drama, Saving Elora is a must-read. Don’t miss out on this thrilling instalment in the Apokeri Bay series.

Saving Elora by Jackie Watson was published on 2 May 2024 by Hawthorn Wren and is the second instalment in the Apokeri Bay series. As part of this #RandomThingsTours Blog Tour today I am delighted to share an extract from the book with you. 

Extract from Saving Elora 

by Jackie Watson

The exclusive eco-tourist resort nestled jewel-like in an ancient

Thai rainforest, but for the only resident languishing in the bar,

the opulent lifestyle was losing its sheen. The man stretched out

his six-foot-three frame on a comfy rattan sofa and obligingly

flashed the quietly spoken receptionist his best smile. A smile that

melted hearts. A smile that loosened knicker-elastic and emptied

bank accounts.

He casually signalled for another drink and yawned. God, he

was bored. It would be so easy to seduce the pretty Thai

employee. She was smitten and believed him to be the cash-

strapped and downtrodden partner of an uber-rich, uber-bitch

who held the purse strings tighter than Ebenezer Scrooge. And

the best bit, his fiancée unwittingly helped in the charade as she

sneered down her privately educated and privileged nose at the

whole world.

Yes, bedding the hired help might be fun but he just couldn’t

be arsed. His fiancée should have been a winning lottery ticket –

easy on the eye, adventurous between the sheets (and everywhere

else) and more than happy to rattle through daddy’s money. The

banking tycoon was delighted his daughter was off globetrotting

(undoubtedly glad to be shot of her). The man had barely raised

an eyebrow at their engagement after three months. It made

Javier wonder if her father gave a toss. He certainly wouldn’t be

so calm if his only child announced plans to marry a seemingly

penniless stranger double her age. In his experience, those that

saw themselves as a cut above were often the easiest to deceive.

And in a grungy Bangkok hostel, Suzy had been the easiest of

them all. He’d immediately clocked her and, over a drink, she’d

spouted claims of being a hard-up American traveller, forced to

work menial jobs to get by. Heaven knows how anyone fell for

that claptrap. Everything about her screamed wealth. And in turn,

he spun his fictitious tale of woe, hesitantly confiding how it was

such a comfort to find somebody so understanding and easy to

talk to. As the drinks continued to flow, he’d fearfully taken her

hand and, with guilty embarrassment, admitted to being

confused. He felt such a strong connection (surely, she did too?),

which made his broken heart sing. But how could it be right so

soon after the tragic death of his wife? He’d abruptly pulled away

and hurriedly requested that she allow him to go. He should leave,

he’d said too much. She’d expected a pleasant evening and not to

be burdened by his hardships when hers were far worse.

She’d implored him to stay, persuaded him to put aside guilt

and accept that fate had brought them together. And through his

honesty, she wanted to do likewise and tearfully admitted to the

(obvious) truth of being an heiress. She’d wanted to be liked for

herself, not her father’s vast wealth. He enveloped her in his arms,

sympathised and soothed away her apologies before they tenderly

kissed and returned to the backpackers long enough to gather

their belongings. He then watched as she flounced up to the

reception desk of the city’s most luxurious hotel and demanded

the best suite – where they feasted on room service for a week.

After that, it was five-star living all the way as each place became

more luxurious than the last, and they crammed their days with

once-in-a-lifetime experiences. It would and should have been

easy to carry on, but the novelty had worn off. And for the simple

reason – it had become far too easy. Suzy was the culmination of

three years swindling a never-ending line of naïve women All he

needed to do was turn on the charm, say what they wanted to

hear, and bingo. In an attempt to refocus, he withdrew a

crumpled handwritten note from his wallet.

Gone to fry me the biggest fish ever! No hard feelings. It was

good while it lasted. Thanks for the memories. Cx

Jackie writes uplifting and thought-provoking fiction set on the Greek island of Lefkada.
She is based in North East England and lives in the Tyne Valley with her partner and their extremely cute and characterful Miniature Schnauzer. If not working or writing you will find her striding around the countryside, pottering in their allotment, running or occasionally cycling. There have been many travelling adventures to far-flung destinations, touring the UK and Ireland in a motorhome or camping in the Lake District.

The Apokeri Bay trilogy was born from a recurring dream about a feisty female protagonist who unexpectedly falls in love with a quaint Greek seaside village. With a unique style, Jackie weaves into her storytelling what we all love about great fiction – the chance to step into the world of somebody else and share in their life. But she certainly doesn’t give her characters an easy life. They might discover life-changing friendships, love and hope but need to overcome family friction, dark secrets, guilt and betrayal. Ultimately, they must learn how to embrace and overcome everything life throws at them.

