The Shot by Sarah Sultoon BLOG TOUR #TheShot @SarahSultoon @OrendaBooks #BookReview

 

Samira is an up-and-coming TV journalist, working the nightshift at a major news channel and yearning for greater things. So when she’s offered a trip to the Middle East, with Kris, the station’s brilliant but impetuous star photographer, she leaps at the chance

 In the field together, Sami and Kris feel invincible, shining a light into the darkest of corners  … except the newsroom, and the rest of the world, doesn’t seem to care as much as they do. Until Kris takes the photograph. 

 With a single image of young Sudanese mother, injured in a raid on her camp, Sami and the genocide in Darfur are catapulted into the limelight. But everything is not as it seems, and the shots taken by Kris reveal something deeper and much darker … something that puts not only their careers but their lives in mortal danger.

 Sarah Sultoon brings all her experience as a CNN news executive to bear on this shocking, searingly authentic thriller, which asks immense questions about the world we live in. You'll never look at a news report in the same way again...  

The Shot by Sarah Sultoon is published in paperback by Orenda Books on 28 April 2022, the ebook was published on 2 April. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review as part of this Blog Tour.

The Shot is Sarah Sultoon's second novel. I read and really enjoyed her first book; The Source, and have been looking forward to seeing what she comes up with next. 

Sultoon is an incredibly talented author, she creates stories that propel the reader into the thick of the action from the very first pages. This is, at times, a harrowing and difficult book to read. Sultoon has drawn on her own extensive experiences of working in international newsrooms and everything is laid bare.

The Shot is so very relevant at this time. Many times as I was reading the book, I looked up to see news reports from Ukraine on my TV screen. I have always had such respect for the men and women who go out into the field so that the rest of the world can see what is happening. There is no doubt that images captured from war correspondent photographers will always become iconic.

Sami is a young reporter, just starting out in a career in the news. She currently works the night shift, producing graphics for stories that other people will tell. She's passionate about her work, about current affairs, and especially about the atrocities of war. She's desperate to get out, to see more and to bring back her own stories. 

Kris is a well respected war photographer. His photos have become famous world wide. He's blunt, direct, almost battle weary at times. Returning home after sustaining an injury whilst on a shoot is not what he wants. Family life is difficult for him. His wife is tired of their life, his children hardly know him. The only affection he really gets is from the dog. 

When Sami is offered the once in a lifetime chance to accompany Kris on a report overseas, she is overjoyed. However, nothing is quite as she expected, and even the most brutal and graphic photographs and film have not prepared her for the reality of war and the after math.  Sami is determined though, and it becomes clear that she has a talent. She can find a story and she can relate that story. 

It is a photograph taken on a trip to Dafur with Kris that will change everything, for Sami and for Kris. 

This is a novel about people. It is an incredibly well written and perceptive study of people who spend their time witnessing the most terrible atrocities that man can produce. It's a story that shows the real impact of war, on those people who do not actively fight in it, but are central to it. It's distressing, painful and quite agonisingly brutal in parts. It is also astute and penetrating, evoking feelings that are long lasting and hard to shake off. 

A provocative mix of actual events and fictional characters. Sarah Sultoon is a new and welcome voice in what can be a very crowded genre. The Shot is riveting and relentless. Highly recommended.

Sarah Sultoon is a journalist and writer, whose work as an international news executive at CNN has taken her all over the world, from the seats of power in both Westminster and Washington to the frontlines of Iraq and Afghanistan. 

She has extensive experience in conflict zones, winning three Peabody awards for her work on the war in Syria, an Emmy for her contribution to the coverage of Europe’s migrant crisis in 2015, and a number of Royal Television Society gongs. 

As passionate about fiction as nonfiction, she recently completed a Masters of Studies in Creative Writing at the University of Cambridge, adding to an undergraduate language degree in French and Spanish, and Masters of Philosophy in History, Film and Television. 

When not reading or writing she can usually be found somewhere outside, either running, swimming or throwing a ball for her three children and dog while she imagines what might happen if... 

Her debut thriller The Source is currently in production with Lime Pictures, and was a Capital Crime Book Club pick and a number one bestseller on Kindle.

