Title: A Turnkey Or Not?
Author: Tony Levy
ISBN: 978-1908582607
Publisher: Apex Publishing Ltd
No. of pages: 250

Rating: 4/5

Synopsis (from Amazon):
A chance meeting on holiday in Majorca changed Tony Levy s life forever and launched him into a 25-year career in a job that he never would ve considered previously: working in Her Majesty s Prison Service. This book catalogues Tony s personal experiences of working as a prison officer, from his early days at high-security HMP Pentonville to his final years in therapy-based HMP Grendon. Filled with interesting observations and incidences, hilarious wind-ups and memorable characters, this autobiography is the story of a journey, from the happiest days in what will always be a potentially volatile environment to a complete state of disillusionment as an old dinosaur that no longer fitted into the modern prison service world. Tony gives an honest account of his feelings, as someone who would never be a yes man and toe the party line, in the face of a constantly changing environment that had become increasingly controlled by political correctness gone mad and by budgetary needs rather than human needs. He was a man who cared, and even though his heart was sucked out of his job, he never lost his dignity or respect. Most importantly, he would never allow himself to be reduced to just a turnkey.

Review:
A Turnkey Or Not?is a humorous and frank autobiography by an ex-prison officer. As my Dad has been a prison officer in the Scottish Prison Service for 25 years, I thought I might find it interesting… and I was right! It’s an insightful, often surprising look at life on the outside of the bars, but inside the prison system and I loved it!

Levy’s professional life has been filled with quirky characters (and I actually feel he is one of them!) and his anecdotes are, more often than not, touched with a fondness for those featuring in this story of his work, and where friendly feelings have not been evident, he has been respectful and mindful of how others might take his revelations, giving nicknames and pseudonyms at every point.

Reading this book, I almost felt like I was meeting all his colleagues in person and I found I could picture them, hear their voices and join in their camaraderie as each chapter unfolded, and I progressed with them all, moving from one prison and position in the hierarchy to the next. Really, I almost felt like I was sitting having a coffee with an old friend who was recounting the more interesting episodes he had experienced and seeing the twinkle in Levy’s eye as he jests, then the more serious expressions as the tide turns.

Whether or not you know anyone who has ever been a prison officer, I think this has a broad appeal that should leave most readers feeling satisfied and entertained. It’s definitely well worth picking up.

Reviewed by Kell Smurthwaite

Synopsis:

Review

After thoroughly enjoying Alex Connor’s The Rembrandt Secret in March of last year, I felt a sense of eager anticipation when turning over the first page to her latest offering, Legacy of Blood. I definitely wasnt disappointed. Once more Connor delves deep into the murky, murderous depths of the art world, this time emerging with a sensational secret which threatens the very monarchy itself.

A fateful journey on a private jet: the mad whisperings of an art dealer confused and in a mind-state far from calm. One sudden foolish mistake: with dreadful and potentially devastating consequences. The confirmation of a William Hogarth painting believed to be lost – but who heard Bernie Freeland splutter out his secret? Three art dealers, ruthless and manipulating in a world that takes no prisoners; three call girls who have information at their fingertips, and a madam that has contacts in high places. The secret is huge, and people are prepared to do unspeakable things to have the painting for their own. The Russians, the Chinese, and those in the English hierarchy that know the painting must remain safe at all costs.

What impressed me the most about Legacy of Blood was the delightful way in which the author weaves a complex, intricate web of characters; each with their own stories and secrets, each with their own motives, but whose paths, and in some cases pasts, are closely interwoven. As a result, the reader is pulled cleverly from side to side, thoughts racing in an attempt to form an opinion of each of the characters involved, the list possible culprits endless. It seems impossible to know who to trust and who to be wary of, as Connor keeps us guessing; we flick through the pages, captured like a fly to a spider’s web as we struggle to penetrate a world that holds many secrets, to find our answers. On she weaves, as the plot twists and turns right to the very last page.

In a sense, the dénouement is one which has multiple layers; the answers never so simple in the elusive and secretive art world. It is unclear who the tale will unravel, because each character has separate ideas about the painting and its importance. Someone is committing murders, ruthless and gruesome; another, dying himself of a terrible illness, knows he must keep the painting safe to insure the future of his family when he is gone. A recently disgraced man, fallen from the art world, takes up an investigation more dangerous than he realises; dreaming of the painting he believes will restore his prominence in the art world once again. A mother weeps as her son lies dying in a coma, the fateful overdose coming just hours after stepping off Bernie Freeland’s private jet.

