The darkest of dark humour in this story introduces me to the mind of celia dale + early 1960's England as two villainous characters swindle old ladies out of their meagre assets. The seedy nature of their enterprise finds Maisie + Josh Evans taking elderly Flo into their home + quickly manipulating her into a grim life trapped in her bedroom. The image of Josh creating his scrapbook will stay with me for a while. Bleak but bizarrely I loved it.

This will be my 1st 5* + my 1st willy vlautin. The story is of ordinary Americans just abt surviving in a society where life is tough. We follow Leroy, an Iraq veteran, who wants to kill himself, + his dreams in a hospital bed .Pauline is a nurse working hard shifts, and Freddie manages the home where Leroy lives as well as in a hardware store. Incredibly moving, a sorry story of America, brilliant characterisation, + a compelling bleak tale.

Latest Karen Pirie was good fun. Set in lockdown a librarian at the national archives links a crime writers manuscript to the disappearance of a young woman. With lots of nods and winks to the Scottish crime writing community, I think val macdermid enjoyed making the villains fellow crime writers. I enjoy the characters in the series, + it also still feels strange remembering lockdown. Hopefully, a new one soon + maybe a further TV adaptation

An enjoyable creepy tale in which a young teenager lived with her dad after the early disappearance of her mum. In a close community, there is suspicion around her dad, + Lauren has to manage his drinking as well as bullying at school. When a strange woman appears who no one remembers after being seen, things grow very strange. A disconcerting way to start 2025, and I'm looking forward to more by the author.

What can I say abt Holly Golightly, iconic because of the image of Audrey Hepburn so despite the black dress + pearls the book gives a back story of poverty + escape from marriage as a 14 yr old, I had different image in my head including the cover which I think is young Marilyn. I enjoyed this slight book + the short stories and would loved more of Holly who is a great character. Should I watch the film now, perhaps.

Irl reading group tonight, + we are discussing this + Breakfast at Tiffanys. I read this last wed + thought it was a brilliantly constructed page turner which should be a dystopian image of a society in which women are bizarrely turning into the 'perfect' housewife with no opinions, concentrating on home, husband + own image rather than assertive independent individuals. It is terrifying as the reader observes what is happening today in America.

#12booksof2024 Thanks @Andrew65 , I enjoyed going back over the reading year.
I have to say this might have been my favourite booker shortlist for a while, and in November, I enjoyed this story of a woman retreating from life to an Australian priory.
And for December, a book by a traditionally dark writer whose memoir had me laughing out loud, although Emmeline came close to being pickef

#12booksof2024 @Andrew65
Picks for Sept - a new series to me, and after enjoying the first, I went on to read bk 2 and 3 fairly quickly. Set in dungeness and the Kent area, they are page turner's.
October is the safekeep and probably a very popular choice, which I wouldn't have read save for it being on the booker shortlist.

#12booksof2024 @andrew65
double from me for July " our fathers" by Rebecca Wait for August and Brotherless nights for July.
The latter was a harrowing story of the Sri Lankan civil war told through the voice of a young woman whose 4 brothers are affected in different ways by the conflict.
Our Fathers was a well told story a man coming back to a small Irish island whose arrival brings out ghosts within the community

I picked up my final book of 2024, and I was determined to read it at last before I watched the BBC adaptation. What a phenomenal series, poetic writing, dialogue, and description that made me feel like I was hiding behind a tudor curtain terrified that Henry would pull it back and send me to the tower. It's so good that I forgot I knew the ending + on tenterhooks waiting for a pardon. If it wasn't nearly 900 pages, I'd pick I up again tomorrow.

#12booksof2024 @andrew65 My June choice was this story two young men in the first world War. Graphic in its portrayal of the horrors of men barely out of school experiencing war but tender in its picture of a forbidden love.

#12booksof2024 @Andrew65 This year I read 3 Benjamin Myers novels, all 5* and this was the highlight as we had a weekend in Durham, and I could read the linked tales of the city in the footsteps of the characters across 1000 years from st Cuthberts body being carried around to a young man working on building sitez off book caring for his mother who finds sanctuary in a job in the cathedral.