Twitter @SultoonSarah

The Last House on the Street by Diane Chamberlain #TheLastHouseOnTheStreet #DianeChamberlain @headlinepg @RosieMargesson #BookReview

 

1965. A young white female student becomes involved in the fight for civil rights in North Carolina, falling in love with one of her fellow activists, a Black man, in a time and place where an interracial relationship must be hidden from family, friends and especially the reemerging Ku Klux Klan. As tensions rise in the town, she realises not everyone is who they appear to be.

2010. A recently widowed architect moves into the home she and her late husband designed, heartbroken that he will never cross the threshold. But when disturbing things begin to happen, it's clear that someone is sending her a warning. Who is trying to frighten her away, and why?

Decades later, past and present are set to collide in the last house on the street...

The Last House on the Street by Diane Chamberlain was published in hardback by Headline Review on 20 January 2022, the paperback will be published on 4 August 2022. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review. 

What an absolute treat this book is. I've enjoyed many of Diane Chamberlain's novels, although haven't caught up with her more recent ones until this one, and it's a dual timeline - my absolute favourite way of reading a story. There's something so clever about an author who can create a story that is so seamless, yet is set over fifty years apart. Her ability to capture the past, along with writing an up to date narrative is just wonderful.

The 1965 story is one that provoked so many feelings in me. As with most of Chamberlain's books, this is based upon North Carolina, USA, although the author names her county Derby County. Those were troubled times. Segregation was still a thing, and white supremacist groups such as the KKK were vocal in the area. Young Ellie comes from a fairly wealthy family in a small town in the County. She lives with her mother, and her father, the local pharmacist and her brother Buddy. Ellie is dating, she's studying hard to follow her father into the pharmacy, she has friends and is pretty content. 

When Ellie learns about the SCOPE organisation, she is enraptured. Civil rights workers, mainly young people and both black and white are working to enable black people to use their vote. It's a dangerous thing to do, especially for a young white girl from this town, but Ellie is determined to be part of this program. Leaving town to undertake her induction causes so much grief, her friends and family turn their backs on her and her beau is distraught. 

Ellie becomes a valued member of SCOPE. Risking everything to do the work that she believes in. Having to dodge people who look just like her and creating new relationships with people that she would never have met ordinarily.

In 2010, Kayla and her young daughter have just moved into their dream home. It's the house that Kayla always wanted, designed and built by her and her husband. Tragedy struck before they moved in, and now it's just Kayla and her daughter, alone. The house is set amongst woodland, and is not far from where Kayla grew up, her father lives not far away. 

Strange events have been happening, not least the appearance of a strange, red haired woman in Kayla's office. Kayla is perturbed and uneasy and regretting her decision to move into the house. 

At first glance, it is difficult to work out how Ellie and Layla's stories connect, but this clever author slowly reveals tiny things that join them together, culminating in an explosive and quite tragic event that rocked the community, but has been covered up for so many years. 

This is a beautifully written, insightful novel that taught me so much. The horrors of segregation are laid bare, and realising that US laws are presently being passed, in 2022, that will make things difficult for black people to vote is so distressing. 

Both Ellie and Kayla are strong women, carefully created and impossible not to support. For me, the 1960s part of the story was the strongest; the wealth of historical detail is fascinating and at times, quite horrifying. I did enjoy Kayla's story too and enjoyed the way that the author cleverly linked her to Ellie. 

Highly recommended by me

Diane Chamberlain is the New York Times, USA Today and (London) Sunday Times best-selling author of 27 novels.

The daughter of a school principal who supplied her with a new book almost daily, Diane quickly learned the emotional power of story. Although she wrote many small “books” as a child, she didn’t seriously turn to writing fiction until her early thirties when she was waiting for a delayed doctor’s appointment with nothing more than a pad, a pen, and an idea. She was instantly hooked.

Diane was born and raised in Plainfield, New Jersey and lived for many years in both San Diego and northern Virginia. She received her master’s degree in clinical social work from San Diego State University. Prior to her writing career, she was a hospital social worker in both San Diego and Washington, D.C, and a psychotherapist in private practice in Alexandria, Virginia, working primarily with adolescents.

More than two decades ago, Diane was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, which changed the way she works: She wrote two novels using voice recognition software before new medication allowed her to get back to typing. She feels fortunate that her arthritis is not more severe and that she’s able to enjoy everyday activities as well as keep up with a busy travel schedule.