Legacy of Blood is a story of greed, ruthlessness, murder and deceit. In the race to own the painting that causes so much scheming and lies, who will emerge victorious? Will good prevail over those who intend evil, and will a secret that has remained buried for centuries emerge to befall the government itself? Read Alex Connor’s rip-roaring, action-packed tale that will make your jaw drop and your fingers itch with excitement as you turn the pages.

5/5.

Title: Sisters Red (Fairytale Retellings 1)
Author: Jackson Pearce
ISBN: 978-1444900606
Publisher: Hodder
No. of pages: 368

Rating: 4/5

Synopsis (from Amazon):
The story of Scarlett and Rosie March, two highly-skilled sisters who have been hunting Fenris (werewolves) – who prey on teen girls – since Scarlett lost her eye years ago while defending Rosie in an attack. Scarlett lives to destroy the Fenris, and she and Rosie lure them in with red cloaks (a colour the wolves can’t resist), though Rosie hunts more out of debt to her sister than drive. But things seem to be changing. The wolves are getting stronger and harder to fight, and there has been a rash of news reports about countless teenage girls being brutally murdered in the city. Scarlett and Rosie soon discover the truth: wolves are banding together in search of a Potential Fenris – a man tainted by the pack but not yet fully changed. Desperate to find the Potential to use him as bait for a massive werewolf extermination, the sisters move to the city with Silas, a young woodsman and long time family friend who is deadly with an axe. Meanwhile, Rosie finds herself drawn to Silas and the bond they share not only drives the sisters apart, but could destroy all they’ve worked for.

Review:
Not so much a modern retelling of a fairytale, but a modern paranormal urban adventure with fairytale overtones, Sisters Red gathers together elements of the Red Riding Hood story with Snow White and Rose Red, and sets in firmly in modern-day Atlanta, GA with the wolves being supernatural creatures, and the sisters themselves being anything but victims.

Jackson Pearce has twisted the tale and skewed it in such a way that the feisty heroines are a force to be reckoned with – woe betide the wolf that tries to prey on them! The scarred and battle-weary Scarlet is such a wonderful character that it would be easy to overlook her quieter younger sister, Rosie, were she not so brilliantly realised herself. As for Silas, well a good friend is always an asset and although these girls can stand firmly on their own two feet, an extra pair of hands always comes in handy in the fight against evil.

I’ll not say I didn’t see the big twist coming, because I did spot it quite early on, but I didn’t care because I still wanted to read on and find out where the story would go and what ,exactly, would become of our intrepid trio.

If you like your fairytale heroines practical, with no need to wait for rescue from a handsome prince, then the Sisters Red are the girls for you. Long may the new breed of folk legends and twisted tales continue!

Reviewed by Kell Smurthwaite

Title: Cinder (Lunar Chronicles 1)
Author: Bettie Sharpe
ISBN: 978-0141340135
Publisher: Puffin
No. of pages: 400

Rating: 4/5

Synopsis (from Amazon):
A forbidden romance.
A deadly plague.
Earth’s fate hinges on one girl . . .

Cinder, a gifted mechanic in New Beijing, is also a cyborg. She’s reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s sudden illness. But when her life becomes entwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she finds herself at the centre of a violent struggle between the desires of an evil queen – and a dangerous temptation.

Cinder is caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal. Now she must uncover secrets about her mysterious past in order to protect Earth’s future.

Review:
A cyborg Cinderella? Count me in! This is one of the most innovative twists on the Cinderella story I’ve encountered so far. I was intrigued by the cover when I saw it on a blog and reading the reviews confirmed it as something that would most likely appeal to me – it certainly lived up to its promise!

I absolutely loved the character of Cinder – her mix of cool machine and emotional person made for a great combination and she was both believable and sympathetic.

The setting could have been anywhere, if I’m brutally honest, as there was very little in the way of actual description or mention of traditions in New Beijing that might link it to old Beijing, but I get the feeling it’s a set up for the rest of the series, so I’m more than willing to let that slide ni the hopes that it’s developed further in the subsequent novels. I’ll certainly be looking out for the next book when it’s published.

Reviewed by Kell Smurthwaite

Title: Howards End is on the Landing
Author: Susan Hill
ISBN: 978-1846682667
Publisher: Profile Books
First Published: July 2010
No. of pages: 240

Rating: 3/5

Synopsis (Amazon):
Early one autumn afternoon in pursuit of an elusive book on her shelves, Susan Hill encountered dozens of others that she had never read, or forgotten she owned, or wanted to read for a second time. The discovery inspired her to embark on a year-long voyage through her books, forsaking new purchases in order to get to know her own collection again. A book which is left on a shelf for a decade is a dead thing, but it is also a chrysalis, packed with the potential to burst into new life. Wandering through her house that day, Hill’s eyes were opened to how much of that life was stored in her home, neglected for years. Howard’s End is on the Landing charts the journey of one of the nation’s most accomplished authors as she revisits the conversations, libraries and bookshelves of the past that have informed a lifetime of reading and writing.

