Thirty Days of Darkness by Jenny Lund Madsen t. Megan E Turney #ThirtyDaysofDarkness @JennyLundMadsen @OrendaBooks #BookReview

 

Copenhagen author Hannah is the darling of the literary community and her novels have achieved massive critical acclaim. But nobody actually reads them, and frustrated by writer’s block, Hannah has the feeling that she’s doing something wrong.

 When she expresses her contempt for genre fiction, Hanna is publicly challenged to write a crime novel in thirty days. Scared that she will lose face, she accepts, and her editor sends her to Húsafjöður – a quiet, tight-knit village in Iceland, filled with colourful local characters – for inspiration.

But two days after her arrival, the body of a fisherman’s young son is pulled from the water … and what begins as a search for plot material quickly turns into a messy and dangerous investigation that threatens to uncover secrets that put everything at risk … including Hannah…

 Atmospheric, dramatic and full of nerve-jangling twists and turns, Thirty Days of Darkness is a darkly funny, unsettling debut Nordic Noir thriller that marks the start of a breath-taking new series.

Thirty Days of Darkness by Jenny Lund Madsen was published in hardback and digitally by Orenda Books on 25 May 2023. It is translated by Megan E Turney. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review. 

This review was originally published in the June Edition of the National Federation for Occupational Pensioners Magazine. 

Thirty Days of Darkness is a thrilling crime novel, it’s also packed with humour and lightness. The perfect combination that produces an extremely satisfying read. 

Hannah Krause-Bendix is a literary author from Denmark. Her novels are critically acclaimed, but sell very little copies. Hannah is a snob, she considers crime fiction, and the authors that write it to be beneath her. 

Her nemesis is a best-selling crime fiction author. Adored by his fans, his books sell millions of copies. When Hannah claims that she could write a crime novel in thirty days, her agent sends her to a small Icelandic town to do just that. 

Whilst the town of Húsafjöður is certainly small, and very isolated, it doesn’t stay quiet for very long. The body of a local fisherman’s son is pulled from the water, and Hannah becomes caught up in what she believes is a murder. Not only does this give her great material for the novel that she really doesn’t want to write, but it also exposes her to some dangerous and potentially deadly situations. 

Hannah is an amazing character, fuelled by alcohol, cigarettes and a very sharp tongue, there are laugh out loud moments woven between the bleakness of the the Icelandic setting and the progressive dangers of the murder case. 

The suspense builds throughout the novel as Hannah discovers more hidden secrets, building to a reveal that is both unexpected and utterly brilliant. 

So dark, so atmospheric, so funny and so very tense. This is the perfect balance of murder, mayhem and humour. 

Jenny Lund Madsen is one of Denmark’s most acclaimed scriptwriters (including the
international hits Rita and Follow the Money) and is known as an advocate for better representation for sexual and ethnic minorities in Danish TV and film. 

She recently made her debut as a playwright with the critically acclaimed Audition (Aarhus Teater) and her debut literary thriller, Thirty Days of Darkness, first in an addictive new series, won the Harald Mogensen Prize for Best Danish Crime Novel of the year and was shortlisted for the coveted Glass Key Award. 

She lives in Denmark with her young family.

Conviction by Jack Jordan BLOG TOUR #Conviction @JackJordanBooks @RandomTTours @simonschusterUK #BookReview

Wade Darling stands accused of killing his wife and teenage children as they slept before burning the family home to the ground. 

 When the case lands on barrister Neve Harper’s desk, she knows it could be the career making case she’s been waiting for. But only if she can prove Wade’s innocence. 

A matter of days before the case, as Neve is travelling home for the night, she is approached by a man. He tells her she must lose this case or the secret about her own husband’s disappearance will be revealed.

 Failing that, he will kill everyone she cares about until she follows orders.

 Neve must make a choice – betray every principle she has ever had by putting a potentially innocent man in prison, or risk putting those she loves in mortal danger.