Diane lives in North Carolina with her significant other, photographer John Pagliuca, and their odd but lovable Shetland Sheepdog, Cole.

Please visit Diane's website at www.dianechamberlain.com for her event schedule and for more information on her novels.

The Way of the Worm by Ramsey Campbell @ramseycampbell1 #TheWayOfTheWorm @flametreepress @RandomTTours #Win #Prize #Competition #Giveaway

 

Book 3 in the Three Births of Daoloth trilogy.

The present day, or something very like it. Dominic Sheldrake has retired from lecturing and lives on his own. His son Toby is married with a small daughter. The occultist Noble family are more active than ever. Their cult now openly operates as the Church of the Eternal Three, and has spread worldwide. The local branch occupies the top floors of Starview Tower, a Liverpool waterfront skyscraper. To Dominic’s dismay, Toby and his wife Claudine are deeply involved in it, and he suspects they are involving their small daughter Macy too.

Dominic lets his son persuade him to attend a meeting of the church, where he encounters all three generations of the Nobles. Although Christian Noble is almost a century old, he’s more vigorous than ever – inhumanly so. The family takes turns to preach an apocalyptic sermon that hints at dark secrets masked by the Bible and at the future that lies in wait. In a bid to investigate further Dominic undergoes the rite the church offers its members, which confers the ability to travel psychically through time. Before he’s able to flee back to the present he has a vision of the monstrous fate that’s in store for the world.

Dominic discovers a secret he’s sure the Nobles won’t want to be made public. Although he has retired from the police, Jim helps him establish the truth, and Roberta publishes it on her online blog. It’s the subject of a court case, the results of which seem to defeat the Nobles, only for them to return in a dreadfully transformed shape. Now Dominic and his friends are at their mercy, and is there anywhere in the world to hide? Even if they manage somehow to deal with the Nobles, there may be no escaping or preventing the alien apocalypse that all the events of the trilogy have been bringing ever closer...

The Way of the Worm by Ramsey Campbell was published on 29 March 2022 by Flame Tree Press. As part of this #RandomThingsTours Blog Tour, I have one copy to give away.

Entry is simple, just fill out the competition widget in the blog post

GOOD LUCK!

One copy of The Way of the Worm by Ramsey Campbell

Ramsey Campbell was born in Liverpool in 1946 and still lives on Merseyside. The Oxford
Companion to English Literature describes him as “Britain’s most respected living horror writer”. He has been given more awards than any other writer in the field, including the Grand Master Award of the World Horror Convention, the Lifetime Achievement Award of the Horror Writers Association, the Living Legend Award of the International Horror Guild and the World Fantasy Lifetime Achievement Award. 

In 2015 he was made an Honorary Fellow of Liverpool John Moores University for outstanding services to literature. Among his novels are The Face That Must Die, Incarnate, Midnight Sun, The Count of Eleven, Silent Children, The Darkest Part of the Woods, The Overnight, Secret Story, The Grin of the Dark, Thieving Fear, Creatures of the Pool, The Seven Days of Cain, Ghosts Know, The Kind Folk, Think Yourself Lucky and Thirteen Days by Sunset Beach. Needing Ghosts, The Last Revelation of Gla’aki, The Pretence and The Booking are novellas.

His collections include Waking Nightmares, Alone with the Horrors, Ghosts and Grisly Things, Told by the Dead, Just Behind You and Holes for Faces, and his non-fiction is collected as Ramsey Campbell, Probably. Limericks of the Alarming and Phantasmal are what they sound like. His novels The Nameless and Pact of the Fathers have been filmed in Spain, where a film of The Influence is in production. He is the President of the Society of Fantastic Films.

Twitter @ramseycampbell1

AWARDS: 

“The Chimney”, World Fantasy Award, Best Short Story, 1978  

“In The Bag”, British Fantasy Award, Best Short Story, 1978 

The Parasite, British Fantasy Award, Best Novel, 1980 

“Mackintosh Willy”, World Fantasy Award, Best Short Story, 1980 

Incarnate, British Fantasy Award, Best Novel, 1985 

The Hungry Moon, British Fantasy Award, Best Novel, 1988  

The Influence, British Fantasy Award, Best Novel, 1989 and Premios Gigamesh, 1994 (for Spanish translation, Ultratumba) 

