Author: Bookworm&TheatreMouse

Caller Unknown by Gillian McAllister

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

When Gillian McAllister has a new book out, you know you need to read it. And that was exactly the case when ‘Caller Unknown’ was released in April (I appreciate I am behind on the reviewing front).

I found ‘Caller Unknown’ an interesting read, as it was a thriller, as you would expect from Gillian McAllister, but it was also a fascinating study of relationships. And I think that was more of a focus of the story than the thrills. This is a story about the relationship between a mother and a daughter, and how they handle probably one of the things many of us would fear the most: being kidnapped – in a place you have no local knowledge of or any connection to. And, when each other is the only people you know, and when you are one person down, that isolation and loneliness becomes even worse. I was drawn to how the mother’s love led her to a series of actions, and the team that she and her daughter have to become through the shared traumatic experience.

It is, as I always say, hard to say much about a book that I do not want to spoil for others. But, if you are a fan of Gillian McAllister, you will be a fan of this book. You will be drawn into the story, you will be keen to know what is going to happen next, but this is certainly a little more than just a thriller – this seems more character led than action led. Which possibly led me to read it in a slightly different way than I would a usual, clearly defined thriller.

Although, it has certainly left me dreading those unknown number calls a little more than I did before…

The Chemist by A. A. Dhand

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

Have you ever read a book that you can immediately see as a film? ‘The Chemist’ by A. A Dhand is just one of those books. And, to me, that is a very well-written book, as you can feel like you are really involved in what is going on.

Now, this book is possibly not for the faint-hearted; as you know, I do not read blurbs, so everything about this book’s story was a surprise to me. And it needs to stay like that in my post, too, but I will say that it tackles some really tough topics, such as drug abuse, human trafficking, grief, loss and living in some of the toughest conditions imaginable, under the control of some really terrible people.

This is not a light-hearted story, and there are some really harrowing moments, but there is also some light in the dark, as you learn what people are willing to do to help those who are truly in need (even if you are not always in agreement with what they may do – but desperate times must lead to some really desperate measures).

I absolutely loved this book, which seems a strange thing to say about quite a tough thriller, but it was a brilliant read. And it is a fantastic buddy read. It is a book that the characters you love, you really love, and the characters you hate, you really hate, and you just have to know what is going to happen next.

Idris Kahn is the Chemist, who looks after the local community, most commonly handing out methadone to those who need it. Then, one night, as he attempts to help someone he loves, his life is turned upside down as he ends up stuck between two rival gangs and some of the most dangerous men in Leeds. And, from that moment, you never quite know what is going to happen next. But what you do know is that you hope that Idris and those he loves will be OK.

This book was so incredible that I am already excited for the publication of the next story, ‘The Kingpin’, because I just have to know what is going to happen to Idris Kahn next. A. A. Dhand has definitely become an autobuy author for me, and I am really looking forward to what stories he will be bringing us in the future.

The Homemade God by Rachel Joyce

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

As Rachel Joyce was joining the lineup for ‘The Book Taster Live 2026’, I knew it was time to read ‘The Homemade God’. It was a book I had picked up on a trip to Bath at the start of the year, so it was certainly time to pick it up off the tbr pile (which is never getting any smaller – as all us bookworms know).

This was a fantastic study of family and relationships. Especially the relationship between siblings, and how they may hold memories or how they understand the family dynamic. At the centre of the story is the patriarch of the family, Vic Kemp, a famous artist, who announces to his children that he has the woman who will be his wife. A much younger woman at that.

From that moment, the four siblings become suspicious of this new, mysterious figure in their father’s life, and what her motive may be. Vic and his wife begin their life in Italy, but when he is found dead, and the painting that he has declared his masterpiece is missing, the siblings all begin a search for the truth of what has happened to their father and his painting. However, some of the discoveries that are made send shockwaves through the family; will the relationships withstand the events that take place in Italy?

This is such a page-turner of a read because there is so much that you feel you need to find out as you read the book – and you have to know how the four siblings will survive the events that are taking place. It is such a fascinating study of the family dynamic, and how life can change as you lose someone that may have centred that family (even if not perfectly), and how relationships may change without that anchor, however forced it may be.

The novel is, as you would expect from the pen of Rachel Joyce, beautifully written and beautifully constructed. I felt like I was right there in Italy, in the sunshine (which was a welcome treat with the very variable British weather we have…). And it is a book that made me feel I had to know what was going to happen next. The characters are brought to life in such a way that you feel like you have really met them – or that you know someone who is very much like them.

This is certainly a book I will be recommending to people, especially as we approach (hopefully) the summer reads season, which always makes the chance to read seem even more of a treat.

Love Lane by Patrick Gale

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

So, I was so lucky to go to Stratford Literary Festival and hear Patrick Gale speak about his new book, ‘Love Lane’. And, as I am sure we have spotted I am a big fan of the story of Harry Cane, which we were introduced to in ‘A Place Called Winter‘, so when I heard that ‘Love Lane’ would tell us more about Harry and his future, I had to read it.

