Brouhaha by Ardal O'Hanlon

I really liked the sound of this one when I first read the information so I'm delighted to share my thoughts on Brouhaha by Ardal O'Hanlon today for my stop on the blog tour. My thanks to Anne Cater at Random Things Tours for inviting me and to the publisher for my review copy. 

The Blurb

The razor-sharp, violent and darkly comic satire on the politics and close-kept secrets of small-town Ireland from actor, comedian and writer Ardal O’Hanlon.

Dove Connolly is dead. That’s not good for anyone in Tullyanna, never mind Dove.

Now his best friend Sharkey is home asking awkward questions about Dove’s death, about the strange graphic novel he left behind, and, most of all, about Sandra. Sandra Mohan. Missing now for over a decade, whereabouts unknown.

This, however, is a town dead-set on keeping its secrets. And Sharkey is already drawing attention from all the wrong quarters…

A mystery, a black comedy, and a satire on Ireland’s tangled politics of memory, Brouhaha is an edgy, funny and fierce novel set in a small town on the Irish border during the transition to peace. And peace doesn’t come easy in these parts.

My Review

I haven't read Ardal O'Hanlon's previous novel, Talk of the Town, but as mentioned above, as soon as I read the blurb for Brouhaha I knew I wanted to give it a go. Sandra Mohan went missing ten off years ago. Her boyfriend of sorts, Dove Connolly and his best mate Philip Sharkey were chief suspects in her disappearance, both declaring their innocence. When no evidence was found and no charges were brought, Sharkey hoped stocks and left, keeping in touch with no one but his mother. But, now, Dove's death has brought Philip home to Tullyanna, determined to discover the truth about his friend's demise but also about what happened to Sandra. Because he is convinced Dove had found out something...

It took me a while to get used to O'Hanlon's writing style. The novel is written in the third person but very much as you would expect someone to be telling you the tale orally. Indeed, the author makes the occasional comment directly to the reader. So, the writing feels quite relaxed, with often long sentences going off at a slight tangent, perhaps to give us some background information or local knowledge, just as would be the case of someone was relaying the story, perhaps to a rapt audience in the corner of the local pub. If there is an audio book made of Brouhaha I would love to hear Ardal O'Hanlon himself narrate it - his voice would be perfect for it, particularly for the nuances of the Irish voices and phrases.

As well as Philip Sharkey, we also meet ex Garda officer Kevin and local journalist Joanne, both of whom are fascinated, some might say obsessed, by Sandra's case, and both of whom are determined to discover the truth. This unlikely trip give us the main characters for the story (together with Five and Sandra who both look large) but they are joined by a very colourful cast, not least Fergal Coleman, standing for the forthcoming council elections. All of these characters, and the many others, are brilliantly described - how they look, their mannerisms, their habits. I must confess to having a little soft spot for Philip, carrying as he does guilt over Dove's death but also a steely determination to find the truth.

There is plenty of humour to be found in the pages, sometimes gentle, sometimes dark, but there's lots of it. This seems to be a good place to share my favourite wee bit from the book, apologies to those of a sensitive nature:

'...some little dingleberry of a thought chafing away at the arse end off his mind.'

Sorry, it just tickled me because it was a word I hadn't heard in ages. 😂

There's politics too as the Troubles are fresh in the memory and the folks of Tullyanna include both Protestants and Catholics, Nationalists and Unionists. There's plenty of history and legend and the scene setting is very detailed, perhaps too many details at time.

And, of course, at the centre of it all is the story. And it's a story that sends us down a few blind alleys before we find out the truth. I loved the graphic comic that Dove left for Philip - the imagination of that from the author, the little in jokes, The clues that only the two men would understand because they knew each other so well - brilliant. And it's a story that I found really quite emotional and affecting.

As many of you know, I mainly read crime thrillers, and in Brouhaha, there is a crime, or two, at the centre. But it's a story about people, relationships, friendship bonds, love, determination, small town living and finding the truth. It's entertainingly written, full of humour and warmth. But there is definitely mounting tension as we progress towards the end of a the book with the occasional spot of peril thrown in. And it's very touching. It took me a wee while to get into to it but enjoyed it once I had.