Ancient Images, Children of the Night Award for Best Novel, 1989 

Midnight Sun, British Fantasy Award, Best Novel, 1991 

Best New Horror (co-edited with Stephen Jones), British Fantasy Award and World Fantasy Award, Best Anthology or Collection, 1991  

Alone With The Horrors, Stoker Award of the Horror Writers of America, Best Collection, 1994 and World Fantasy Award, Best Collection, 1994 

The Long Lost, British Fantasy Award, Best Novel, 1994 

Liverpool Daily Post & Echo Award for Literature, 1994 

Premio alla Carriera a Ramsey Campbell (Prize for the Career of Ramsey Campbell), Fantafestival, Rome, 1995  

The House On Nazareth Hill, Best Novel, International Horror Guild, 1998 

Grand Master Award, World Horror Convention, Atlanta, Georgia, 1999  

Lifetime Achievement Award of the Horror Writers Association, 1999  

Ghosts And Grisly Things, British Fantasy Award, Best Collection, 1999  

Ramsey Campbell, Probably, Best Non-Fiction, International Horror Guild, 2002 and Stoker Award of the Horror Writers of America, Superior Achievement in Non-Fiction, 2002 and British Fantasy Award, Best Collection, 2002 Told By The Dead, British Fantasy Award, Best Collection, 2003  

Howie Award of the H. P. Lovecraft Film Festival for Lifetime Achievement, 2006 Living Legend Award of the International Horror Guild, 2007 

The Grin Of The Dark, British Fantasy Award, Best Novel, 2008  

Honorary Fellowship of John Moores University, Liverpool, for outstanding services to literature, 2015  

Letters To Arkham, British Fantasy Award, Best Non-Fiction, 2015  

Life Achievement Award, World Fantasy Awards, 2015  

The Searching Dead, Children of the Night Award for Best Novel, 2016 

Premio Sheridan Le Fanu for Campbell’s career, 2017 (given in Madrid)

FLAME TREE PRESS is the imprint of long-standing Independent Flame Tree Publishing,
dedicated to full-length original fiction in the horror and suspense, science fiction & fantasy, and crime / mystery / thriller categories. 

The list brings together fantastic new authors and the more established; the award winners, and exciting, original voices. 

Learn more about Flame Tree Press at www.flametreepress.com and connect on social media @flametreepress

Dead Secret by Noelle Holten #DeadSecret @nholten40 @0neMoreChapter_ @HarperCollinsUK #DCMaggieJamieson #BookReview

 

Psychopaths can take root in the unlikeliest soil…

DC Maggie Jamieson crosses paths once again with Probation Officer Lucy Sherwood when a domestic violence survivor stumbles into her new refuge, unable to speak, desperate for help.

Then another case hits Maggie’s desk. A young man has been murdered, and a curious constellation of black dots has been inked onto his cheek.

That’s when DCI Hastings goes missing and Maggie uncovers a shocking connection that turns the case on its head.

Every family may hide secrets, but not every family buries them…

Dead Secret by Noelle Holten was published in paperback on 22 July 2021 by One More Chapter. I purchased my copy online. 

Dead Secret is the fourth in the DC Maggie Jamieson series, and whilst it would be highly beneficial and very enjoyable for you to read the three previous books in the series, this is a stand alone story that works perfectly well on its own. The writer is skilled in providing the back story to the characters, without bogging down the narrative with previous events. 

One of the main strengths in this series is the character creation. Holten has brought to life a cast of people who are often flawed, yet are totally realistic. Her female leads are particularly intriguing and with each case we learn a little more about them. The reader is not expected to love them, or to understand everything that they choose to do, but they really are formed so very well. Maybe we will recognise a bit of ourselves in them?

Maggie has a murder case to solve. It's a particularly nasty killing, a young man found dead in local woodland. He has some strange markings on his face and these raise many questions from Maggie and her team. If that's not bad enough, there's drama closer to home for the investigating team when one of their own colleagues goes missing, along with his wife and daughter. It's not long before the pressure increases as the team desperately search for them, and, are the two cases linked?

Lucy Sherwood, a character we got to know in book one of the series has finally opened her refuge for victims of domestic violence. Lucy herself is a survivor of abuse and her own trauma and experiences enable her to support other victims so well. Although not officially taking clients, Lucy cannot turn the young woman who appears at her door away. Ronnie is scared, nervous and very closed. It's clear that she has many issues, but getting any information from her proves to be difficult. 