This book brings us to the 1950s, when Harry makes the decision to return to England and see his little girl, who is by now a grandmother, with a family of her own. This story is told from the viewpoint of Harry and other members of his family. And I refuse to spoil the story because I think (of course) you should all find a copy and read Harry’s story. However, I will say that Harry’s arrival really does set a cat among the pigeons for some of our characters, and maybe encourages some to face the reality of the life they are living. Harry also remains one of my most favourite characters of all time; I may have even shed a tear at moments when I was reading this, because he is a character who has truly stolen my heart.

I really enjoyed how this book is told from a number of different viewpoints, which is a change from ‘A Place Called Winter’, which is all from the viewpoint of our hero, Harry Cane. And I admire how Patrick Gale has used his own family history as the inspiration for this book. At Stratford Literary Festival, it was fascinating to hear his process in putting this story together. Patrick Gale also has a real talent for writing characters and their relationships, and I think, as a reader, this is why you become so invested in his books, as you feel that you know these people, and you truly understand what makes them tick and how they have developed to become the people that they are.

So, I am going to sound a little like a fangirl, but meeting Patrick Gale was a bit of a bucketlist moment for me, and my two signed books are going to be two books I treasure. If you are yet to pick up a book by Patrick Gale, I would hope that my humble blog posts may encourage you to do so. I feel so lucky that I still have books from his backlist that I can read, and I hope that we may have many more books gifted to us bookworms from the pen (literally) of Patrick Gale.

A Place Called Winter by Patrick Gale

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

I have been meaning to read ‘A Place Called Winter’ by Patrick Gale for quite some time. And, as ‘Love Lane’, the sequel, has come out this month, it bumped it to the top of the tbr pile. It fast became my book of March; Patrick Gale’s writing is always so beautiful and keeps you so engaged in the story he is telling.

In this book, I think that Patrick Gale has also created one of my favourite characters in Harry Cane. This man stole my heart, and I was rooting for him from the moment I started reading this book, and knew that he was a character that I would be invested in. (Just as I had been when I read ‘Mother’s Boy’ three years ago – where does all the time go? I am sure I only read it last year!). As well as this, there’s also one of the characters I have disliked the most in a book, in Manck, as he prays on those who he believes to be weak – when he is really a weak man himself.

Harry has always felt a little outside of the world he is expected to exist in, and when a series of events force him to leave England and see if he can make his fortune in the colonies in Canada, he embarks on a life that he had never expected himself. He leaves behind him a wife he knows does not love him as much as she could (and he cannot love her in the way she needs), and a young daughter and a loving brother. As time goes on and secrets are leaked, Harry becomes alone in the world attempting to start his life on the isolated plains of Canada with his only potential support being his neighbour Paul and his sister Petra. But why does that all mean he finds himself in an asylum?

That is a very rough summary of the story, as I do not want to give too much away for anyone who chooses to read this book – which I really hope you will. However, it is a book that really brings to life the struggles of creating a new life in Canada for so many young men at the end of the 19th and start of the 20th century. But, also, all the cruelty of the world that did not accept people for who they were. A world I always hope we have moved on from, but we all know there is still plenty of work to be done – but I hope the majority of people are much more accepting that everyone in the world is equal.

I cannot wait to read ‘Love Lane’ now, as I need to know what happens next in the story we have been introduced to in ‘A Place Called Winter’.

Guilty by Definition by Susie Dent

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

I was in the mood for cosy crime, as well as needing to make sure that I am shifting books from the tbr pile. So I picked up ‘Guilty by Definition’ by Susie Dent, which is certainly a cosy crime novel.

A setting in beautiful Oxford (which is always a good backdrop for a crime story), amongst an academic institution, always seems to make this scenario even more perfect (in this case, the offices of the Clarendon English Dictionary). Martha has returned to England after some time abroad, and her return seems to reignite an interest in the disappearance of her charasmatic older sister Charlie several years before. As coded messages start being sent, first to the offices of the Clarendon English Dictionary, and then to others who were aware of the unsolved case of Charlie’s disappearance, Martha and her friends seem to be drawn into trying to solve the mystery of what had really happened that summer several years before.

As it is written by Susie Dent, words are a very important feature of this story, and that was something I found incredibly interesting. I just wish I could remember everything that the book taught me. But also, this is a great cosy crime novel. I found myself keen to see where the story was going and what the solution would be. But it is not a novel for anyone looking for a thrilling read. This is a crime/mystery story of secrets, lies and hidden clues, not a thriller of chills.

However, if you need a cosy read for the next autumn months (sorry, yes I said it, but that is usually everyone’s favourite cosy crime season) and you have not picked this one up yet, then I recommend you keep it on your radar. Although, I am late to the party, so you may have already read it.

The Corset by Laura Purcell

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

Last year, a friend introduced me to the books of Laura Purcell. And when she offered to lend me ‘The Corset’ after having lent me ‘The Silent Companions’, I knew I had to take her up on the offer. I read this book in one weekend; I could not put it down. ‘The Corset’ is a fantastic piece of Gothic Literature and I just had to know where the story was going as soon as I started reading it.

