Deception (Powell Book 3) by Bill Ward.

And so onto the 3rd book in the series, which can be read as a standalone. This time the trouble comes to Powell’s bar in Brighton with a request to help an old friend who he met in Saudi Arabia called Lara.

I found Deception to be far better than the two previous books in the series. Bill continues with the same characters from book 2 and there is more gritty sex to enjoy! Deception weaves conspiracy and terrorism into the story which has a very good plot. This book is very much in the mould of the popular BBC television series Spooks.

I liked the questions Bill asked through his novel about the war on terror and how to deal with ISIS. These questions were thought provoking outside the plot of this novel and the many what-ifs make you wonder how far governments will go outside their borders. This book was written before the real-life chemical attack in Salisbury of Sergei and Yulia Skripal on the 4th March 2018. So Bill clearly had his finger on the pulse with exactly what can happen in the UK.

Deception captured my imagination and I found it thought provoking because of the problems caused by misinformation and the value of intelligence gathered under interrogation. 

I liked how all the characters had to cope with misdirection and how the reader has to shift through all this data to see the wood for the trees. This unravelling of truths and plausible lies made for Deception to be an enjoyable and entertaining read. This makes Deception an OUTSTANDING 5 star read and shows that Bill has returned to the form he revealed when he published both Revenge and Encryption.

Deception was written in 2015 and is available as an Amazon Kindle eBook.

Abducted (Powell Book 2) by Bill Ward.

Book 2 in the Powell series starts off where Book 1 finished but it can be read as a standalone.

I was put off by Powell returning to Romania as I hoped the next book would be a new story. But Bill decided to continue with the problems surrounding Afina and Mara. It was a full ten per cent into Abducted before Powell had completed his business in Romania and the reader could take up Powell’s new challenge.

Surprise, surprise and yet again Powell was dealing with big money as he was not doing extra work for the National Minimum Wage. This time he was helping to recover two children who were abducted from the UK to Saudi Arabia. For this work Powell charged a staggering £1,000 a day plus expenses and the mother was happy to pay his fees!

Okay, Bill is clearly having more fun with his novel as our flash hero Powell spends money like water and enjoys some more sex along the way. I found Abducted to be a fun read and not to be taken seriously. I liked how Bill created a range of interesting characters in Saudi Arabia. I liked how all the characters had active parts to play in the recovery of the two children.

I was frustrated at how in many chapters the story returned to Brighton for an update on how Afina and Mara were getting along. This seemed unnecessary as although the reader was brought up to speed, Powell was left in the dark.

Still, Powell gets the job done and sorts a few things out in Brighton on his return in an action packed ending.

I thought Abducted was an Okay 3 star read that lacked realism but was fun to read. The inclusion of terrorism and the intelligence services improved this story from being a simple search and rescue mission to be a loosely spooks based scenario. Overall I found Abducted to be not as good as Trafficking but still worth a read.

Abducted was written in 2015 and is available as an Amazon Kindle eBook.

Trafficking (Powell Book 1) by Bill Ward.

Set in Brighton, we have the usual story of a young woman who has been brought into the UK with the promise of a job, only to find that job does not exist but she must repay the people who have trafficked her.

Trafficking is the first book in the Powell series and he is the hero who helps the victim. Powell has luck on his side as he has plenty of money plus he has special skills and contacts he developed from his previous job with MI5.

Although the trafficking of sex slaves is a serious issue, this story is told in a jolly way. I imagine Bill had great fun writing the sex scenes in his story. I found the sex and the characters very entertaining, there was something for everyone, lesbians included.

Although Afina, the young woman from Romania was the victim, she was also very lucky in the people she bumped into. The two lesbians she met along the pavement just bent over backwards to help her. These strangers did not point her in the right direction but took her under their wings. Powell with his flash BMW car simply doled out the cash without question. Powell could also with the odd phone call get a lot of help with no questions asked. But although Afina and Powell are lucky, don’t let this lack of realism spoil your enjoyment of this story.

I enjoyed Trafficking and found it light, easy reading. I thought the plot was average and the pace good. Having recently had our car serviced and was offered fixed prices for different jobs which could be done, it made me smile that Bill included a full tariff of rates charged in a brothel. I liked this extra detail as it added perspective to the story.

Yes, there is misery about sex slaves all around the world but Trafficking is a jolly GOOD read that gets 4 stars from me.

