Coffins & Confetti (A Celebrant's Memoir of Life, Love & Loss) by Ruth Graham

Another blog tour review from me, and it's for something very, very different from the last one. I do like to step away from the world of crime occasionally and today I'm helping to open the tour for Ruth Graham's second book, Coffins & Confetti. My thanks to Rachel Gilbey at Rachel's Random Resources for the invitation and to the author for my lovely review copy. 

The Blurb

Following the success of her first book, A Thousand Goodbyes, writer Ruth Graham invites us to join her on the next part of her journey as an Independent Civil Celebrant. She honestly believed she'd seen it all - apparently not!

Once again, we're exposed to the best, worst (and funniest) examples of human behaviour in Ruth's latest memoir,

Coffins & Confetti, but this time the tears and laughter are set against the poignant backdrop of the writer’s own search for true and lasting love.

Written in conversational style with trademark humour, Coffins & Confetti takes the reader on a journey encompassing the darkest corners of despair, peppered with some of the funniest true-life stories you will ever hear.

A letter to life, a memo to mortality but above all, a testament to tenacity, Coffins & Confetti is a book which oozes humanity and hope with the message that if you hang on in there long enough, things will always turn around ...


Purchase Links

UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Coffins-Confetti-Celebrants-Memoir-Life-ebook/dp/B0C94Y9JJM

US: https://www.amazon.com/Coffins-Confetti-Celebrants-Memoir-Life-ebook/dp/B0C94Y9JJM

My Review

I hadn't read Ruth's first book but loved the sound of this one. She is a civil celebrant conducting mainly funerals (she's done over 1500!) but also weddings and other ceremonies. She tailors each funeral to the family's wishes and each wedding to the ideas the happy couple have, making every occasion truly personal. In this book, she's shared stories of some of these events, alongside stories of her own life and navigating a new relationship.

Coffins & Confetti is written with compassion and warmth, with plenty of humour. Ruth is always respectful of the people she is speaking about, with the possible exception of Kenny the crematorium assistant! There is lots of humour in the book but inevitably some sadness too. And it's fascinating to hear more about what her job entails and hear some of the stories she shares from her colleagues. 

I was touched by so many of the stories Ruth shared. Particular ones that come to mind are the poor man who lost his elderly mother at the height of the Covid pandemic, the funeral service for Ruth's friend Tim, and Daphne, commemorating her daughter Zoe, stillborn many years before. All these tales made me cry. And there are so many more wee stories too, ones that will touch you, ones that will make you cry, ones to make you smile and even some that might surprise you. 

Alongside this we learn a little about Ruth's personal life and her fairly new relationship with Russ and his sons. They didn't meet until Ruth was in her 50s (think that's right) and as a single 50+ woman, that gives me hope! 😂 Seriously, though, it's fun to read, particularly as she navigates her relationship with Ross's two teenage boys, having never had children of her own. And, actually, it's something one of these young men says to Ruth near the end of the book that had me crying the hardest, but for the right reasons. 

Coffins & Confetti is a warm, comforting read with a smattering of humour that will give you all the feels. This is perhaps surprising given that it's mainly about funerals and death. But I am one of those people who has been a bit scared to think about my own death, and this book has made me want to plan my funeral (the author talks a bit about this too) and move to the West Midlands so that when my time comes Ruth can conduct my service! A thoroughly enjoyable read. 

The Author

With an eclectic background in music, acting, presenting, comedy,  journalism, writing, counselling and teaching (to name just a few careers), Ruth Graham could never have guessed all the skills she’d acquired would be needed for her final role – that of funeral and wedding celebrant.

With no two days ever the same, Ruth travels all over the West Midlands to meet grieving families or happy couples, in preparation for the happiest and saddest days of peoples’ lives.

It’s a huge role, with so many expectations attached – and a lot of pressure to get things right. But as Ruth says, it’s also a huge privilege to be able to bring comfort in times of sadness, or to create something really beautiful and unique for a couple lucky enough to have found their match.

That said, in the great improv show of life, everything doesn’t always run smoothly because it involves humans at their best and worst. The result is endless amounts of material and two books to her credit so far.