Conviction by Jack Jordan is published today; 22 June 2023 by Simon and Schuster. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review as part of this #RandomThingsTours Blog Tour. 

I raced through this book, it's a tense, thrilling story that leads the reader through a twisty tale of intrigue and mystery. 

A courtroom thriller with a huge difference, and one populated by characters who are difficult to trust. I love an unreliable narrator, and I think the lead character, Neve, is a fabulous creation. 

Neve is a barrister and she's been given the job of defending Wade Darling. Wade is accused of murdering his wife and two children, after burning down their home. This is a massive, high-profile case that everyone is talking about and could secure Neve's future. She can imagine the letters QC after her name already. 

However, Neve has her own secrets and it's clear that someone else knows about them. She's approached by a man that she names 'The Messenger' and is told that she has to lose the case. Wade must not go free. If he does, then her secret will be revealed and those closest to her will die. 

The reader is, at first, unaware of what Neve's secret is. The author cleverly and gradually reveals the full background throughout the story and it's clear to see just why Neve is worried. As a barrister though, she knows that she should ensure that her client gets the best representation. Her moral dilemma is massive and I was never quite sure just which way she would go. 

Packed with surprises and reveals to shock the reader. I was so impressed by this book, Jack Jordan has created a story full of retribution and blackmail. Highly recommended. 

Jack Jordan is the global bestselling author of Do No Harm, Anything for Her, My Girl, A Woman Scorned, Before Her Eyes, and Night by Night an Amazon No.1 bestseller in the UK, Canada, and Australia. 

Jack's novel Do No Harm was a Saturday Times Bestseller and was longlisted for a Dead Good Reader Award in 2022.

To find out more, follow Jack on Twitter and Instagram  

T:@JackJordanBooks 

I: @jackjordan_author

Eleven Liars by Robert Gold #ElevenLiars @books_gold @BooksSphere #BenHarper #BookReview

 

Journalist Ben Harper is on his way home when he sees the flames in the churchyard. The derelict community centre is on fire. And somebody is trapped inside.

 With Ben's help the person escapes, only to flee the scene before they can be identified. Now the small town of Haddley is abuzz with rumours. Was this an accident, or arson?

 Then a skeleton is found in the burnt-out foundations.

 And when the identity of the victim is revealed, Ben is confronted with a crime that is terrifyingly close to home. As he uncovers a web of deceit and destruction that goes back decades, Ben quickly learns that in this small town, everybody has something to hide.

Eleven Liars by Robert Gold was published in hardback by Sphere on 30 March 2023. My thanks to the publisher who sent the book for review. 

This is the second in the Ben Harper series from Robert Gold. I read and reviewed the first; Twelve Secrets back in March this year and was so impressed. I've been looking forward to Eleven Liars for a while and desperately hoping that the author would produce another story to thrill.  I read this on holiday, finding it difficult to put it down. It's another cracker from an extremely talented author. 

Ben Harper is a journalist, he lives in the small town of Haddley and is well known in the area. He recently re-investigated the murder of his brother and the subsequent death of his mother, uncovering a tragic set of consequences.

Ben is walking home when he discovers a fire in the derelict community centre that sits beside the local church. When he realises that someone is inside, he manages to help them to escape. The person runs away and Ben could only spot a pair of bright orange trainers. He doesn't know who it was. 

When a skeleton is found in the remains of the fire, and the identity of this person is revealed, a whole new investigation opens up for Ben. People very close to him have lived their lives believing one thing, whilst the evidence is mounting up to prove that they've been misled for many years. 

Teaming up once more with DC Dani Cash, Ben is determined to discover the truth and to ensure that whoever is responsible for hiding the body faces justice. 

Once again, this author has delivered a thriller that takes many an unexpected twist along the way. His characterisation is impeccable, with people who the reader will despise, some that the reader will suspect and others that will totally surprise. 

His plotting is magnificent, with hints and reveals places perfectly along the way. It's a tense, tightly woven story that kept me gripped. Highly recommended. 