 

The Author

Ardal O’Hanlon is an actor, comedian, writer, and documentary filmmaker. A star of several high-profile television series, including Death in Paradise, My Hero, and the BAFTA-winning Father Ted, he is also the author of the critically acclaimed novel Talk of the Town (1998). He lives in Dublin, Ireland.

‘Growing up in the border region, I’ve always been captivated by the language and deadpan character and dark humour of the people and the place. In trying to capture that I’ve tried to write the sort of book I love to read - pacy, thrilling, edgy, insightful, funny, and humane and I really hope people enjoy it.’

Keep Her Sweet by Helen Fitzgerald

Hello everyone! Today is my stop on the blog tour for Keep Her Sweet by Helen Fitzgerald. I had read and enjoyed a couple of Helen's previous novels so was keen to get stuck into this one. But thanks to Anne Cater at Random Things Tours for inviting me and to the publisher for my review copy.

The Blurb

When a middle-aged couple downsizes to the countryside for an easier life, their two daughters become isolated, argumentative and violent … A chilling, vicious and darkly funny psychological thriller from bestselling author Helen FitzGerald.

Desperate to enjoy their empty nest, Penny and Andeep downsize to the countryside, to forage, upcycle and fall in love again, only to be joined by their two twenty-something daughters, Asha and Camille.

Living on top of each other in a tiny house, with no way to make money, tensions simmer, and as Penny and Andeep focus increasingly on themselves, the girls become isolated, argumentative and violent.

When Asha injures Camille, a family therapist is called in, but she shrugs off the escalating violence between the sisters as a classic case of sibling rivalry … and the stress of the family move.

But this is not sibling rivalry. The sisters are in far too deep for that.

This is a murder, just waiting to happen …

Chilling, vicious and darkly funny, Keep Her Sweet is not just a tense, sinister psychological thriller, but a startling look at sister relationships and they bonds they share … or shatter.

Keep Her Sweet is published by Orenda Books. The eBook is out now, the paperback on 26th May.

My Review

I'd previously read a couple of Helen's books before (Ash Mountain review here) so knew I was in for a treat. 

Penny and Andeep have downsized to focus on themselves, their relationship and their creative outlets - Andeep on his stand up comedy, Penny her upcycling and various groups. But circumstances mean their two  adult daughters have come to live with them. In the smaller space sisters Asha and Camille are at each other's throats and things quickly escalate to the point where a family therapist is called in. Joy, however, has worries of her own. 

Well, talk about a dysfunctional family! The Maloney-Singhs have it all going on. Every one of them has issues, but the relationship between Asha and Camille seems to have completely broken down. The story is told from three different points of view: Penny's, Joy's and particularly Camille's. But, actually, it's hard to know how reliable our three narrators are. And I love an unreliable narrator. 

All the characters are beautifully described and their relationships - good bits and bad - laid out in intimate detail. I particularly loved Asha, or, I guess, Camille's (and ultimately, of course, the author's) presentation of her sister. Asha has certainly had her issues and these are teased out through the story. Poor Joy! The most sympathetic of the characters, she comes across as a very nice woman, if a little distracted, but Fitzgerald puts her right through the ringer. And as for Richard and Rowena, don't get me started!

There is a lot of humour in the book, of the darkest kind. Although drug misuse, of course, is no laughing matter the description of Spock's meth high is very funny. My favourite line, though, refers to Richard - I won't repeat it here but it made me laugh out loud. It's fair to say religion doesn't come out very well here. 

As we're reading there is a rising tension, a sense of inevitability, that we might not be heading for a happy ending. Certainly not a happy family. The strained relationship between the sisters, already violent, just gets worse and worse. Therapy doesn't help. But I loved the relationship that develops between Joy and Camille and the unexpected direction it takes. 

There is so much to unpick in this novel I could go on and on. But here's what you need to know: Keep Her Sweet is shocking, tense, violent, dark and funny. It's a warning tale of bad parenting, toxic sisterly bonds and dysfunctional families. And it makes this blogger very glad she has a brother! Loved it. 

