Madwoman in the Attic #8 Anne Burke

Anne Burke was an Irish writer of Gothic novels. She was one of the first women to write in the Gothic genre. Anne Burke was a governess who after she was left widowed with a young son turned to writing to earn money, although she applied on several occasions to the Royal Literary Fund for relief. Anne Burke's books inspired Anne Radcliffe who was one of the most successful of the Gothic novelists. Anne Burke is considered to be part of the group of key Irish authors who popularised and developed the Gothic style of writing in the late Eighteenth Century and afterwards including Regina Maria Roche and Sydney Owenson
List of works
Ela or The Delusions of the Heart 1787
Emilia de St Aubigne 1788
Adela Northington 1796
The Sorrows of Edith 1796
Elliott or Vicissitudes of Early Life 1800
The Secret Of the Cavern 1805

The Upstairs Room by Kate Murray-Browne Blog Tour; The Books That Made Me

A gothic and chilling debut from Kate Murray-Browne about a young family; Eleanor, Richard and their two young daughters who have just moved into what should be their dream home in Litchfield Road. Stretched to the limit, the renovations have to wait and they decide to get a lodger in to rent the basement, so they can afford the repayments. Eleanor feels the strange atmosphere almost immediately and begins to suffer with chronic headaches and vomiting. Richard is also affected but he is channeling his unhappiness into a Masters Degree that he hopes will change his life, his career and help him find that spark that his current role as a solicitor doesn't give him. The lodger Zoe has quit her job to work in an art shop and left her long term boyfriend. She is hoping to write, or draw or something. She too is seeking change. The Upstairs Room is left empty. It's walls covered in scrawls and pictures from the little girl who lived there before. Eleanor asks the neighbours and they tell her there was an accident, something bad happened in that house. As Eleanor becomes increasingly ill and starts to see her older daughter's behaviour changing she knows she must do something. This is a dark and clever book which uses the tropes of the ghost story to examine the anxieties of three people worried about the cost of housing, about being trapped by marriage, by jobs, by reponsibilities. This book will be published by Picador on July 27th in e-book and hardback. Thanks to Don Shanahan for an e-ARC.

I asked the author to take part in my Books that Made Me Series and here are Kate's choices.


The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James – I first read this when I was seventeen, which is maybe why James’s young heroine ‘affronting her destiny’ appealed to me so much. But it stayed with me, and the ideas about choice, limitation and thwarted desire (not to mention the potential disaster of marriage proposals) all found their way into my first novel, The Upstairs Room.

The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters – I read this on holiday in Mallorca, basically the least spooky setting ever, and I was still terrified. I remember feeling very sad finishing it because I thought it was one of the best books I’d ever read, but there was no way I could read it again as it was so frightening. I have braved it since (during daylight hours) and found the evocation of the house and its inhabitants just as compelling and poignant, marvelling at how skilfully Waters manages the ambiguity of the haunting.

Things I Don’t Want to Know by Deborah Levy – there are lots of wonderful things about this autobiographical essay, but the thing that stands out for me is the way Levy writes about motherhood – I thought about it a lot when writing about Eleanor, one of my protagonist’s, experience of motherhood. I’m incredibly excited about the forthcoming sequel, The Cost of Living (and I half-wanted to steal the title for The Upstairs Room).

The Blog Tour continues see banner for details

The Vanishing of Audrey Wilde Blog Tour

I am delighted to be kicking off the blog tour for The Vanishing of Audrey Wilde. The second novel from Eve Chase is another page turning gothic thriller that you won't be able to put down. There are shades of Daphne du Maurier in the themes explored here and I gobbled it up in a couple of sittings. This is a dual time novel focusing on contemporary protagonist Jessie who is desperate to leave London behind and give her family a new start. She sets her sights on Applecote Manor a beautiful house in need of love and attention in rural Wiltshire. Jessie is mum to toddler Romy, wife to Will and step-mum to teenager Bella, but she feels overshadowed by the ghost of Will's first wife Mandy and Bella seems determined to remind her of her loss everyday. Jessie hopes that escaping London can bring her closer to her prickly step-daughter. But there are shadows and secrets at Applecote too, the locals are reluctant to talk about it but there are rumours of the tragic disappearance of a child. The other strand of the story is that of the Wilde sisters in the 1950s. When their mum takes a job abroad they too leave London for Applecote. They are to spend the summer with their aunt and uncle who have become virtual recluses since the disappearance of their daughter Audrey. As the summer unfolds for Margot Wilde and the winter draws in for Jessie each of them begins to explore the story of the vanishing girl. This is a wonderful story, gothic, dark and yet full of hope and light. Beautiful storytelling, perfect for fans of Kate Morton and Katherine Webb.