Review:
I’d heard so many wonderful things about this book that I think I fell victim to the hype and wanted to like it so much more than I did. That’s not to say it’s not good – it IS good, just not as good as I’d hoped.

Howards End is on the Landing: A Year of Reading from Home is less a love letter to the books Susan Hill loves, and more a recounting of the many anecdotes she has of meeting and working with other writers, and their books which have subsequently helped shape her life, both personally and professionally.

It’s a little dry in places and, I confess, it did not actually inspire me to search for any of the books mentioned that I had not already read, but I did enjoy some of the little stories that were triggered by Hill wandering round her book-filled home and choosing to read only books she already owns for a year.

If we were all to follow her example, I’m sure everyone’s “Final Forty” would look very different. Certainly, there are not many books on which she settles that I would include in my own list, and there are many others I would insist upon that are omitted, but, as I’ve already intimated, everyone’s tastes are different.

This is an interesting read for anyone who loves books and, who knows, may lead to others discovering the joys of those tomes Hill pulled down from her own shelves.

Reviewed by Kell Smurthwaite

I have mixed views on this book, but the more time I spend reflecting back, the positive these views become. As an early reviewer, I came across this book before I knew anything about it, and in this case it may not be the best approach.

Julianna throws you straight into her strange apocalyptic world, and it takes a while to work out exactly what has happened. I also think you need to be in a certain frame of mind.

To give that little bit of background which I think is needed, Pure is set in a world after the ‘detonations’, which appear to be dirty nuclear bombs. Those caught in these explosions have been fused with things they were near or holding. The main character, for example, has a doll’s head fused to the end of her arm, and others are much worse. Some have been fused with other people or animals, and some are fused with the earth.

I think it was this concept I had a hard time accepting, which stopped me becoming completely enveloped by the story.

A select few were selected to be protected in a large dome.. and because there was no fusion, these are known as Pure. Going a step further, they are also being ‘coded’ to make them stronger, more intelligent etc.

I believe this is being classed as Young Adult book, but it’s certainly not the fluffy romance teen books which seem all the range. It’s quite a dark book, which will make you think.. especially after reading the authors comments at the back.

For me, it didn’t have that special something I found in the Hunger Games, but I would still recommend it. I would say just be prepared to accept the world shown to you, enjoy the characters which will stay with you, and give it a try.

Published by Headline Feb 2012

Title:

Rating: 4/5

Synopsis (Amazon):
Our eyes tell us about colour. But what if you are blind? Can you still know colours? Using simple language and beautiful textured art, this book shows you how to “see” without your eyes. The pages are black, but using your imagination and your senses you can hear, smell, touch and taste colours! Red is sour like unripe strawberries and sweet as watermelon. Yellow tastes like mustard, but is as soft as a baby chick’s feathers. Blue is the colour of the sky when kites are flying. From out of the blackness, a beautiful rainbow of colours emerges!

Review:
I picked up this book in our local library for my three-year-old son because I was enchanted with both the cover (the picture is black on black, but is raised and glossy) and the concept (a book about colour with no colours!).

The text inside is bold white on black pages and is accompanied by braille, and on the opposite pages are beautiful raised illustrations (black on black) so that the colours being described by “Thomas” can be experienced by touch, rather than sight. The words are beautifully descriptive – yellow tastes like mustard, but is as soft as a baby chick’s feathers; brown crunches under his feet like autumn leaves – and I found myself closing my eyes to better absorb them with the pictures.

Reading this book with my son prompted a discussion about how some people can’t see and that they experience the world in different ways. It also resulted in us playing a game of “What colour does this taste / smell / feel / sound like?” which was fun and revealing – apparently the rustle of plastic bags sounds orange to Xander, but I suspect that’s because he’s seen the ones from Sainsbury’s, and grapes tasted purple, even though we only had green ones!

The only slight issue with this book is that the braille isn’t really raised enough to distinguish the words, and I have read elsewhere that sight-impaired children find it next to impossible to read as a result, which is a shame, because this really is a wonderful book.

The Black Book of Colours is a magical experience for both young readers and the adults who read with them and is highly recommended by both me and Xander!