#12booksof2024 @Andrew65
My April reading was reduced as I started the books of jacob which was ridiculously big. This was a Christmas present and a brilliant story of a beekeeper in a Ukraine town bombed to the extent that only he, a personal riva, and his bees remain. I had only read death and the penguin before so I definitely need to read more kurkov soon.

#12booksof2024 @Andrew65
March saw me finishing the very good Laidlaw trilogy. Laidlaw is a curious detective who makes few friends within the Glasgow police force where he works. I am curious to read the Ian Rankin book in which he reimagines Laidlaws early days.

#12booksof2024 @andrew65 February and I picked up a book I had left unread in my huge tbr pie in anticipation of seeing the film adaptation. I'm still not sure why I didn't read it sooner as it was a brilliant piece of gothic comic writing that far surpassed the movie, albeit they made a good attempt. I then bought Lanark, so I plan to get to it in 2025

#12booksof2024 @Andrew65
Thanks for suggesting this thread Andrew. It is great to look back on my reading year and everyone else's.
This was the second in an excellent pair of memoirs told by Scottish author Janice Galloway, and I then went on to read her first novel. A great account of three women living in Glasgow in 50s/60s , janice, her mother, and her sister.

What a compelling but sad story about a child (13) whose poverty striken family, send Emmeline to work in the hazardous cotton Mills on New Hampshire. The subsequent events find her then moving away from the area back to her family, but again, fate deals her a terrible hand. Based on a true story, very readable
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This library hold came in, + I started the book, as the current events in Syria hit the headlines. A very good spy thriller set in the country 10 years ago as revolution threatens the Assad regime who are experimenting with poison gas. A cia operative runs a mole + falls for her as she spys on the regime. The hunt for the mole, discovery of the hidden weapons is well done. The news + revelation of horror, however, made it an uncomfortable read

In last weeks irl grp we read this memoir by Shirley Jackson of bringing up her 3 very young children. I laughed from the opening chapter and continued to chuckle throughout as the author manages to rise above the madness. Wonderful writing this was a joyful treat from a writer who normally has me listening out for creaks on the stairs as I pull the duvet up around me.

A lunchtime mince pie with this gloriously dark set of short stories. I've not read fremlin before + loved the post war England feel as various women(mainly) deal with ominous fears and anxieties where a creaking floorboard could be an escaped strangler, a woman's story to her children in a high rise flat presages doom, a strange babysitter causes a mother to rush from a theatre trip, a mysterious seller of youth reveals a secret + more.Wonderful

A curious story of a family in early 80s Melbourne who appear to have a perfect life until dexter meets an old flame at the airport. When Elizabeth introduces her wild sister Vicki and her on-off boyfriend Philip to the dynamics of Athena + Dexter's life, it causes ripples from which they may not recover. Perfect writing and dialogue, which held my interest but not characters to who I warmed. I will try the author again as I know she is well loved

The third innthis series in which DI Alex Culpidi juggles investigating murders in Kent while managing as a single mum of a teenage daughter in her Dunganess home. Here, an arm is found in a piece of modern art displayed in a gallery, two youths steal a mobile phone from a man leaving a station, and slowly bodies mount up. A real page turner and a great character.

When a family of mother, stepfather, + 2 teenage children visit their Norfolk holiday home, they all have secrets that are tearing them apart. A stranger Amber appears who Eve + Michael both assume is the others friend. This strange yng woman befriends the children, + life will never be the same again. I enjoyed as always one of Smith's earlier works set in the mid-2000s. She writes children so well + creates tension within ordinary situations.

A beautifully told story of the vibrantly attractive wife of a much older man, a rich railroad pioneer. Living in a beautiful house, she attracts admirers to her home. The young narrator is such an admirer who watches at close quarters as fortunes impact on Marian. Loved this story, which was both gentle but also a bitter tale of unrequited love, infidelity, and an emerging affluent west, as also the 20s crash occurred. She is such a good writer.

Quick catch-up of 3 recent crime reads
The Monk - another enjoyable George Cross mystery in which the repeated question is why anyone would kill a monk. George is a great character.
The last remains-the final Ruth Galloway. Im sorry to see the end but a satisfying finale.
The Narrows- return of the poet + the tenacious Bosch is drawn into the search for this master villain who is back from the dead,+ as always Bosch and the fbi cross swords.