The Author

Helen FitzGerald is the bestselling author of ten adult and young adult thrillers, including The Donor (2011) and The Cry (2013), which was longlisted for the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year, and adapted for a major BBC drama. Her 2019 dark-comedy thriller Worst Case Scenario was a Book of the Year in the Literary Review, Herald Scotland, Guardian and Daily Telegraph, shortlisted for the Theakston’s Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year, and won the CrimeFest Last Laugh Award. Her most recent title Ash Mountain was published in 2020. Helen worked as a criminal justice social worker for over fifteen years. She grew up in Victoria, Australia, and now lives in Glasgow with her husband. Follow Helen on Twitter @FitzHelen.

 

See No Evil by David Fennell

Today we're moving over to the darker side of crime (which is just how I like it!) with my blog tour review of See No Evil, the second DI Grace Archer novel, by David Fennell. Huge thanks to Tracy Fenton at Compulsive Readers for the invitation and to the publishers for my review copy.

The Blurb

For this killer, it’s death at first sight…

Two men are found dead in London's Battersea Park. One of the bodies has been laid out like a crucifix - with his eyes removed and placed on his open palms.

Detective Inspector Grace Archer and her caustic DS, Harry Quinn, lead the investigation. But when more bodies turn up in a similar fashion, they find themselves in a race against time to find the sadistic killer.

The hunt leads them to Ladywell Playtower in Southeast London, the home to a religious commune lead by the enigmatic Aaron Cronin. Archer and Quinn suspect Cronin's involvement but his alibis are watertight, and the truth seemingly buried. If Archer is to find the killer, she must first battle her way through religious fanatics, London gangsters - and her own demons...

My Review

I absolutely adored David Fennell's debut, The Art of Death, where we first met DI Grace Archer. It was quite a ride, and a dark one at that. So I was super excited to read this one and jumped at the chance to review it. And, as with the previous novel, I raced through it, couldn't turn the pages fast enough. 

Two men are found dead in Battersea Park. One body has been left untouched. The other, however, has been horribly mutilated and left laid out in a ritualistic fashion for anyone to find. Archer and partner DS Harry Quinn are stumped, particularly as there seems to be no connection between the two men, not any obvious explanation for why their bodies have been treated differently. More mutilated bodies appear and it's a race against time for Archer and her team. But Grace also hears some personal news that knocks her sideways and she struggles not to let that impact the investigation.

Grace is brilliant. She's not always popular at work because she stands up for what's right and is willing to expose colleagues who aren't so bothered with doing the right thing. There's an incident early on in the book which is a fantastic example of this and I was cheering her on. She has her demons, dark, scary ones, that come to visit often, and she is clearly affected by events in the past. But she is always focused and determined. She's a beautifully written character and I particularly love her relationship with her grandad. We really see her caring side then, especially here when their relationship is put to the test to a certain extent. Talking about Grandad, I adored his friendship with Cosmo. 

Whilst Grace might be unpopular with some colleagues, she is always supported by Harry and analyst Klara. There's such an interesting dynamic, particularly between Grace and Harry as they're people who we might not expect to get along. But they are a rock solid team and Klara is a welcome addition. Aaron Cronin is so well written, charming and creepy all in one. Well, he certainly gave me the creeps anyway! But the standout character for me was Kain - he has really stayed with me. I guess what I'm trying to say is all the characters are really well drawn, very three dimensional, and I was interested and invested in them all.

The story is disturbing with discussions on some sensitive subjects. It's a book that grabs you from the very beginning and keeps hold of you until the explosive denouement. It's difficult to talk about the plot without giving anything away, but it's a delight you should discover for yourself. The subplot, such a strong storyline in itself, is weaved through beautifully, the pacing is spot on and there is an overriding sense of tension and general creepiness. There were plenty of times I thought I knew where things were going only to be proved wrong. It's one of this books and I loved that about it. And the ending hints at more to come for Grace, which would be wonderful, so I'm crossing my fingers and toes for that.