The first one ‘A Thousand Goodbyes’ (The Surprising Life Of A Funeral Celebrant) garnered fantastic reviews: 'Hilarious, Un-Putdownable, Moving, Touching, Must Read' from bloggers, industry professionals and the general public.

Ruth is hoping the same for Coffins & Confetti but either way she intends to keep working as a celebrant knowing she’s making a real difference to others’ lives.


Author Social Media Links

Instagram: @celebrantruthg

Twitter @CelebrantRuthG

Consumed by Greg Buchanan

It's my spot on the blog tour for another dark offering from Greg Buchanan. Consumed is the second Cooper Allen novel, following on from Greg 's debut Sixteen Horses. Many thanks to Tracy Fenton at Compulsive Readers for the invitation and to the publisher for my gorgeous review copy.

 

The Blurb

A slick, smart, stylish - and shocking - thriller from one of the most exciting new voices in crime fiction featuring forensic veterinarian-turned-detective Cooper Allen.

On a lonely farmstead, a 70-year-old woman falls down outside and, unable to move, is consumed overnight by two of her pigs.

It seems like a tragic accident, except the woman was well-known photographer Sophia Bertilak - and inside her house, someone has removed all her photos from their frames, seemingly erasing her past...

The first photo Sophia ever took remains her most infamous: a missing girl who was never seen again. Forensic veterinarian Cooper Allen is drafted in for the autopsy - and slowly becomes obsessed with the victim, her family, and the crimes she brought to light decades ago.

Consumed is published by Orion and came out on Thursday. 

My Review

Before reading Consumed I read Greg's debut novel, Sixteen Horses, which introduced us to forensic vet Cooper Allen . It had been languishing on my bookshelf for far, far too long and this blog tour was the perfect prompt to see where it all started. Sixteen Horses was bleak and unsettling with some upsetting scenes but it was compulsive reading. I wondered what Consumed had in store for Cooper Allen and the reader. 

Cooper is visiting the town of Lethwick for a reunion with her mother and sister that she was neither consulted on not does she want to attend but dutifully she turns up, arriving a day early and makes friends with another hotel guest during a power cut. From what I've gleaned about Cooper so far I don't think making friends is something that comes easily or naturally to her so this is a big deal. On the day her mother and sister arrive Cooper is contacted by the local police to consult on the death of a local woman, eaten by her own pigs. The more she finds out about the woman, the more she is drawn into the mystery surrounding her death, but also with the shocking discoveries the woman, Sophie, discovered trying out her new camera on her 17th birthday, over 50 years earlier. 

The action moves backwards and forwards in time and is also written from several points of view so you do need to keep your wits about you. The novel is very atmospheric as Buchanan sets up each scene fully, often bringing in seemingly irrelevant information that but helps to build the picture. The sentences are often short, punchy, staccato bursts. The result is a little unsettling for the reader, which I'm sure is the aim, because it feeds into the uneasy nature of the subject matter. Buchanan reminds me of Will Carver - two very different authors writing in different styles, but both giving us books that challenge us and make us feel uncomfortable. 

The main storyline moves backwards and does slowly revealing pertinent facts to the readers. Alongside this we have descriptions of the brief, awkward reunion that Cooper has with her family, and her relationship with her new friend. Nothing is easy or comfortable and most of the supporting cast are troubled in some way or other. And there is a certain police officer who actually made my skin crawl.

The story is complex, detailed and sad. As I've said before it's not necessarily an easy read, often making the reader uncomfortable and uneasy. It's long but bold. I didn't find it as shocking as Sixteen Horses with less animal cruelty but it still held me all the way through. And the ending had a real 'Woah!' moment for me. So, another unsettling but compulsive read and I would definitely read more from Greg Buchanan. 

The Author

Greg Buchanan is a BAFTA-longlisted writer for interactive and screen. His acclaimed debut novel SIXTEEN HORSES was selected for BBC Two's Between The Covers and was a Waterstones Thriller of the Month. A TV adaptation produced by Gaumont Television is on the way.