Although at first sight, these cases all appear to be totally separate,  it soon becomes clear that there's a link between the people involved and it becomes urgent and nail biting as the team creep closer to the truth.

This is an action-packed, sometimes brutal story that is written exceedingly well. The author draws on her years of experience as a probation officer which adds such a feeling of realism and authenticity to the plot line. 

Maggie Jamieson is a character who continues to grow. She's often impetuous, very emotional and sometimes becomes too involved in her cases. Her on-going, blossoming relationship with local news reporter is fascinating; it's a real love/hate relationship that Maggie cannot seem to control. This glimpse into the private lives of the characters adds some depth and also a little relief from the action of the crime part of the novel. 

Noelle Holten goes from strength to strength. She's created a series that gets better with each book and deals with some of the darkest issues within society. I'm looking forward to more, and soon. 

Noelle Holten is an award-winning blogger at www.crimebookjunkie.co.uk. 

She is the PR & Social Media Manager for Bookouture, a leading digital publisher in the UK, and worked as a Senior Probation Officer for eighteen years, covering a variety of risk cases as well as working in a multi agency setting. 

She has three Hons BA's - Philosophy, Sociology (Crime & Deviance) and Community Justice - and a Masters in Criminology. 

Noelle's hobbies include reading, attending as many book festivals as she can afford and sharing the booklove via her blog.

Dead Inside - her debut novel with One More Chapter/Harper Collins UK is an international kindle bestseller and the start of a new series featuring DC Maggie Jamieson.

Connect with Noelle on Social Media here:

Subscribe to Newsletter: http://ow.ly/cgww50BkBtt

Twitter: @nholten40 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/noelleholtenauthor/

Blog FB page: https://www.facebook.com/crimebookjunkie/

Instagram: @author_noelleholten

Website: https://www.crimebookjunkie.co.uk

Before We Grow Old by Clare Swatman @clareswatman #BeforeWeGrowOld @BoldwoodBooks #BookReview

 

When seven-year-old Fran first met Will they knew instantly that they were made for each other. For eleven years they were inseparable, but then, at the age of eighteen, Will just upped and disappeared.

Twenty-five years later Will is back.

Is fate trying to give them a second chance?

Still nursing the heart break from all those years ago, Fran is reluctant to give Will the time of day. The price Will must pay is to tell the truth – the truth about why he left, the truth about why he’s back…

And Fran has her own secrets to hide. The time has come to decide what Fran and Will really want from life – before it’s too late.

Before We Grow Old by Clare Swatman was published on 19 January 2022 by Boldwood Books. My thanks to the author who sent my copy for review. 

I've read all of Clare Swatman's previous novels and enjoyed them. This one is her best yet, it brought a tear to my eye on more than one occasion. It's a story that is filled with joy, and heartbreak and full of love. 

Fran and Will were the best of friends as children. Their friendship developed into an all-consuming love and they looked forward to a bright future together. They loved each other so much, never imagining that they would not spend the rest of their life together. 

Twenty five years later, Fran is a single mother and Will lives thousands of miles away. Fran was devastated when Will left, out of the blue. He didn't even say goodbye in person, just wrote a letter and left. 

Will is back. A chance meeting in a local cafe brings so many emotions to the fore. Fran is still angry, she still nurses her broken heart, she has never forgotten the hurt that Will caused. Will is sorry, he tries to explain the circumstances behind his disappearance, but it's so hard for Fran. Can she give up her heart again?

As a woman reading this, I too was angry with Will. I hoped that Fran would tell him to do one, and make him suffer as much as she has. However, as the story unfolds, we come to realise that Will is hurting too. It wasn't his decision to move to the other side of the world, and he was too emotionally immature to be able to tell Fran in person. I had my suspicions about why Will had returned and these were correct, and once the reader realises just why Will has come home, they will back him, and Fran, all of the way. 

Clare Swatman really pulls on the heartstrings in this story, it could be overly sentimental, it could be too much, but her use of humour interwoven with tragedy is brilliantly done and makes this story so much more than a tale of sadness and sorrow. Yes, I shed a tear, and to be honest, that's probably because of my own grief at the time. My own personal circumstances really impacted on how this story affected me. It touched me so much. 