See No Evil is a fast paced, tense and gripping race against time. It's a tale of hate and revenge. It's beautifully written, well plotted and populated by a wide ranging, colourful cast of characters. There wasn't anything I didn't like about it and I would highly recommend it if you like your crime on the dark side.

The Author

David Fennell was born and raised in Belfast before leaving for London at the age of eighteen with £50 in one pocket and a dog-eared copy of Stephen King's The Stand in the other. He jobbed as a chef, waiter and bartender for several years before starting a career in writing for the software industry. He has been working in CyberSecurity for fourteen years and is a fierce advocate for information privacy. David has played rugby for Brighton and has studied Creative Writing at the University of Sussex. He is married and he and his partner split their time between Central London and Brighton.To find out more, visit his website: www.davidfennell.co.uk. Follow him on Twitter: @davyfennell

Six Wounds by Morgan Cry

I'm returning to crime with today's review, opening the blog tour for Six Wounds by Morgan Cry, the second Danielle Coulstoun novel. Set in the Spanish sunshine, it's entertaining from beginning to end. Huge thanks to Anne Cater at Random Things Tours for inviting me and to the publisher for my review copy.

The Blurb

To make the perfect Spanish whodunnit cocktail, take one dead gangster, mix in six shifty expats, add one ruthless baddie and garnish with a suspicious police officer . . .

Daniella Coulstoun has recently moved to the Costa Blanca. When the dead body of a prominent London gangster is discovered in the cellar of her bar she quickly becomes the number one suspect.

With the police closing in, the local expats turning on her and a psychotic rival to the dead gangster in the background, Daniella knows she needs to nail the real killer, and fast.

Six Wounds is out today from Polygon.

My Review

We first met Daniella in 2020's Thirty-One Bones when she inherited Se Busca, a run down bar on the Costa Blanca, from her estranged mother. The bar came with its own patrons, a ragtag bunch of expats with some colourful histories. Things have been ticking over for a wee while but get a while lot worse when a body turns up in the pub cellar. On top of that, with Daniella not up to speed with her Spanish, business accounts, local feuds and, generally, just how things work, she feels the expats, including her lover, are trying to edge her out. And there are others who are trying harder and with far less subtlety. She's in for a rough ride...

Six Wounds opens with a crash, bang, wallop and doesn't really let up until the end. For those new to this particular slice of Spanish heaven the scene setting is wonderful. The sunshine, fiestas, holidaymakers... And the gaudy, tacky seediness of Se Busca (and one of two other places), Daniella's mother's fusty apartment - it's so easy to visualise all of it. And the characters, well... The expats are a colourful bunch - an ex pop star,  a racing driver, models, an ex accountant and a businessman whose lives in El Descaro have been equally colourful. The jury is still out for me on some of them but I'm not George's biggest fan and I generally like Zia, most of the time anyway! A big shoutout for Saucy's sober moment! There are some fresh characters too, most notably Carl Stoker, not a man I'd like to offend in any way. Daniella is a brilliant character - whilst she doesn't hold the sway her mother did, she doesn't stand for any nonsense and will fight to hold her own. She's fiery, though, and that does get her into some bother. 

Morgan Cry has given us some great local rivalries and customs - I loved the idea of The Steal, although I sympathised with poor Danielle about it. And there is the parade and the planned race - I loved all the wee details adding to our picture of Daniella's new life. 

Six Wounds is a sun-soaked, action-packed thriller which grabs you at the get go and pulls you along for the ride. The storyline is spot on, the pacing is perfect, the rising tension occasionally lightened by sunshine and humour. Throw in a smart, sassy protagonist and a colourful supporting cast and you have a fabulous romp of a book. I said the same about the last one but this one too is far more fun than it has any right to be! Highly recommended. 

The Author

Here, Gordon Brown is writing as Morgan Cry. Gordon has written six crime thrillers to date, along with a number of short stories. He also helped found Bloody Scotland, Scotland's International Crime Writing Festival, is a DJ on local radio (www.pulseonair.co.uk) and runs a strategic planning consultancy. In a former life Gordon delivered pizzas in Toronto, sold non-alcoholic beer in the Middle East, launched a creativity training business, floated a high tech company on the London Stock Exchange, and compered the main stage at a two-day music festival. He lives in Scotland and is married with two children.