The Vanishing of Audrey Wilde is published by Michael Joseph, in the UK and Ireland 13th July. Thanks so much to Gaby Young for inviting me to take part in the blog tour.

I asked the author to tell me about some of her favourite gothic novels and here's what she told me.


Gothic fiction – Eve Chase
The Vanishing of Audrey Wilde is published by Michael Joseph, 13 July.

The Monkey’s Paw by WW Jacobs was the first gothic story I remember reading, or quite possibly hearing – it’s embedded in that bit of childhood where books and stories spoken aloud are interchangeable, as vividly alive as an imaginary friend. (Children are naturally gothic creatures!) It’s about being granted three wishes and, of course, each wish having a terrible consequence. I was chilled and delighted by it: fear feels damn good when you experience it vicariously, tucked up safely in bed. I still think about that short story’s premise; the ultimate be careful what you wish for. Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray is another creepy story that’s stayed with me all these years. Not only because I’m a huge fan of the dazzling Wilde and will happily read anything he’s written, or because it works on many different levels – satire, gothic tale, a dilemma of deviance – but mostly because it’s an unbelievably cracking story. It is still modern. It still speaks to us. After all, who wouldn’t be tempted to sell at least some of their soul for everlasting youth and beauty? You wouldn’t? Really? Daphne Du Maurier’s Rebecca is also powerfully universal – the story of a second wife, haunted by the presence of the first - despite its Cornish setting and Maurier’s unique narrative voice. It’s inspired many other novels and writers, myself included, but has never been bettered. While we’re on the subject of mysterious terrible others, creaking houses and forbidden erotic thrills, I’ll confide that my teenage self (still alive and kicking, although my face, unlike Dorian’s, is now inhabiting a more distant decade) also has a soft dark spot for the novels of Virginia Andrews. The best one is Flowers In the Attic, a thrilling yarn of wicked mothers, grand estates and – oh joy! – incest. I tried to read it again recently but couldn’t – it felt like reading a diary of my own teenage years, something private, cringe-worthy and infinitely precious. Great gothic stories knit their narratives into your own life. And they make very reliable imaginary friends.


Copyright Eve Chase 2017
The blog tour continues for the rest of the week, details below.

The Witches of New York by Ami McKay

The Witches of New York is the third novel from bestselling author Ami McKay. While the new novel sees the return of Moth from her previous novel The Virgin Cure it can be read as a stand alone. The story opens in New York in September 1880 with Moth; now Adelaide and her dear friend Eleanor who have opened Tea & Sympathy a tea shop where they offer spells, remedies and advice to the well heeled ladies of Manhattan. While Eleanor is the expert on remedies and tea, Adelaide is a talented seer and happy to proclaim herself a witch. Having lost an eye to an acid attack from a jealous rival she revels in her witchy appearance. The ladies workload has increased and so Adelaide places an advert seeking an apprentice and Beatrice comes into their lives. Beatrice has travelled from small town upstate New York seeking adventure and magic and she is a wonderful addition to the store but it soon becomes obvious that she has incredible magical abilities. While Eleanor wants to help the girl to develop at her own pace Adelaide wants to test out Beatrice’s abilities and before long Beatrice disappears. Has she run away? Or has she been taken? Because in a society that condemns women is it ever safe to be a witch? The growth of Beatrice’s character is skillfully woven throughout the novel as she turns from country girl to a young woman in charge of her own destiny. This is a beautiful novel, impeccably researched, powerfully plotted and packed with intriguing characters. Carefully blending fantasy, crime and historical fiction this is a charming and atmospheric read. Perfect for fans of Sophia Tobin, Susan Hill and Essie Fox.

Available now from Orion Books

This review originally appeared in Historical Novel Review 79 (Feb 2017) as an Editor's Choice. 

https://historicalnovelsociety.org/reviews/the-witches-of-new-york/ 

The Vanishing by Sophia Tobin

Sophia Tobin’s third novel is a gothic thriller with shades of Jane Eyre, Jamaica Inn and Sarah Waters’ Fingersmith.