Trafficking was written in 2015 and is available as an Amazon KIndle eBook.

I Talk Too Much: My Autobiography by Francis Rossi.

Francis Rossi is the lead guitarist and singer of the very popular and successful British rock band Status Quo. Here is his memoir, refreshingly told in his own words.

Switching from my regular reads in the crime/thriller/mystery genre, I Talk Too Much was quite a surprise. Francis does not write like a regular author and his writing style is very personal. He writes in very long paragraphs which are a shock at first until your brain gets into gear and you slot into his rhythm. His memoir reads like a television  chat show guest who is given free reign to tell his story. And boy! What a story it is!

I have seen Status Quo performing on stage many times but that was a very long time ago! What I loved about this book was the way Francis told his story, it was riveting. I feel that you do not need to be a fan to enjoy his book. If you simply like books that deal with people doing their day jobs, then you should get a lot from this autobiography.

Francis is now 70 years old and his memoir gives a lovely perspective on things. You get a mature view on life, love and work. I got a lot from this and found the whole book entertaining. I Talk Too Much was simply a joy to read. I think it is a wonderful memoir.

I liked how Francis was very frank about his life. He writes about his failings and mistakes. His is very honest and lists his regrets. He writes about women, sex and drugs. He writes about marriage and having children. He is very open about his use of cocaine.

I loved how Francis’s personality shone through his memoir in the way he told his anecdotes, for example…

Meanwhile, as a teenager I did more of less become part of Alan’s family. For better of worse. The Lancasters were an archetypal hard-as-nails old south London family from Peckham. They had a black cat called Nigger.

And…

Jean had always kept me from meeting her mum before we were married. Now I found out why. The woman could be very difficult. It was as though she had leapt straight from the pages of a Les Dawson joke about mothers-in-law. She would sit slumped in the armchair, chain smoking, with her old fashioned dress pulled up around her hips so that you could see her big old-lady knickers and she would do the most evil-smelling farts. Much to her poor daughter’s annoyance and embarrassment.

I liked how Francis explained the changing dynamics within Status Quo and how the music business works. Status Quo worked very hard over the decades and were famous for always touring. Francis and his band really put the hours in, the concerts were more than promotional tours for a new record but a way of life. Francis has moved with the times and how the music business is very different now to the 1970’s. I loved his comments about recorded music formats when he wrote…

I know they keep banging on about the so-called vinyl revival, but that’s like saying people still make black-and-white movies. It’s a fetish. A cult. Nice if you are into it, meaningless to almost everybody else.

I loved this book and think it is an OUTSTANDING 5 star read. It has an intimacy that makes you feel as though he is a mate sitting next to you. When you reach the end, you are left in no doubt that Francis knows all about his day job and the really important things in life.

I Talk Too Much was written in 2019 and is available as an Amazon Kindle eBook.

The Snack Thief (Commissario Montalbano #3) by Andrea Camilleri.

In the third Inspector Montalbano novel, one victim was found stabbed in a lift and another is shot on a fishing boat. Follow Inspector Montalbano as he solves the mysteries surrounding these deaths. Like the other novels in this series, The Snack Thief can be read as a standalone.

This is the third Inspector Montalbano book I have read on-the-trot. I am enjoying this series and love the consistency of Andrea’s writing. Salvo Montalbano now seems like an old friend to me and the books have developed a cosy feeling as I follow him through his work and private life. The crimes he investigates are very different in each book and I love how Andrea uses the returning cast of characters to develop the brand. This long running theme among the regulars is engaging and makes the reader feel as though they belong within the community. Having these regulars adds so much value to the novels and I can imagine Andrea having these imaginary little people playing on his mind when he was not writing his books. I found his use of returning characters very similar to that of Elly Griffiths in her Dr. Ruth Galloway series.

Like the other books in the Inspector Montalbano series, I just loved Andrea’s play on language. Subtle fun is made of characters who speak Italian as a second language. I must thank the translator of this series, as I am reading the English version, yet the humour aimed at migrants shines brightly through. The banter between all the characters is entertaining, sharp and witty, with never a boring conversation.

I have enjoyed reading this trio of books in the series. I like that the quality of each one is the same and I consider The Snack Thief is a GOOD 4 star read. My lasting impression on reading these books is that if I were to read another in the series, I know exactly what to expect. Strangely enough, I also feel the same about Elly Griffiths books too.

The Snack Thief was written in 1996 and is available as an Amazon Kindle eBook.

