A Death at the Party by Amy Stuart

400 pages

Publisher: Penguin

Publishing Date: 03/08/2023

Netgalley

 

Blurb

THE PLANNING TOOK MONTHS. THE MURDER JUST MOMENTS . . .

Nadine Walsh is determined to make her summer garden party the event of the year.

Everyone deserves a celebration after the year they've had. A chance to forget.

As she prepares to welcome her guests, however, Nadine can't help but be distracted. Her husband is of little help to her. Her two grown children are consumed with their own concerns.

But it's Nadine's own secrets that threaten to destroy her perfect party.

By the end of the night, Nadine will be standing over a dead body in the basement.

How did it come to this? And how far will Nadine go to keep her secrets buried?

 

Review

 “By the end of the night, Nadine will be standing over a dead body in the basement.”

In fact, that’s how the book begins; with Nadine standing over a body in the basement, preparing herself to return to the party she is throwing to celebrate her mother’s sixtieth birthday. The last time a big party was thrown for her mother’s birthday was thirty years ago when Nadine was 10. That party also ended with a body. That time the victim was Nadine’s 15-year-old aunt. This time, the identity of the dead body remains a secret until the end of the book.

This book is not a ‘whodunnit’, that much is clear right from the start. The mysteries in this book are ‘whogotdunnin’ and ‘whydunnit’. All the reader knows is that the dead body is male, that Nadine isn’t sorry he has died, and that she has no intention of dialling 911. Instead, she makes sure her lipstick is perfect before she returns to the party as if nothing has happened.

After this vivid and intriguing opening, the story jumps back to the start of the day as we follow Nadine while she prepares for the party. Over the course of the day, we learn a lot about Nadine and the people around her. Especially, we discover that there are quite a few men in her life who irritate her enough to explain her (lack of) action in the opening chapter. There are numerous secrets in this story, just as there are hidden connections between people and past events. Both are revealed slowly over the course of the story and as we learn more, the tension increases. The fact that Nadine appears to be on the verge of a nervous breakdown only adds to the suspense.

This is a very clever story. The plotting is immaculate, giving the reader enough information to make them think they know what’s going on while keeping the truth hidden almost in plain sight. The characters in this book are realistic in that none of them are particularly likeable but all the more intriguing for it. The writing flows so smoothly that it’s almost as if the book reads itself. I was hooked by the end of that first opening chapter and found it all but impossible to put the book down until I reached the final paragraph and knew what had happened and why.

As for that ending, it’s somewhat abrupt and some may say that it wasn’t really a resolution, but I liked it. In fact, I would go so far as to say that any other ending would have lessened this story. To put it differently, if you like a suspenseful story that will keep you guessing and on the edge of your seat, you need to read A Death at the Party.

Queen Bee by Ciara Geraghty

416 pages

Publisher: HarperCollins

Publishing Date: Feb 2023

Own

Book Club Selection

 

Blurb

Agatha Doyle is in denial. Her glorious empty nest has filled up with two adult sons and a widowed father busy renovating her childhood home for his new girlfriend. Worst of all, she can’t seem to write a word of her overdue novel. Or confide in her husband, Luke, that she’s plunged off a cliff into menopause.

When she’s talked over at a panel event, Agatha has had enough – stepping forward she stands up for herself and unintentionally goes viral, becoming the poster girl for midlife women everywhere.

But underneath the new life, what is happening in her old one – and in particular, her marriage?

 

Review

Well, this was quite a read and I’ve got some thoughts. 😊

I really liked the idea that formed this story. Goodness knows that it’s all too ‘easy’ these days to achieve online fame and/or notoriety, so Agatha going viral after a rant for middle-aged women and against the patriarchy is more than realistic. What’s more, the underlying idea that menopause is something that is either denied or ignored isn’t too far from the everyday truth either. It’s a bit like other issues that exclusively affect women. Menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause are ‘inconveniences’ that the world (read: mostly men) has decided we should just put with while shutting up about them. Men-flu on the other hand… Don’t get me started.

Did you see what happened there? I was only trying to review a book and within one paragraph I find myself ‘pulling an Agatha’, be it less publicly.