With characters that the reader will come to love and a plot that is filled with revelations and lots of new experiences, this is a book that I really treasured.

Clare Swatman is an author and journalist. She has had four novels published, with her most recent, Before We Grow Old, becoming an instant bestseller. She has also spent 20 years writing for women's magazines in the UK.

Her next novel, How To Save a Life, is a love story with a difference, spanning more than twenty years. It will be released on 8 June 2022.

Clare lives in Hertfordshire in the UK with her husband and two boys. Even the cat is male, which means she's destined to be outnumbered forever.

You can find out more about her books at www.clareswatmanauthor.com, or follow her on Facebook at Clare Swatman Author, Insta @clareswatmanauthor, and twitter, where she's @clareswatman

The Herd by Emily Edwards #TheHerd @emily_elgar @PenguinUKBooks @BeckyShort1 #BookReview

 

You should never judge how someone chooses to raise their child.

Elizabeth and Bryony are polar opposites but their unexpected friendship has always worked. They're the best of friends, and godmothers to each other's daughters - because they trust that the safety of their children is both of their top priority.

But what if their choice could harm your own child?

Little do they know that they differ radically over one very important issue. And when Bryony, afraid of being judged, tells what is supposed to be a harmless white lie before a child's birthday party, the consequences are more catastrophic than either of them could ever have imagined . . .

The Herd by Emily Edwards was published by Bantam Press on 3 February 2022. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review.

What a timely novel this is! We currently live in a world full of vaccine debate, with varying views being shared freely on social media. The differences between opinions are massive, with some eye-watering views posted.  Vaccine debate is not new though. There has always been the talk of whether a child should be given their immunisation shots. Again, the debate veers widely from one side to the other, with many opposing views and many stories being shared. The problem we have is, who to believe?

I am not anti-vaccine. I've had all of my childhood immunisations and my three COVID injections too. My choice. I do respect those people who make the opposite choice though, although I don't really understand why, but that's a separate debate. 

Elizabeth and Bryony are the best of friends. They live side by side on a street filled with gorgeous houses. Their husbands get on well, their children are great friends. This is an unusual pairing, these are two entirely different characters, their outlook on life differs so much.  Elizabeth's life is organised and tidy whilst Bryony prefers a more laid-back approach; it would be fair to say that she's a bit of hippy. This has never affected their friendship, they are tight and depend upon one another for many things. She share confidences and coffee, and wine. It's the perfect set up.

Elizabeth and Bryony really differ on their view of vaccine. Whilst Elizabeth's daughter Clemmie is unable to be vaccinated due to an underlying health condition, Bryony has been raised by a mother who is terrified of vaccines. Bryony's brother is severely autistic and lives away from home, her mother has always blamed his childhood jabs for his condition. This is not something the women have really openly discussed. However when Elizabeth puts conditions on those people invited to Clemmie's birthday party, the story changes. This party will be the event that changes their whole lives, causing damage that will never be repaired, both physically and emotionally. 

This is a highly charged, emotive subject and the author tackles it really well. There's no bias here, the reader is shown the feelings and reasoning for all of the characters and all of them seem valid. 

The character creation is excellent and whilst I had every sympathy for Elizabeth, I just couldn't warm to her. I much preferred Bryony, with her more relaxed way of life and easy going nature. I do love an unlikeable character though and for me, this just added a depth that increased my enjoyment, because deep down, I agreed with Elizabeth ... however, there's a startling revelation that really does change everything. 

A book to savour and to think about, a story that raises so many questions, but doesn't give an answer. That's for the reader to do.  Told with compassion and warmth, I really enjoyed this one. 

After studying at Edinburgh University, Emily Edwards worked for a think tank in New York before returning to London where she worked as a support worker for vulnerable women at a large charity. She now lives in Lewes, East Sussex with her endlessly patient husband and her two endlessly energetic young sons.

The inspiration for The Herd came when she was eight months pregnant with her first son, and her husband and their vaccine-hesitant doula had an impassioned 'debate' about vaccination in their garden. As she sat there with her hands over her huge stomach listening to them both, Emily realized this was an issue which impacts us all and that it would make a brilliant topic for a novel.

www.emilyelgaredwards.co.uk

Twitter @emily_elgar

The Empty Room by Brian McGilloway #TheEmptyRoom @BrianMcGilloway @LittleBrownUK #ConstableCrime #BookReview

 

Pandora - Dora - Condron wakes one morning to discover her 17-year old daughter Ellie, has not come home after a party.

