The Seven Doors by Agnes Ravatn (translated by Rosie Hedger)

Today is my stop on the blog tour for The Seven Doors by Agnes Ravatn, translated by Rosie Hedger, and I'm delighted to share an exclusive extract from the book. My thanks to Anne Cater from Random Things Tours for inviting me and to the author and publisher for providing the extract. I haven't had chance to read it yet but it looks fantastic and it's on my TBR pile. Please do check it out.

The Blurb:

One of Norway’s most distinguished voices, Agnes Ravatn’s first novel to be published in the UK was The Bird Tribunal. It won an English PEN Translation Award, was shortlisted for the Dublin Literary Award and the Petrona Award, and was adapted for a BBC Book at Bedtime. She returns now with a dark, powerful and deeply disturbing psychological thriller about family, secrets and dangerous curiosity…

University professor Nina is at a turning point. Her work seems increasingly irrelevant, her doctor husband is never home,relations with her adult daughter Ingeborg are strained, and their beautiful house is scheduled for demolition.

When Ingeborg decides to move into another house they own, things take a very dark turn. The young woman who rents it disappears, leaving behind her son, the day after Nina and Ingeborg pay her a visit.

With few clues, the police enquiry soon grinds to a halt, but Nina has an inexplicable sense of guilt. Unable to rest, she begins her own investigation, but as she pulls on the threads of the case, it seems her discoveries may have very grave consequences for her and her family.

The Seven Doors was published by Orenda Books as an eBook on 17th July 2020 and in paperback on 17th September 2020. You can purchase it from Orenda Books, Hive (supporting independent bookshops), Waterstones, Amazon or your usual retailer. 

Extract:

Monday 26th November

The first half of the day consisted of a hair-raising strategy seminar at the university, a humiliating three-hour-long groupwork session during which they were supposed to brainstorm suggestions for improving the quality of their research. When lunchtime eventually comes around, she sneaks away to the university library to pick up a book she’s reserved.

By the entrance to the canteen she bumps into a retired colleague she always liked and sits down with her. They immediately begin exchanging horror stories about past strategy seminars, and by the time she finally manages to tear herself away, the second part of the seminar is well under way.

She decides to skip the remainder, settles on soup of the day for lunch and finds a table tucked away from other diners where she can leaf through a newspaper in peace.

She skim-reads the editorial and comments on page three, browsing the news section disinterestedly.

When she reaches page eight, she goes cold. She recognises her immediately. It’s the tenant from Birkeveien. She has longer hair in the picture, and she’s smiling. But it’s her.

She’s gone missing.

Her name is Mari Nilsen. She’s thirty years old.

She reads the short piece three times without drawing breath, her reading interspersed with fleeting recollections of the way she and Ingeborg had recklessly barged in just a week ago. 

And now she’s missing.

Nina brings a hand to her throat; she feels as if everyone around her can see that her arteries are fit to burst beneath her paper-thin skin.

Mari Nilsen has been missing since last Thursday. Three days after their unexpected visit. She had been visiting her parents on the isle of Tornøy. She had gone for a walk, but never returned. The police have no leads. 

She’s from Tornøy, Nina thinks to herself, that must be why she seemed so familiar, perhaps they’d seen her when they’d been in Oldervik, maybe she worked at the supermarket in the summer holidays, or at weekends.

One theory is that she returned to Bergen, she reads, but there have been no sightings of her on buses or ferries. The police have issued a public appeal for information. But what about her son, Nina thinks to herself, where is he?

She picks up the phone and searches her name; women and girls of all ages appear, none of them her.

She glances up to check that nobody is watching her. She searches her name and ‘Bergen’, then ‘Tornøy’, and that narrows the search slightly, but nothing relevant appears. She searches her name in the phone book online, adding the address on Birkeveien. No Mari Nilsen; she’s not registered at the address.
A growing sense of unease grips her, or worse, perhaps: guilt.

She should really contact the police and tell them about … tell them about what, exactly? About the two unpleasant intruders who had called at the woman’s door three days before she was last seen?

She leaves the library, her vision seems blurred, she cuts across the square diagonally as she calls Mads. He doesn’t pick up, and shortly afterwards she receives a text: In a meeting, anything urgent?

She enters the Faculty of Humanities building and goes up to her office, where she sits at her computer and continues her search. She turns up a long list of hits, but none of the Mari Nilsens she finds are the right one, not even on social media, not one Facebook profile is a match.
As she prepares to type her name into the university email system, she feels her pulse begin to race. The idea that she and Ingeborg might have shown their true colours in the company of a junior colleague or a former student makes her stomach churn. She is relieved when her search comes to nothing.