But, back to my thoughts on the book. So, the instant fame premise works very well. The same can be said for Agatha’s anger and exasperation about…well, basically the world at large. Except that, I’m not sure anybody, no matter how hormonal, is angry and snarky all the time. And with Agatha, it does appear to be a continuous anger rather than an ebb and flow of mood swings; coming and going just as the hot flushes and night sweats do. Of course, we only know about Agatha’s moods because she writes about them, and like most people who keep a journal, she writes about the emotional high and low lights and not about the mundane ‘meh’ moments in between. Which is fair enough, and there are one or two moments when we get glimpses of a more mellow Agatha, but I would like to have seen a few more of those. And I would have liked it if she hadn’t grumbled about every nice thought she had or any good deed she did. Not only because that would have made Agatha more sympathetic but also because it would create a (bigger) contrast with all her anger and frustration.

But enough about that. That long paragraph makes Agatha’s anger sound like a huge issue, which it wasn’t. It’s just something I noticed along the way.

This story is firmly and very well set in the world we live in right now. Grown-up children returning to live at home and not having any real prospects of setting up a life for themselves independently; it’s sadly all to recognisable. I’m guessing that anybody who’s been in a relationship for a long(er) period of time is aware of how easily things can slip into a rut. And goodness knows that Agatha isn’t the only one struggling to juggle work, home, love, friendships, children, parents, and whatever else the world decides to throw our way.

I may have given you the impression that Queen Bee is a heavy, somewhat dark story. And that couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, Queen Bee is a smoothly written, light-hearted, and effortless read. At times Agatha’s thoughts are laugh-out-loud funny and I found myself chuckling more than once. There isn’t a boring moment in this story as the plot pushes you along until it reaches its climax.

As for that climax…Let’s just say it used two plot devices I’m not fond of and leave it at that.

Overall, I really liked Queen Bee. Just like in her earlier books, Ciara Geraghty created a fascinating main character that pulled me into her story and didn’t let go until I’d reached the final page. The side characters were well-presented and interesting. The way this rather light-hearted read managed to raise real and complicated issues is impressive. And I think it’s wonderful such a strong and feisty voice was given to menopause. I can only hope it will resonate.

In other words: Queen Bee is a good story well told.

 

*****

 

Side note:

I’m curious. Do (Irish) women (in general) really never discuss menopause? If the answer to that question is yes, I guess I should be grateful for my mother who, at some point during the late 1970’s announced to my brother and me that she was menopausal and that she was probably going to be short-tempered from that moment forward. Truth be told, I don’t remember her as being particularly short-tempered but that doesn’t mean I didn’t appreciate the heads-up or the ease with which she announced that phase in her life.

Also: how does the Queen bee dying relate to our titular Queen Bee fleeing to LA? Or does it?

 

Strange Sally Diamond by Liz Nugent

 

364 pages

Publisher: Sandycove

Publishing Date:

Library

 

Blurb

Sally Diamond cannot understand why what she did was so strange. She was only doing what her father told her to do, to put him out with the rubbish when he died.

Now Sally is the centre of attention, not only from the hungry media and police detectives, but also a sinister voice from a past she cannot remember. As she begins to discover the horrors of her childhood, Sally steps into the world for the first time, making new friends and big decisions, and learning that people don't always mean what they say.

But who is the man observing Sally from the other side of the world? And why does her neighbour seem to be obsessed with her? Sally's trust issues are about to be severely challenged.

 

Review

This book comes with so many endorsements it’s almost scary. It’s obviously seen as a work of genius by a long list of authors, many of whom I love reading. Which means that if I don’t like this story there must be something wrong with me, right?

Well, on the upside, I didn’t dislike Strange Sally Diamond. It is an exquisitely written, fascinating, and compelling story. I’m in awe Liz Nugent’s mastery with words when it comes to portraying Sally and the other major players in this story. And I still haven’t figured out why this was such a smooth read when the subject matter is so very bleak and heartbreaking.

Because that’s the other side of the equation. No matter how much this story captivated me and how brilliantly Liz Nugent drew me into this story, there’s no getting away from the fact that it’s a bleak tale. What is more, there doesn’t appear to be anything resembling resolution, or justice. Even the tiny glimmer of hope provided when the book ends filled me with a renewed sense of horror.

I’m filled with admiration when it comes to characterisation. Sally and Paul are in many ways very similar but at the same time, they are almost exact opposites in every way imaginable. Where Sally takes everything at face value and doesn’t make or accept excuses, Paul manages to find an excuse for everything he does and everything that has happened to him. They each tell their part of the story. Both voices are compelling, and it is almost scary how easy it was to drift along on their words while they described horrific events and circumstances. I distinctly remember having the same reaction after I finished Unravelling Oliver.