Originally from Harrogate in North Yorkshire, Robert Gold began his career as an intern at the
American broadcaster CNN, based in Washington DC. 

He returned to Yorkshire to work for the retailer ASDA, becoming the chain's nationwide book buyer.

He now works in sales for a UK publishing company.

Robert now lives in Putney and his new hometown served as the inspiration for the fictional town of Haddley in his thrillers, Twelve Secrets, an Irish Times bestseller, and Eleven Liars.

Twitter @books_gold

The Interpreter by Brooke Robinson #TheInterpreter @Brookwrote @HarvillSecker #BookReview

 

Single mother Revelle Lee is an interpreter who spends her days translating for victims, witnesses and the accused across London. Only she knows what they're saying. Only she knows the truth.

When she believes a grave injustice is about to occur, and a guilty man is going to be labelled innocent, she has the power to twist an alibi to get the verdict she wants. She's willing to risk it all to do what's right.

But when someone discovers she lied, Revelle finds the cost might be too high... and she could lose everything, including her son.

Discover the shocking, unguessable debut thriller for fans of Louise Candlish, Harriet Tyce and Sarah Vaughan

The Interpreter by Brooke Robinson is published on 8 June 2023 by Harvill Secker. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review.

What I liked most about this book is the fact that the main character is an interpreter, a totally new concept for me. I haven't come across a crime novel from this point of view and the story offered a different view to the usual execution of crime fiction. 
Apart from working with sign language interpreters when I worked in mental health, I have never come across a language translator (except for those who translate books!), in real life, and it was so interesting to read about how they work.

The novel is narrated by two people; we have Revelle, the interpreter and then a mysterious, anonymous voice who is woven in between Revelle's story. These snippets from someone who is obviously unhinged and dangerous add to the tension throughout.

Revelle is a complex, complicated and at times, infuriating character. Her nomadic childhood, accompanying an cold and distant mother around the world has obviously impacted her adult life. It certainly gave her a career, as she managed to learn and then speak ten languages. As an interpreter, she is well respected. Known as one of the best, and rarely out of work. 

Revelle is in the process of adopting a six year old boy, Elliott. It's unclear at first, just why she is so determined to have someone call her Mum, but the reader realises at the end, just why she feels that she has to do it. 

Revelle's life appears chaotic and unorganised, dashing from one job to another. Dealing with court cases one day and boring departmental paperwork the next.  The author cleverly explains how an interpreter could easily change the outcome of a case, just one changed word could alter the verdict, and the next few years for a defendant. 

There's such a lot going on in this book. Not only does Revelle become too emotionally involved in at least two of the cases she's involved with, she also has to deal with strange things happening at home. Who is sending things to Elliott? Why would they send such things, and how can Revelle protect him? 

This is a well-paced story, with a lead character who certainly frustrates the reader at times, but who is ultimately a good person who has made some pretty bad choices in life. 

Keeps you on your toes for sure. Entertaining and a little bit different. Recommended. 

Brooke Robinson grew up in Sydney and as a playwright, has had numerous plays
commissioned and produced in her native Australia. 

In the UK, her work has been shown at the Old Vic theatre and London's Vault Festival. She studied drama at RADA (The Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts) and City, University of London. 

The Interpreter is her debut novel.

www.brookerobinsonwriter.com

Twitter @Brookewrote

Instagram @brookewrote

Fragments of a Woman by Emma Venables BLOG TOUR #FragmentsOfAWoman @EmmaMVenables @AderynPress @WriterForster #BookReview

 

Five women, trapped by duty, fighting to survive...

Gentle Ingrid puts her life at risk when she tries to save her beloved daughter from her husband’s zealous beliefs. 

Liesel, a lesbian, marries a gay man in hopes that they can feign the ideal marriage and, in doing so, protect each other from persecution. 

Lovesick Greta, spurned by Liesel and lost, joins the Resistance, then disappears. 