Keep in touch with Jackie at www.jackiewatsonwrites.com, 

at facebook.com/jackiewatsonwrites, on Instagram @jackiewatsonwrites, on Twitter @JackiewWrites and TikTok @jackiewatsonwrites

The Silence In Between by Josie Ferguson BLOG TOUR #TheSilenceInBetween @Inky_Josie @DoubledayUK @RandomTTours #BookReview

Imagine waking up and a wall has divided your city in two. Imagine that on the other side is your child...

Lisette is in hospital with her baby boy. The doctors tell her to go home and get some rest, that he’ll be fine.

When she awakes, everything has changed. Because overnight, on 13 August 1961, the border between East and West Berlin has closed, slicing the city - and the world - in two.

Lisette is trapped in the east, while her newborn baby is unreachable in the west. With the streets in chaos and armed guards ordered to shoot anyone who tries to cross, her situation is desperate.

Lisette's teenage daughter, Elly, has always struggled to understand the distance between herself and her mother. Both have lived for music, but while Elly hears notes surrounding every person she meets, for her mother - once a talented pianist - the music has gone silent.

Perhaps Elly can do something to bridge the gap between them. What begins as the flicker of an idea turns into a daring plan to escape East Berlin, find her baby brother, and bring him home....

Based on true stories, The Silence in Between is a page-turning, emotional epic that will stay with you long after you finish reading.

The Silence In Between by Josie Ferguson was published on 20 June 2024 by Doubleday. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review as part of this #RandomThingsTours Blog Tour. 

I honestly believe that 2024 has been one of my best reading years to date. I've discovered some wonderful books by such talented authors and The Silence In Between is another one of those. It is a story that left me reeling at times, the emotional pull of this novel is astonishing. Not only does this author write beautifully, but she also clearly researches her subject with skill and compassion. This is a novel that has touched me deeply, and one that I will recommended for years to come. 

I love a dual timeline story and especially when it is quite recent history that is being written about, the two parts of the novel flow seamlessly together, both parts are so well executed, leaving the reader wanting so much more as one part finishes and we are taken back to the former. 

This is Lisette's story, it is also Berlin's story and the comparisons between a woman and a city are magnificent. The gradual downfall of Berlin and its people, along with Lisette's trauma from child to woman are matched perfectly. Berlin becomes a character in itself, that major city, filled with people living together quite happily that is turned into a ghetto where nobody is sure of anyone else, where homes are destroyed and neighbours are exiled. Alongside a girl who loves music, who is deeply in love and who becomes a mere shadow of herself. She experiences so many losses, so much grief, terror and pain. However both Lisette and Berlin survive, with enormous scars, and with more horror to come. 

The story begins in 1961 as the Berlin Wall is erected overnight. Lisette's baby son is in hospital in West Berlin, she went home to the East for some rest and collect some clothes. When she woke the next day, the wall was there. Lisette couldn't return to the West. Soldiers barred the way, with guns. Her baby was alone and Lisette was distraught. Her teenage daughter Elly cannot bear to see her mother in so much pain, their relationship has always been fraught, but Elly is determined that she will cross to the West and rescue her brother. 

We are then taken back to 1938. Lisette is a music loving teenager, with many friends and one special boy Julius who has taken her heart. It is clear that war is looming, with friends and neighbours wearing badges that depict their allegiance to H*tler and his army, and many of her Jewish neighbours disappearing, times are changing. 

What follows is an extraordinary story woven together with care and compassion. It certainly does the reader good to realise that ordinary German people were just that ... ordinary. They did not all support what was happening, and what their country was doing throughout Europe, and at home. We follow Lisette as she matures too quickly, as she and her mother wait patiently for their loved men to return home from the battlefields. As they barter for food, as they deal with suspected informers and then as they deal with what happens when Germany is defeated. 

This is an eye-opening story of recent history. The horrors that ordinary people faced both during the war, straight afterwards and then again in the 1960s and 1970s when the Wall was erected is shocking but perfectly portrayed. 

A story of a woman, and her family and a city that endured the worst that anyone could imagine.

An incredible story. Highly recommended by me. 

Born in Sweden, to a family of writers and readers, Josie Ferguson moved to Scotland when she was two. 

