It could never happen here - Eithne Shortall

Who would have thought that PTA groups at school can be so lethal? Eithne Shortall takes this standard fixture of any school and it packs with humour and astute observations to deliver a cleverly plotted and hugely entertaining novel.

Story:

The Glass lake primary school's reputation is under threat when a scandal breaks out. PTFA's Beverley Franklin, cannot afford especially when it coincides with a school musical that is about to go national. She goes into damage control mode but when the undercurrents force the fast to surface, things quickly spiral out of control.

My review: 

• I loved the intial chapters as the characters and situations unravelled slowly. They were well etched and it was amazing to see how seemingly minor incidents had a bearing on the overall plot. 

• The viciousness with which parents fought over roles in the school musicial is humourous and yet realistic. Shortall's razor sharp observation creates for a lot of funny moments in the book, which is balanced well when events take a serious turn. 

• The school setting is vividly drawn and anyone with kids will know what it is like for parents. Shortall brings out the absurdity and the drama in this primary school setting quite well and I also enjoyed the small town, close knit community feel that really adds to the setting.

• The story moves at an interesting pace. There are different strands but it is amazing how they all come together, moving together to build up to the revelation. Great storytelling.

• Overall, a great read. The story kept me hooked and I felt totally invested in the characters. I loved the character of Beverley and her mother Frances who is a foil to her. Also the character of Nuala Patterson with her own distinctive persona and secrets is a great one.

• This could have easily been a sinister, hardhitting read but Shortall handles it with delicate humour and commendable skill. 

Totally recommend this one! 

The Liar in the Library by Simon Brett

What drew me to this was the setting - a small town public library. As an eternal lover of libraries, I couldn't resist this warm and cozy whodunnit full of interesting characters. One of the writer's admirable qualities is always coming with alliteration for his titles and this one is yet another example of a good one.

The Story:

Burton St Clair is a well known author who has come to the library for an event about his latest book. A pompous womanizer, he makes a lot of enemies even before the evening ends. The nextday however, the quiet village of Feathering wakes up to the fact that the author's body is found in the library car park.

Jude was at the author event the evening before and had known Burton from before, ends up a suspect. She must find the killer soon if she wanted to get out of it.

My Review:  

• There is a constant resonance to the Golden age of crime well in keeping with the library setting of the story. There is a bunch of characters who have their ties to the victim and the connections are very nicely explored.

• What really appealed to me, is how the writer explains the dwindling fortunes of libraries, many of which are shutting down across the country. A library is a special place for me and it was great to see the writer use the place as a setting and as a platform to reitarate their value. 

• A short racy read. I was too caught in the how the writer had structured the story with its interesting cast of characters that never guess the killer, the revelation came as a surprise. 

• A brilliant example of how a good story doesn't need a lot of pages to tell a good story. It can be delivered within a few pages if you know how to tell one. 

 

A Will to Kill - R V Raman

Classic crime detection packaged in an atmospheric, contemporary setting 

Blurb:

When Manu Fernandez approaches well known detective Harith Athreya, with two wills written by his living father, Bhaskar Fernandez, Athreya is intrigued. Upon request, he decides to travel to Nilgiris – a beautiful hill station in South India. Athreya arrives as a guest at Greybrooke Manor just in time as events unfold.

My review:

• What really works for the story is the atmosphere. The mountain railway train, the mist and the reference to the colonial past instantly transports the reader to the Nilgiris. This is not a setting usually seen in crime novels, which is a major plus. The setting also acts as a foil to the gruesome events about to occur at the Manor.

• There is a definite echo of the Doyle classic, Hound of the Baskervilles. The folkore that envelopes the Manor is as thick as the fog outside, casting a dark shadow over the fate of its inhabitants.

• Detective Athreya's sharp mind and observations skills are a joy to read. A bit more backstory about Athreya would have helped in connecting him more with the reader. But then with so many characters who are also potential suspects and it is easy to see why Raman has focussed more on the plot.

•  The various subplots support the main narrative well and the story builds up intrigue as suspicion shifts from one character to another with each development.

• The writing style slows the pace a bit but once connections between random events emerge, the reader is racing through the pages.

Ultimately, ticks all boxes for a good read.  The plot unfolds well and like mentioned before, the reader would have loved to know Athreya better.  But then, that is why this reader would be on the lookout for his next case.

Disclaimer: I received copy from Pushkin books in return for an honest review.

The Broken Pane - Charlie Roy

The Broken Pane examines the concept that our lives is a sum of our experiences and challenges it - does our past define or do we define our past in a certain way? 

This debut novel by Charlie Roy is about memories, relationships and a reconciliation with the past. All these themes are well woven in a compelling story narraited by the protagnist Tam who turns to family secrets as she tries to overcome grief and guilt.  

 Gist:

Tam is a young woman with a troubled childhood who finds her brother's body and as means of coming to terms with the loss, embarks on a journey to set the past straight. 

As her mind goes back in time, it opens doors to a turbulent childhood filled with an alcoholic father, a suddenly disappearing mother and a grandma, Nana who inadequately fills the gap for the kids. Will Tam find the answers she seeks or will she be stuck in the past forever?

My thoughts:

• As the story unfolds, our hearts go out to the constantly cleaning Tam and the deviant little Nick as they battle their father’s unpredictable behaviour and short bursts of their grandma’s affection. It is heart breaking to see these young children grow up in an atmosphere that reflects on how not every child gets the love it deserves. The reader feels empathy for them and credit to Roy for telling the story through  different perspective and unreliable memories.

• The characters are beautifully drawn and although some of their actions are questionable - Mick's behaviour as a manifestation of wrong choices or Nana, who deals with the situation in the only way she knows, the story unravels beautifully oscillating between the past and the present.