Annaleigh has accepted the position of Housekeeper at White Windows in Yorkshire. Determined to begin anew, Annaleigh is shocked to discover that White Windows is much more remote than she had anticipated, that the servants are truculent and the owners mysterious. Brought up in bustling London Annaleigh was a foundling brought up by a painter and his wife she had anticipated a different life believing herself to be part of Mr. Calvert’s family but when love seemed to blossom between his stepson and adopted daughter Mr. Calvert is happy to have Annaleigh move away. Broken hearted and apparently without family Annaleigh quickly becomes fascinated by her darkly mysterious new employer Mr. Twentyman. The parallels between The Vanishing and Jane Eyre are obvious; the educated young woman fallen on hard times, the brooding hero, the gothic setting of the big house and the remoteness of the Yorkshire Moors but what could easily be a pastiche becomes in the careful hands of a skillful writer a wonderful homage and a clever reworking.

Also and perhaps more importantly Sophia Tobin has addressed the issue of women’s lack of rights in the period and the power and manipulation that men wielded to control them. Either as daughters, wives or servants women were essentially property without rights to their own bodies, their belongings or their children. A fast paced and wonderfully written gothic thriller which will appeal to Brontë fans and lovers of Victorian mysteries. This clever and insightful book should bring Sophia Tobin widely deserved critical and popular acclaim.

First published in The Historical Novel Review issue 79  (Feb 2017) as an Editor's Choice. 

https://historicalnovelsociety.org/reviews/the-vanishing/

Madwomen in the Attic #2 Regina Maria Roche

Regina Maria Roche (née Dalton) was born in Waterford in 1764 before the family moved to Dublin where she grew up. Little is known about her early life other than that she was the daughter of Captain Blundel Dalton and she is quoted as claiming that books were a passion from a young age and that she had begun to write stories as soon as she could hold a pen. Her first two novels were published in her twenties The Vicar of Landsdowne (1789) and The Maid of Hamlet (1793). Her marriage in 1794 to Ambrose Roche led to a move to England and although her previous books had had some success it was the next book that made her a household name. Children of the Abbey a Gothic Romance published in 1796 was an instant hit. The book went through several editions and was translated into French and Spanish. The book appeared at the height of the Gothic novel trend and Roche quickly followed up with Clermont (1798) a novel with a much darker tone and containing all the trappings we have come to associate with Gothic fiction; a mysterious Countess, an attack by ruffians, a gloomy crypt, a forced marriage. Another huge hit Clermont was one of the seven Gothic novels that the heroine of Northanger Abbey Catherine Morland is told to read by Isabella Thorpe. Another novel followed in 1800 The Nocturnal Visit  but after this the Roches suffered serious financial setback as they were cheated out of an inheritance in Ireland by a dishonest solicitor; an unfortunate mirror of events in Children of the Abbey in which siblings Amanda and Oscar Fitzalan are cheated out of their inheritance Dunreath Abbey by a scheming relative. Regina Maria Roche returned to Ireland in the 1820s after her husband's death. She wrote another eleven novels most of them were picturesque tales of the Irish countryside but none of them reached the heights of success of Clermont and Children of the Abbey. She died in 1845 at the age of 81 in relative obscurity but was remembered fondly in a number of obituaries.

Clemont and  Children of the Abbey are available from Valancourt Books.

