The Secrets We Share by Emma Hannigan

Clara Conway is a woman with secrets.

But consequently Clara's family is in the process of falling apart. Her son Max emigrated to the US with his young family years ago and she has yet to meet her teenage granddaughter, Nathalie ... because Max and his mother no longer speak.

Meanwhile Clara's daughter  Ava is fighting to find a little happiness and when Clara unexpectedly reaches out to Nathalie and her niece comes to visit, her thoughts turn to Max, the brother she loved and lost. The brother whose abrupt disappearance left the Conway family heartbroken.

Can Nathalie's time with her grandmother start to right some very old wrongs? And can Clara find a way to reach out to Max and thereby begin to heal the whole family once more?

After all, some secrets are meant to be shared ...

The Secrets We Share by Emma Hannigan is published by Headline on 9 April 2015 and is the author's ninth novel.

I really enjoy fiction written by Irish women authors, I am a huge fan of Marian Keyes, Patricia Scanlan, Sheila O Flanagan, Anna McPartlin, and there are many many more. I've no idea how I've missed Emma Hannigan's writing in the past, but I'm delighted that I've discovered her through this wonderful novel and I'm quite excited that there are another eight of her books out there for me to read.

The Secrets We Share is the story of a family, and is led by Clara Conway. Clara is eighty, she's been a successful business woman, a devoted wife and a loving mother. Her family have had their problems over the years, and Clara decides that it's time to finally lay things to rest.

Clara's son Max left home over twenty years ago and has never returned. His sister Ava is a troubled, unhappy woman who exudes style and glamour on the outside, but inside she is battling with many demons. Ava was hurt dreadfully when Max left, and finds it difficult to forgive him for the heartbreak his departure caused.

When Clara tracks down Max and his family in America and discovers that she has a seventeen-year-old grand daughter Nathalie, she becomes determined to heal the rifts that have torn apart her family.

Nathalie herself is troubled; she is grieving and confused, and the last thing she expected was to hear from a grandmother who she thought had died many years before. Nor does she want to travel from stylish LA to some back street town in rural Ireland. Despite her fears and her objections, Nathalie arrives at her grandmother's house, and she and Clara start to get to know each other.

Nathalie does not just find her living relatives, she also uncovers secrets from Clara's past. Secrets that have been hidden for many years and that have shaped this family, and caused the rift.

I become totally engrossed in this story which on the face of it appears to be a fairly light read, and whilst it is a very easy read, the author deals with some hard-hitting and sensitive issues, giving the story a depth that I really did not expect.

Emma Hannigan's writing is warm and sincere, she loosely based the plot of The Secrets We Share on her own family history, and the realism and authenticity of her story shines through.

The characters who populate the story are wonderful; Clara is wise, yet sad, she knows that she has made mistakes over the years, and that her actions have caused harm, yet she has learned from this and is determined to make things right. She is quirky and funny and a little bit over the top. Clara's daughter Ava was possibly my favourite character; a complex woman who has hidden depths that she hides from everyone, even herself. Ava stumbles from one disaster to another, never learning and dogged in her desire never to be hurt again. Nathalie is bright and enquiring, she is sad and confused, but has inherited her grandmother's wise ways.

The Secrets We Share is emotional, endearing and very enjoyable. Emma Hannigan is a gifted storyteller. I enjoyed this story so very much.

My thanks to Lovereading who sent my copy for review.

Emma Hannigan is the author of nine bestselling novels including Keeping Mum and a bestelling memoir, Talk to the Headscarf which charted her journey through cancer. 

Emma lives in Bray, Ireland, with her husband and two children.


For more about Emma, visit her website www.emmahannigan.com or follow her on Twitter @MsEmmaHannigan.

Marina by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

In May 1980, 15-year-old Oscar Drai suddenly vanishes from his boarding school in the old quarter of Barcelona. For seven days and nights no one knows his whereabouts...

His story begins in the heart of old Barcelona, when he meets Marina and her father German Blau, a portrait painter. Marina takes Oscar to a cemetery to watch a macabre ritual that occurs on the fourth Sunday of each month. At 10 a.m. precisely a coach pulled by black horses appears. From it descends a woman dressed in black, her face shrouded, wearing gloves, holding a single rose. She walks over to a gravestone that bears no name, only the mysterious emblem of a black butterfly with open wings.

When Oscar and Marina decide to follow her they begin a journey that will take them to the heights of a forgotten, post-war Barcelona, a world of aristocrats and actresses, inventors and tycoons; and a dark secret that lies waiting in the mysterious labyrinth beneath the city streets.