Mari Nilsen’s entire existence feels almost like a dream, though Nina knows all too well that she met her very recently.'


The Author:

Agnes Ravatn (b. 1983) is a Norwegian author and columnist. She made her literary début with the novel Week 53 (Veke 53) in 2007. Since then she has written three critically acclaimed and award-winning essay collections: Standing Still (Stillstand), 2011, Popular Reading (Folkelesnad), 2011, and Operation Self-Discipline (Operasjon sjøldisiplin), 2014. In these works, Ravatn revealed a unique, witty voice and sharp eye for human fallibility. Her second novel, The Bird Tribunal (Fugletribuanlet), was an international bestseller translated into fifteen languages, winning an English PEN Award, shortlisting for the Dublin Literary Award, a WHSmith Fresh Talent pick and a BBC Book at Bedtime. It was also made into a successful play, which premiered in Oslo in 2015. Agnes lives with her family in the Norwegian countryside.

A Song of Isolation by Michael J Malone

Today is my stop on the blog tour for A Song of Isolation by Michael J Malone and I 'm delighted to share my review of this wonderful book. Huge thanks to Anne Cater at Random Things Tours for inviting me and to the publisher for my review copy. 

The Blurb:

Film star Amelie Hart is the darling of the silver screen, appearing on the front pages of every newspaper. But at the peak of her fame she throws it all away for a regular guy with an ordinary job. The gossip columns are aghast: what happened to the woman who turned heads wherever she went?

Any hope the furore will die down are crushed when Amelie’s boyfriend Dave is arrested on charges of child sexual abuse. Dave strongly asserts his innocence, and when Amelie refuses to denounce him, the press furore quickly turns into physical violence, and she has to flee the country.

While Dave is locked up with the most depraved men in the country and Amelie is hiding on the continent, Damaris, the victim at the centre of the story, is also isolated – a child trying to make sense of an adult world…

Breathtakingly brutal, dark and immensely moving, A Song of Isolation looks beneath the magpie glimmer of celebrity to uncover a sinister world dominated by greed and lies, and the unfathomable destruction of innocent lives… in an instant.

A Song of Isolation was published by Orenda Books as an eBook on 17th July 2020 and in paperback on 17th September 2020. You can purchase it from the publisher, Hive, Waterstones, Amazon and all usual retailers. 

My Review: 

Oh gosh, what a book! Where to start?! 

Amelie's film career is just taking off when she gives it all up and moves into a cottage in Lanarkshire with accountant boyfriend Dave. They are happy for action few years although perhaps the relationship isn't going as Dave hoped it might. But their peace is shattered when Dave is areas on child abuse charges. His connection to Amelie means the press interest in the case is significant. Dave protests his innocence and Amelie refuses to distance herself from him. The backlash against them both is huge and, unsurprisingly, puts a strain on their relationship. And unusually named Damaris, the sweet, lonely little girl at the centre of the scandal, is bewildered and upset by it all. Dave's arrest is a springboard to events in the present and future but also to memories of the past.

Malone presents an intimate portrayal of people in the midst of a crisis. Dave continues to protest his innocence and struggles with life in prison when, even on remand, he is placed with really awful men. Amelie's refusal to denounce Dave costs her dearly. We see both of them at their worst - frightened, broken, defeated. They are beautifully drawn characters and my heart ached for them both. But I loved the relationship between Dave's parents and, in turn, their relationship with Amelie which deepened through the book - it was lovely to see.  In every interaction that happens Malone includes the tiny details - the gestures, the looks, etc that are so important in our communication with others. Another character that must be mentioned is Damaris. Just ten or eleven when Dave is arrested we see all her pain, confusion and anger, and we see how she deals with it. It was absolutely  impossible not to feel for her. 

The author has never been afraid to tackle difficult subjects in his books and this one is no different. He talks about the price of fame, the brutality of the prison system, child abuse (but not in any detail) and mental health issues. And he does so successfully, never preaching and always staying true to the story. 

I went through so many emotions reading this, up and down like a yoyo! There were moments I had tears in my eyes. This is a book about love, trust, betrayal, lies, hope, redemption,  oh there is everything in here! It's a book about people and relationships, and about how one event can shatter so many lives. I'm really not doing it justice here because I can't find the right words but it's beautiful, brutal and hugely affecting. Highly recommended.