Gisela, a prostitute once contentedly in control of her own destiny, is incarcerated at Mauthausen, where she must fight for a future she cannot yet imagine. 

While Lore, craving a life beyond Berlin, wifedom and motherhood, steps down a dark and dangerous path.

Exploring themes of motherhood, identity, trauma, fascism, and survival, Fragments of a Woman offers a nuanced and heartbreaking exploration of what it meant to be a woman living under National Socialist rule.

Fragments of a Woman by Emma Venables was published on 1 June 2023 by Aderyn Press. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review as part of this Blog Tour

I am extremely impressed by this small independent publisher. Late last year I read another of their books; The Sandstone City by Elaine Canning which went on to become one of my top books of the year. I think Fragments of a Woman will most certainly be getting a spot on this years top books. 

This is a stunning debut, written out of frustration by the author who was tired of reading the stereotypical characters of German women during the war, so often depicted in fiction. I think this is the first World War Two novel that I've read that is told from the point of view of ordinary German people. All too often we assume that every German person during the war supported the National Socialist rule, but of course, the country was and still is, made up of a wide variety of people. People with varying views and beliefs and this wonderful novel concentrates on five German women, all very different, but each one is tenderly and beautifully crafted. 

Each character tells their own story and they all suffer hardship, pain and grief throughout the years. The novel begins in 1933, and runs right through to the end of the war in 1945. Each woman endures unimaginable torments during this time, and each of them change dramatically.

Mothers, sisters, wives. Gay, straight, good time girls and those who are forced into doing things that in peace time would never have been thought possible. This author has clearly done some incredible research when writing this book, there are events that I was unaware of, but are based upon truth, and the truth is often devastating and heart breaking. 

As the war continues towards the end, the feeling of the book and the characters within changes. From women who were confident, to women who are scared, hungry, homeless, tortured and grieving. There are some very very dark scenes, especially towards the end of the story, as Berlin falls and the Russians advance. At times, I felt as though I had to put the book aside, to contemplate what I'd just read, yet I was always desperate to continue to read and follow the lives of these normal, but extraordinary women. 

This is a masterful, important, richly detailed novel that will stay with me for a very long time. I applaud the author for her decision to cast off the stereotypes and to detail such horrors and pain. It is a difficult read in parts, but it is also filled with beautiful, spare prose that cannot fail to impress. Highly recommended. 

Emma Venables' short and flash fiction has been widely published in magazines and
journals.

Her short story, ‘Woman at Gunpoint, 1945’ was a runner-up in the Alpine Fellowship Writing Prize 2020. 

She has a PhD in Creative Writing and has taught at Royal Holloway, University of London and Liverpool Hope University.

www.emmavenables.com

Twitter @EmmaMVenables

Instagram @emmamvenables

The Orphanage Girls Come Home by Mary Wood BLOG TOUR #TheOrphanageGirlsComeHome @Authormary @RandomTTours @panmacmillan #Win #Prize #Giveaway #Competition

 

London, 1910

When Amy is chosen to be a part of a programme to resettling displaced children in Canada, her life changes overnight. Her great sadness is having to say goodbye to Ruth and Ellen, the friends who became family to her during the dark days at the orphanage. As she steps on board the ship to Montreal, the promise of a new life lies ahead. But during the long crossing, Amy discovers a terrifying secret.

Canada, 1919

As the decades pass, Amy’s Canadian experience is far from the life she imagined. She always kept Ruth’s address to hand – longing to return to London and reunite with her dear friends. With the world at war, it seems an impossible dream . . .

Separated by oceans, will Amy the orphanage girl ever come home?

The Orphanage Girls Come Home by Mary Wood was published in paperback on 25 May 2023 by Pan Macmillan. As part of this #RandomThingsTours Blog Tour, I am delighted to have one copy to give away.

Entry is simple. Just fill in the competition widget in the blog post. UK entries only please.

