Luther: The Calling by Neil Cross

The Blurb:

Meet DCI John Luther.
He’s brilliant. He’s intense. He’s obsessional. He’s dangerous.

DCI John Luther has an extraordinary clearance rate. He commands outstanding loyalty from friends and colleagues. Nobody who ever stood at his side has a bad word to say about him. But Luther seethes with a hidden fury that at times he can barely control. Sometimes it sends him to the brink of madness, making him do things he shouldn’t; things way beyond the limits of the law.

The Calling, the first in a new series of novels featuring DCI John Luther, takes us into Luther’s past and into his mind. It is the story of the case that tore his personal and professional relationships apart and propelled him over the precipice. Beyond fury, beyond vengeance. All the way to murder…

My Review:

Neil Cross wrote “The Calling” after he had written the screen play for the televised version and it certainly works as a novel. Portraying the characters on paper after they had been brought to life by a talented group of actors is an interesting idea. I was a huge fan of the T.V. version, but the novel was so familiar that I felt vaguely disappointed.
I suppose I wanted the same characters, but a different plot! However, if you haven’t watched the T.V. series, I’m sure you will love this fast paced crime novel about a “slightly” rogue policeman. John Luther is a compelling character.

Edgware Road by Yasmin Khan

The Blurb:

A wide-ranging and affecting debut novel about family and identity, from an award-winning historian.

1981. Khalid Quraishi is one of the lucky ones. He works nights in the glitzy West End, and comes home every morning to his beautiful wife and daughter. He’s a world away from Karachi and the family he left behind.

But Khalid likes to gamble, and he likes to win. Twenty pounds on the fruit machine, fifty on a sure-thing horse, a thousand on an investment that seems certain to pay out. Now he’s been offered a huge opportunity, a chance to get in early with a new bank, and it looks like he’ll finally have his big win.

2003. Alia Quraishi doesn’t really remember her dad. After her parents’ divorce she hardly saw him, and her mum refuses to talk about her charming ex-husband. So, when he died in what the police wrote off as a sad accident, Alia had no reason to believe there was more going on.

Now almost twenty years have passed and she’s tired of only understanding half of who she is. Her dad’s death alone and miles from his west London stomping ground doesn’t add up with the man she knew. If she’s going to find out the truth about her father – and learn about the other half of herself – Alia is going to have to visit his home, a place she’s never been, and connect with a family that feel more like strangers.

My Review:

This is an interesting and engaging debut novel by Yasmin Cordery Khan. It is both a book about the importance of family relationships and knowing your place in those relationships; it also is an intricate puzzle.

In the 1980s, Khalid Quraishi, an immigrant from Karachi, lives in London with his wife and daughter, Alia. Their life is comfortable, with Khalid working as a croupier in London’s Playboy Club. He loves his family, but his addiction to gambling and the loss of his job lead to a breakdown in his family life. After several years, Khalid seems to be about to a move towards financial security, but seemingly mysterious and tragic circumstances put an end to this.

The timeframe of the novel moves between the 1980s and the early part of the 21st century, when Alia is a Junior Lecturer at Oxford. She does remember her father, but the last memory is of his non-appearance at Edgware Road station, where he had arranged to meet his ten-year-old daughter. Over the years, she wondered a little about her father, but then becomes determined to discover more about him, his life and the mystery surrounding his death.

The author dealt with the fluidity of the timescales very well, with various parts of the plot falling into place. Her characters were well rounded and plausible; I cared about what happened to them. Overall, I loved this book, and hope to read more by this author.

I would like to thank LoveReading for the opportunity to read and review this novel

The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J.Klune

The Blurb:

A magical island. A dangerous task. A burning secret.

Linus Baker leads a quiet, solitary life. At forty, he lives in a tiny house with a devious cat and his old records. As a Case Worker at the Department in Charge Of Magical Youth, he spends his days overseeing the well-being of children in government-sanctioned orphanages.

When Linus is unexpectedly summoned by Extremely Upper Management he’s given a curious and highly classified assignment: travel to Marsyas Island Orphanage, where six dangerous children reside: a gnome, a sprite, a wyvern, an unidentifiable green blob, a were-Pomeranian, and the Antichrist. Linus must set aside his fears and determine whether or not they’re likely to bring about the end of days.