The Terra-Cotta Dog (Commissario Montalbano #2) by Andrea Camilleri.

This is the second book in the Inspector Montalbano series but it can be read as a standalone. This time there is a robbery and elsewhere a murder scene. Follow Inspector Montalbano as he solves these two mysteries on his home turf of Sicily.

I liked how many of the characters carried on from the first novel. I liked the tone and author’s voice that sounded loudly from the pages. I got the feeling that Inspector Montalbano plus his workmates and friends became family to me. Having read the first novel, I found the characters very easy to engage with. Because of Andrea’s writing style I found it extremely easy to engage with the new characters, whether they were the good or the bad guys. Andrea has a great skill at smoothly developing realistic characters.

The two mysteries were a great puzzle for the reader to grapple with. Neither mystery made any sense but because of the people Inspector Montalbano interviewed, he was able to get to the bottom of both mysteries. This was great because nothing made sense, the proceeds of a robbery were abandoned and the murder scene formed a triangle around the victims bordered by a bowl, a jug and a Terra-Cotta dog. I loved how folklore and religion were used to explain the significance of the murder scene. This added great depth to this story.

I found The Terra-Cotta Dog to be a jolly read with great banter and wit between the characters. The dialogue had great humour and constantly made me smile. The undertones of each character were subtly played and Inspector Montalbano is quite a randy old devil on the quiet.

There was an extensive vocabulary used throughout this novel and I loved how Andrea would explain and play on how his characters spoke depending on whether they came from the north, the south or a foreign country.

There was a good mixture of people in this mystery making this a bright story. I thought the novel progressed at a good pace with lots going on. On the one side Inspector Montalbano is a lovable cop and on the other the Mafioso are making things awkward. Then there are the many people caught between, making the violent and murderous scenes all part of a cosy mystery.

I thought The Terra-Cotta Dog was a GOOD 4 star read and I am very comfortable with this series.

The Terra-Cotta Dog was written in 1996 and is available as an Amazon Kindle eBook.

The Shape of Water (Commissario Montalbano #1) by Andrea Camilleri.

I have not read any books written by the Italian author Andrea Camilleri, so I thought I would start with his first novel in the Commissario Montalbano series. Andrea Camilleri was born on the 6th September 1925 but will be unable to write any more books as he sadly died on the 17th July 2019.

I enjoyed reading The Shape of Water with all it’s colourful descriptions of life in Sicily. I have never been to Italy and found this mystery accessible for British readers as the local cultures were gently explained. I found this mystery well paced and the jolly dialogue made for a warm and cosy read. The style of this novel is very similar to the popular BBC television series Death in Paradise.

I liked the development of the central character in this series and how Inspector Montalbano is an old school cop who has no problem with bending the rules in his investigations.

I thought the story was lively, with the details bright, sexy and vibrant. This was NOT a dull mystery surrounding the death of a prominent man in his car but a shining tale of things are not always what they appear at first glance. I found The Shape of Water to be a GOOD 4 star read and look forward to reading some more in the Inspector Montalbano series.

The Shape of Water was written in 1994 and is available as an Amazon Kindle eBook.

Dark Game by Rachel Lynch.

DI Kelly Porter leaves the Metropolitan Police and returns to her home turf of the Lake District. How will she get on serving the tourist areas that are a quiet peaceful contrast to the violence and disorder of London? This is the first novel in the DI Kelly Porter series.

I really enjoyed reading Dark Game and I think that Rachel Lynch is top of her league in the British Crime Thriller genre. The quality writing made this a gripping thriller which had a great plot.

I thought the atmosphere was great with plenty of lively characters and lots of detail. The whole story is bright and sexy with lots of attitude and presented life in all it’s gritty glory. The action is both graphic and entertaining, with the sexy bits making the reader smile. There was even some sibling rivalry between DI Kelly Porter and her sister Nikki. I really enjoyed the sharp dialogue and great wit, like when Kelly was chatting to her mother...

‘I called your sister.’

‘What? Why?’

Kelly was livid. Any moment now, Joan of Arc would waft in with her brood of snot-covered kids and rescue her mother from her wayward,  irresponsible daughter.

‘You didn’t need to do that! I’ll call her.’

… So Dark Game ticked all the boxes for me and this OUTSTANDING read gets the top score of 5 stars from me.

Dark Game was written in 2018 and is available as an Amazon Kindle eBook.