The Author:

Michael Malone is a prize-winning poet and author who was born and brought up in the heart of Burns’ country. He has published over 200 poems in literary magazines throughout the UK, including New Writing Scotland, Poetry Scotland and Markings. Blood Tears, his bestselling debut novel won the Pitlochry Prize from the Scottish Association of Writers. His psychological thriller, A Suitable Lie, was a number-one bestseller, and the critically acclaimed House of Spines, After He Died and In the Absence of Miracles soon followed suit. A former Regional Sales Manager (Faber & Faber) he has also worked as an IFA and a bookseller. Michael lives in Ayr.

How The Wired Weep by Ian Patrick

Today the blog tour for How the Wired Weep by Ian Patrick arrives here at Suze Reviews... and I'm delighted to share my review. Many thanks to Emma Welton at damppebbles blog tours for the invitation and to the author for my review copy. 

The Blurb: 

The Wire crosses the pond.

Ed is a detective who handles informants. He recruits Ben, a young man, who is treading a dangerous path into the criminal underworld.

Ben's unsure of where his loyalties lie. They have to find a way to work together despite their differences.

Both men are drawn into the world of Troy, a ruthless and brutal leader of an Organised Criminal Network.

Ben is torn between two worlds as he tries to walk the impossible line between criminality and helping Ed combat crime.

He lives in fear of discovery.

When your life is thrown upside down who do you turn to in order to survive?

Set against the backdrop of the 2012 Olympic Games, How the Wired Weep is a fast paced urban thriller where time is against both men as they attempt to serve their own agendas.

How the Wired Weep was published in paperback and digital formats on 30th June 2020 and is available to purchase on Amazon UK and Amazon US.




My Review:

Ed works in the covert policing team of the Metropolitan Police. He and partner Sienna work with informants, or Covert Human Intelligence Sources, from amongst the criminal underworld, rewarding them for any valuable information they pass on. Ben is one of Ed's best informants, a young man struggling to balance passing information on to the police whilst not raising the suspicions of his crooked mates. But he also needs to weigh up what or who pays best - crime or police? 

To be honest, when I started this book I really wasn't sure I'd enjoy it as it was different from my usual read. But I soon found myself drawn in to the lives of the two men. Written as a two hander with first person chapters from the points of view of both men. 

Ed is a good man, working hard to improve the safety of London's streets. But this means he works long, odd hours causing stress at home. And we see that he cares about his informants - he wants them to do the right thing, to better themselves, but is constantly frustrated by budget constraints. Ben is not an easy man to like. His education has been on the streets, his employment on the wrong side on the law, and drugs have impacted his life. Full of attitude, we see his life unfold through his own eyes and in his own words as his chapters are written in a street vernacular, which took a little getting used to but only because I wasn't expecting it. And a word of sympathy for Ed 's wife and Ben's girlfriend, for want of a better word (it's fair to say,he's not a romantic guy). 

The storyline builds up steadily to its denouement and it was really interesting to see each event, big and small, from two different points of view. Both men are facing changes in their personal lives which made them even more like two sides of the same coin. The tension fair rises towards the end and i was totally invested in the outcome for both men. And it was an outcome which was unexpectedly emotional, for me anyway. 

This is a raw, gritty thriller. There's no gloss here, just some brutal reality. With two completely rounded central characters, it feels very authentic and Patrick has obviously put his policing experience to good use here. After an uncertain beginning as I wasn't sure what to expect I thoroughly enjoyed this and look for reading more from this author. 

The Author: 

Ian spent twenty-seven years in the Metropolitan police the majority as a Detective Sergeant within the Specialist Operations Command. He specialised in Child Protection and was part of a Major Investigation Team that targeted abusers and investigated the murder of children. 

His last seven years were spent in the Covert Policing Command where he managed a specialist covert unit dedicated to the detection and disruption of organised criminal networks across London and the UK. 

Rubicon, Stoned Love, and Fools Gold are published by Fahrenheit Press. 

How the Wired Weep is a standalone novel. 

Rubicon is in development with the BBC for a six part TV series. 
He's appeared at Bloody Scotland in 2018 as a spotlight author on the opening night with Val McDermid and Denise Mina. 

Ian's undertaken a mentorship with Write4Film Scotland and is developing a script for a short film. He's also an ambassador for Muscular Dystrophy Scotland. He lives in Scotland where he divides his time between family, writing, reading and photography. 

You can follow Ian on his website where you can subscribe to his newsletter and get updates on blogs, events and books. 


