Jen's Book Blog

2021 Book #66 – The Art of Dying

Medium – Book

About the Book – Set in Victorian Edinburgh, this story is the second in a series based around a group of doctors, their assistants and families who are on the forefront of medical research in Edinburgh’s New Town. Dr Will Raven is recently returned to Edinburgh after a trip abroad, where he fully qualified as a doctor. He returns to work with his previous mentor, Professor Simpson, who is a doctor famous throughout Edinburgh for his championing of chloroform, especially for childbirth. Also working at Simpson’s practice is Sarah Fisher, an old flame of Will’s, who is now married to another doctor, Archie Banks. A few weeks after Will returns, a series of murders start to rock Edinburgh, and at the beginning, the blame is turned to Simpson and chloroform. Sarah and Will decide to team up to find the true murderer – but as the deaths stack up, are they getting too close to danger?

My Rating – 2.5/5

My thoughts – This book was one of those that I think would have been more enjoyable if it was a bit shorter and had fewer subplots. The original thing that attracted me to the book was the setting – Victorian Edinburgh. It combines two of my favourite things – the Victorian era (one of my favourite periods in history) and Edinburgh (my favourite city in the world!). The author certainly had the feel of Edinburgh right – as he describes the journeys of the characters through the city, I could picture the places that they were in and the buildings that they were seeing. The Victorian era was also evoked well, with the mix of rich and poor, and the medical advances being made at the time. The book just seemed a bit ‘busy’ and I couldn’t keep track of some of the subplots which wended their way through the book.

The characters were OK, although Will Raven (who I admit does become more likable through the books) was not my favourite. Sarah was the typical amateur detective heroine, and I can’t really pick out anything to really write about her, except that she is almost the embodiment of the ‘woman before her time’ trope. The book was quite cleverly divided up, with chapters every so often from the point of view of the murderer’s diary, and the murderer herself (that’s not a spoiler as it’s stated from the beginning!) is quite creepy and has some interesting motives. This book was one which sat awkwardly for me – not comforting enough to be a cozy crime, nor thrilling enough to be a proper thriller book.

2021 Book #65 – The Girl of Ink and Stars

Medium – Audiobook

About the Book – Isabella Riosse is the daughter of a cartographer, trapped on an island ruled by a cruel governor. One day a young girl in her class is murdered by an unknown but terrifying beast, and Isabella’s best friend (who is also the governor’s daughter) disappears into the island’s forgotten territories. Upset, Isabella volunteers to act as a guide to search for her friend – which will not only hopefully help her friend, but will also satisfy the curiosity that Isabella has felt for all of her life about the missing parts of her island. The world beyond her village is a monster-filled wasteland, and Isabella soon discovers that an ancient fire-demon is rising from its sleep. She must try and find her friend, but also save the island itself.

My Rating – 4.5/5

My Thoughts – One of the aims that I have for the books I pick from now on is to pick books without traditional ‘white English/American’ heroes and heroines, but instead to look for books which have main characters that don’t look like me. I went to a bookshop yesterday and was really pleased to see a gamut of books with people of colour as the main characters. This book was one I picked as an audiobook from one of those Audible sales. I had heard really good things about it, and I enjoy listening to children’s books – I often find they are more imaginative than adult ones! The setting is sort of Latin American, with characters from all around the world. The island of Joya is created beautifully, and you really get the feel for this island that once freely wandered the world but is now stuck in place.

One of the reviews that I read mentioned that the story reads like a fairytale that is 1000 years old, and I really agree with that. It’s got all the elements of a good fairytale – friendship, bravery, a good monster, sadness and happiness – bound together with beautiful descriptive writing and an exciting plot. It’s a book (audiobook) that I could come back to again and again, and I think get something new every time. As with all audiobooks, the narrator does make a difference, and I really enjoyed the narrator for this – she had great voices for all the characters, both female and male. The characters were lovely, and I especially enjoyed Isa and her friend Lupe’s friendship. Overall, thoroughly recommended for both children and adults!

2021 Book #64 – Murder Under the Sun

Medium – Audiobook

About the Book – Narrated by Hugh Fraser (who plays Captain Hastings in the ITV Poirot stories), the thirteen stories in this collection are summery, holiday tales filled to the brim with murder and deception. The stories include the detectives Parker Pyne and Hercule Poirot, as well as a few stand alone mysteries. The stories all take place in English seaside towns or in far-flung destinations like Egypt or Baghdad, and the stories are peak Christie – entertaining, enjoyable and full of plot twists and turns.