Her Deepest Fear by Kelly Utt.

Cate Brady gets a knock on her door and it is bad news, her husband Mick has been killed in an accident. How will she and her three young children cope?

Oh dear, this thriller does drone on a lot. There is a lot of padding around a shallow plot and I thought that Cate's deepest fear was being stuck in a mundane story with no way out of the pages. 

Yes, this book is easy reading but it is too light with no bite or depth. It is B-Movie material and the whole tale is unlikely. I found Her Deepest Fear to be a disappointing, POOR 2 star read. I thought the ending was stupid, extremely unrealistic and had me gasping "as if!".

The best bit of the whole book was the penultimate paragraph, which made me cry for Cate Brady and the time I had wasted reading this dull novel.

Her Deepest Fear was written in 2019 and is available as an Amazon Kindle eBook.

Map of the Dead by Murray Bailey.

Follow Alex MacLure as he unfolds the mystery surrounding his friend's death and legends entombed in Egypt.

I found Map of the Dead to be a regular secret code mystery with the usual conspiracies, lies and speculation thrown in. The plot was average with no real surprises. There was the usual mix of bad and good guys with the standard question of who can you trust. There was nothing in this story that made it stand out from others in this genre.

I did enjoy how the author threaded mathematics into the story. I thought those parts were very interesting. I was impressed by the research about Egypt and it's history of language, records and hidden data. But the religious mumbo jumbo simply left me cold. I thought the inclusion of a discovered story dating from 1,300 BCE a tiresome bore.

Map of the Dead filled the time but did not excite me. It was an okay, 3 star read with only 1 joke within the pages.

Map of the Dead was written in 2016 and is available as an Amazon Kindle eBook.

Deserve to Die by Miranda Rijks.

Tamara is a young woman who knows what she wants. Stacey has a lovely marriage to Dom and they adore their children Arthur and Ivy. Tamara would very much like a life like Stacey's and if her plans work out, she can have the life of her dreams.

Deserve to Die gets off to a very dramatic start and I was gripped. It is creepy but realistic. Then in the next chapter the point of view changes from Tamara to Stacey. Deserve to Die is a psychological thriller with the stress put on both the characters and the reader. The tension starts from the first chapter all the way to the end.

Character development is wonderful, it just builds and builds. Tamara and Stacey are so different. Tamara is youthful, sexy, sharp and dynamic, with shed loads of attitude. Stacey is a yummy mummy running a messy, untidy home. I loved all the bitchy remarks Tamara made about Stacey, they made me chuckle because they were so catty. There is something so funny when women have a go at each other.

I thought Deserve to Die has a good pace and a great plot. I was impressed by the quality of writing and amazed by the extensive vocabulary used. Every chapter I had to call up an obscure word to check it's definition. I do not feel this was the author showing off, I believe she simply has the linguistic skills to finely describe what is going on.

I loved the format of Deserve to Die with alternating chapters from Tamara and Stacey. It also has a linear time line which pleased me big time as one of my pet hates is novels that jump backwards and forwards in time.

Okay Tamara is a nasty woman but she makes for a thrilling read. You do not have to like her but she is not some boring bimbo into beauty and cupcakes.

I really enjoyed reading Deserve to Die and found it an engaging story. I loved the tension and the way the story was told. I think Deserve to Die is an OUTSTANDING read which gets the top score of 5 stars from me.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher Inkubator Books for giving me a copy of this book on the understanding that I provide an honest review.

The Ransom by Nancy Boyarsky.

Nicole Graves continues in her job as a Private Investigator, this time she is asked to look into the identity of a kidnapping victim. This 4th story in the Nicole Graves series can be read as a standalone.

I thought The Ransom got off to a very good start. Nancy set the scene in Los Angeles very well indeed. NIcole was asked to look into the identity of the third kidnapping victim in the city. Maybe there were serial kidnappers on the loose, or maybe the victims were connected. There were plenty of what-if’s thrown at the reader and I was looking forward to Nicole solving the mystery.

However, The Ransom differs from the previous Nicole Graves novels which were solely about Nicole and told purely from her point of view. This time Nicole’s sister Stephanie is dragged into the story. Now you get two points of view, the main focus being Nicole but a substantial although secondary focus on Stephanie. There are many times within the story when the reader knows more about what is going on than Nicole, because they have read Stephanie’s parts. I found this two person tale very frustrating.