Marina is the fourth and last of Carlos Ruiz Zafon's novels for Young Adults and was written in 1997. Marina is translated to English by Lucia Graves and was published in paperback by Weidenfeld & Nicolson in the UK on 12 February 2015.

The Shadow of the Wind trilogy by Carlos Ruiz Zafon is a huge favourite of mine, my beautiful hardback copies take pride of place on my bookshelf and I was delighted to find that Marina is set in the familiar surroundings of Barcelona.

Fifteen-year-old Oscar is a boarder at a school in Barcelona and enjoys his illicit wanderings through the beautiful city, He loves to discover the winding side streets, the small parks, the beautiful buildings. One day Oscar happens upon a house he has not seen before, and it is there that he meets Marina. Marina and her German father live a strange and solitary life in their almost derelict, but fascinating house. Oscar is bewitched by them, and by Marina especially.

When Oscar and Marina follow a mysterious woman from the nearby cemetery, they have no idea what they are letting themselves in for. This is just the beginning of their journey.

Carlos Ruiz Zafon is a master of gothic creepiness which touches on horror. He can create places and scenes that leap from the page and engulf the reader. His descriptions of Barcelona and it's inhabitants are wonderful, and coupled with a tense and exciting storyline, this really is the perfect read.

Marina is a graceful, suspenseful, characterful story that will thrill existing fans and tempt new ones.

My thanks to Leanne at Orion who sent my copy for review.


Carlos Ruiz Zaf?n is the author of six novels, including the international phenomenon The Shadow of the Wind, and The Angel's Game. 

His work has been published in more than forty different languages, and honoured with numerous international awards. 

He divides his time between Barcelona, Spain, and Los Angeles, California.

Satans & Shaitans by Obinna Udenwe

Set against the backdrop of Nigeria's ongoing terrorism tensions, Satans and Shaitans tells the story of two powerful men, Chief Donald Amechi and world acclaimed televangelist, Chris Chuba, both members of an internationally renowned occult, the Sacred Order of the Universal Forces. 

Members of the occult from Southern Nigeria, desperate to gain control of their country, deceive an Islamic terrorist organisation into carrying out attacks in order to undermine and overrule the Nigerian President. 

This powerful story is one of morality, choices and consequence. 

Satans & Shaitans by Obinna Udenwe was published on 27 November 2014 by Jacaranda Books.


This novel is so far away from my usual choice of story, it's a leap out of my comfort zone, yet the blurb on the back really tempted me. I knew that I was in for a challenge, but I was determined that I wanted to read this one. I have always had a keen interest in other cultures and religions, and this story of terrorism, the occult and nationalism opens up a whole new world for me as a reader.

One of the most important elements of Satans & Shaitans is love. This is a love story, it is the story of two young people whose fathers are involved in the occult and whose desire for power in this turbulent country makes them terrorists.

Obinna Udenwe's writing is uncomplicated and simple to follow, the complexities of terror, jihad and culture within Nigeria are gently unfolded, and the reader is guided through these. There were times that I became confused, especially with the names, but his writing is very engaging, and I soon found my way back around the plot.

There is a lot going on in Satans & Shaitans; from murder to conspiracy theory, from love affair to undercover occult organisations, and whilst the writing flows easily, the plot is huge and the story covers lots of issues.

I am pleased that I read this story, and I feel that I know a little more about Nigeria, and the issues there, the author writes with authority and authenticity.

My thanks to Jazzmine from Jacaranda Books who sent my copy for review.

Obinna Udenwe is one of the most prolific young short story writers in Southern Nigeria. 
Born in Abakaliki to a political family, Obinna became politically active at a young age, leading Ebonyi State Children’s Parliament. 
In 2014 Obinna was named State Literary Icon and has been recognised for his services to youth development and democracy. 
He appears in various national and local Nigerian radio, TV and print media, and international blogs, on key issues such as terrorism, youth unemployment, entrepreneurship, children’s rights and governance. 
His stories have appeared in 2013 Stories Naija Anthology, The Short Story is Dead, Long Live the Short Story and Dreams at Dawn. He has also written for several literary magazines, including The Kalahari Review, Tribe-write, Flair Magazine, Brittle Paper, Outside in Literary & Travel Magazine, ANA Review, and more

Follow him on Twitter @udenweobinna   
Find out more on his blog http://obinnaudenwe.blogspot.co.uk/

The A - Z of You and Me by James Hannah

Ivo fell for her.

He fell for a girl he can’t get back.

Now he’s hoping for something.

While he waits he plays a game:

He chooses a body part and tells us its link to the past he threw away.

He tells us the story of how she found him, and how he lost her.

But he doesn't have long.

And he still has one thing left to do ...

The A - Z of You and Me by James Hannah is published in hardback by Doubleday (Transworld) on 12 March 2015.