My Rating – 4/5

My Thoughts – When I was a teenager, I fell asleep to the voices of Hugh Fraser and David Suchet reading me murder mystery stories as I drifted to dreamland – no wonder I had some pretty interesting dreams. So these stories are really nostalgic for me and I got through the audiobook really quickly. I mean, there was also a massive storm and I’ve had my second Covid jab and ache all over, so there’s that too. The stories are set all over the world, and include some familiar characters, like Poirot and Hastings, as well as some characters who are not seen as often, like Parker Pyne. Parker Pyne is actually one of my favourite Christie characters. He is a huge, quiet ex-civil servant, who doesn’t really solve crimes (although sometimes he does) but tries to solve ‘problems of the heart’.

The stories are all interesting and apart from the last, which I found dragged a bit, all about 20-30 mins long. The settings are wonderful and you really get the sense of travelling abroad to all of these different, summery places. The stories are fun and you generally don’t know ‘whodunnit’ until the end. I would particularly recommend ‘Death on the Nile’ which is not the Poirot case of the same name, but instead a much shorter tale starring Parker Pyne. It’s not one I have heard before, and I really enjoyed it!

2021 Book #63 – The Hotel on the Roof of the World

Medium – Audiobook

About the Book – Alec Le Sueur is a hotelier, who worked for five years in the only Holiday Inn in Tibet, which was based in Lhasa. For five years, he worked as the sales and marketing manager and tells the stories of his time in this beautiful, but troubled country. He describes the fights between the Chinese and Ex-Pat staff around plans for the hotels, the strange things that happen in the hotel and the ways in which the staff have to try and get the hotel to actually function as a hotel.

My Rating – 2.5/5

My Thoughts – I’m going to write this review in two parts – one part for the audiobook and one part for the actual content of the book, because I think it is important to make the distinction between the two!

The actual book was funny and interesting. I enjoyed the ways in which the struggles of the hotel were communicated and I really enjoyed the dynamics between the Ex-Pat (generally European) workers and the Chinese ‘Party’ workers. The bureaucracy was irritating to read about but really quite funny. I particularly liked the adventures of the poor chef – he ended up with lots of live animals that he had to dispatch, including yaks, pigeons, seafood and even snakes. The snakes ended up getting out and living in the air conditioning vents…

So the audiobook. Now, this is the reason that the rating I gave is so low. I know that it is difficult when you are a narrator having to voice characters from lots of different nationalities and countries, but this narration was pretty awful. The voices for the Asian characters bordered on racist, and the narrator had quite a patronising, condescending voice which didn’t necessarily go with Le Sueur’s original narrative. Overall, I would read the book again, but would avoid the audiobook like the plague!

2021 Book #62 – The Moonflower Murders

Medium – Audiobook

About the Book – In the sequel to ‘Magpie Murders’, our heroine, Susan Ryland, is living in Crete with her boyfriend, running a slightly unsuccessful hotel. One day, she is approached by the Trehernes, the very wealthy owners of a hotel in Suffolk, which was also where their daughter Cecily was married. Shockingly, on the day of the wedding, a hotel guest was horribly murdered. They tell Susan that Cecily has gone missing after reading a book called ‘Atticus Pund takes the case’, which was edited by Susan in her days working for a publisher. The book was loosely based on the events at the Trehernes’ hotel, and they are convinced that it has played a part in Cecily’s disappearance. Susan is employed to come back to the hotel and try to find Cecily with the help of the Atticus Pund book – but this could be extremely dangerous.

My Rating – 3.5/5

My Thoughts – The Magpie Murders was the fourth book that I read this year, and I gave it maximum stars! I really enjoyed the mixture of a modern murder mystery and a ‘cozy crime’ mystery within the same book. The Moonflower Murders follows the same pattern, although I do have to say that I haven’t enjoyed it quite as much as I did the previous book. I think it’s probably just my style, but I enjoyed the 1950s set murder mystery far more than the modern day one – Atticus Pund is an excellent, likable detective, very much like Poirot character-wise. The 1950s story I thought flowed better, and to be brutally honest, I would be much more interested in just having the Atticus Pund books as stand-alone novels rather than having to hear about Susan and her love life.

The 1950s story really was the saving grace of this book, and it was a really clever murder mystery. The modern day one kind of pointed the finger at the possible culprit from the off, but we had to think more about the means, motive and opportunity. The ending of the modern one is actually quite chilling at the end, and I have to admit to needing to read something non crime related afterwards! I don’t know if I would read anymore of these murder books if they come out – probably, but I might just skip forward to Atticus Pund! I have to say that the audiobook version of this was excellent. The two parts of the story are read by different narrators, which really gives the idea of a story within a story. I would probably do the audiobook route again for any more books in this series.