The plot within this story was quite simple and nowhere near as involved or intricate as in the three earlier novels. There was no WOW! Factor in The Ransom. After a very good start this book then plodded along and became a regular search and find. The story then became rather predictable with nothing out of the ordinary. In the earlier novels we had lots of content and feeling about the life of Nicole in and out of work. The character development and living the life of Nicole was drastically reduced in The Ransom, the story being more about the searches Nicole ran than the heroine we previously enjoyed. There was a hint at romance this time but it was just a hint and was not developed.

Another frustration was when Nicole got closer to the kidnappers. The police told her about the risks involved and to stay away. What does the silly cow do? Yes, she grabs her handbag and storms off in search of the kidnappers and their victims. I lost my empathy for Nicole then.

I did like the localisation that Nancy put into her story. Not only does she use Los Angeles as a back-drop to her story but she uses American words and expressions that give British readers a lot to think about. This mix of local culture was a joy to read.

I found The Ransom to be an Okay 3 star read. I did not enjoy it anyway as much as her earlier novels which I thought had far, far better plots and a much stronger personality from Nicole.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and INscribe Digital/Light Messages Publishing for giving me a copy of this book on the understanding that I provide an honest review.

The Cornish Cream Tea Bus by Cressida McLaughlin.

Charlie Quilter is left in her uncle Hal’s will a 1964 AEC Routemaster, ex-London Transport double decker bus. Follow Charlie, a baker, as she transforms Gertie into a mobile cafe and sightseeing tour bus.

Having driven buses and coaches since 1981, I loved how Cressida puts across to the reader the passion that vintage buses and coaches can give. There is a little something that vintage buses and coaches have that modern vehicles lack. Cressida taps into the character of this Routemaster very well indeed and with her words you get the feel of this bus. I was really impressed that Cressida could put across the bus parts of this book so well. It was lovely for me to finish my rest break reading The Cornish Cream Tea Bus and then reflect upon the book as I drove along the motorway behind the wheel of my modern Euro 6 - Volvo B11R. Cressida had done her research well as Charlie had both her PCV licence and a valid Driver CPC Qualification Card. I will ignore the absence of an Operator’s Licence etc and all the legal requirements as this does not affect the story.

The Cornish Cream Tea Bus has a large list of lively characters who all have their part to play. The whole book is told from Charlie’s point of view and I had empathy for her from the moment she pressed the button to start the AEC AV590 9.6 litre engine. Character development was good and there was romance in this story too! The romance developed at a steady pace and it was uncertain which way Charlie’s heart would lead. This is light reading and is suitable for all age groups as there is no gritty sex within the pages, just the odd gentle kiss on the mouth. All the cream was on the scones! 

This whole story is very British and is told in a cosy, warm, whimsical way, very similar to the popular television series Doc Martin, also set in Cornwall. Tourism and village life are lovingly depicted giving this book a great holiday feel. I really engaged with this book and had the “we’re all in this together” feel. Making me feel more at home, not just the bus and the scones, was Marmite - a pet Yorkiepoo. Charlie’s dog was a crossbreed Yorkshire Terrier/Poodle and as dogs are integral to many people’s lives, it is lovely when they are included within a story.

I enjoyed reading The Cornish Cream Tea Bus and thought it was a GOOD 4 star read. It was a light and fluffy, very comfortable read with a happy ending.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher HarperCollins UK for giving me a copy of this book on the understanding that I provide an honest review.

The Marriage Trap by Sheryl Browne.

Diana is married to Robert and their daughter Karla is married to Jason, giving them two grandchildren, Holly and Josh. However, the adults in this story have some very sharp words will each other and are not living in married bliss. Follow these three generations of people as they try to muddle through the hustle and bustle of family life.

The cover of The Marriage Trap claims this novel is a psychological thriller. I did NOT find this book thrilling but found it to drag on and on. I thought The Marriage Trap was a MISERABLE read. All four adults were unhappy with their marriages and the mood was dreadful. The story got off to a BAD start in the first chapter when you are thrown into the situation of Jason leaving Karla. Then chapter two begins and the timeline goes back three whole months. From hereon you are given a day by day account of both marriages. It was off putting to read in the first chapter that Jason is leaving Karla and the rest of the book is background to that day. All four adults have their faults and you do not develop an empathy for any of them. Your gut feeling very quickly becomes that you are very glad you are not married to any of them.