To say I’m conflicted about this book doesn’t begin to cover it. As I said, it’s brilliant; faultlessly plotted, gorgeously written, and totally engrossing. I have no doubt I will be thinking about this story and the characters in it for quite some time. It’s just that, no matter how dark a story may be, I don’t like it when the ending of a book leaves me feeling down and hopeless. Because, while a lot happens in this book, I think it’s fair to say that none of the characters in it find resolution.

 

 

Murder in the Family by Cara Hunter

480 pages

Publisher: HarperCollins

Publishing Date: July 20, 2023

Netgalley

 

Blurb

 IT WAS A CASE THAT GRIPPED THE NATION

LUKE RYDER’S MURDER HAS NEVER BEEN SOLVED

In December 2003, Luke Ryder was found dead in the garden of the family home in London, leaving behind a wealthy older widow and three stepchildren. Nobody saw anything.

Now, secrets will be revealed – live on camera.

Years later a group of experts re-examine the evidence on Infamous, a true-crime show – with shocking results. Does the team know more than they’ve been letting on?

Or does the truth lie closer to home?

 Can you solve the case before they do?

The truth will blow your mind.

 

Review

It appears to be my time for reading different/original forms of mystery. And I’m loving it.

I have to admit that I haven’t watched any shows that investigate unsolved true crimes and I’ve only listened to one or two podcasts on the subject. So, I can’t vouch for how accurate the reconstruction described in this book is. What I can say is that the combination of crime, characters, set-up, and surprises made for a fascinating and all but unputdownable read.

As stated in the blurb, what we have here is a team of experts brought together to reinvestigate a murder that happened twenty years ago. The whole investigation will be broadcast over several episodes. The director of the show, and this is the first of many shocking revelations, is Guy Howard who was ten years old when his stepdad, Luke Ryder was killed in the garden of the house where they lived with Guy’s mother and two older sisters. The rest of the team consists of experts in a variety of fields such as former police officers, a forensics expert, and a psychologist.

As I said at the start of this review, this is a(nother) book not written in a traditional format. Apart from detailed descriptions of the episodes (in a screenplay/play-board sorta way) and verbatim excerpts from a chat group discussing the programme and the case, we’re also privy to private conversations (via text messages and emails) by those who play a role in the case and/or the investigation. And wouldn’t you know it? Those exchanges all manage to make those communicating look suspicious in one way or another. What we don’t get is any idea of what anybody is thinking while the story progresses. If it isn’t said or (possibly) betrayed by reactions or facial expressions, the reader isn’t aware of it. Almost as if we really are watching a show on a screen.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. It hooked me from the start and the only reason I took a break from reading when I was halfway through is that I do need sleep occasionally. Having said that, there were one or two moments when I wondered how something could possibly be known by the person in question, or when I felt that maybe coincidence was pushed just a little too far and too hard. Obviously, I can’t say anything more about that since much of this story’s strength lies in the well-spaced reveals of new information at opportune times and I wouldn’t want to spoil those moments for others.

Overall, Murder in the Family, is a well-written and original story taking the reader from plot twist to plot twist without ever stopping to come up for air. Just when you think you’ve figured out what has been happening, a new spanner is thrown in the works, and the eventual solution will almost certainly take your breath away.

The Twyford Code by Janice Hallett

 

 363 pages

Publisher: Serpent’s Tail

Published: 2022

Library

 

Blurb

 

It's time to solve the murder of the century...

Forty years ago, Steven Smith found a copy of a famous children's book, its margins full of strange markings and annotations. He took it to his remedial English teacher, Miss Isles, who became convinced it was the key to solving a puzzle. That a message in secret code ran through all Edith Twyford's novels. Then Miss Isles disappeared on a class field trip, and Steven's memory won't allow him to remember what happened.

Now, out of prison after a long stretch, Steven decides to investigate the mystery that has haunted him for decades. Was Miss Isles murdered? Was she deluded? Or was she right about the code? And is it still in use today?

Desperate to recover his memories and find out what really happened to Miss Isles, Steven revisits the people and places of his childhood. But it soon becomes clear that Edith Twyford wasn't just a writer of forgotten children's stories. The Twyford Code has great power, and he isn't the only one trying to solve it...

 

Review

Another fabulous read and another superb mystery from Janice Hallett. There’s layer upon layer. There are quite a few misdirections except that they’re more than that – yes, I’m being vague on purpose. And while this story is most certainly a perfectly plotted mystery, it is also a lot more than that and the story behind the mystery both broke my heart and brought me joy.