Over the past few years there do seem to have been a glut of books that deal with death, and with people dying. There have been lots of teenage deaths, coming of age stories that end in death and are marred by terrible illness. The A-Z of You and Me is a story narrated by a dying man, but it is a story of a life, rather than a death. It is a story that is hard hitting and full on. There are no passages of misty-eyed revelations here, or looking back and discovering that life really had been wonderful. No, this is a narrative that is full of mistakes, regrets and to some extent, hopelessness.

Ivo is in a hospice, he is not in a good way. He struggles to concentrate, he has many regrets and many sadnesses, he realises that life really is what you make it, and he's realised that maybe he didn't make the best of the past forty years. His down-to-earth, but incredibly caring nurse Sheila gives him a challenge, she tells him about the A-Z Game. Think of a part of the body that starts with each letter of the alphabet, and tell a story, or relate a memory about it.

The A-Z Game takes up a lot of thinking time, and James Hannah has created this very modern and touching story around the game. Slowly and steadily, Ivo reveals his past, and his present to the reader. It takes a while to learn just why Ivo is in the hospice, and what happened to destroy the relationship with his sister, and why the crocheted blanket that he keeps by his side is so very important to him, and to his memories.

James Hannah writes with a bluntness that can be startling, but coupled with the setting and the extraordinarily likeable characters, it really does work. The story is sad, yet it is uplifting. The characters are flawed, yet human. The setting is a place of endings, yet is beautifully calm, and at times filled with humour and lots of love.

I was very impressed by this novel, and by the creative way that it was constructed. It is a delight to read and to recommend to others.

My thanks go to Kate Green from Transworld who sent my copy for review.  The A - Z of You and Me has also been chosen as the next book for the Curtis Brown Book Group and I really look forward to the online chat with James Hannah, and other readers at the end of this month.


James Hannah divides his time between London and Shropshire, UK. 
He has a Master's degree in Beckett Studies from the Beckett International Foundation at Reading University. 
His first novel, 'The A to Z of You and Me' is published by Doubleday in 2015.

Find out more at www.Jameshannah.com  follow him on Twitter @JamesHannah

The Page by M Jonathan Lee

Following a tragic car accident, Michael Sewell is alone for the first time. The loss of his wife, Margaret, after thirty years of marriage has left a hole far greater than Michael could have imagined. 

Persuaded to go on holiday by his daughter Jane, he's at the pool when a page blown from a book sticks to his chest. 

The words from the page resonate with Michael, describing in detail the exact events leading up to the accident. 

Now, Michael must delve into his past and face his future, taking him and his family on a horrifying and tragic journey toward the truth... 

The Page combines dark humour with a racing storyline, as the reader tries to work out what will happen to the main character before he does. M. Jonathan Lee has been compared to Mark Haddon, Nick Hornby and Rachel Joyce.

The Page by M Jonathan Lee was published through Matador (Troubador Publishing) earlier this year. I have only just discovered that The Page is the second part of a trilogy, the first; The Radio was published in 2013. I haven't read The Radio and I thought that The Page works well as a standalone novel. I have since read the blurb from the first book, and realise now that it may be best to read that one first. Don't let that put you off though!

The Page is unlike anything that I've read before. Primarily a thriller, it's also a dark and witty tale, with possibly one of the most obnoxious and quite cruel lead characters that I've ever come across.

Michael is holidaying alone. Margaret, his wife of over thirty years was killed in a car accident a few months ago and his daughter Jane arranged this trip to Spain for him. Michael has always been in control, he has always made all of the decisions. Life for him has been one where everyone around him bowed to his wishes, and if anything displeased him, or didn't fit into his idea of a perfect world, then he got rid of the problem.

Michael doesn't really know how to relax, especially not in this family-centred mass tourist resort in Spain. He is annoyed by the children, by the other adult guests and by the food. Spain is too hot, they don't serve good whisky and the pool is far too crowded. Oh, and it gets windy too. A particularly strong gust of wind blows a book's pages all over the poolside and Michael ends up with one page stuck to his sun lotion oiled chest. When Michael reads this random page from a random book he is shocked and quite frightened; this page details his life and the last sentence scares him.

The Page details Michaels quest to track down the remainder of the book, to try to find out just what happens next. This is an intriguing premise, and although it is the central theme of the story, for me, the beauty of this novel is everything that goes on around Michael and the other characters in thes story.

M Jonathan Lee has a wonderful way with words, his descriptive prose is stunning, but not overdone. In fact, his writing can be very abrupt and quite sparse, but I like that - why use 50 words when 10 carefully chosen ones can do the same job?