2021 Book #61 – A Thousand Ships

Medium – Book

About the Book – Natalie Haynes tells the story of Troy from the point of view of the women involved. She uses women, girls and goddesses to paint a picture of the campaign and its aftermath, from both the point of view of the Greeks and Trojans and other interested parties. Each chapter is told by a different woman who played a part in the conflict (in some way) and each has a completely different voice. The stories are told through letters, first and third person narratives, and there is relatively little spoken about the men – although they are present, we are encouraged to think more about how the women survived or what their ultimate fates were – how they fought and the alliances they made.

My Rating – 5/5

My Thoughts – At the moment, there seem to be a profusion of books which are feminist retellings of Greek myths – and I absolutely love it! I have always been a fan of Greek myths and really enjoyed the books produced by Stephen Fry as well. I’ve read his book about Troy last year too and was interested to see how it would compare. This book is really refreshing as a way of bringing the women into the story of Troy. As stated in the book – ‘when men die it is an epic, when women die it is a tragedy’. Haynes seeks to make the stories of the women as epic as the stories of the men, and she manages it beautifully. I have to say, I didn’t think that the beginning chapters was necessarily gripping, but by the end of Chapter 2, I was enthralled.

I really enjoyed the ‘chopping and changing’ nature of the story – I liked the fact that Haynes cut between the women, and had a list of the women at the front in case I forgot who they are – there are loads of them! Some of the women we only meet once, for one chapter. They come in and make an impact and then are never seen again. Others stay with us through the book. I really liked the character of Cassandra, the daughter of the King of Troy. She was seen as being ‘mad’, but really the God Apollo had tried to rape her and cursed her to never be listened to when she spoke the truth about the future. Her story is sad, but also inspiring. Being able to see the future, she knows exactly what is in store for her, and she accepts it, and even makes an alliance towards the end. I would heartily recommend this book, or indeed any by Natalie Haynes!

2021 Book #60 – The Broken Raven

Medium – Book

About the Book – Leading on from ‘The Good Hawk’, the second book in the Shadow Skye Trilogy begins a few weeks after the previous book ends. We again see Jaime and Agatha, our heroes from the previous story, but also meet Sigrid, the eponymous Broken Raven of the title. The story sets off on three different routes. Agatha, who has Downs Syndrome, is trying to protect the inhabitants of Skye from horrible shadow monsters, Jaime travels to Scotia (Scotland) to try and locate the man that made the shadow monsters to destroy them. Meanwhile, Sigrid is chained to the king of the Norveg, being his eyes as he lost them at the end of the last book. Our three heroes fight against the evil, both magic and human, to try and save the people of Skye.

My Rating – 4/5

My Thoughts – I really enjoyed the first book in the Shadow Skye Trilogy – in fact, it was one of the first books that I read this year that I rated 5/5. I did not enjoy this book quite as much, but that isn’t to say that I didn’t enjoy reading it. I think it is very much a bridging book between the first and third books, so it does lose something slightly from that. As with the previous book, I love the way that it is written. The three main characters sort of ‘narrate’ their own chapters, and the characters all have their own voices. Jaime’s is anxious and fretful, Agatha’s is brave with the speech patterns of someone with Downs, Sigrid’s is full of Norveg slang. The fact that the book is written this way helps us to feel closer to the characters.

Sigrid doesn’t appear in the previous book, but she is a lovely addition to the story. Sold by her unfeeling mother to the King, she is chained to him day and night, to be his eyes as his have been scratched out. She is brave and fiery, commenting on the strangeness of the English court that she visits that the women don’t speak or fight. She ends up being extremely brave, and I couldn’t help but like her. Agatha, again, is an absolute joy. Jaime is extremely anxious and nervous – the author does a great job of showing someone with (I think) a generalised anxiety disorder who ends up having to face his fears. I’m really looking forward to the third book (which I think is out next year) and will look forward to it joining my TBR pile!

2021 Book #59 – The Marlow Murder Club

Medium – Audiobook

About the book – Judith Potts is a 77-year-old eccentric living in the English market town of Marlow in Buckinghamshire. She works part-time as a crossword writer for a paper and lives in a rambling, dilapidated mansion which she inherited from an aunt. One day, she is swimming in the river at the end of her garden when she hears the voice of her next door neighbour and a gunshot. She investigates, and along the way meets Becks, the local vicar’s wife and Susie, a dog-walker. The deaths start to pile up and the police don’t seem to know which way to turn as their leads turn to nothing. But Judith, Becks and Susie have ideas and courage in spades-full and they are determined to hunt down the killer.

My Rating – 3.5/5

My Thoughts – This book was written by Richard Thorogood, who is the writer behind the popular and long-running Death in Paradise series. The Marlow Murder Club has a similar mix of comedy and seriousness, together with a setting which is the epitome of cozy crime. The murders themselves are well thought out and imaginative – there are different facets to them, together with a slightly creepy serial killer calling card which points to more deaths on the way. The actual ending is satisfactory, but I have to say, having watched other murder mystery-type programmes, I had already guessed how it was done. The actual way that the murderer was revealed was quite exciting though.