Just like The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels, the story in this book is not told in a traditional way. Because Steven Smith, the main character and narrator in The Twyford Code is dyslectic, what we get is transcribed audio files. Because no corrections are made after transcription, there are quite a few ‘sound-alikes’ on the page. It takes a little getting used to, but I can’t say it impeded my reading enjoyment at all. In fact, it gives the text an immediacy and intimacy that would probably be impossible to achieve with a different approach.

Similarly to the Alperton Angels, this is also a story where the reader can’t take anything for granted or at face value. We are once again dealing with an unreliable narrator, Steven in this book, and the way he strings us along is nothing short of fascinating and ingenious.

I have a lot more thoughts about this book. In fact, the more time passes between the moment I finished the story and writing this review, the more, previously missed, clues and possible explanations I discover. There are few things I love more than a story that continues revealing its secrets (long) after I’ve finished the last page and The Twyford Code certainly does that. I can’t share any of those thoughts for fear of spoiling this wonderful tale. Just take it from me when I say that you shouldn’t take anything at face value and that you are unlikely to figure out exactly what is going on and why. Not because the clues aren’t there (they are!) but because you won’t recognise them for what they are until all secrets have been revealed.

I also love that this book is basically an ode to the mysteries written by Enid Blyton. As much as modern sensibilities frown upon some of her (outdated) ideas and points of view, the adventures she created for children are still widely read and continue to provide a springboard to, for example, Agatha Christie mysteries for many youngsters.

I have one problem though…

What is the ‘Murder of the Century’ the tagline refers to? Certainly, there are murders in this book but… unless I missed something (which I don’t rule out because there is A LOT going on in this story), none of them are remarkable enough to be labelled as such.

That one minor issue aside, I loved this book. The Twyford Code was compulsive reading leading to a surprising and satisfying conclusion. Janice Hallett has been added to my list of favourite, must-read mystery authors.

 

 

The Housekeepers by Alex Hay

  

320 pages

Publisher: Headline Review

Publishing Date: July 6, 2023

NetGalley

 

Blurb

The night of London's grandest ball, a bold group of women downstairs launch a daring revenge heist against Mayfair society in this dazzling historical novel about power, gender, and class.

Mrs. King is no ordinary housekeeper. Born into a world of con artists and thieves, she’s made herself respectable, running the grandest home in Mayfair. The place is packed with treasures, a glittering symbol of wealth and power, but dark secrets lurk in the shadows.

When Mrs. King is suddenly dismissed from her position, she recruits an eclectic group of women to join her in revenge: A black market queen out to settle her scores. An actress desperate for a magnificent part. A seamstress dreaming of a better life. And Mrs. King’s predecessor, with her own desire for vengeance.

Their plan? On the night of the house’s highly anticipated costume ball—set to be the most illustrious of the year—they will rob it of its every possession, right under the noses of the distinguished guests and their elusive heiress host. But there’s one thing Mrs. King wants even more than money: the truth. And she’ll run any risk to get it…

After all, one should never underestimate the women downstairs.

 

Review

I saw this book described as Downton Abbey meets Oceans 11 and that feels about right. What we have here is a clear case of ‘never underestimate the help’. The help has had it with the system and is planning to get their own back in what looks like an intriguing yet probably impossible heist.

The book starts with Mrs. King being fired from her job as a housekeeper in an opulent house on Park Lane, London. Rather than fall into despair or panic, Mrs. King has a plan and in order to execute it she needs help. Enter a varied group of women, some of whom have also worked in The House of de Vries and others who will find themselves working there while they work out the logistics of the planned heist.

And so begins a story that is about a lot more than ‘just’ the 'biggest heist of the century’ taking place during the ‘biggest costumed ball of the century’. In fact, we are halfway through the story before we reach the day of the heist. I’m not getting into what that ‘more’ is. The story shares details in small doses and at a leisurely pace, keeping the reader guessing exactly what is going on, how the various characters relate to each other, and if ‘getting revenge while getting rich quick’ is not the only motivation for Mrs. King and her co-conspirators.

The mystery in this book is not ‘whodunnit’. In fact, when the story starts nothing (obvious) has been done and the reader is a witness as the scheme is organised; seeing everything unfold through the eyes and thoughts of the characters. But there definitely are mysteries in this story, and the process of discovering what exactly is going on and why it is happening was fascinating and at times thought-provoking.

