The Death of Us by Abigail Dean

 

I read the first sentence and knew this book would be unputdownable. From the beginning Isabel is speaking, in her head, to the evil monster who tore apart the life she and Edward had built together as well as the lives of his many other victims.

But this is the story of Isabel and Edward and the progression of their relationship from their first meeting, a blind date although they were each involved with others at the time, to the realisation that they had fallen in love, to their unfolding careers. Abigail Dean’s writing is sensitive, beautiful, captivating: what more can I say? At the same time it is shocking and honest and goes straight to the heart of the matter. Edward’s story is told in each alternate chapter, and in the past tense. The enormity of the wrong done to Isabel and Edward is such that it is always there, metaphorically, watching every move they make. There are always going to be tiny cracks in even the most perfect of lives and it becomes inevitable that these particular cracks are headed for breaking point. It’s a long story, though, and Isabel the playwright and Edward the corporate man are such lovely characters, with all their flaws, that I stayed mesmerised to the end.

So far the best book I’ve read this year. Thank you NetGalley for my arc.

Published by Harper Collins

The Wolf Tree by Laura McCluskey

 

Two detective inspectors, Georgina ‘George’ Lennox and Richie Stewart, are sent to Eadar, a remote island off the Scottish coast, to investigate the circumstances surrounding the apparent suicide of a young man. Eadar is a cold, dark, windy place with raging storms whipping up the surrounding ocean. George is recovering from traumatic injuries suffered in her last case and Richie, her older, more experienced colleague, is a little bit protective of her, which she doesn’t really appreciate.

A lot of the first half or so of the book is given to the introduction of the characters who will be most relevant to the story. I found my concentration wavering for a while and think now it would have been helpful to take notes to differentiate between them, especially as I was reading an e book. It is always helpful to be able to flip back through paper pages! I became involved in the story once the characters became familiar to me and I was able to get lost in the splendidly creepy, scary atmosphere. The freezing winds, the darkness, the rocky, uneven streets are the perfect backdrop for the secretive, superstitious inhabitants. George and Richie meet people who had left the island, seen the world, and have chosen to return to their closed, restrictive home, as well as one newcomer who had arrived and stayed.

For all the island’s folklore, superstitions and sounds of howling wolves, the detectives have not been able to find any evidence that would contradict the official cause of Alan’s death as suicide, after four days of investigation. Then, all of a sudden, the story bursts into action, just as I had been hoping it would, and it is worth the wait. When the truth of how the island operates becomes clear it satisfyingly shocking and makes for a great ending.

Thank you NetGalley for my arc.

Published by Harper Collins

Best, First and Last by Amy Matthews

 This is a romantic novel packed with colour, humour, drama and complicated characters. I have never been to Peru but Amy Matthews’ vivid descriptions have brought it to life in ways I wouldn’t have imagined. Before ascending the Inca trail, a Wonder of the world, there are glorious beaches and beautiful towns and villages, the perfect setting for this lovely story.

Bon, Sandra and Heather are a grandmother, daughter and granddaughter. Grandmother Bon believes the three of them need to spend some time together. She believes Sandra, her daughter, needs to stop depending on Heather to lift her out of her misery; Heather, in the meantime, also has the added weight of trying to end a relationship with a man who is not willing to let her go. Bon herself has recently lost the husband with whom she had been hoping to spend the rest of her life and is dealing as well with lots of memories.

Bon presents Sandra and Heather with a proposal that the three of them should walk the Inca trail. She has booked and paid for luxury accommodation and private guides and she is not taking no for an answer. Bon’s main aim is to get Sandra to let go of her philandering ex-husband and start living again, although Bon’s plan for Sandra to try being a cougar may not go down well! In the meantime, Sandra’s attempts to interfere in Heather’s life cause a whole new set of problems. 

After reading this vivid story I am going to look for Amy Matthew’s Someone Else’s Bucket List. It is always exciting to find a talented new author. Thank you NetGalley for my arc.

Published by Simon and Schuster