"Lynne, a lady in her forties, had a shock of blond hair. She wore thick red lipstick which had the consistency of pate.  Her eyelids were painted a shiny light blue. Her fingernails, which extended claw-like, were painted to match her lips. She smiled in a way that suggested that any joy she experienced in life was categorically outside of the workplace."

The reader is taken back to key points in Michael's life; starting work, meeting his wife Margaret, becoming a parent, and each event clearly shows the intricacies of Michael's somewhat appalling character. We meet his daughter Jane, we become involved in her life and her work and her desperation to please her father.

The Page ended quite abruptly, with some questions unanswered, with some characters still mysterious. I don't mind that, I love a story that makes me think, and ponder and wonder what the hell just happened!

Unusual, quirky, well written with characters that the reader will love and hate in equal measures. I'm a fan!

My thanks to the author who sent my copy for review.

M. Jonathan Lee (also known as Jonathan Lee) was born in 1974. He was born in Barnsley where he still lives today. In between juggling a full-time job, looking after five children and feeding two cats, he writes stories. 

His first novel, The Radio was shortlisted for The Novel Prize 2012 and is the first in the loosely titled The 'The' trilogy. His second novel, The Page is released in February 2015. he is currently working on his third novel, the catchily titled A Tiny Feeling of Fear or The Two Sides of One.

Accompanying The Page is a huge competition to win a share of the author's royalties. It is believed that this is the first competition of its kind.

He has extensively toured The Radio, speaking at various literary festivals including Turn the Page and Off the Shelf. He is a regular guest on BBC Radio Sheffield's comedy show Live-ish and is hoping one day that writing will become his full time career.

More details including contact information and competition entries can be found at his website: www.jonathanleeauthor.com

Check out his Facebook page      Follow him on Twitter @J0n4th4n_Lee

Get in Character 2015 with CLIC Sargent

Get in Character 2015

Have your name immortalised in your favourite author’s book with CLIC Sargent's Get In Character eBay auction, and help us to support children and young people with cancer. Let's get bidding!

Your name, their book

CLIC Sargent’s 'Get in Character' fundraising campaign is running for a second year, giving you - or a loved one - the chance to appear in a book as a character name.

We also have an exclusive opportunity for you to bid to win lunch with transatlantic quadruple number one bestselling author Lee Child, creator of the award-winning 19 book series of novels about Jack Reacher. 

There is also the chance to get your hands on signed book bundles from Liane Moriarty, Sarah Addison-Allen, Lucy Dillion, Jodi Picoult, Jojo Moyes and Anthony Horowitz.

Aspiring writers can even bid to have their work critiqued by best-selling authors Claire Dyer, Alison Bruce,  Eve Seymour, Kate Rhodes and Colette McBeth. Proceeds from the auction will help CLIC Sargent to support children and young people with cancer, and their families.

The auction

Whatever genre you love to read – be it crime, chick-lit, thriller or romance saga – we have a fantastic selection of authors taking part in a unique 10-day auction that starts 8pm on Thursday 26 February 2015 until 8pm on Sunday 8 March 2015:

Phillipa Ashley	Nicci French	Holly Martin
Tara Bond	Elly Griffiths	Andy McNab
Chris Carter	Penny Hancock	Jean Oram
Lee Child	Sarah Hilary	Kate Riordan
Julie Cohen	Cathy Kelly	Jimmy Rice and Laura Tait
Tammy Cohen	Anouska Knight	Talli Roland
Rowan Coleman	Liane Moriarty	C.L. Taylor
Lucy Diamond	Eva Hudson	Kate Rhodes
Maria Duffy	Peter James	Paige Toon
Clare Donoghue	Amanda Jennings	Lucy Robinson
Martin Edwards	Lisa Jewell	Steve Robinson
Kate Ellis	Milly Johnson	Mel Sherratt
Julie Farrell	Simon Kernick	Lucie Whitehouse
Katie Fforde	Susan Lewis
Jemma Forte	Rachael Lucas
Victoria Fox	Clare Mackintosh

Get bidding!

Last year, the Get in Character auction raised £3,500 to help CLIC Sargent provide clinical, practical and emotional support to children, young people with cancer and their families. Help us beat that amount so that we can help more children!

Best–selling writer and former SAS Sergeant Andy McNab said: “I’m thrilled to be taking part in Get in Character again this year and helping raise money for CLIC Sargent.

“In 2014 the auction to be named in my book The New Enemy raised an incredible £500, so I jumped at the chance to be involved again.

"It’s a fantastic opportunity for booklovers to make their mark on a book, and something they can be proud of."

Find out more

To be kept up-to-date with all the latest news on Get in Character,
please visit http://www.clicsargent.org.uk/content/get-character-2015