GOOD LUCK!

One copy of The Orphanage Girls Come Home by Mary Wood

Born the thirteenth child of fifteen to a middle-class mother and an East End barrow boy,
Mary Wood's childhood was a mixture of love and poverty. 

Throughout her life Mary has held various posts in office roles, working in the Probation services and bringing up her four children and numerous grandchildren, step-grandchildren and great-grandchildren. 

An avid reader, she first put pen to paper in 1989 whilst nursing her mother through her last months, but didn't become successful until she began self-publishing her novels in 2011.

Her novels include All I Have to Give, An Unbreakable Bond, In Their Mother's Footsteps and The Breckton Novels.

www.authormarywood.com

Facebook : MaryWoodAuthor

Twitter @Authormary

Instagram @mary.wood.7796420

The Broken Places by Russell Franklin #TheBrokenPlaces @RML_Franklin @Phoenix_Bks @orionbooks @_frankiebanks #BookReview

In 1931, Gregory Hemingway's life begins in Kansas City, Missouri. The third and favourite child of an overbearing father, Greg is a paragon: a star athlete, a crack shot, bright and handsome and built like a pocket battleship.

In 2001, Gloria Hemingway's life ends in a Miami women's correctional institution. Complex and contradictory, radiant and resilient, it is a life that has flourished against the odds and been lived to the full.

Inspired by true events and spanning seventy years of the last century, this is the story of a miraculous existence, told with beauty and compassion. Transporting the reader back and forth in time, from Cuba to New York and Montana to Florida, The Broken Places explores what it means to grow up in the shadow of a man famous for his masculinity, to bear the weight of expectation and a tragic family legacy, and to finally step out into the light.

The Broken Places by Russell Franklin is published on 8 June 2023 by Phoenix. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review. 

I really enjoy novels that are based on real life people, and The Broken Places centres around Gregory Hemingway, the favourite son of famous novelist Ernest. I have to admit that I knew very little about the Hemingway family before I began to read this book, and have spent a long time on Google since finishing the novel, finding out more about them. What a fascinating and fearsome family this was.

The book begins in Key West, USA in 1939 when Greg was just eight years old and sets the scene for what is to come. Greg and his brother Patrick spent their childhood flitting between the home of their mother in the US and then staying with Ernest, and an assortment of new wives in Cuba. Greg spent much of his life trying his best to impress his father, who was highly critical at times, terribly dismissive at others. Greg also carried around feelings of huge guilt, blaming himself for many events that happen during his life, even though, we as a reader, can see that he was not at fault. 

Greg liked to dress in female clothing, and it was this that really caused so many issues with his father. Greg felt as though he really shouldn't be doing this, and tried to stop, but instinct took over.  As years progress, Greg develops the same symptoms as his father, that of a manic depressive and failed marriages, as well as the continuing desire to dress as a female. Many many years later, he finally allows himself to be known as Gloria, and whilst he can then freely wear the clothes that he loves, the impact this has on his life is devastating. 

Russell Franklin writes with such compassion. The portrayal of family relationships are stunning, especially that between Greg and Patrick, the brothers that grew up together, were thrust too early into adulthood and always seemed to have something to prove to others. Despite some tragic events, their relationship remains strong.

The sights and sounds of Cuba; the colour, the heat, the people, the community are all beautifully painted, the reader gets such a taste for this country and how unique it is. 

Structurally, the novel can be challenging at times as the author skips from era to era, one does have to ensure that a note is taken of the date at the top of each chapter as it's not chronological at all.

I really enjoyed this glimpse into an extraordinary life. It is sensitively written, exploring many issues and whilst there are dark times for the characters, there are sparks of joy and tenderness throughout. 

A fine debut from an author to watch. Recommended. 

Russell Franklin was born in Solihull, and now lives and works in London. 

He was selected for the prestigious London Library Emerging Writers Programme 2020-2021. 

This is his first novel.

Twitter @RML_Franklin