http://www.valancourtbooks.com/clermont-1798.html

http://www.valancourtbooks.com/the-children-of-the-abbey-1796.html

The Hidden People by Alison Littlewood

Alison Littlewood's latest novel is a bit of a departure. The author is well known for her thrilling horror fiction and with her new book she continues to feature haunted houses and people, but with this novel there is the added element of historical fiction. Because of this I know this book will be a must read for anyone who like me devours tales of the Victorian gothic.
Inspired by a real life killing in the Irish countryside in the 1890s Littlewood relocates the action to her home county of Yorkshire in the 1860s. Albie is a London man, working his way up in his father's business. He first meets his young Yorkshire cousin Lizzie at The Great Exhibition in 1851, that great symbol of industry and technology. Eleven years later he is newly married and devastated to hear that not only is his cousin dead but her husband is accused of killing her; believing her to be a fairy changeling. Albie travels to the village of Halfoak to bury his cousin and discover what led to her death. In Halfoak he discovers a village that has remained almost unchanged for centuries where superstition holds sway and the villagers are reluctant to talk to an outsider. Alison Littlewood is fantastic at evoking a powerful almost claustrophobic atmosphere and a wonderful sense of clashing cultures as the old ways meet the new. This is a brilliant murder mystery full of gothic suspense and elements of magical realism. You will be entranced by the story as Albie questions what is real or not and wonders if the house is haunted, if his cousin was murdered or was she really a fairy. Perfect for fans of Wuthering Heights or The Woman in Black.
Thanks so much to Olivia Mead for sending me a copy to review.
Published by Jo Flethcher Books. 

Associates of Sherlock Holmes edited by George Mann

This collection edited by George Mann is the third he has produced for Titan Books and features a number of writers well known for their Sherlockiana such as Lyndsay Faye and James Lovegrove as well as those such as Simon Bucher-Jones who is presenting his first Sherlock Holmes story here. Unlike many other stories set in the universe of Arthur Conan Doyle which present the cases from Watson's viewpoint as Doyle did, here we see Holmes and Watson through the eyes of others; including Inspector Lestrade, Irene Adler and many more. It allows many of the associates, clients and villains to tell their own stories for the first time. The collection opens with a new story from fan favourite Lyndsay Faye as she allows Police Inspector Stanley Hopkins who appeared in Doyle's "The Adventure of Black Peter" to tell us a brand new tale of body parts dredged from the Thames in "River of Silence" There are some brilliant supernatural touches too courtesy of Jeffrey Thomas and Tim Pratt.
Titan are undoubtedly the best and most enthusiastic publisher of Sherlockiana and this collection is a fantastic idea although some stories are less successful than others. This collection is also a wonderful showcase of the work of some great new (to me) authors of crime, science fiction and fantasy. I will certainly be exploring more of the work of some of the authors I have encountered here. Fans of Sherlock Holmes won't be disappointed and in fact I went back to the original stories with new insight.
Perfect for fans and new readers alike.
Thanks to Philippa Ward from Titan Books for a review copy of this book.
Associates of Sherlock Holmes is published later this week. 

Sleeper's Castle by Barbara Erskine

Barbara Erskine's lastest book returns to the landscape where she set her debut novel Lady of Hay 30 years ago. Miranda, Andy to her friends has lost the man she loves and her home. After nearly ten years together her beloved Graham is dead and with no will his home that he shared with Andy is now the property of his estranged wife Rhona. Andy is left rudderless but she is offered a lifeline by an old friend; Sue is heading to Australia for a year and she needs a house sitter for her beautiful home in the Welsh Borders. Sleeper's Castle is old and full of shadows and secrets so Andy is really not surprised when she begins to dream about the past. In the early 1400s Catrin lived at Sleeper's Castle with her father a poet and a bard. Catrin also writes poetry but she must keep it secret for her father is a controlling man and Wales is in turmoil as shifting allegiances bring war to their door and it is a dangerous time to be a bard and a seer. As Catrin and her father are drawn into the rebellion of Owain Glyndwr and she begins to fall for a handsome English widower, Catrin's story seems determined to be told.
Barbara Erskine once again beautifully blends past and present allowing the tension and darkness to seep from the past into the present. Loyal fans will not be disappointed with this new book and new fans will be equally enchanted. If you have not yet discovered Barbara Erskine you are in for a treat. She cleverly weaves together mystery, history, romance and the gothic and will appeal to fans of Diana Gabaldon and Susanna Kearsley.
This book will be released on June 30th 2016 from Harper Collins who kindly sent me a proof copy to review.