She returned to Sweden in her twenties, where she completed a vocational degree in Clinical Psychology (MSc). 

Upon graduating, she moved to London to pursue a career in publishing, something she had dreamed about since delving into fictional worlds as a child, hidden under the duvet with a torch.

She later moved to Asia in search of an adventure and a bit more sun and currently works as a freelance book editor in Singapore, where she lives with her husband and two young children. 

While training to become a clinical psychologist, Josie learned about the complexity of human nature, something she explores as a writer. 

She believes books about the past can change the future and she aspires to write as many as possible. 

The Silence in Between is her debut.

www.josieferguson.com

X @Inky_Josie

IG @josie_ferguson_author

The Beaver Theory by Antti Tuomainen t. David Hackston Paperback BLOG TOUR #TheBeaverTheory @antti_tuomainen @OrendaBooks

 

Henri Koskinen, intrepid insurance mathematician and adventure-park entrepreneur, firmly believes in the power of common sense and order. That is until he moves in with painter Laura Helanto and her daughter…

 As Henri realises he has inadvertently become part of a group of local dads, a competing adventure park is seeking to expand their operations, not always sticking to the law in the process…

 Is it possible to combine the increasingly dangerous world of the adventure-park business with the unpredictability of life in a blended family? At first glance, the two appear to have only one thing in common: neither deals particularly well with a mounting body count.

 In order to solve this seemingly impossible conundrum, Henri is forced to step far beyond the mathematical precision of his comfort zone … and the stakes have never been higher…

 Warmly funny, quirky, touching, and a nail-biting triumph of a thriller, The Beaver Theory is the final instalment in the award-winning Rabbit Factor Trilogy, as Henri encounters the biggest challenge of his career, with hair-raising results…

 Soon to be a major motion picture starring Steve Carell

The Beaver Theory by Antti Tuomainen is published in paperback today, 18 July 2024 by Orenda Books. It is translated from the Finnish by David Hackston. 

I read and reviewed this one for the hardback publication back in October 2023 and I'm delighted to re-share my review today to celebrate the paperback publication Blog Tour 

I have really really enjoyed this magnificent series of books from author Antti Tuomainen. Beginning with The Rabbit Factor, followed by The Moose Paradox, and finishing dramatically, and hilariously (as always) with this gem of a read; The Beaver Theory. 

The whole series of books span just nine months in the life of Henri Koskinen, formally a quite boring and rigid insurance actuary, and now the proud, if incredibly stressed owner of an adventure park called YouMeFun, inherited from his brother. 

Over the course of the books, the reader has come to know and love Henri so very well, along with his supporting cast of characters; made up of the staff of the adventure park. Henri has had quite a few adventures along the way, but in The Beaver Theory he comes up against some devilish characters who will stop at nothing to put him out of business.

Henri and artist Laura have recently moved in together. They live in a flat with Laura's daughter, and Henri's cat. Henri finds it quite difficult to contemplate that he is now part of a family, this is a happy time for him, but will be marred by the antics of the owners of rival park Somerset City, whilst also dealing with becoming part of a local 'fathers' group. All so new to him, but Henri deals with it in is own special fashion. 

I think it took about 7 minutes before I laughed out loud!  Tuomainen's dry wit shines through this story, and whilst there are crimes a plenty, some violence, and an eye-watering scene of nudity and a horse whip, there are never ending laughs as Henri strives to make everything right in his world, whilst also protecting his new family, and his staff at YouMeFun. 

It could be called slapstick, but I think it's far cleverer than that. It's a crime novel, for sure, but it is populated with warm and wonderfully created characters with a plot that leads the reader around a maze of puzzles, and this is what makes this author so special. 

Needless to say, I will miss Henri and his strange little ways. I will also miss the camaraderie of the staff group, and the emerging craziness of the fathers group. I hope Henri and Laura find peace and live happily ever after. Maybe one day Antti Tuomainen will allow his readers to re-visit them, just to find out.

Highly recommended. 