I am not going to share any spoilers, other than that the book is about a corset which appears to have some kind of ‘power’ over those who wear it. And the young seamstress who made it believes she gave it that power. As with all good Gothic novels, there are dark characters, strange events and lots of twists and turns.

I found this book an interesting comment on the society of the Victorian era. That rich/poor divide that so many of us are aware of, and how those with wealth were often held in much higher esteem that those who did not have such luck. How this narrative could change the story for so many and create such a distrust between the rich and the poor. And anything that could not be explained was often suggested to be witchcraft or some kind of evil spirit at work. Especially when it appeared to be attributed to women.

However, I should return to the book. This is a fantastically constructed story, which moves between the past and the present as we find out what has brought Ruth to be imprisoned at 16 years old for murder. Trust me you will not be able to put it down as you have to know what has happened in this tragic tale.

This is a book that I will be recommending for a long time, and it is one of my top reads this year, just pipped to the post as my book for March, and you will have to return to read other reviews if you want to know what that was…

It’s Not What You Think by Clare Mackintosh

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

Audiobooks are not always easy to review as I find that, as much as I know what is going on, my attention can sometimes wander. However, that was not the case with ‘It’s Not What You Think’, which I chose as it is by Clare Mackintosh, who I know writes books that will not disappoint (and a friend had told me that they had read their physical copy in a day).

This book is a brilliant crime/thriller and the narrators of the audiobook are excellent. At no point did I lose focus as I listened to this book, as I just had to know where the story was going. What appears to start as a ‘simple’ case of murder, becomes something so much more complex. The secrets just keep revealing themselves, making each of our key characters question everything they know – and making you realise that maybe you never really know someone. And it is never a good idea to jump to conclusions…

Clare Mackintosh always manages to not only create brilliant strong female lead characters, but she manages to use details in her story from the current world we are living in, that then really drag you into a story, and possibly play on some of our biggest fears.

I have tp admit that I did work out one of the twists, but it did not take away from the story in any way. In fact, it really emphasised the idea that maybe you never really know someone, however close to them you may be – even if it is the closest you can be.

It is quite hard to write about this book without spoilers, but I am absolutely adamant that I am not giving anything away. Other than that, if you have been a fan of the other books that Clare Mackintosh has written, then you will almost certainly be a fan of this one. I pretty much binged this, as much as you can an audiobook during a busy day-to-day life, and I am still thinking about it now, and have already recommended it to so many people I know who love a good crime/thriller – audiobook or physical reads.

Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

I gave into the hype when I bought ‘Wild Dark Shore’; it was not the cover that drew me to it, and we all know that I do not read blurbs, but it was the love it was getting from so many people I respect in the Bookstagram world.

Now, I am not really sure what I thought. I mean, it is a good book, and I enjoyed it. But I am not sure I am going to rave about it as so many have done. This is not a slight on the book, as we each have different tastes in what we read, but as an island story with a mystery and a message, I have enjoyed others a little more.

I found it a little confusing to start with, to get my head into who was who, but that was a me issue rather than a book issue – I had to remember to read the names of the chapters. Haha! However, once I got into the book, the mystery element of the story kept me hooked. Who is Rowan? What has brought her to the island where Dominic and his family are living? What is keeping Dominic and his family there?

I know that, for many, the comment on climate and the environment is something that they have found very special about this book. But, for me, I did not feel this in quite the same way. I think maybe because I did not find the characters particularly engaging – but this book was all about the mystery element and that was the thing that kept me engaged in the story. Maybe I have missed something in the novel?

However, if people ask me if they should read it, I will say yes. I think it would be a brilliant book for discussions. I am glad that I have read it, but I am not sure that it is a book that will stay with me for ever.

Gone for Good by Sarah Crossan

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

I told myself I was not buying any more books at the moment, and then bam, a new Sarah Crossan book comes out and that promise I made myself is out the window. Combine that with Waterstones offering me double points, and we all know that ‘Gone for Good’ by Sarah Crossan was going to make it onto my shelf.

Now, in my defence, I read it immediately after purchase, so it has not been sitting on my tbr pile at least. It was, not surprisingly, a binge-worthy book. And, as it is free-verse, easy to read, I sped through it – as I usually do with Sarah Crossan books, as I can’t stop reading them once I start.

A girl goes missing from a school for troubled teenagers, sending those residents of the school into turmoil as they try to work out what happened to her – and causing them to start to mistrust those they believed were their allies, and the questioning the care they are being given by the responsible adults. Who, of course, should be the ones to keep them safe.

This is such a fascinating book, because alongside the mystery/thriller element, it is an interesting social study. Connie, our lead character, who has ended up at Silver Lake out of loyalty to her sister, questions so much about the institution and what exactly it is that forces all these young people to be there together. And then there is her determination to find out what has happened to the missing girl…

So, it is safe to say that Sarah Crossan has done it again. She has given us another wonderful free-verse novel that is an incredible story, with an incredible message and is a real page-turner. As usual, I am already ready for another book from Sarah Crossan because, for me, she always seems to hit the mark, and remind me why free-verse is such a fantastic style of storytelling for us all to read.