All Grown Up by Catherine Evans

Another new author for me on the blog today and a change from my usual crime fare, although there is some dark stuff here! Today I'm sharing my review as part of the blog tour for All Grown Up by Catherine Evans. My thanks to Rachel Gilbey at Rachel's Random Resources for inviting me and to the publisher for my lovely paperback review copy.

 

The Blurb

Neveah is fifteen. A schoolkid. With a secret life.

She’s a digital freelancer, and is having an affair with her biggest client.

Giles is married. He thinks Neveah is twenty-two.

She’ll do just about anything to stop him from finding out her true age.

But secrets have a way of spilling out.

With devastating consequences.


Purchase Links

UK 
US 

 

My Review

Gosh, there is such a lot to unpack in this novel. It's a story of a middle aged, married man's affair with a much younger lover but it's so, so much more than that. 

Neveah is beautiful, confident, self assured and bright. She runs her own business very successfully, all the while doing well at school and taking care of herself and the house. For Neveah is only fifteen but seems so much older. Her mother is uncaring at best, neglectful at worst. Her father, a musician, is irresponsible. But Neveah is determined to make a success of herself, in spite of all these things. Her most recent, and now biggest, client is Giles, and they have fallen into a passionate affair, although there is clearly genuine feeling on both sides. Giles doesn't realise Neveah is underage... Things get messy, and along the way we meet Neveah's half sister, Giles's wife Christine and their daughter Serena, who is a similar age to Neveah. 

Neveah is a fantastic character, beautifully written. Confident, brave, caring and reliable, she is willing to use what she has to her advantage. But there is a vulnerability to her too. She is older than her years, having had to grow up quickly, but she's still a child, easily hurt. I was rooting for her all the way through. I wanted to bang her mother's head against the wall, she was so frustrating and, frankly, awful. Again this is great writing, because I detested her and really felt for Neveah. Her father deserved a good talking to as well and, in fact, it's his friend who is much more of a father figure to her. 

Giles is also a complex character. One might assume he is uncaring, and he is certainly no saint, but his family life is unsettled. His wife has been dealing with trauma for several years and this has, inevitably, affected their relationship. And he's parenting a teenager, which is not an easy thing to do at the best of times, but in this strained situation... There are all sorts of questions around his relationship with Neveah. He truly believes her to be of age - she looks and acts it, has her own business - so how wrong is his behaviour? If he doesn't know she's underage? 

In a related subplot we get to know Serena, who is dating a man a few years older than her, and feeling the pressure to move things on in their relationship. I was struck by the differences in her experiences and those of Neveah - how they behave and how they carry themselves. 

I have skirted around things because I feel going much deeper into the story will spoil it. But the author addresses some big issues here - race, sexual abuse, neglect, alcohol, drugs, underage sex, trauma, peer pressure and the dangers of social media. I have a love hate relationship with social media - it can be great but, equally, it can be so dangerous. There are all kinds of unhealthy influencers preying on everyone, but particularly young people, and it's so easy to make a private thing very public, just a click and it's done. There's enough pressure on them, they don't need that. I wasn't particularly bad or wayward (very tame, actually) but I'm very glad I lived my teenage years before social media was a thing. 

I'm rambling but what I'm trying to say is that All Grown Up is a timely, powerful and often brutal novel. The author should be commended for including these difficult topics and doing so in a way that will make you think. It's not a book you will forget in a hurry. 

The Author

Catherine Evans is an author and publisher. She’s the editor of fictionjunkies, which publishes book and short stories online by authors around the world and the co-founder of Inkspot Publishing which has now released four titles. She’s a trustee of the Chipping Norton Literary Festival, and lives in Oxfordshire. She’s married with a daughter and three stepdaughters.


Author/Publisher Social Media Links

Websites: www.cathyevans.com, www.inkspotpublishing.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inkspotpub  

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/inkspotpublishing 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Inkspotpub
LinkedIn: inkspot-publishing

Keep Your Friends Close by Joanne Ryan

Today is my stop on the blog tour for Keep Your Friends Close by Joanne Ryan, a new author to me. Many thanks to Rachel Gilbey at Rachel's Random Resources for the invitation and to the publisher for my review copy, which I received via Netgalley.

The Blurb

She knows your darkest secret… Can she keep it?

It’s a normal sunny day when Mia sees her ex-boyfriend on the street where she lives. But she knows that’s crazy. She knows it can’t possibly be him. She knows… because she killed him.

Mia and Carrie have been best friends since school. They share everything: clothes, shoes, a home… and their secrets.

Only Carrie knew what Mia did that night. Where everything went wrong and Mia’s boyfriend attacked her, so she attacked him right back.

Carrie made the problem go away. Like she always would for her best friend. They’ve got on with their lives. Mia’s even met someone new – a man she thinks she could be with forever.