This was a well-written and brilliantly plotted story. I knew from early on that there had to be more to the story than the obvious and I loved how slowly but steadily layer after layer lifted to reveal secrets. The heist itself was just the right mix of suspense and over-the-top shenanigans. An original and compelling read!

Yellowface by Rebecca F. Kuang

 

323 pages

Publisher: The Borough Press

Owned / Trade Paperback

 

Blurb

 THIS IS ONE HELL OF A STORY

IT’S JUST NOT HERS TO TELL

Athena Liu is a literary darling and June Hayward is literally nobody.

WHITE LIES

When Athena dies in a freak accident, June steels her unpublished manuscript and publishes it as her own under the ambiguous name Juniper Song.

DARK HUMOUR

But as evidence threatens June’s stolen success, she discovers exactly how far she will go to keep what she thinks she deserves.

DEADLY CONSEQUENCES

What happens next is entirely everyone else’s fault.

 

Review

I’m not sure how I feel about this book. I do know that this is one occasion when I’m rounding my 3.5-star rating down rather than up.

June Hayward and Athena Liu met in college and shared a dream – to write a critically acclaimed bestseller and make it in the literary world. While June’s debut novel didn’t stand out in any way, Athena’s first book shot her straight to the dizzying highs the two young women had been dreaming about. June blames the ‘failure’ of her book on the fact that she’s not interesting enough as a white woman writing a white woman’s story.

When Athena dies in front of her, June gets over the shock quick enough to steal Athena’s just-finished draft. And with that act, and the way she makes up excuses for what she knows is bad behaviour, we know everything we need to know about June’s character – we’re dealing with a selfish opportunist.

From there on, June rewrites Athena’s story and manages to get a publishing contract. She happily agrees to publish her new story under the name Juniper Song and doesn’t object to a somewhat ambiguous author picture either. The book is a huge success, just what June/Juniper has always dreamed about, but it isn’t long before the online reading community starts asking questions. While June/Juniper and her publishing team manage to quell the storm, this is only the start and from that moment forward it is a downhill journey for our thieving author.

There is no doubt that this book is of its time given that it deals with plagiarism, cultural appropriation, and Twitter shitstorms. And all of it is shared with us by an unreliable narrator who lies to us, to the other characters she interacts with, and to herself.

Because the book is told from June/Juniper’s perspective, it is unclear whether the people around her, especially her publishing team, believe what she tells them or simply prefer not to search for the truth. In fact, I’m not sure how aware June herself is of the lies she shares or if she’s buying into the excuses she comes up with. We never really get an explanation as to why June/Juniper pulls the same stunt a second time, given how close she came to losing it all with the first book. We’re also not given a resolution to what’s been happening in the story. When the book ends, all appears to be lost except that June/Juniper turns her downfall into a new opportunity for redemption and future success, be it only in her mind. Or is it?

I guess we’ll never know.

And I guess that’s my main issue with the book. While June/Juniper’s perspective was fascinating in a car crash sort of way, there’s nothing in this story to balance it with. Because we know nothing about those who call her out and attack her on social media, we have no idea about their motivation (beyond outrage over plagiarism). Athena’s mother’s reasons for not wanting to be involved with her daughter’s writing are never explored or explained either. In fact, very little is explored in this book except for June/Juniper’s obsession with making it in the literary world.

Having said all of that, I was impressed with the way Kuang managed to have June/Juniper’s excuses and reasonings almost make sense. The online attacks against June/Juniper felt so familiar that they made me as uncomfortable while reading as they do when I witness them on Twitter in real life. The story clearly indicates how isolating the life of an author can be, and how easy it is for a person to lose perspective when they have nobody around to interact with. And the book definitely provides food for thought about who should write what and why not.

The blurb I found on Goodreads (the version I used above came from the back of my trade paperback) ends with the following paragraph:

What's the harm in a pseudonym? New York Times bestselling sensation Juniper Song is not who she says she is, she didn't write the book she claims she wrote, and she is most certainly not Asian American--in this chilling and hilariously cutting novel from R. F. Kuang.

While it summarizes the book perfectly, I fear I must have missed something because I didn’t find anything about this story hilarious. But that may be a ‘just me’ situation.

To narrow my thoughts down to one paragraph… Yellowface is a well-written and mostly captivating story. I’m just not sure how much I liked it. Between the unreliable and selfish main character, a serious lack of (sympathetic) secondary characters, and an ending that wasn’t really a resolution, I’m struggling to remember that there were large sections of this book I not only liked but admired.