There are plenty of secrets and lies to be revealed but each one takes forever, a hint here and a hint there until many chapters later you find out what the hints were all about.

I found the mood of this book very annoying, the three generations were living a miserable existence. There was no joy in their lives, making this novel a very sad read. The Marriage Trap did not stimulate me and I did not find it entertaining. I failed to engage with the story and found it a turn off. I think this book would put off any single people thinking of marriage.

In the acknowledgements at the end of The Marriage Trap, Sheryl writes…

Final thanks to every single reader out there for buying and reading my books. Authors write with you in mind.

...However, I did not enjoy reading The Marriage Trap. I found the domestic misery a chore to read. I was very disappointed with The Marriage Trap, I simply did not like the story. Having been happily married myself for the past 28 years, I thought the adults were behaving dreadfully towards each other. I think Sheryl has made a mistake by publishing such a negative novel.

I did like that each adult had their own chapters that represented their points of view. Sheryl can write very good novels as I thought her last book called The Second Wife was an OUTSTANDING 5 star read. Sadly The Marriage Trap left me COLD and I can only vote this latest from Sheryl the minimum score of 1 star. Sheryl can produce the goods, so hopefully better luck next time for her readers but if this was their first read, they may move onto other authors.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Bookouture for giving me a copy of this book on the understanding that I provide an honest review.

Elevator Pitch by Linwood Barclay.

There are 63,000 passenger elevators in New York City. What could possibly go wrong?

Linwood starts off his latest novel with a plunge as the reader is launched into a very busy and crowded New York. The tension starts from the first page as you are thrust through short chapters and as each scene quickly unfolds you do not know what is going to happen next.

There are tons of content in this thriller, there is no padding and as you wade through this avalanche of data it becomes clear Linwood’s writing quality is spot on.

Elevator Pitch is a plot based thriller with an abundance of characters thrown in. The head count is very high but each character is concisely introduced no matter how small or large a part they play in this story. New York is a very busy city and this novel really conveys the buzz on the street.

Linwood explores the everyday threat of terrorism to the citizens of New York. Threats from the Middle East like ISIS plus home grown activists like the Flyovers. Henry Olsen explained the concept behind Flyovers in 2017 when he wrote…

Although originally coined by a citizen of flyover country, the term has become a pejorative description of the interior states of the USA and is largely attributed to coastal and liberal Americans who – in more ways than one – are said to ‘look down’ on these lands and their peoples during their high altitude journeyings from one fashionable seaboard metropolis to another.

...Linwood has little snips of subtle humour sprinkled throughout his story, for example…

“But isn’t that exactly what you have reduced the so-called coasters to? A cliche? Sushi-eating, latte-drinking, gluten-avoiding, Prius-driving elites?”

Barbara sat back on the bench. Oh, no, she thought. She’s gone to the dark side. She’s working for Facebook.

But Twitter was not typically where one posted photos of friends. It was for mouthing off, something Barbara did plenty of.

...I loved how Elevator Pitch is quite topical, it includes real past events and has many, many social observations. I loved the realism of this story and found the threat of everyday terrorism the man in the street has to live with, very engaging. Elevator Pitch showed just how much some people use a mobile phone and how it has become an integral part of their lives. This was quite shocking and a sad but true reflection on how society has developed with many people so absorbed and attached to their mobile phones. They may be connected but can miss out on the really important things happening around them.

I loved reading Elevator Pitch and found it a great, entertaining and thrilling book. I think that Linwood is at the top of his game and that Elevator Pitch is an OUTSTANDING read that gets 5 stars from me.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Harper Collins UK for giving me a copy of this book on the understanding that I provide an honest review.

The Tree of Rebels by Chantelle Atkins.

Okay guys, let’s jump into the next century and become the role of Lissie Turner, a 13 year old girl living in the UK and asking lots of questions about our society and what lies beyond the fence surrounding her town.

WOW! What the devil has gone on? Has our world gone mad? When did the Old World collapse and the new world begin? Can 13 year old Lissie Turner uncover the truth?

Okay guys, the concept is GOOD. There are many conflicts and wars around the world today and nobody knows how our future will unfold. Many, many lies have been told in the past, YES listen at the back Tony Blair, Iraq did NOT have Weapons of Mass Destruction in 2003.