Be sure to check out the rest of the tour over the coming days!  

Riding Pillion with George Clooney and Other Stories by Geraldine Ryan

I'm back with fiction today, but still not crime. For a change, I've come over to the lighter side of fiction and I'm reviewing Riding Pillion with George Clooney and other stories, a collection of heartwarming short stories with women at the centre, by Geraldine Ryan. Thanks to Rachel Gilbey at Rachel's Random Resources for inviting me and to the publisher for my review copy.

The Blurb

Twelve moving short stories inspired by the everyday lives of women

- A single woman on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to the Italian lakes still dreams of adventure. Can she find it closer to home?

- A grieving widow finds comfort in the company of a stray cat that bears striking similarities to her dead husband.

- An estranged daughter confronts an unspeakable tragedy from her past as she attempts to reconcile with her long-lost family.

Geraldine Ryan is a prolific short-story writer whose work has appeared in Woman’s Weekly and Take a Break’s Fiction Feast magazines. The women in this, her first published anthology, may be at different stages of life but all of them are experiencing the ground shifting beneath their feet. Their tales of love, longing and redemption will touch your heart and bring a smile to your face.

Riding Pillion with George Clooney and Other Stories was published by  Wrate's Publishing on 29th March 2022. ,

Purchase Links

UK 
US 

My Review

This is not my usual read but just occasionally I like to step away from crime and psychological thrillers to something lighter. And I do like a cheeky wee short story! And here I got 12 of them! All with women and girls, at various stages of life, at their centre. All the stories have been previously published over the last 20 years or so, in women's magazines

In a short story there is so much less time for character development and scene setting but I felt the author for a great job with that. The stories are quick and easy to read, and written with a light touch. So I was surprised how many gave me the feels. 

As someone with a son hopefully heading to university in the autumn, Stirred and Shaken, a quick story about a mother teaching her son how to make macaroni cheese before he heads away, got to me the most. Whilst I'm super excited for my son I will miss him like crazy. I'm not sure it'll be when he's making macaroni cheese (must check he knows how to...) But I hope he thinks of his mum occasionally! This story summed up that mix of feeling  pride that he's going, but also sadness because he'll be leaving, and disbelief that a baby boy could suddenly be a young man ready to head out into the world. Yep, that. 

I also liked Danny Run Home, another story with a mother and son dynamic. Danny has had his difficulties in the past and caused trouble at home but he says he's changed and wants to see his parents, start a new chapter in his life. His mum can't wait to see him. But Dad? He's really not sure. A story about second chances. And my final favourite is mentioned in the blurb above. In After Harriet, a woman, who hasn't seen her family for years following an awful tragedy, returns home to try to build bridges with her mother. Quite a powerful wee read about how events that happened and comments that were made years ago can still have an effect now. 

I've realised that the stories I picked as highlights are all about parents, particularly mothers, and children which figures, I guess, as I am a parent of young adults. But Riding Pillion with George Clooney and Other Stories offers something for everyone. A quick and easy read, the uplifting stories will make you smile. But they might also give you an unexpected lump in the throat. A lovely change from my usual, darker fare.  

The Author

Geraldine Ryan is a proud Northerner who has spent most of her life in Cambridge – the one with the punts. She holds a degree in Scandinavian Studies but these days the only use she puts it to is to identify which language is being spoken among the characters of whatever Scandi drama is currently showing on TV. She worked as a teacher of English and of English as a second or foreign language for many years, in combination with rearing her four children, all of whom are now grown up responsible citizens. Her first published story appeared in My Weekly in 1993. Since then her stories have appeared in Take-a-Break, Fiction Feast and Woman’s Weekly as well as in women’s magazines abroad. She has also written 2 young adult novels- ‘Model Behaviour’ (published by Scholastic) and ‘The Lies and Loves of Finn’ (Channel 4 Books.) This anthology of previously published short stories will be, she hopes, only the first of several.