But the children aren’t the only secret the island keeps. Their caretaker is the charming and enigmatic Arthur Parnassus, who will do anything to keep his wards safe. As Arthur and Linus grow closer, long-held secrets are exposed, and Linus must make a choice: destroy a home or watch the world burn.

An enchanting story, masterfully told, The House in the Cerulean Sea is about the profound experience of discovering an unlikely family in an unexpected place—and realizing that family is yours.

My Review:

This is a 5 star read for me!

This is so much more than a fantasy novel about magical creatures! It is a book about acceptance, love, kindness; about listening to your heart and not giving up on your dreams. It’s about respecting diversity in its many forms.

I thoroughly enjoyed this modern fantasy novel.

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

The Blurb:

Between life and death there is a library, and within that library, the shelves go on forever. Every book provides a chance to try another life you could have lived. To see how things would be if you had made other choices . . . Would you have done anything different, if you had the chance to undo your regrets? A novel about all the choices that go into a life well lived.

Somewhere out beyond the edge of the universe there is a library that contains an infinite number of books, each one the story of another reality. One tells the story of your life as it is, along with another book for the other life you could have lived if you had made a different choice at any point in your life. While we all wonder how our lives might have been, what if you had the chance to go to the library and see for yourself? Would any of these other lives truly be better?

Nora Seed finds herself faced with this decision. Faced with the possibility of changing her life for a new one, following a different career, undoing old breakups, realizing her dreams of becoming a glaciologist; she must search within herself as she travels through the Midnight Library to decide what is truly fulfilling in life, and what makes it worth living in the first place.

My Review:

This is the first book that I have read by this Matt Haig and I absolutely loved it!

Nora Seed is living a life which she feels is meaningless, loveless and hopeless, so it is not a surprise when she determines to take her own life. However, instead of oblivion, she finds herself, at midnight, walking through mist. Looming out of the mist is a large building – a library, full of green books with no titles. Nora recognises the librarian as being her old school librarian – a person who was kind to Nora when she was a schoolchild.

Mrs. Elm tells Nora that between life and death, there is a library and Nora will have the opportunity to choose books that will enable her to find the life she’d rather live, than the one she has tried to end. First, Nora must read the Book of Regrets, something that is very upsetting for her, when she realises that her life had been full of missed opportunities.

I enjoyed reading about Nora’s experiences as she searches for the “ideal” life. This novel also made me think about the decisions we make in our own lives, some of which can change our direction completely.

I can thoroughly recommend this book – both entertaining and thought-provoking. What more could you want?

Blue Horses by Mary Oliver

The Blurb:

In this stunning collection of new poems, Mary Oliver returns to the imagery that has defined her life’s work, describing with wonder both the everyday and the unaffected beauty of nature.

Herons, sparrows, owls, and kingfishers flit across the page in meditations on love, artistry, and impermanence. Whether considering a bird’s nest, the seeming patience of oak trees, or the artworks of Franz Marc, Oliver reminds us of the transformative power of attention and how much can be contained within the smallest moments.

At its heart, Blue Horses asks what it means to truly belong to this world, to live in it attuned to all its changes. Humorous, gentle, and always honest, Oliver is a visionary of the natural world.

My Review:

This is another collection of Mary Oliver’s poetry, bought for me by my son. For several years, he has gifted me a volume for birthdays, Christmas and at odd times……. just because! I am so grateful to him.

What I love about her work is how she seems able to distil the essence of the natural world into a few short lines. “Blue Horses” also offers some thoughts about the world we live in.

One of my favourite quotations comes from the poem “Franz Marc’s Blue Horses”:
“Maybe our world will grow kinder eventually.
Maybe the desire to make something beautiful
is the piece of God that is inside each of us.”

Betrayal by David Gilman

The Blurb:

Dan Raglan, former Foreign Legion fighter, alias The Englishman, returns. The new high-octane international thriller from David Gilman.

Someone’s trying to start a war. And Raglan’s just walked into the kill zone.

It has been many years since Dan Raglan served in the French Foreign Legion, but the bonds forged in adversity are unbreakable and when one of his comrades calls for help, Raglan is duty-bound to answer.

An ex-legionnaire, now an intelligence officer at the Pentagon, disappears. He leaves only this message: should he ever go missing, contact Raglan. But Raglan’s not the only one looking for the missing man. From the backstreets of Marseilles, Raglan finds himself following a trail of death that will lead him to Florida, to the camaraderie of a Vietnam vet in Washington D.C., and into the heart of a bitter battle in the upper echelons of the US intelligence community.