The day Ellie disappears, Dora is alone as her husband Eamon has already left for the day in his job as a long-distance lorry driver. So Dora does the usual things: rings around Ellie's friends... but no one knows where she is. Her panic growing, Dora tries the local hospitals and art college where Ellie is a student - but then the police arrive on her doorstep with the news her daughter's handbag has been discovered dumped in a layby.

So begins Dora's ordeal of waiting and not knowing what has become of her girl. Eamon's lack of empathy and concern, Dora realises, is indicative of the state of their marriage, and left on her own, Dora begins to reassess everything she thought she knew about her family and her life. Increasingly isolated and disillusioned with the police investigation, Dora feels her grip on reality slipping as she takes it upon herself to find her daughter - even if it means tearing apart everything and everybody she had ever loved, and taking justice into her own hands.

The Empty Room by Brian McGilloway was published by Constable / Little Brown on 31 March 2022. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review.

I read The Empty Room in one huge gulp during a five hour plane journey and it enriched my journey so much. It's a crime novel with a simple premise, about ordinary people, and is done so very well. The slow burn feel is excellently presented, as our lead character Dora discovers more about herself and her family. 

It's a regular day. Dora's husband Eamon has just left on one of his long-distance journeys. he's a lorry driver, delivering goods all over Europe. Dora has one daughter, Ellie. She and Ellie are the best of friends and whilst Eamon is not Ellie's natural father, he's been around a long time. They are a pretty average family. 

Ellie is not in the house. It seems that she didn't return home after leaving the previous evening to go to a party with her best friend Amy. Dora is puzzled and a little alarmed, this is not usual behaviour for Ellie. She rings around her friends with no joy. At first, the police don't seem that concerned; it's usual behaviour for teenage girls, in their view. However, it's Eamon's reaction that really unsettles Dora. He doesn't seem to be concerned at all, brushing off her concerns with platitudes.

Frustrated by the lack of action from the police, Dora begins to delve deeper into Ellie's recent activities and what she discovers shocks her. Secrets kept and new friendships hidden from her mother, Ellie's recent behaviours just don't match up to the girl that Dora thought she knew. Eventually Eamon does return home and when the police begin to get their act together and take some action, Dora's world crumbles around her.

The discovery of events that have been kept from her shatter her. She begins to question all that she is and has been and a multitude of emotions flood her head. Guilt, anger, frustration and grief all mingle together, but also spur her on to find answers to the increasing number of questions that she has. 

Brian McGilloway lays bear the grief of the parent. Dora's feelings are raw and this author is so talented when relaying those to the reader. The utter anguish felt by Dora as the story progresses increases page by page. 

This is a story of pain, grief and revenge and it's utterly compelling. The tiny details are all there, the slow deterioration of Dora's life and her mind are incredibly well handled. It's a page turner that is totally convincing and masterfully written. Highly recommended. 

Brian McGilloway was born in Derry, Northern Ireland in 1974. After studying English at Queen's University, Belfast, he taught in St Columb's College in Derry, where he was Head of English before taking up a post in Holy Cross College in Strabane.

His first novel, Borderlands, published by Macmillan New Writing, was shortlisted for the CWA New Blood Dagger 2007 and was hailed by The Times as 'one of (2007's) most impressive debuts.' The second novel in the series, Gallows Lane, was shortlisted for the 2009 Irish Book Awards/Ireland AM Crime Novel of the Year. The third Devlin, Bleed a River Deep, was selected by Publishers Weekly as one of their Best Books of 2010. The first DS Lucy Black novel, Little Girl Lost, became an Amazon Kindle No 1 Bestseller in 2013 and was a New York Times and USA Today bestseller in 2014. Two further novels featuring Lucy Black were published; Hurt in 2013 and Preserve the Dead in 2015. The fourth Lucy Black novel, Bad Blood, will be released in May 2017.

Brian's screenplay, Little Emperors, won the BBC Tony Doyle Award in 2013 and is currently in development with BBC Northern Ireland.

Brian lives near the Irish borderlands with his wife and their four children.

www.brianmcgilloway.com

Twitter @BrianMcGilloway