Author Social Media Links

Twitter: https://twitter.com/GeraldineRyan

Pushing Through The Cracks by Emily J Johnson

Taking a wee break from crime fiction, from fiction altogether, in fact, for today's entry on the blog. Published last year, Pushing Through The Cracks is an incredibly open and honest account of the worst four years of Emily J Johnson's life. Thanks to Kelly Lacey at Love Books Tours for inviting me and to the publisher for my review copy.

The Blurb 

Four years ago, Emily, a divorced mother of two, was living her best life with a new partner and blended family of six. But then addiction and mental illness entered her home uninvited, threatening to tear the whole family apart.

With an alcoholic husband and two teenage sons – one a depressed gambler and the other with chronic obsessive-compulsive disorder – Emily is left to cope alone. And when the Covid pandemic hits, Emily, a serial people-pleaser, enabler and born rescuer, almost breaks too.

This true story delves into the darkest sides of mental illness and addiction with raw, often harrowing honesty. It shines a light on taboo subjects including self-harm, suicidal feelings, gambling, alcoholism, depression, severe OCD and eating disorders, all exacerbated by an unprecedented global pandemic and dwindling support services.

This is a story of remarkable strength, self-realisation and reclamation of a lost identity. This is a story of finding hope, pushing through the cracks in the darkness.

My Review

At her wits end, crying in an alleyway behind her house in the darkest of moments, Emily saw a dandelion that had pushed through the cracks in the paving stones - it gave her hope. 

Wow, what a story! Pushing Through The Cracks is a memoir of a four year period in the life of Emily, her sons Thomas and Jack, and second husband Paul. In that time, mental illness has affected the whole family. Paul develops alcoholism, Thomas begins online gambling, Jack develops severe OCD and Emily who, as mothers - and women generally - do, tries to keep everything going, fix everyone and hold the family together, inevitably develops mental health difficulties of her own. It's a rough ride, and that's putting it VERY mildly, for the whole family, including Paul's two sons who are often present. 

As someone who struggles with her own mental health, Emily's story really resonated with me. Much was familiar, too - school refusals, attendance officers, school meetings, CAMHS, knife risk, social services, multi disciplinary meetings, frustration at the lack of support, wanting to fix everything but not knowing what to do, feeling like a terrible mum. My experiences were nothing like Emily's, nowhere near as extreme, but gave me some understanding and empathy. 

Emily's account is so honest, so raw, it makes for difficult reading at some points. The whole family was in such a dire situation and I admire the strength of all of them for coming as far as they have. It was sad to read of the difficulties in Paul and Emily's marriage, how they stopped being affectionate and intimate, became just like housemates. No one's fault, but Paul had his own difficulties and Emily focused herself on the boys. I felt so deeply for this family but young Jack just broke my heart. Emily's vivid description of Jack's OCD, how it affected him, her and the rest of the family are both horrifying and enlightening. I had a basic understanding of OCD but this really helped me see if more clearly. How Emily kept herself together over these years is beyond me - such strength. I know it has affected her, of course, but she made it. 

They all made it. But this is not a finished story. Healing for the family continues. But  the love, strength and resilience of all of them is incredible, even if the fight is ongoing. I am in awe of of them and of how far they have come and wish them the very best in the future. 

Pushing Through The Cracks is an intimate, raw look at mental illness, the effect on the individual and those around them. And for Emily's family that was multiplied. It's about trying to keep it together, about trying your best but making mistakes, about realising that it's not your job to fix it. And it's about finding a little hope and hanging on to it and about rediscovering yourself. Of course, due to the subject matter this might be a book that is too difficult for some to read. But, whilst Emily is unflinching in her descriptions of living with mental illness, this is ultimately a positive book - of hope, (ongoing) healing and looking forward. A very powerful read. 

The Author

Emily is a mother, author and advocate for raising awareness and improving access to mental health services. Having spent fifteen years living in Western Australia, Emily returned to the UK in 2010 and now lives on the south coast of England with her two sons and Billy - the family dog. Real and relatable, Emily continues to live and work around her family's ongoing mental illness whilst splitting her time between part-time work, full-time caring and any-time writing, whenever possible.