Reviewed by Kell Smurthwaite

In 1886, a mysterious travelling circus becomes an international sensation. Open only at night, constructed entirely in black and white, Le Cirque des Rêvesdelights all who wander its circular paths and warm themselves at its bonfire.

Although there are acrobats, fortune-tellers and contortionists, the Circus of Dreams is no conventional spectacle. Some tents contain clouds, some ice. The circus seems almost to cast a spell over its aficionados, who call themselves the rêveurs - the dreamers. At the heart of the story is the tangled relationship between two young magicians, Celia, the enchanter’s daughter, and Marco, the sorcerer’s apprentice. At the behest of their shadowy masters, they find themselves locked in a deadly contest, forced to test the very limits of the imagination, and of their love…

I have to admit that at first this book just didn’t appeal to me, especially with the hype of it being set to be ‘the publishing sensation of 2011′. However, my reviewing instinct kicked in, and when I saw it offered on vine, I decided I should give it a go. And I have to say I was glad I did.

The main storyline is about a ‘competition’ between two magicians, which is played out through two young people, Celia and Marco. It’s the setting, however, which makes this book come alive. The Night Circus is a magical circus like no other, and it’s so well described that you find yourself wishing to experience it. The circus arrives in 1886, but the storyline is also set before and after this time. I understand some have found it a little confusing, but I managed to follow ok.

I found myself really drawn into the book, enjoying the various characters, and loving the setting. I especially fell in love with the Murray twins. This is most certainly a fantasy book, but if that’s something you enjoy, it has a rather magical feeling to it. From not appealing to me at all, it has become one of my favourite books of the year.

Megan Evens appears to have it all: brains, beauty, a successful career as a foreign correspondent. But deep down she is lonely and rootless. Pregnant, craving love but unable to trust after the destructive affair with her baby’s father she returns to the security of her birthplace in Wales. When Megan’s son is later diagnosed with a terminal condition, a degenerative, hereditary disease, everything she believed to be true about her origins is thrown into question. To save her son Megan must unearth the truth; she must excavate family history and memory. Enlisting the help of former colleague Jack North, a man with a secret of his own, Megan embarks on a journey of self discovery and into the heart of what it means to be a parent.

I was offered a review copy of the book by the author, and I wasn’t really sure what to expect. It’s published by a very small publisher, but it very much deserves a larger publisher who can get it on the high street shelves.

The heart of this story is about the relationships between mother and daughter, questioning what it means to be a parent. Megan and Elizabeth provide the central characters, and as we find out more about them, we also watch their relationship grow and evolve. It’s a story any mother or daughter will take something from.

The timing and setting of the story adds a fascinating layer. The story starts in 2048, where things are recognisable, whilst slightly different. It’s not the technological driven future of sci-fi books, nor is it instantly recognisable as a dystopia. There are, however, hints of something which has happened to change life completely for many people.

The second part of the story brings us back to 2015, where these events are explored in more detail. Whereas the first part tells us Megan’s story, with her journey into parenthood, and the pain of having an ill child, this second part belongs to Elizabeth, her mother. It allows us to explore her character more, set to the background of the events which changed her life.

Finally we return to Megan’s story, as she continues the fight for her son, and her own personal struggle to understand her past.

This is an interesting and emotional début, and is highly recommended.

Buy BloodMining at Amazon

Firstly, the story… there are two tales to be told, one being Crippen’s life, and the events leading to his wife’s murder, and the other his attempted escape, and eventual capture. The book jumps between different times, but they are easy to follow. The attempted escape takes place on the SS Montrose, where some of the other passengers become a part of the story.

As a story, told on it’s own, it would make an interesting enough book. Crippen’s early life helps to build up his character, and Ethel Le Neve makes a rather fascinating mistress, as someone who appears to be rather sweet, and yet also very cunning.

My uncertainly comes from the issue of writing a fictional account of a well known murder. Having reflected, I think I would rather know that the character and events are based on known facts, not a fictional account of what may have happened. If reading fiction, I would rather all characters and events are made up.

In addition, Crippen is portrayed very differently to how I would expect, which affected the way I read the book. I’m not sure exactly what I expected, but I got the impression that the author felt sorry for him, and was presenting a man pushed to murder by his hard life, and relationships.

However, it did make me realise that I actually knew very little – my only real memory is of the Chamber of Horrors in Madam Tussauds, and vague memories of a film. Reading the book has lead me to read more about the case, and has made me realise he probably was a strange quiet man, rather than the cold bloodied killer I always imagine.

Reviews are rather mixed about this book, so it’s probably one to try for yourself. In particular it would make a good book group choice, with lots to discuss and debate.

Reviewed as part of the Transworld Book Group Reading Challenge.