So onto the Tree of Rebels. Ah, I thought this book was a DRAG, it rambled on and on, poor old Grandma Elizabeth on her death bed, telling the same old stories time and time again. Lissie Turner being a typical annoying teenage girl, sorry Louise but Chantelle Atkins hits the button with the naivety of modern teenage girls and their smartphone, grab a Coke from Grandad’s fridge attitudes.

I found the plot to The Tree of Rebels very SHALLOW and the handful of critical points or issues were repeatedly reviewed, time and time again. This book seemed to be going nowhere and not a lot happened. The concept of the fall of the Old World, the development of the new world with the possibility of false histories was NOT developed properly. It was just hints that lies may have been told. I hoped this novel would get better as the pages dragged on but it continued to be a POOR 2 star read all the way to the end. I was clearly not entertained by this book and found the whole reading experience a big disappointment. At 61 years of age, I know that I am not in the target group for a YA novel but if this is what teenagers choose to read, I feel reading will become nothing more than a passing fad for them. Still, I read The Tree of Rebels to the very end only to find nothing much happened and then to be told this sad, sorry tale would be continued in the next book. The ending was like watching 90 minutes of football to end with a no goal score draw. Yes, I could have done better things with my time, those reading hours lost forever wading through a bloated novel with very little content.

The Tree of Rebels was written in 2017 and is available as an Amazon Kindle eBook.

Behind the Smile by Mary Grand.

Lowri is involved in a car accident and her face has become scarred for life. But this is not the only scar that Lowri will carry as she tries to make a new life for herself upon the Isle of Wight.

I really enjoyed reading Behind the Smile and in the back of my head was the song by Fleetwood Mac in 1987 which went “Tell me lies, tell me sweet little lies.” Many characters in this novel told lies and right from the start my empathy was with Lowri as lots of people were stringing her along.

Behind the Smile explored a lot of issues, not just honesty and lies. It explored how people cope with disfigurement, miscarriage, Facebook and gambling. Lowri’s smile had been destroyed because of her facial injuries but this story showed how people can be very different Behind the Smile they present to the world. The inclusion of Facebook in this novel is good. People use Facebook in many different ways and we should all be aware that Facebook posts do not give the full story. Facebook is a channel that can be used in many different ways, some are very subtle. Behind the Smile of your Facebook page, you can influence peoples’ opinions. It can be tempting to play the Facebook game and tease people too. Because there are so many lurkers on Facebook who do not click the “Like” button, you can be sure to get your message across. Facebook can be a very good back channel to work within the workplace. I am amazed at how long our supervisors spend on Facebook checking what our drivers have been posting. 

I like Mary Grand’s writing style and she tells a good story in that lovely way that Welsh women have. There is something very homely I find about her novels, even though Behind the Smile is set in her new patch on the Isle of Wight. Yet again the lead character has a cocker spaniel, just like the author! It’s the old thing, write about what you know, in Mary’s case, Wales, the Isle of Wight and cocker spaniels.

Lowri even had a trip back to Merthyr Tydfil…

...She looked at the departure board, found the platform for Merthyr and began her ascent up the steps. Standing on the platform, she listened to the valleys voices: the harsh consonants, and long soft vowels. ‘What you been buying then?’ said one girl.

‘Oh, been to Primark. You know, for thirty quid I got three skirts and two tops. Lush eh?’

‘You going to that band in The Red House tonight?’

‘Guess so. You?’

‘Yea.’

Lowri smiled, already feeling at home.

...And I thought I was listening to the cleaners in Llantrisant depot.

Behind the Smile is Mary’s 3rd novel and I found it to be a BRILLIANT read. Her quality writing gets the top score of 5 stars from me. The story has a happy ending and the last paragraph will have you crying for Lowri.

Behind the Smile was written in 2018 and is available as an Amazon Kindle eBook.

Hidden Chapters by Mary Grand.

Catrin is 50 and she goes to stay at a holiday home in a small village along the Gower in south Wales. Follow her as she and her family have some drama thrust into their lives when an old face from the past suddenly appears.

Hidden Chapters is a character driven novel of family drama. The central character is Catrin as she has a lot to cope with. We also have interesting family members too, Lloyd her father, Gareth her husband plus their two daughters Bethan and Lowri. Dog owners will enjoy the inclusion of Safi, a new pet for Catrin’s birthday. And then we have an old face from the past adding emotion and history to the tale.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Hidden Chapters. I found it to be better than other character driven family dramas because it had a unique angle that was developed and explained. This added value to this novel is something we don’t generally hear a lot about in mainstream fiction. Catrin’s youngest daughter Bethan was born Deaf.