A poetic book that I found disturbing. There was one scene that I wished I hadn't read, + my heart broke for poor Pecola, a victim in so many ways. I stumbled as a poetic description of growing plants changed into how effective they were at various stages to hit a child. The scene where pecola's father is humiliated by white men during a sexual act is painful.The writing is incredible, the themes important, but I would struggle to read it again.

A small northern coastal town in Germany 1943 is a microcosm for the internal conflict of the country as the police inspector clashes with the famous resident artist, former friends the ban on degenerate art splits them apart as well as family + friends. Narrated 10 yrs later by the son of the officer , Siggi, from a juvenile facility, this is an absorbing book that explores how Nazism tore the nation apart. Been on my shelf for ages, great read.

4th booker shortlisted book + another excellent read. The narrator is a woman impacted by the death of her parents + after a short 1st visit moves to live in an Australian priory where she recounts life with the nuns but also her memories which are peppered with curious tales. Covid, an infestation of mice, the return of the bones of a murdered nun, + their escort a nun the narrator recalls from school add to the hypnotic fascination of the tale.

2nd bk from a series curated by bernadine evaristo of modern black Br writers. This was a compelling legal thriller set in the 90s abt a talented black female criminal barrister from a working class background. When a lucrative corporate fraud bruef is given to her, she is subject to prejudice from members of the bar but of more concern an affluent client who seems too good to be true. A page turner. Will look for more from the author + the series

This may be my favourite of the booker shortlist so far (3 read) and was an intricate story of two women in 1961 Netherlands. Isabel lives on her own in the house her family moved into during the war, but her life is impacted when her older br leaves his girlfriend staying there while he works away. Ava is a dizzy, vibrant woman who grates on isabel. As the plot reveals itself as a reader, I was absorbed and ultimately moved by what was revealed

The 5th Rebecka Martinsson book, and this is now one of my favourite series with great characters and plots in the North Swedish Town of Kiruna. Here, a body is found + hidden in the victim's frightened grandson. There is also a plot from the early 1900s around the mine owner who built the town and his affair with a young woman. As Rebecka is pushed out of the investigation by an old foe, she sets off to look into things herself. A page turner

The 1st half as Teresa's father escapes Eng with his dtr to India, is a romp with curious characters + vivid descriptions of life on a ship but more vividly the sights,smells,+ sounds of bombay. The 2nd half finds the pair on T's half sisters tea plantation, a story then of strained family + marriage. Good read
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I'd love to visit India but this passage transported me to a busy Bombay street as 14 year old Teresa strikes out on her own, escaping her dreadful father Mr Digby who is travelling half the world to spite his ex wife. Another enjoyable read in #persephoneclub
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A bk abt the death of a domineering father finds one sister Beth waiting for her yngr sibling Anita to come home. The story of their life + dead twin sister Greta slowly emerges, and as a reader, every new revelation is shocking and distressing. I was absorbed by this novel, which was beautifully written as it pulled apart the cruelty and love of siblings and the complexity of family. An intro from Bernadette Evaristo added to the read.

My irl group discussed this bk this evening. Great discussion of a story that explores cultural expectations of women, weight, + food in Japan. Told by reporter Rika, who interviews Kajii, apparent female serial killer of older men. Kajii is a gloriously manipulative character who twists Rika + her best friend Reiko round + round. A fascinating look at Japan, a country I'd love to visit. Overlong, no murders, but enjoyable + grt for a bk grp

A book that made me feel dizzy with the description of a space station orbiting the earth as the astronauts contemplate their lives and families on earth who pass repeatedly in the blink of an eye. But also dizzy with prose describing the beauty of a unique planet seen from blinking lights of cities tounending oceans of blue. It was a short read, but it took me some time to absorb it all. I enjoyed it + feel it needs a reread.

A farcical story about a middle age man Douglas who tells his wife he is going to Scotland fishing but sets of on an artistic groups visit to Moscow with his lover the flamboyant actress Nina, who then appears to be permanently avoiding him. His journey around 1980s Russia with the other members and the authoritive olga makes for a strange tale of misadventures. Enjoyable, strange ending, as ever Bainbridge is a great storyteller but not my fave

Catching up from last weekends reading and I'd enjoyed the birdwatcher so much I picked up the next in the series in which DS Culpidi takes centre stage. She is a single mum police officer transferred from te met to Kent police and is a great character as are those surrounding her. The plot features migrant workers and their exploitation by gang members. Definitely a series I will be going back to soon.