Author Social Media Links: 

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Little Book of Hope by Louise Hall

Today I'm shining a spotlight on Little Book of Hope by Louise Hall, a lovely little pocket sized book written for the current times we find ourselves in. Thanks to Anne Cater at Random Things Tours for the invitation and to the author for my review copy.

The Blurb: 

The past few months have made us realise that change is inevitable – sometimes good but sometimes it can be cruel and makes your world go out of control. We might experience anxiety, low moods, night sweats, exhaustion or worse. We lose all hope and feel that there is nothing to look forward to. Little Book of Hope helps you find your way back again – through Reflections to guide you through the difficult times, together with: Family. Friends. Rest. Time - for yourself. Walk. Talk. Cry. Grieve. Meditate. Pray. Accept things. Patience. Dedicated to all those around the world who have lost hard but loved much - that you may re-discover Hope and welcome the beautiful pleasure of joy back into your lives.

Little Book of Hope was published by Peach Publishing on 23 July 2020 and you can purchase it here. 

The Author: 

Louise Hall is from Malahide, Co. Dublin. She has previously published two works of non-fiction, Medjugorje: What it Means to Me and Medjugorje and Me: A Collection of Stories from Across the World. Her fiction has been published in The Irish Times and been shortlisted for numerous competitions, such as the RTÉ Guide/Penguin Short Story Award, the Colm Tóibín International Short Story Competition and the Jonathan Swift Creative Writing Awards. Pilgrim is her debut novel.

Author Social Media Links:

Website 

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The Course of Conviction by Cheryl Butler

Today is my stop on the The Course of Conviction blog tour. This book is the middle part of the Obsession Trilogy by Cheryl Butler and I'm delighted to be sharing an exclusive extract featuring one of the main characters, Abbie. My thanks to Emma Welton at damppebbles blog tours for my invitation and to the author for providing the extract. I hope you enjoy it. 

The Blurb: 

Having responded to Abbie's absence in his own inimitable style, an unexpected reconciliation sees Joe conflicted by a need to seek revenge and a need to seek gratification, but as he wavers between hope and hatred, an unlikely reunion throws all those involved into further turmoil, deepening wounds and threatening fragile minds. Battling for normalcy, accusations and revelations abound until a devastating discovery proves almost fatal. There are lessons to be learned and theories to challenge, but who is really responsible for the endless stream of fear and betrayal? Dark minds and dirty deeds will only cause destruction when obsession knows no bounds. Explicit - strictly 18+ 

The Course of Conviction was published by Little Bee Publishing in digital and paperback formats on 4th June 2020. 


Purchase Links: 

Amazon UK  
Amazon US  

The Course Of Conviction Excerpt - Abbie 

'Abbie felt as cleansed as the house, having allowed herself the liberty of much conjecture, a myriad of memories and a modicum of unbiased self-evaluation – all comfortable partners to the chores she’d elected to tackle – and whilst the tears were plentiful, they were also soothing and unavoidable if sanity was to endure, but as soon as they emerged, Abbie knew they’d be fleeting, and that knowledge alone made them easier to bear. What remained intolerable, however, was the gravity of her most important task, for she was out of time and excuses, mindful that, no matter what further strategies she devised to defer, the longer she waited, the higher the chance of complicated questions, and life was already too convoluted. Visualising the trauma she was about to inflict, she paced the room, fretful and undecided, but she had no option, and she grabbed a bottle of wine, desperate for it to assist her disclosure. With a glass downed, she summoned the energy to call and finally deliver the bad news, and she received the reaction she’d anticipated and dreaded, crumpling under the weight of her responsibility and the elusion of it. The despondency she’d succumbed to at the hospital was mirrored now by the recipient of her call, and she could do nothing to ease it, acknowledging that her delay in communication had amplified the pain, but she had been incapable of garnering the strength to act sooner. Her apologies were accepted but completely inept, and she cried with her confidante, partly in grief, partly in shame, but mostly for the understanding being tendered – as it always had – for her dilemma. Insisting on settling all costs, a tentative request to be allowed to attend the funeral – but only if it would cause no further distress to Abbie – and anguish coupled with unreserved consideration, broke her heart. Refusing the support would be insulting, and Abbie had no desire to alienate her fellow mourner – he’d provided for her son his entire life, demanding nothing more than subtle inclusion that would not be detected until Abbie felt ready to divulge his affiliation… but that time had never come, and the regret in his voice was insufferable. He vowed to inform no one until after the funeral and pleaded with Abbie to never lose touch; her standing in his life was undiminished by the essence and delay in her imparting such devastating news, and he would continue to assist her in any way possible. 