Praise for the Beaver Theory

'A joyous, triumphant conclusion to Tuomainen’s trilogy … the comic thriller of the year' 

Sunday Times THRILLER OF THE YEAR

 

‘Quirky crime capers don’t come more left field than the Rabbit trilogy … extremely funny, with a wicked line in social satire’ 

Daily Mail

 

‘One of those rare writers who manages to deftly balance intrigue, noir and a deliciously ironic sense of humour’ 

Vaseem Khan

Finnish Antti Tuomainen was an award-winning copywriter when he made his literary
debut in 2007 as a suspense author. The critically acclaimed My Brother’s Keeper was published two years later. In 2011, Tuomainen’s third novel, The Healer, was awarded the Clue Award for ‘Best Finnish Crime Novel of 2011’ and was shortlisted for the Glass Key Award. The Finnish press labelled The Healer – the story of a writer desperately searching for his missing wife in a post-apocalyptic Helsinki – ‘unputdownable’. Two years later, in 2013, they crowned Tuomainen ‘The King of Helsinki Noir’ when Dark as My Heart was published.

With a piercing and evocative style, Tuomainen was one of the first to challenge the Scandinavian crime genre formula, and his poignant, dark and hilarious The Man Who Died became an international bestseller, shortlisting for the Petrona and Last Laugh Awards. Palm Beach Finland (2018) was an immense success, with The Times calling Tuomainen ‘the funniest writer in Europe’, and Little Siberia (2019) was shortlisted for the Capital Crime/Amazon Publishing Readers Awards, the Last Laugh Award and the CWA International Dagger, and won the Petrona Award for Best Scandinavian Crime Novel. The Rabbit Factor is the first book in Antti’s first-ever series. The Rabbit Factor is also in development to become an Amazon Studios film starring Steve Carell.

Follow Antti on Twitter @antti_tuomainen, or on Facebook: facebook.com/AnttiTuomainenAuthor

The Virtue Season by L M Nathan BLOG TOUR #TheVirtueSeason @lmnathanwriter @scholasticuk @TinaMories #BookReview @RandomTTours

 

Manon Pawlak has just turned eighteen, a debutant at the start of the Virtue Season: a process that will result in a match with a suitable genetic mate. Her best friend, Agatha, has been decommissioned, forbidden to partake in the season and unite with the boy who has had her heart since they were children.

When Manon's mother wades out into the waters of Penn Vale with stones sewn into the lining of her coat, Manon's genetic purity is called into question and she's forced to rely on the fisherman's son, Wick, to keep her secret. But as they dance, the truth about their world starts to unravel, and Manon finds herself at the centre of it all. And the council is watching.

The Virtue Season by L M Nathan is a Young Adult novel published by Scholastic on 4 July 2024. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review as part of this #RandomThingsTours Blog Tour

Something a little different for me. It has been quite a while since I read a young adult novel. However, the blurb for this one was just so appealing that I could not resist. Set in a dystopian future, with hints of The Handmaid's Tale, I knew this one was going to be a hit. 

I have really enjoyed the experience and have much admiration for an author who can create a setting that appear so realistic and so lifelike. Add the carefully created characters and the fast moving plot and this one really is a winner. 

The story opens with a prologue that finds lead characters Agatha and Manon peeping through a window, looking in on the glittering ball that is the climax to the Virtue Season. These two girls will be taking part in the ball themselves in a the future and whilst Agatha is excited about the thought, it is clear that Manon has her doubts. 

This is not the world as we know it.  It is a land that has been ravaged by nature, with flooding that destroyed the land, followed by blistering heat and raging winds. Everything failed and the population suffered greatly, and then the final flood arrived. 

The remaining lands became divided, with wars and death. It was decided that only the healthy can survive and the decommissionings began. 

Agatha and Manon find themselves on opposite sides. Agatha's health issues means that she and Manon will not spend their adult lives as friends. They are now different. Manon will be paired with a partner to suit, whilst Agatha will be left to fend for herself. 

This is a story told from both points of view, and I have to admit that I did prefer Agatha. I guess I always shout for the underdog, but her journey felt much more of a struggle, more real and more interesting. 

Whilst nowhere near as brutal as The Handmaid's Tale, which should be expected for a novel aimed at young adults, this is a extremely well written story of speculative fiction. There are themes and issues that are explored well and most certainly relate to our current world. With a touch of romance to brighten the darkness, The Virtue Season is a story to savour. A quick read for me, but very satisfying. 

L.M. Nathan grew up in the East Midlands, moving from there to Bristol where she
studied English and Drama and then to Malta where she completed an MA in Literature. She also has an MA in Journalism which she studied for in Manchester.

She now lives in rural Lancashire, in the shadow of Pendle Hill, and teaches English.

Her first novel, The Virtue Season, was inspired by the wild landscape of home and completed when she was selected to be part of the Curtis Brown Creative novel course.

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