It's been a while since I was in the parisian world of commisaire Adamsberg, the enigmatic parisian detective who relies on his intuition. In this one, a crime from his childhood obsesses him with murder by stabbing with a trident. The plot takes him to Ottawa, where crimes follow him. Enjoyable series 3* and will read next at some point.

Loved this story of 16yr old Robert who in 1945 sets of walking from his Durham home + ends up at Robin Hoods Bay where he makes an unlikely friendship with Dulcie, an eccentric woman with a secret unearthed through their bonding. Beautiful prose immersed me in the characters + landscape by an author who is becoming a favourite writer. Also contains a mystery that will have you searching an unknown German poet. A book abt class, art, life,love 5*

I enjoyed this story about a friendship between a teenage boy at the start of ww1 and the great artist Charles Rennie Mackintosh who, together with his wife, had moved to the Suffolk Town of Southwold. Using this nugget of truth, the author creates an imagined tale that expands to describe Tom, his family, and the inhabitants of the town. The book had me searching about Mackintosh + his artist wife Margaret as well as his subsequent arrest.

Written in 1971, I can definitely see how influential this novel must have been on many of the recent noir revival in American crime. Fizzing with witty dialogue this is the story of how Eddie is at the centre of gun running for various criminal gangs, including those involved in cross state border bank heists, while there is also ref to black panthers and hippy gangs. The book also features fbi officers hunting the crims. Short but v satisfying

I'm back to work tomorrow, so I'm catching up on my holiday reading reviews with this bonkers, over complicated but enjoyable story. If Agatha Christie and H G Wells had thought of writing a crime story together, this would have been the result. Perfect for a holiday read, but I'm not sure it lived up to my expectations.

Back from hols + Barney's relieved back in our favourite reading spot. Anyway, I took away with me Muriel Sparks' 1st novel, a curious story breaking the author/character wall as Caroline hears a typewriter repeating her words as she thinks them. With threads into diabolic black masses & Catholicism, this is a strange tale that definitely has that spark feel, but perhaps lacks the later subtlety & dark edge, but for me, she can do little wrong.

Local newspaper columnist Thomas Hart is given a map of the stars + starts an obsession with a local woman who disappeared 100yrs before after recording an unknown comet. Sarah Perry weaves a story of unrequited love + loss of friendship, over 20 yrs from 97 to 2017, centered around the Bethesda Church Community of an Essex Town. I enjoyed this multi layered tale as T negotiates relationships including his yng friend Grace, + the long dead Maria.

It's been a while since I visited the world of Charlie Parker and I am now wondering why I left it two years as I immersed myself back into the world in which gritty crime merges with supernatural horror. In this one we learn more about Charlie's origins and the story of his father. It leaves threads open for futures books and I can't wait to read onwards.

Another enjoyable read from the persephone catalogue. Some great villains from Miss legge threatening to separate the children, to the dreadful DV, but strangest of all the curious Miss Blake + companion who Alice visits. All in all, Sue was remarkable. Good fun.
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A curious read. The opening story drew me into the tale of a young ww1 soldier and how he meets his wife before we see their life post-war. I expected to follow the characters, but the subsequent tales jumped back and forth through the next 100 years, telling tales of love, loss, and war. Lovely writing, but I felt that I missed one life story or at least a connection. I'd be interested to read it again, as well as rereading fugitive pieces.

The 1st thing that struck me as I started this book was whether I had gone back in time and was picking up my mums old secret seven books when visiting my nanas. Then I looked up the illustrator and went down a worm hole reading about Mary Gernat.
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A really good trilogy, + hats off to the author for limiting it to 3 books when I could read these characters for several more books, which puts homeless men as the principal characters in the crime stories. Jimmy Mullen is the focus of the book, but it finds one of the triumvirate of our heroes arrested for murder. The bk then tells us how Gadge ended up on the streets. I really enjoyed these books + am looking fwd to reading more by the author