Ending the call, Abbie collapsed to the floor and sobbed uncontrollably, once again, for her loss, her role in that loss and for the weakness that had prevented her from enlightening her son to his roots. The effects were indeterminable and that had been her concern, but hindsight suggested it would have been no worse than what she faced now, and this was final. 

Seeking solace in the wine bottle, Abbie sipped slowly as she fought to subdue the irrepressible sobs that stole her composure and hope. The temptation to lose herself totally to alcohol had never been greater, but the ensuing repercussions would only intensify the current despondency, and she’d been there before, so she moderated her intake and strived for the serenity she’d experienced earlier, to no avail. Screaming to the empty house, Abbie’s despair continued, but drained by her phone call, she allowed its course, welcoming the exhaustion that allowed temporary alleviation. 

When Abbie woke an hour later, the worst of her misery had passed, leaving a ghost of gloom that could be eradicated with the rejuvenation accorded by sleep and, of course, another glass of wine. Calling Rose to confirm times for the following day, Abbie skipped dinner and sauntered up to bed with her glass and the remainder of wine, capitalising on its soporific effect.' 

The Author:

Having worked in a variety of industries, Cheryl has met many interesting people and, with a profound interest in what makes them tick, she has spent a lifetime of asking ‘What would I do in that situation?’ and ‘What if things happened this way?’, creating a multitude of plots and twists that she had always dismissed until one storyline nagged her constantly and she decided to alleviate herself of the burden, committing her ideas to virtual paper. Assuming she would run out of steam five chapters or so in, she amazed herself by writing two novels within a year and A Proclivity To Prurience was born. It was difficult to write, given the themes, but Cheryl felt it was a story that would resonate in the current climate. Writing between a part-time job and raising two young children was a task in itself, but, every spare minute was spent doing so or thinking about doing so and her characters took on a life of their own. 

Cheryl loves character-driven tales with a psychological edge and aims to produce that kind of work herself, and she’s not afraid to tackle issues that some may find difficult… other than horror – she can’t read or write horror as she scares far too easily! 

Aside from writing and her family, Cheryl’s greatest passion is music and she can easily lose herself in a favourite album or song, rather like she does within a book she’s writing or reading, and a musician’s ability to move you on any level is pure genius. 


Author Social Media Links: 

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Containment by Nick Thacker

Today is my stop on the blog tour for Containment by Nick Thacker. My thanks to Noelle Holten at Bookoutre for the invitation and my review copy which I received via Netgalley.

The Blurb:

When there’s nothing left to lose, there’s no limit to what you’ll risk.

Jake Parker’s world collapsed with the violent death of his wife during a police-led raid. In the awful aftermath, he hung up his detective’s badge for good. Now ex-military, ex-police, he has embraced a simple civilian life. But when a deadly new disease begins to threaten American lives, Jake is dragged out of his self-imposed retirement.

When a young family at a remote detention center die from a mysterious illness, Jake is contacted by a government official to launch a covert investigation. An unknown disease has entered the system, causing agonizing death and visible signs of blood pooling beneath the skin, and it seems to be spreading. If Jake can’t get on the ground quickly to eliminate the threat before it becomes an epidemic, countless more innocent lives could be at risk.

With the help of medical professor Eliza Mendoza, Jake heads to the border, but what they uncover there is evidence that this devastating disease is man-made, and part of a calculated plot aimed right at the heart of government. With powerful forces ranged against him, Jake must use all his ingenuity to bring down the ruthless organization behind the attack. Failure is not an option.

A pulse-pounding action thriller from a USA Today bestselling author. Fans of David Baldacci, I Am Pilgrim and Jack Ryan will be gripped.

Buy Links:

Amazon 
Apple 
Kobo 
Google 


My Review:

Given the subject matter, this was a really interesting book to read at this current time when we find ourselves still in the grip of the coronavirus pandemic. I assumed the book had been written before the pandemic began but it is mentioned as a past event. In Containment there is a fear of an unknown disease, possibly a virus, spreading. But what if it's man-made? Could it be biological terrorism? And why? 

A young British family on holiday in Canada get lost and accidentally cross the border into the USA so are taken to an immigration centre, where some of the family become ill. Troubled ex cop Jake Parker has been living a quiet life since a hugely traumatic incident three years earlier. He is approached by the Director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and asked to look into the case. Initially reluctant, Jake is too intrigued not to get involved. He calls his friend, and ex partner for help who in turn recruits medical expert Dr Eliza Mendoza. The case takes the three of them in directions they never imagined. 