Author Social Media Links

Twitter: @gregbuchanan
Instagram: @gregbuchananwriter

One by Eve Smith

Happy publication day to Eve Smith for One, out today from Orenda Books. I'm sharing my review for my stop on the blog tour. Big thanks to Anne Cater at Random Things Tours for the invitation and to the publisher for my review copy. Eve has delivered another speculative nightmare with One, and you can find my reviews of her previous books, The Waiting Room and Off Target, here on the blog. 

The Blurb

ONE LAW • ONE CHILD • 7 MILLION CRIMES

A catastrophic climate emergency has spawned a one-child policy in the UK, ruthlessly enforced by a totalitarian regime. Compulsory abortion of ‘excess’ pregnancies and mandatory contraceptive implants are now the norm, and families must adhere to strict consumption quotas as the world descends into chaos.

Kai is a 25-year-old ‘baby reaper’, working for the Ministry of Population and Family Planning. If any of her assigned families attempts to exceed their child quota, she ensures they pay the price.

Until, one morning, she discovers that an illegal sibling on her Ministry hit-list is hers. And to protect her parents from severe penalties, she must secretly investigate before anyone else finds out.

Kai’s hunt for her forbidden sister unearths much more than a dark family secret. As she stumbles across a series of heinous crimes perpetrated by the people she trusted most, she makes a devastating discovery that could bring down the government … and tear her family apart.

My Review

One is set in a scary near future. Climate change has caused disasters across the world - floods, fires, etc, and the whole world is in chaos. The UK is controlled by a single government party, the ONE party, and they have implemented a law which limits each family to one child only. The law has been in place for years. Kai's ministry job entails visiting families attempting to break the law to remind them they must book for an abortion or there will be consequences. It's a miserable job, but she fully believes in the ONE party, their policies and The work she's doing. Until one day through the details coming up on her computer she discovers she has an illegal sister. She needs to confront her parents, find her sister and try to protect herself and them. But what she discovers puts everything she's ever believed in doubt...

The scariest thing about One is that, even though this is speculative fiction, it's easy to imagine something like this happening in our near future. We've been destroying the planet for a while now and are already seeing dangerous climate changes, floods and wildfires. And the less said about our government the better, at least in my opinion. But it has certainly tried to control TV and media, and made awful decisions around immigration. The one child policy has been seen abroad in the recent past so it's easy to think it could happen again. All of this means, One feels very real and, as a result, very frightening. 

The world building that Smith has done is wonderful. The all controlling government, the formality within Kai's work (which brought to mind a communist state), the humanlike androids and the landscapes away from the cities that have been destroyed by weather, nature and looters. And the rebels reminded me of the underground groups in films such as Mad Max, Total Recall and Demolition Man, shunned by the mainstream, rejected, outcast. But this group is determined to make people listen. 

The storyline is shocking. The one child policy is just the beginning. We discover the continued abuse of women; decisions about their bodies and health taken out of their hands and so much more. And we sense the confusion, shock and horror that Kai feels when everything she believed in is turned upside down, both through her work and closer to home, and we sense the very real danger she's in. 

There is so much to unpack in this novel but I am fearful of straying into spoiler territory. One is a powerful novel set in a scary and all too easy to imagine near future, which shows us one way things could go if we don't get our collective sh!t together and start looking after our planet, its resources and each other. A tale of  climate disaster, government corruption, bad decisions, awful secrets, fear, family, love, hope and, ultimately, fighting for what's right.  Really enjoyed it.

The Author

Eve Smith writes speculative thrillers, mainly about the things that scare her. Longlisted for the Not the Booker Prize and described by Waterstones as ‘an exciting new voice in crime fiction’, Eve’s debut novel, The Waiting Rooms, set in the aftermath of an antibiotic resistance crisis, was shortlisted for the Bridport Prize First Novel Award and was a Book of the Month in the Guardian, who compared her writing to Michael Crichton’s. It was followed by Off-Target, about a world where genetic engineering of children is routine. Eve’s previous job at an environmental charity took her to research projects across Asia, Africa and the Americas, and she has an ongoing passion for wild creatures, wild science and far-flung places. She lives in Oxfordshire with her family.