Pursued by both the CIA and a rogue female FBI agent, Raglan’s search will place him in the cross hairs of an altogether more lethal organisation. Tracking his old comrade, he finds himself in the midst of deadly conspiracy, and on a journey to a fatal confrontation deep in the Honduran rainforest.

My Review:

“Betrayal” is the second in a series in which Dan Raglan, the Englishman, is the central character. Raglan spent several years in the French Foreign Legion, where he forged strong bonds with several of his comrades. These tough men knew that they could rely on each other, even though they had retired from the Legion. So, when Raglan receives a message that an ex-legionnaire is missing, he resolves to find him.

Links are made between various retired legionnaires and Raglan is led to the United States. The FBI have been tasked to keep an eye on him, but Raglan allays their fears by pretending to be a tourist. However, the deeper his undercover investigations go, the more blood is shed by an unknown assassin. Raglan eventually uncovers a plot hatched by some important people in the U.S government and security services. His determination and expertise lead him into some very dangerous situations as he seeks to find the missing man and prevent the plot from coming to fruition.

This is a fast-paced, exciting book. The plot is intricate, but never muddled; the characters are memorable, without much time spent explaining them and their actions. We are given enough clues to know what we need to know about them.

If you want page turning thriller, “Betrayal” should fit the bill.

Thank you to LoveReading for the copy to read and review.

A Daughter’s Gift by Mollie Walton

The Blurb:

North Yorkshire, September 1940.

It’s a year since war was first announced and the dangers are becoming all too real for Rosina Calvert-Lazenby and her courageous daughters. When Raven Hall is requisitioned by the army, Rosina must do all she can to protect her family home from the rowdy troops. After Rosina’s burgeoning relationship with young sergeant Harry is interrupted as he’s posted abroad, the arrival of an older officer who takes a keen interest in her could also spell trouble…

Meanwhile, Rosina’s fearless second daughter, twenty-year-old Evelyn Calvert-Lazenby, decides to join the Auxiliary Fire Service. Determined to help with the Blitz effort in London, she faces extreme danger. Two kind professional firemen, the Bailey brothers, take her under their wing to help protect and guide her. But with the bombings getting worse, there can be no guarantees…

Who will be safe? How can Rosina protect all those she loves? And is love still possible with such high stakes?

My Review:

A Daughter’s Gift by Mollie Walton is the second book in the Raven Hall Saga. This time, the focus is on Evelyn, Rosina’s second eldest daughter. Evvy joins the Auxiliary Fire Service in London, a role which seems to be well suited to her adventurous spirit. After a quiet start to her new career, the situation rapidly changes in 1940, with the start of the Blitz.

Meanwhile, life is far from easy for Rosina. Raven Hall has been taken over by the army and an uneasy co-existence ensues. Rosina’s life is also complicated by the interest of Colonel Allan Vaughan and the conflicting advice offered by her two eldest daughters.

This is a novel rich in detail about life in England in 1940. The author’s research has been extensive and she has painted pictures in my mind of the horrors of the bombing in London during the Blitz. The characters have been developed so well; I find myself caring for them and urging them on – but there’s another year to wait to find out how their lives unfold!

You may say that family sagas are not for you, but let me assure you that this is an excellent novel, beautifully written with characters and settings that are real.

I loved it!

News of the World by Paulette Jiles

The Blurb:

In the aftermath of the Civil War, an aging itinerant news reader agrees to transport a young captive of the Kiowa back to her people in this exquisitely rendered, morally complex, multilayered novel of historical fiction from the author of Enemy Women that explores the boundaries of family, responsibility, honor, and trust.

In the wake of the Civil War, Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd travels through northern Texas, giving live readings from newspapers to paying audiences hungry for news of the world. An elderly widower who has lived through three wars and fought in two of them, the captain enjoys his rootless, solitary existence.

In Wichita Falls, he is offered a $50 gold piece to deliver a young orphan to her relatives in San Antonio. Four years earlier, a band of Kiowa raiders killed Johanna’s parents and sister; sparing the little girl, they raised her as one of their own. Recently rescued by the U.S. army, the ten-year-old has once again been torn away from the only home she knows.