It was hard not to be drawn to Jake. He is, by  circumstances and then choice, a bit of a loner and doesn't find it easy to open up to others. As an ex cop he has a healthy respect for the law but isn't afraid to push things when necessary. I liked Eliza too. A strong, capable, intelligent woman who's not afraid to speak her mind. She's very focused, possibly too focused! 

The story is complex and intelligent, easily kept me turning the pages. There is a lot of science covered. I don't know if it's all correct but it certainly feels authentic and that a lot of research went to it. And the whole premise itself is both gripping and frightening - it's not hard to imagine something similar in real life. Scary. 

Containment is a gripping action thriller with engaging central characters. I didn't expect the story to take the path it did and the conclusion contained a shock or two. I hope to see more Jake Parker from Nick Thacker. 

The Author:

Nick Thacker is the USA Today Bestselling Author of action-adventure thrillers and mysteries, including the Harvey Bennett Thrillers series. Often mentioned as a cross between Clive Cussler and James Rollins, his stories are written in a fast-paced, punchy style.

He lives on a volcano in Hawaii with his wife, two kids, and two dogs.


Author Social Media Links:

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Gilding the Lily by Justine John

The blog tour for Gilding the Lily by Justine John has arrived at Suze Reviews... today and I'm happy share my review of this dark family drama. Big thanks to Kelly Lacey at Love Books Tours for the invitation and to the author for my review copy. 

The Blurb:

A gripping mystery of jealousy, murder and lies.

An invitation to her estranged, wealthy father’s surprise 75th birthday party in New York sees Amelia and her husband, Jack, set off across the pond to meet a whole new world of family politics.

Amelia, now a successful businesswoman, feels guilty about never liking her father’s women, so does her upmost to give his new socialite partner, Evelyn, the benefit of the doubt. Wouldn’t it be nice if they could just all get along? But there’s something very dark, determined and dangerous about her…

When Amelia’s father, Roger, becomes ill, Jack grows suspicious that there is more to it. Amelia understands why, but no one else will believe them. They travel back to America to piece together the puzzle, but when Roger goes missing, the couple are driven to their wits' end. It takes a DEA officer and a secret assassin to bring them answers, but the ruthless truth is something no one expected…

Gilding the Lily was published on 24th November 2016 and you can purchase it here. 

My Review: 

Since the separation of her parents when she was a teenager Amelia has struggled with her relationship with her father. It hasn't helped that she hasn't got on with his partners since then. But now Roger is turning 75 and his partner Evelyn has organised a lavish party to celebrate. Amelia and husband Jack vow to make an effort to get on better with Evelyn as she obviously makes Roger happy. But that proves much harder than they expected and the birthday celebration is just the beginning of a tense, difficult and dark period in their lives.

I always love to find characters I love to hate, and I found one in Evelyn. I loved her scenes, desperate to see what she would say or do next. I was as much invested in her as I was in any of the characters I liked. And that's down to good writing from J ohn. She has created such a complex, interesting character in Evelyn I couldn't help but be hooked. But I adored Jack, just loved him. A good, solid man absolutely 100% behind his wife. I think he's written just right. He could have come across as almost too good to be true, but he actually reads as a real, decent man full of love and respect for his wife. The characterisation is pretty spot on right across the board - I could easily build up pictures of the whole cast. 

The story itself is dark and twisted. I don't mean scary as such, but it is frightening the power that words can have. Particularly when they're used against someone, to lie or mislead. It shows how one person's actions, good or bad, can impact those around them for years to come. Roger, unwittingly, becomes the centrepoint of a battle of wills and a fight for what's right. And neither Evelyn nor Amelia have any intention of giving in. 

Holding the Lily tells of crumbling family relationships, jealousy, obsession even, lies and misdirection. But it also tells of the power and depth of love. Twists and turns appear throughout the book and they kept me flicking through the pages. The prologue grabs you and pulls you in and the quality of the storytelling keeps you there. I didn't expect the ending, or one or two things that happened in the run up to it and it's great when that happens. A strong debut and a thoroughly enjoyable dark, chilling family drama. And it really made me appreciate my own family relationships!  

The Author: 

After thirty years in corporate life in London, half of which was running a successful events company, I decided to take a chance to write the novel that was ‘in me’ since I was a child. Gilding the Lily is the result of this and is a domestic noir story which I hope will keep you on the edge of your chair/sofa/bed/train/plane-seat….

You can find out more about Justine by visiting her website. 

Don't forget to check out all the other fab bloggers on the tour!