The Bleeding by Johana Gustawsson (translated by David Warriner)

I was a latecomer to Johana's Gustawsson's Castells and Roy series but binged on Block 46, Keeper and Blood Song, and enjoyed them all immensely. It was a long wait for The Bleeding and I missed last year's hardback blog tour but bought my own copy and finally got the time to read it this year. It did not disappoint one bit. And now it's out in paperback so I'm delighted to help mark the occasion by sharing my review for the blog tour. My thanks to Anne Cater at Random Things Tours for the invitation.

The Blurb

Queen of French Noir, Johana Gustawsson returns with a spell-binding, dazzlingly dark gothic thriller that swings from Belle Époque France to 21st-century Quebec, with an extraordinary mystery at its heart… First in a spell-binding new series

1899, Belle Époque Paris. Lucienne’s two daughters are believed dead when her mansion burns to the ground, but she is certain that her girls are still alive and embarks on a journey into the depths of the spiritualist community to find them.

1949, Post-War Québec. Teenager Lina’s father has died in the French Resistance, and as she struggles to fit in at school, her mother introduces her to an elderly woman at the asylum where she works, changing Lina’s life in the darkest way imaginable.

2002, Quebec. A former schoolteacher is accused of brutally stabbing her husband – a famous university professor – to death. Detective Maxine Grant, who has recently lost her own husband and is parenting a teenager and a new baby single-handedly, takes on the investigation. Under enormous personal pressure, Maxine makes a series of macabre discoveries that link directly to historical cases involving black magic and murder, secret societies and spiritism … and women at breaking point, who will stop at nothing to protect the ones they love...

The Bleeding is published by Orenda Books and came out in paperback on 6th July this year.

My Review

Those of you familiar with the Castells and Roy (who gets a shout out here) books will know that each is written in a dual timeline. Johanna has gone one further in The Bleeding and we follow events in the lives of three different women in three different times and two different countries, France at the end of 19th century and Canada in 1949 and 2002. We open with Maxine in 2002 investigating an apparent murder by her former schoolteacher and move between her story and those of Lucienne in 1899 who is trying to contact her missing children, who are presumed dead, with the help of a spiritualist, and Lina in 1949, a bullied schoolgirl who is befriended by an elderly woman in the asylum where her mother works. The main part of the story is told in 2002 we move frequently between Maxine's point of view and those of the other women as we learn more about them all.

All of these women are struggling in some way. Lucienne is trying to find a way of dealing with the disappearance of her daughters and Maxine is grieving the death of her husband and trying to bring up a teenager and baby alone. But it was teenage Lina who pulled at my heartstrings the most. Viewed as an outcast by other girls in her class and constantly tormented by them, she is forced by her widowed mother to go straight to the asylum where she works once Lina has finished school for the day. It's such a sad and miserable existence for a young woman and with no real friends of her own it is no wonder she is comforted by the championship. of an asylum resident. I also really liked psychologist Professor Ginette (Gina) Montminy who treats everyone she comes across with kindness, compassion and respect.

As the novel progresses, the author teases us with how these three women are linked. It's incredibly well written, clever and these intricately woven threads come together perfectly. I can't tell you much about the individual stories without revealing spoilers but I will say this is a dark, deliciously dark, novel. It talks of black magic and murder, truly heinous crimes. There is grief and sadness too. And women not always being able to speak up for themselves in a way they would like to, which is still an issue today.

The Bleeding is beautifully written even in its darkest, most chilling moments, and the scene setting is fabulous, always atmospheric and often claustrophobic. I read this with a mounting dread as the pieces began to fall into place but I did not foresee the shocking, heartbreaking ending - that was a bit of a 'wowser' moment! This is an incredible, hard hitting book, one which I have thought of often since I finished reading it. I loved Blood Song. I love this at least as much, if not more, and it's definitely a favourite for this year so far.


The Author

Born in Marseille, France, and with a degree in Political Science, Johana Gustawsson has worked as a journalist for the French and Spanish press and television. Her critically acclaimed Roy & Castells series, including Block 46, Keeper and Blood Song, has won the Plume d’Argent, Balai de la découverte,Balai d’Or and Prix Marseillais du Polar awards, and is now published in 28 countries. A TV adaptation is currently underway in a French, Swedish and UK co-production. The Bleeding – number one bestseller in France and the first in a new series – will be published in 2022. Johana lives on the west coast of Sweden with her Swedish husband and their three sons.