Daughter of the House by Rosie Thomas

Daughter of the House is the eagerly awaited follow up to Rosie Thomas’s incredibly successful The Illusionists and although it is a sequel the book can quite easily be read as a stand alone novel. The novel tells the story of Nancy Wix; daughter of the great theatre impresario Devil Wix and his melancholic wife Eliza. Nancy discovers at a young age that she has psychic abilities but is at pains to keep “the uncanny” hidden from her family, though she struggles to do so when she is approached by another psychic after a boating tragedy. This man will haunt Nancy for many years. As the middle child Nancy is often the buffer in a house of large personalities: when her brothers go away to war, she must stay to hold her parents together. She joins the suffragettes and briefly finds work at a printing house and longs to find her own place in the world. Through her psychic abilities she finally finds it and begins to let go of just being a daughter and starts learning to be herself. This is a wonderful coming of age tale set in a time of huge upheaval and social change. It is a story of the lives of women and the choices they face and it is a wonderful evocation of the past. Thomas has made meticulous use of her research brilliantly bringing to life the end of the music hall era and the rise of spiritualism in the 1920s.  I highly recommended this smart, gothic and romantic page turner.

This review originally appeared in HNR 73 see it online HERE

Resonance by Celine Kiernan

Celine Kiernan is a writer I simply cannot recommend enough, I love her writing so much that I am struggling to write this review but here goes. Firstly this book combines gothic, historical, fantasy and horror in a way that is completely unique. Secondly the two settings; a gothic mansion in the Irish countryside and the narrow streets of inner city 1890s Dublin are brilliantly realised, Kiernan's use of dialogue and wonderful , rich, descriptive prose are a real treat. Thirdly Kiernan really knows how to create amazing, unique and interesting characters.

If that wasn't enough to get you racing off to the shops to buy this book perhaps the plot will hook you. The story focuses on two groups of friends; Tina a seamstress in a Dublin theatre, who works for the aging diva Ursula Lyndon, her suitor Joe who works several jobs trying to raise money for a future with Tina and Harry a young American magician who has arrived in Dublin looking for work (Actually a young Harry Houdini). The three friends along with Ms Lyndon soon catch the attention of Vincent and Cornelius who have arrived at the theatre to audition players to perform at their country house. In reality Vincent and Cornelius live at Fargeal Manor and have lived there for centuries with Raquel and her children and an assortment of retainers and villagers. They have clung to life and their youthful looks by feeding from the light of an "angel" locked beneath the manor house but they and the angel are growing weak and what the men seek are performers who will feed the angel and sustain them. Tina, Joe and Harry soon realise that something is not right and set out to release the angel but have no idea of the consequences.

This is a dark tale asking deep questions about the existence of God and the meaning of life and friendship. It will intrigue fans and new readers alike and is a must if you are a fan of Dracula or The Picture of Dorian Grey. With this book Kiernan has absolutely become the Queen of Irish Gothic Fiction. 

Prince Lestat by Anne Rice

Prince Lestat sees the triumphant return of everyone’s favourite vampire rock star and the triumphant return of the queen of the gothic romance Anne Rice. Written in Rice’s unmistakeable and inimitable baroque style the story travels across the globe as a new threat rises for the children of the blood. They are once again increasing in number but with so many new and untaught fledglings threatening to expose and weaken the vampire world, the old ones are roused but so too is a mysterious Voice which seems able to control and manipulate even the most powerful of vampires commanding them to destroy the many fledglings that proliferate in cities from Mumbai to San Francisco. As these massacres take place many of the blood drinkers call out to unite, seeking as leader the rebel Prince; Lestat but will he heed the call.? This book brings together the stories of many of the characters from earlier Vampire chronicles including Armand, Louis and Marius helping to fill in the gaps since we last saw them, as well as introducing a host of newer characters. If your only experience of vampire fiction is Twilight then this will be a revelation and while I would recommend reading the previous chronicles if only to savour the decadence of Rice’s wonderful writing this book could be read as a standalone novel.

Available now in hardback and e-book from Chatto & Windus to whom I am grateful for a review copy.

Touched by Joanna Briscoe

The latest novel from Joanna Briscoe is written under The Hammer imprint and is very much a “horror” tale however Briscoe has not altered her trademark style. She writes beautifully about lives falling apart and this book is no different. It is 1963 and young mother Rowena Crale has moved with her husband and five children away from London to the small village of Crowsley Beck. They have bought the house next door to her mother in law and are knocking the two houses together. It is a stressful time the house seems to be resisting all efforts at change, strange smells and leaks appear and walls and ceilings bulge. The noise and mess is chaotic and Rowena is struggling to wean her youngest from the breast and worries about Evangeline her daughter; named for the grandmother whose house they have taken over. Evangeline is a strange and possibly disturbed child who wanders all over the village so when she disappears for days on end Rowena and Douglas call the police but they aren’t really worried it’s when their older, prettier daughter vanishes that they panic and as a search is mounted it seems that the quaint village may not be the safe haven they thought. Briscoe slowly builds the tension in this intense and claustrophobic little book bringing it to a surprising and yet satisfying ending, she takes a scalpel to humanity and shows us the human heart in all its darkness and glory. Thanks to welovethisbook for a copy of this book. This review also appeared on welovethisbook.

