The Bone Seeker by M.J. McGrath

The Bone Seeker begins with both the style and plot of quite a standard crime novel. Teacher and ex-polar bear hunter Edie sees Martha Salliaq on a Friday afternoon at school. Martha drops her bag and make up falls out; Edie notes this is unusual for an Inuk girl. She asks Martha if she is… Continue reading The Bone Seeker by M.J. McGrath

The Investigation by Jung-Myung Lee

This book grabbed me with its cover. It grabs your attention and makes you wonder what's inside. There are some (lots of) covers out there that spell out what the book is (hello chick lit!), and I find this quite uninspiring. You want the cover to set the tone and mood, but not give too… Continue reading The Investigation by Jung-Myung Lee

The Wind is Not a River by Brian Payton

I know, I know - another book about World War II. Another book about a separated couple, a woman lost... but that is all that The Wind is Not a River shares with the last book I reviewed, City of Women. That and the fact that they are both set in the same year, 1943,… Continue reading The Wind is Not a River by Brian Payton

Review: Almost English by Charlotte Mendelson (Man Booker Prize 2013 Longlist)

Almost English came to me by chance, and I was instantly taken with its cover (they are so, so important, aren't they?). It is not only striking but carefully designed, and modern too. 'Modern' - what I mean by that really is that it does not look like a lot of other book covers knocking… Continue reading Review: Almost English by Charlotte Mendelson (Man Booker Prize 2013 Longlist)

The Promise by Ann Weisgarber

The Promise was one of those books that had (and still has!) a lot of hype, and a lot of people told me I would love it - and that I would probably cry at some point during it. I therefore had quite high expectations. The blurb also attracted me. 1900. Young pianist Catherine Wainwright… Continue reading The Promise by Ann Weisgarber

When Nights Were Cold by Susanna Jones

As regular readers will know, I came across When Nights Were Cold on the Fiction Uncovered website as part of their selection of best British novels for 2012. The blurb looked appealing and I was delighted when a copy of the book was sent to me by the publisher, Mantle at Pan Macmillan. I started… Continue reading When Nights Were Cold by Susanna Jones