You Can't See Me by Eva Björg Ægisdóttir (translated by Victoria Cribb)

Wishing a very happy publication day to Eva Björg Ægisdóttir for You Can't See Me, out today from Orenda Books. I am sharing my review for my stop on the blog tour. My thanks to Anne Cater for the invitation and to the publisher for my review copy.

The Blurb

The wealthy, powerful Snæberg clan has gathered for a family reunion at a futuristic hotel set amongst the dark lava flows of Iceland’s remote Snæfellsnes peninsula.

Petra Snæberg, a successful interior designer, is anxious about the event, and her troubled teenage daughter, Lea, whose social-media presence has attracted the wrong kind of followers. Ageing carpenter Tryggvi is an outsider, only tolerated because he’s the boyfriend of Petra’s aunt, but he’s struggling to avoid alcohol because he knows what happens when he drinks … Humble hotel employee, Irma, is excited to meet this rich and famous family and observe them at close quarters … perhaps too close…

As the weather deteriorates and the alcohol flows, one of the guests disappears, and it becomes clear that there is a prowler lurking in the dark.

But is the real danger inside … within the family itself?

My Review

Members of the glamorous, well known Snæburg family, including partners and children are gathering at a remote, state of the art hotel on the lava covered Snæfellnes Peninsula. It's an annual gathering to celebrate the birthday of an ancestor, but the first in this hotel and the weather is threatening to close in. The hotel is modern, clean cut and full of well trained staff including Irma, who seems to have an unhealthy interest in the family. Over the course of the weekend tensions surface and secrets are uncovered...

The Snæburg family are a large group (I had some difficulty keeping up with who was who) and are not really close. Many of them drink too much, maybe take drugs, some are unhappy, some more dysfunctional than others. They can be critical of one another and are not always welcoming to the newcomers in their group. They are not particularly nice people and it's telling that my two favourite characters, Tryggvi and Maja, are both outsiders. I really struggled to warm to any of the family members but enjoyed the dynamic between Petra and cousins Steffý and Viktor. I probably found Lea the easiest to sympathise with but was uncomfortable with some of the storyline around her, whilst acknowledging it highlights the very real dangers of social media. 

The hotel, landscape and weather are all characters in this novel. The hotel seems very cold, impersonal and the author does a great job in emphasising its isolation, giving the story a claustrophobic feel. I loved the descriptions of the lava fields and the black pebble beach. The weather too, always cold but otherwise changeable from sunshine to snow.

I liked how we touched on the troubles of several of the family members and partners, some of which were peeled back further and further throughout the course of the book. This succeeded in ramping up the tension.  I wasn't entirely surprised by the denouement but enjoyed seeing the various story threads coming together to reach that point. 

You Can't See Me is a story of family, betrayal, love and grief. It shows that wealth and privilege can't shelter you from those things, indeed, perhaps they make them worse. Well described with a real sense of claustrophobia, isolation and tension, this is a good slice of Nordic Noir. 

The Author

Born in Akranes in 1988, Eva Björg Ægisdóttir studied for an MSc in globalisation in Norway before returning to Iceland to write her first novel. Combining writing with work as a stewardess and caring for her children, Eva finished her debut thriller The Creak on the Stairs, which was published in 2018. It became a bestseller in Iceland, going on to win the Blackbird Award. Published in English by Orenda Books in 2020, it became a digital number-one betseller in three countries, was shortlisted for the Capital Crime/Amazon Publishing Awards in two categories and won the CWA John Creasey Dagger in 2021. Girls Who Lie, the second book in the Forbidden Iceland series was shortlisted for the Petrona Award and the CWA Crime in Translation Dagger, and Night Shadows followed suit. With over 200,000 copies sold in English alone, Eva has become one of Iceland’s – and crime-fiction’s – most highly regarded authors. She lives in Reyjavik with her husband and three children.