Don’t get me wrong, Hidden Chapters is NOT a book about hearing OR disability, it is one of secrets and lies. I enjoyed the pace of this novel and the depths of emotions that were skillfully woven into the plot. I quickly developed an empathy for all the characters and enjoyed how life’s challenges were explored. We have adoption, education, adult dreams about their future, loss of a loved one and how to deal with secrets and lies.

I found Hidden Chapters to be a warm cosy read with a lot of love flowing out of the pages. It was a very pleasant and pleasing read for me. I think it is easy for men to put themselves into Catrin’s shoes. 

Mary Grand taught Deaf children in Croydon and Hastings which gave her some great insights that she was able to use in Hidden Chapters. I thought these extras added a lot to this novel. It put the character of Bethan and her hearing into perspective. It was nice that Mary did not make hearing a focus of her novel but included it as part of life. I am a coach driver on the National Express network and we support Deaf passengers. I found these sections of Hidden Chapters to be a great refresher with my job as Deaf passengers can so easily miss out and we do not want to add any more stress to their journey. I would like to quote some sections of Hidden Chapters about hearing that I thought particularly should be highlighted…

...The Man serving might mumble or look away so that Bethan couldn’t lip read him or, if he saw hearing aids, and actually realised she was Deaf, he might over-enunciate in some kind of pantomime, making lip reading impossible. Of course, he might be the kind of person who refused to even try to communicate, who would stare at her blankly, and claim that he could not understand her simply because of her intonation was a bit flat and nasal.

‘It was easy. Do you know I ordered a round of drinks in the pub the other night? Orange juice for me, of course,’ Bethan added, grinning in a way that did nothing to reassure her mother. ‘Anyway, this woman behind the bar kept saying ‘What?’ to me, and looking at Sabrina to ask her what I was saying. Sabrina, of course, refused to play. In the end, the woman gave me a piece of paper and a pen, and told me to write down my order, so I wrote, ‘You’re a stupid cow,’ and handed it back to her.’

‘Dad told me the girl is, what do they call it now? Hearing impaired. Is that right?’ 

‘Actually, Bethan prefers to say she is Deaf. There are people you see that say the word impairment means something needs to be fixed. She was born Deaf.’

‘Lowri tells me you do music. How does that work? Is is all done by vibration?’

Bethan tutted. ‘It’s far more complicated than that. Hearing is only a small part of enjoying music. It’s multi-sensory, a physical thing. Music is a feeling, an emotion. A deaf person feels music within the vibrations in the same part of the brain that hearing people use when the melodies you love get caught in your head.’

‘She’s done well, hasn’t she? We’re so proud of her. It’s been a lot of hard work. People don’t realise how much effort she puts in. Take lip-reading. Actually, only about thirty per cent of English is visible on the lips, and she needs lots of other cues to really follow what you are saying. It’s why they call it speech reading now, Bethan is watching teeth, cheeks, eyes, facial expressions, and body language to piece together what you’re saying.’

‘To start signing with Bethan was a big decision. You see, there were plenty of professionals who said that if I signed with Bethan she would never learn to talk.’

‘Really?’

‘Yes. The idea is, you see, that she has this tiny bit of hearing, her residual hearing, and she must work hard at using that. They said that if she signed she wouldn’t, and so would never learn to talk. The way I saw it, Bethan was getting very frustrated. It didn’t seem fair, so I found someone prepared to teach us, and that is the way we went. The expression they used then was ‘total communication’, when you use speech and signing in parallel. I think it’s called something different now.’

When he had gone, she looked at Bethan. ‘How ignorant can you get?’

‘I’ve had worse. One waiter asked me if I needed a menu in Braille.’

‘Good grief.’

‘You get used to it.’

Bethan was signing with Lowri. Catrin watched in awe, struck with the beauty of the signing, understanding again why signing had been described as dancing with words. As Catrin watched, she experienced a deep sense of calm. There were no more ghosts, no more hidden chapters.

...So I found Hidden Chapters to be a lovely warm cosy read that ticked all the boxes for me. Yes, I shed the odd tear along the way but that is due to strong story-telliing by a quality author. Well done Mary, your second novel gets the top score of 5 stars from me.

Hidden Chapters was written in 2016 and is available as an Amazon Kindle eBook.