Their 400-mile journey south through unsettled territory and unforgiving terrain proves difficult and at times dangerous. Johanna has forgotten the English language, tries to escape at every opportunity, throws away her shoes, and refuses to act “civilized.” Yet as the miles pass, the two lonely survivors tentatively begin to trust each other, forming a bond that marks the difference between life and death in this treacherous land.

Arriving in San Antonio, the reunion is neither happy nor welcome. The captain must hand Johanna over to an aunt and uncle she does not remember—strangers who regard her as an unwanted burden. A respectable man, Captain Kidd is faced with a terrible choice: abandon the girl to her fate or become—in the eyes of the law—a kidnapper himself.

My Review:

I really enjoyed this short novel by Paulette Jiles. The descriptions of the characters and the landscape were extremely good.

I realise that this is a very short review, written when I had recently been in hospital. However, I thoroughly recommend this book to those who want something a little different. I loved the relationship that developed between Captain Kidd and Johanna – his patience and care for her were very special.

A Mother’s War by Mollie Walton

:

The Blurb

North Yorkshire, September 1939.
Rosina Calvert-Lazenby , the only surviving member of her family and widowed by forty-four, has lived at Raven Hall all her life. With war approaching, Rosina must be strong for her daughters, five confident young women who are thick as thieves.

When the RAF come to stay at Raven Hall, Rosina finds herself intrigued by their charismatic, albeit young, officer. But is there time for love with the war looming and her eldest daughter leaving home?

Grace Calvert-Lazenby , twenty-one years old and newly graduated from Oxford, is determined to live a fuller life. Leaving behind her mother and sisters at home, she joins the Women’s Royal Naval Service.

Trading the safety and familiarity of Raven Hall for exhausting drills, difficult training and conflicting acts of secrecy will not be easy. But Grace knows that everyone has a part to play in the war and she is ready for a brave new adventure.

With so much on the line, Rosina and Grace must learn how to push themselves and have the courage to lead those around them into the unknown . . .

My Review:

A Mother’s War by Mollie Walton is such a good read! Set at the beginning of World War 2, the book follows the lives of Rosina Calvert-Lazenby, a widow, and her five daughters. They live at Raven Hall, the ancestral home of the Lazenbys, in Yorkshire.
Their lives are disrupted when war is announced – Rosina feels so responsible for her daughters, but cannot prevent Grace, the eldest , from leaving home to join the WRENS. Evelyn, the next eldest, goes down to London where she feels her artistic talents can be useful. The three younger girls are at boarding school.
As the first year of the war progresses, we see the blossoming of Grace and the emotional turmoil of Rosina. We are introduced to many interesting characters who enter the lives of the Calvert-Lazenby women.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Mollie Walton writes beautifully, with a flair for details that enhance the story. The characters were perfectly described, looking and speaking like 1940s people. The plight of large houses and estates was accurate and it is obvious that the author had researched her subject thoroughly.
I’ve now started reading A Daughter’s Gift, the next book in The Raven Hall Saga . I’m looking forward to becoming immersed in the lives of the Calvert-Lazenbys and the friends.

The Fighter by Helle Gade

The Blurb:

Inside each of us is a deep struggle, one that some embrace, and others ignore. This collection of deeply moving poems gives you an eyesight to the darkest place your mind can take you and shows the true struggle with one’s own mind. Through the pain and sorrow this award-winning author connects her soul to yours in a beautiful melody of words that will leave you with a deeper insight than most are prepared for.

My Review:

“The Fighter” is another amazing collection of Helle Gade’s work. She takes us on a journey which plumbs the depths of pain and despair through to the hope that can be found if giving up is not an option. There is an honesty about these poems which is heart wrenching, but it is this honesty that will touch the hearts of many who have lost their way in physical and emotional pain.

I was particularly struck by the Fight section. The Green-Eyed Beast sequence is so real – chronic illness versus the “if only.” The last two parts involve the fight against the whispering voice of jealousy. I loved the poem entitled “I” ……” I am a fighter/I am not a victim.”

Two other poems struck a chord for me, in that they are more a commentary on the world. One is “Rainforest,” with its comments about deforestation and the impact on the world and its inhabitants. The other is “Red Poppy” – a piece which looks at the horror and futility of war.

I love Helle Gade’s work and recommend it to all who enjoy hard hitting, honest poetry.