The characters are good. I like Judith the best, I think. She is the archetypal eccentric single, rich lady – goes around in a cape, doesn’t have guests, swims in the Thames in the nude, thinks nothing of throwing herself into a murder. She is brave and has a nice back story which makes her an interesting character to get to know. Having attended CofE churches for a good number of years now, I kind of recognise facets of the Becks character – a kind, middle class, well-meaning lady who has everything together and is devoted to her husband and children. Susie is a joy as well – more rough and ready and a complete dog-lover. All in all, I would recommend this book as a nice, summer holiday read. It doesn’t set the world on fire, but I am, nevertheless, looking forward to the next installment!

2021 Book #58 – Yours Cheerfully

Medium – Book

About the Book – The sequel to ‘Dear Mrs Bird’, in this book we find Emmeline Lake, our heroine, keeping the home fires burning during WW2. She has retained her job at the ‘Woman’s Friend’ magazine, thanks to the lovely editor, Mr Collins, and has been tasked with finding ways to increase women’s recruitment to the war effort, which she does with the able assistance of her friend, Bunty. She visits a munitions factory where another friend, Anne, is working and finds patriotic and hard-working women but also injustice and discrimination. Between that, and marrying her sweetheart, Captain Charles Mayhew, Emmy has a lot on her plate as the war rumbles on.

My Rating – 5/5

My Thoughts – If you only read one book this year, read this one. Obviously, you may need to read Dear Mrs Bird first, but after, read this one. It’s brilliant. So why do I think it is so great? Firstly, it is set during WW2, which is one of my favourite periods for books. The storyline and general mood is poignant and does not shy away from the horrors of war, but at the same time, it is also funny and up-lifting. The plot which follows the female characters through the injustices of working for the munitions factory – they want to work, but there’s no nursery for their children, so they get fired – really makes you think about the sacrifices that these women made for their country. The other main plot, that of Emmy and her Captain Mayhew, is a lovely, truly romantic narrative, with the bitter-sweetness of knowing that they may be separated.

The characters are utterly marvellous. Emmy is a gift – she is funny, likable and flawed, often talking too much and letting her temper get the better of her. Bunty, her best friend, is a true ‘jolly hockey sticks’ girl, but not snobby. Their friendship is truly ‘friend-goals’ and after what happened to Bunty in the last book, I was so glad that it had remained solid. Charles and Mr Collins are both fantastic male characters – they let Emmy and Bunty go off on their adventures and quietly support them as they do. Every single other character in the book, from Anne (one of the munitions factory workers) and her children, to Emmy’s parents and brother are delightfully drawn. Just reading about them makes you feel like you are part of the family. I cannot wait for the next book in the series to appear, and I do hope it won’t be long!

2021 Book #57 – The Truths We Hold

Medium – Book

About the Book – Kamala Harris, the current Vice President of the United States (yay!) writes her autobiography – the tale of a daughter of immigrants who grew up in California and became a prosecutor, District Attorney, Attorney General, Senator and Vice President (and who knows, maybe the first female President of the United States?) She describes her upbringing, the key moments of her career and the achievements that she is most proud of, alongside her criticisms of the previous administrations and her vision for an equal, progressive United States.

My Rating – 4/5

My Thoughts – OK, so first things first – I am not American, but have a great interest in American politics, as well as the politics of my country. And bearing in mind the bluster and rank inadequacy going on in my own country’s politics, quite frankly looking at America at the moment is quite the relief! Kamala’s voice is strong in this book, although, in common with some other books by progressive politicians I have read, it can be a bit sound bite-y on occasion. This is only my own personal preference though, and in my opinion doesn’t damage the overall message of the book – that it is good for us to be kind, tolerant and compassionate towards our fellow people on this earth, whilst still standing for our convictions.

A few things impressed me (even more) about Kamala whilst reading this book. Firstly, her appreciation for her education and those that imparted it to her. She loves books (me too!) and learning and discusses the value of these to every person, both in America and worldwide. She is not afraid to put herself in the firing line as she talks truth to power on all sorts of matters – from healthcare to jobs to mortgages to the rights of the woman and minorities. Finally, that she did not just focus on herself – the whole book is full of those people who helped Kamala make her way in the world and none of them seem unimportant. Whilst I would say that Michelle Obama’s book is stronger (although she is not, per se, a politician), I enjoyed this book and recommend it!

Episode 6 – fantasy and murder, the end of the reading challenge – Jen's Book Blog