But now it looks like her ex is back. Alive and well. So either Mia is losing her mind, or somebody very close to her has been lying…


Purchase Link 

My Review

Carrie has been Mia's best friend for years, despite the difference in their backgrounds. And Carrie has always been there for Mia, especially at her worst moments. Like when she killed Marco in self defence. She was such a mess, Carrie took over and sorted everything out despite her own shock at what had happened. Eight months on, life has moved on, but Mia owes Carrie so much for the support she gave her that night. And Carrie can't understand why Mia thinks she's seen her ex when it just can't be true... 

So, Mia is not that easy to like, or she wasn't for me anyway. Financially comfortable, she is enjoying life and living it to the full. Which would be fine if she hadn't killed someone less than a year earlier, but she seems to have conveniently pushed that to one side. She's beautiful, got an often glamorous job (that she doesn't need), a handsome beau and loves to party. It would seem that Carrie is still the responsible one in the relationship! All of that said, when things start to turn a little strange for Mia I did really feel for her. Something is clearly very wrong but the only person she can turn to is Carrie because she's the only one who knows the truth. If I'd been in that situation, I'd have struggled not to spill the beans to anyone else! 

Conversely, I really felt for Carrie. She's had to work so much harder than Mia to succeed in life, and continues to work hard to get to improve her situation. And she carries as much of a burden of responsibility for some of the events of eight months previous as Mia does, and it seems to weigh heavier for her. It's clear she doesn't approve of some of Mia's current lifestyle decisions but she's her best friend, and always stands by her. 

Whilst there are other characters involved in the story, although special mention to Sebastian, who I initially loathed but grew fonder of, this is very much about these two friends, and the depth of their relationship - its strengths and weaknesses. As a result, it feels quite claustrophobic, which I felt suited the storyline. 

I can't go into too much detail about the plot without giving away spoilers, which I obviously don't want to do! But I felt that Liz's growing sense of confusion and unease was nicely handled, and really helped to ramp up the tension. I did guess some of what was going on but there were still surprises aplenty! Keep Your Friends Close is a neatly written quick read - a tale of friendship, trust and betrayal. 

The Author

Joanne Ryan is the author of several well-reviewed psychological thrillers. Previously published by Tamarillas Press, she lives in Wiltshire. Her first thriller for Boldwood is Keep Your Friends Close.


Author Social Media Links

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1929779393871097/user/100089068085573/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/authorjoanneryan/
Bookbub profile: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/joanne-ryan

Halfway House by Helen Fitzgerald

Today I'm sharing my review of Halfway House by Helen Fitzgerald for my stop on the blog tour. Huge thanks to Anne Cater at Random Things Tours for inviting me and to the publisher for my review copy.

The Blurb

They’re the housemates from Hell…

When her disastrous Australian love affair ends, Lou O’Dowd heads to Edinburgh for a fresh start, moving in with her cousin, and preparing for the only job she can find … working at a halfway house for very high-risk offenders.

Two killers, a celebrity paedophile and a paranoid coke dealer – all out on parole and all sharing their outwardly elegant Edinburgh townhouse with rookie night-worker Lou…,

And instead of finding some meaning and purpose to her life, she finds herself trapped in a terrifying game of cat and mouse where she stands to lose everything – including her life.

Slick, darkly funny and nerve-janglingly tense, Halfway House is both a breathtaking thriller and an unapologetic reminder never to corner a desperate woman…

Halfway House is published by Orenda Books and comes out on Thursday of this week.

My Review

This is the fourth book I've read by Helen Fitzgerald. You can read my reviews of Ash Mountain and Keep Her Sweet but I am still to review Worst Case Scenario.

Lou's relationship with a married man in Australia has ended. She had been a waitress, but more recently hadn't worked and had a lifestyle, and apartment, funded by her lover. Now it's over, she's heading to Scotland, her cousin Becks, and a fresh start. The only job she's been able to get is in a halfway house for offenders, and even that was achieved with a slightly dubious reference. She throws herself into life when she arrives, even meeting a new lover. Then when the time comes to start her job, it doesn't seem that hard. Until the third night, when things quickly unravel...

Lou is not likeable. I couldn't really find one redeemable thing about her. She's selfish, entitled, ungrateful to those around her. She is particularly bad with her cousin, who has shown her nothing but kindness. Although, I must say, Becks's flat does sound a bit of a nightmare, given her penchant for collecting waits and strays. But I was still invested in what happened to Lou, because all the unlikable stuff about her contributes to making her a disaster waiting to happpen! The majority of the characters are male - I particularly liked Tim, also Neil and Cam. But all the characters are described vividly, particularly, of course, the residents of the halfway house. Even though you know they're a bad lot, they're a joy to read because they are just so colourful and interesting. And either creepy or threatening!

The author sets the scene well, with Lou's arrival in Scotland, settling in to Beck's flat, finding a lover, preparing for the new job. And then the largest part of the book takes place over just three shifts as we can't help but be carried along with the action as things get stickier and stickier for Lou. I enjoyed the madness of it all. There was a slightly cartoonish feel to some scenes which meant I was smiling as well as grimacing at the whole situation. Bonkers. It does end quite suddenly, I felt, and would've loved to know what the future held in store for some of these characters.