• It is atmospheric in the way that the reader can almost feel the children's dread when they hear their dad walk in, bracing for what could possibly happen.

• Just when the narrative begins to get predictable, the focus shifts to a new direction. It turns into a reflection of how a certain time period influences choices and also the tendency to remember people as we perceive them and not as they are. It is an incisive insight and the ending makes for a satiating experience.

Summing it up:

  An evocative narrative with relatable characters. Heartbreaking and uplifting at the same time. 

  

 

Not A Happy Family - Shari Lapena

 A satisfying read - that is how it felt after I turned the last page. I turn to Lapena's books whenever I want something fast paced, high on setting and a plot that gets me tearing through the pages. This book did all of that and more, showing why it is no wonder that Lapena is on top of her game when it comes to racy whodunnits.

Gist:

Fred and Sheila are hosting an Easter dinner for their three adult children, something by their children. The next morning, the cleaner finds the couple brutally murdered and the police have to step in to figure who could have done such a heinous deed. 

What I liked:

•  I  was going through a reading slump where I was finding it hard to carry on reading. This time I had no trouble finishing it off quickly. Lapena really is the queen of the one-sit read!

• Lapena's settings are always strong - where it is a drinks party next door, or a hotel on a snowladen night. In this case, a fractious family dinner is the base of the story which is a perfect platform for the story to unfold. 

• The characters are distinct and their behaviour well in keeping with the personas. They are strong and well moulded as potential suspects. The backstories are convincing giving each of them a motive to be the killer. It is amazing how Lapena skilfully creates characters with a few words, ones that instantly stick in mind. 

• There are liberal doses of clues and Lapena is good at shining spotlight on each suspect, keeping the reader guessing about the killer till the end.

• The reader feels not only invested in the story but also the conclusion, as the story leaves behind a satiated reader to join the dots. 

A superbly paced read, thoroughly enjoyed it! 

Cold Sun: Anita Sivakumaran

A crime novel with a Leicester detective and a spate of murders in Bangalore, India. I simply had to pick up Cold Sun to know more.

This is Sivakumaran's debut crime novel but she comes with an impressive record of poetry, short stories and novel publications. Her debut novel Queen, about the Tamil Nadu Chief minister Jayalalithaa’s rise to power was recently adapted into a web series. Her other works include feminist retelling of the mythological epics and a poetry collection apart from award winning short stories. Going by her previous works, it was easy to assume that this one would be hardhitting as the others.

Gist:

Three prominent Indian women have been murdered in Bangalore. However when one of them turns out to be the ex-wife of the British Foreign minister, Scotland Yard sends DI Vijay Patel to India to help with investigation.

Patel has to battle local resentment and his ancestral country alongside Chandra Subramanium, the fierce female detective. But soon he becomes the target and Patel and Chandra must get to the killer before they become the next target.

What I liked:

• The authentic setting: This is the India I recognise – where you have the slums existing next to the suave hotels, where the hot weather and freezing AC are a part of life. It was great to see how Sivakumaran inserted these tiny details and made setting an important part of the novel. 

• In the UK, dominant Indian communities seem to represent the general Indian ethos. Sivakumaran’s observations gives the reader an insight into the north-south divide that exists among the Indian communities. The NRI observations in connection with the weather and the food lighten the sombre mood of the dark, twisty plot.

• Patel is a Gujarati-Ugandan and an ex cricketer turned DI. As a Leicester resident, and it was great to see the city finding its place in a crime series.

• In true nature of a fast paced story there are constant developments - sometime a bit too much, in an attempt to maintain the action. Patel’s British Indian persona works well as a foil to the Indianness of Chandra just as her non-conforming attitude is a sharp contrast to the rule-abiding Patel.

• Sivakumaran’s writes compelling prose and her hardhitting style is a perfect fit for this genre. The plot sticks a little towards the end but by then you are already swept by the twists and the revelation to mind it much.

It is a fascinating debut and definitely a great start to a series. The main characters have strong backstories and their interaction is fizzing with chemistry. A fast paced crime debut, strong on setting. 

Jane Austen Investigates series: The Burglar's Ball by Julia Golding

This is the second book in the Jane Austen Investigates, a delightful series aimed for readers 9+.  Having enjoyed the first book with its witty oneliners and the wordplay, this one was yet another enjoyable read. It was great to seeing characters from the previous one reappear in this one, helping the teenage detective with the case.

The plot:

Jane and her sister Cassandra have been invited to their old boarding school for an end of term dance. However they find themselves in the middle of action when an expensive piece of jewellery is stolen from a locked room and one of Jane's friends is wrongly accused of it.

What I liked:

• Jane Austen's sharp wit and Golding's writing abilities are on full display and hooks the reader right from the beginning. There is plenty of action here: a  mischievous parrot, a cricket match and wrong accusations and repercussions for readers to keep guessing.  

• It was also interesting to see how Jane Austen's real life experience of a short stint at a boarding school forms the base for the story. Golding uses this detail cleverly by sending teenage Jane back at their old school to solve a mystery. For readers new to Jane Austen, it breathes life into her biography while celebrating the eagle eyed observation and characterization of her works.

• Jane Austen's letter at the each of each chapter is yet another highlight. Full of wit and wordplay, these beautifully crafted gems summarise the latest development for the young reader. Each one is unique and shows off the writer's firm grip of her craft.

• Avid Austen fans can also find connections between her works and these stories. This one had a strong connection to Austen's Sense and Sensibility and it is amazing how Golding has weaved in the characters and the distilled the essence of the famous work into her story. It is very nicely done and evokes interest in reading Austen's original work. Anything that interests young minds in classics is a big plus with me.

Overall, a great read for young readers who love a great mystery and for Jane Austen fans who will enjoy this new take on the celebrated writer's work.