Halfway House is a madcap, darkly funny tale of one unprepared young woman's experience with a colourful group of desperate men... It's a lot of fun and I enjoyed it but don't think I'll be taking a job in a halfway house anytime soon! Not one like this, anyway! 


The Author 

Helen FitzGerald is the bestselling author of thirteen 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, Sunday Times, The Week and Daily Telegraph, shortlisted for the Theakston’s Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year, and won the CrimeFest Last Laugh Award. The critically acclaimed Ash Mountain (2020) and Keep Her Sweet (2022) soon followed. 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.

The Guests by Agnes Ravatn (translated by Rosie Hedger)

Happy New Year everyone! Hope you are all well, had a great Christmas if you celebrated and have had a good start to 2024. In true Suze Reviews style, I will be sharing my end of year review late. 😂 But in the meantime, I have a review for you lovely people! Today I'm helping to open the blog tour for The Guests by Agnes Ravatn and translated into English by Rosie Hedger. My thanks to Anne Cater at Random Things Tours for inviting me and to the publisher for my review copy.

The Blurb

An exquisitely dark, sharply funny psychological drama by the international bestselling author of The Bird Tribunal.

It started with a lie…

Married couple Karin and Kai are looking for a pleasant escape from their busy lives, and reluctantly accept an offer to stay in a luxurious holiday home in the Norwegian fjords.

Instead of finding a relaxing retreat, however, their trip becomes a reminder of everything lacking in their own lives, and in a less-than-friendly meeting with their new neighbours, Karin tells a little white lie…

Against the backdrop of the glistening water and within the claustrophobic walls of the ultra-modern house, Karin’s insecurities blossom, and her lie grows ever bigger, entangling her and her husband in a nightmare spiral of deceits with absolutely no means of escape…

The Guests is published (in English) by Orenda Books and comes out on 18th January 2024.

My Review

This is the first book by Agnes Ravatn that I've read, (although you can find an extract from The Seven Doors here), so went into this not knowing what to expect, which is always an adventure! The first thing I noticed was that Ms Ravatn doesn't use speech marks around dialogue. It's not the first time I've seen this, of course, although I tend to avoid it. So it threw me a little and I wasn't sure I could enjoy the book but was surprised how quickly I forgot about it and got involved in the story. 

Karin and Kai's two boys are staying with their grandparents so the adults have a week to themselves and have been offered the use of a cabin on the coast. When I say cabin I don't mean a basic log affair but a luxury one with top quality furnishings. It will be a bit of a working holiday for Kai but with plenty of time to enjoy himself. But Karin is strangely reluctant to head to this coastal idyll. However, she does, and on a walk one day encounters their nearest cabin dwelling neighbour Per, and tells a small lie. But as they interact more with Per and his wife, the lie becomes  bigger and bigger...

I struggled to warm to Karin, I must admit. I understood some of her insecurities but not others, and thought she probably wasn't the most likeable of people. All that said, for a large portion of the book she isn't herself, and she never relaxes, so that will all be part of it. Kai, on the other hand, is wonderfully relaxed and laid back, and very likeable, regardless of the face he wears. Per and Hilma  were very interesting characters - initially slightly closed off, as they open up a bit more we find out their outwardly lovely life is not without its problems. 

All the action is centred around these four characters and takes place in the two cabins and surrounding area, other than a bit of backstory, so there is a bit of a claustrophobic feel to things. The area sounds beautiful, though, the scene setting is descriptive and vivid. The storyline pulls us along as the lie gets bigger and I was dying to see how it all ended up. And that ending wasn't what I expected at all. 

The Guests is a really interesting study of emotional fragility and the feelings we get that somehow we're not enough. It's also a cautionary tale about lying, and where that can lead you! An interesting, funny, well written and very enjoyable book, and a slightly different kind of read for me, and that can only be a good thing! 

The Author

Agnes Ravatn is a Norwegian author and columnist. She made her literary debut with the novel Week 53 in 2007. Since then she has written a number of critically acclaimed and award-winning essay collections, including Standing, Popular Reading and Operation Self-discipline, in which she recounts her experience with social-media addiction. Her debut thriller, The Bird Tribunal, won the cultural radio P2’s listener’s prize in addition to The Youth’s Critic’s Prize, and was made into a successful play in Oslo in 2015. The English translation, published by Orenda Books in 2016, was a WHSmith Fresh Talent Pick, winner of a PEN Translation Award, a BBC Radio Four ‘Book at Bedtime’ and shortlisted for the Dublin Literary Award and the 2017 Petrona Award for Best Scandinavian Crime Novel of the Year. Critically acclaimed The Seven Doors was published in 2020. Agnes lives with her family in the Norwegian countryside.