The Crimson Ribbon by Katherine Clements Review and Competition

Katherine Clements debut novel reads like the work of a much more experienced author, it is a literary piece that remains utterly readable; vibrant and deftly plotted it is filled with incredibly rendered sentences. The Seventeenth Century is my favourite historical era as it is filled with political and religious upheaval and it is a time when ordinary people including women begin to express themselves through the burgeoning printing presses. Katherine's novel is set mid century and features a young heroine searching for a place in the world, after her mother is brutally hanged having been accused of witchcraft. Ruth's mother had been a healer and midwife and Ruth seeks her fortune in London taking nothing but her mother's book of remedies and her crimson ribbon. On her journey she meets a young soldier Joseph Oakes. Joseph is also haunted by his past but each one keeps their secrets at first. Joseph finds work as a printer's apprentice and Ruth becomes a maid to a radical young woman called Lizzie Poole. Katherine Clements  has used the real life Lizzie Poole for whom there are only a few documents remaining and spun a deft thread of intrigue and drama around her which encompasses Ruth, Joseph and even the great players of the age Cromwell and King Charles. If like me you have been watching Channel 4's "New Worlds" then this book is for you. This is perfect for fans of astute, well written historical fiction such as that of Victoria Lamb and  Deborah Swift. If you haven't seen New Worlds check out the trailer http://www.channel4.com/programmes/new-worlds/videos/all/new-worlds-trailer and If you didn't see The Devil's Whore the series which preceded it which has some linked characters then I urge you to watch that also.

If you would like to get your hands on a copy of The Crimson Ribbon I have one to spare so please comment below (nicely, please) and I'll do a draw at the end of the month.

Bellman & Black by Diane Setterfield

It's a number of years since I first read Diane Setterfield's debut The Thirteenth Tale and I enjoyed it so much I have recommended it to many others since, friends, family and customers alike I even listed it in my top five reads of all time which believe me was not an easy list to compile.
So of course I jumped at the chance to read an early review copy of her next book Bellman & Black which will be published by Orion this October in time for Halloween. I dived straight in to find a glorious slice of Victoriana layered with gothic suspense and mystery. The story opens with the last dying moments of William Bellman as his life flashes before him. He remembers being a ten year old playing in the cemetery with his friends and firing a stone at a rook with his catapult. He knocks the bird to the ground and instantly feels that he has crossed a line. Death has entered William's young life and it follows him through the years. The image of the rook, of the cemetery of the mourning clothes and all the trappings of the Victorian cult of mourning recur throughout the story and lead William to open an emporium of mourning, the first department store dedicated to funerals; black hats and gloves, coffins, black edged stationary can all be purchased at Bellman & Black. This novel is a glorious return for a wonderful and talented writer.

The Glass Ocean

Lori Baker who has won awards for her short stories is set to be a major literary star. Her first novel is a strange and dreamy tale of flame haired six foot two orphan girl Carlotta Dell’Oro. Carlotta’s tale begins as she sets out on a new adventure in a new land. She is the author of her own beginnings of how her parents met and their individual stories. Through her young narrator Lori Baker presents fascinating characters and recreates a Victorian world of stuffed animals, sea voyages, insatiable thirst for knowledge, creaking houses stuffed to the brim with clutter and a marriage of misunderstanding. Carlotta’s parents are thrown together by circumstance and they are distant both from each other and from their child. She grows up neglected and alone in a house full of curiosities from all over the world brought back from her grandfather’s travels and the glass which her father works in a constant search for perfection. This is a beautifully written novel full of loss and longing which can be summed up in Carlotta’s observation “It is interesting …how we always think most about the one who has gone away…and least about the one who has remained…” P.192.

Thanks to Stacey Bartlett of The Bookseller for the opportunity to read and review this title.

The Misbegotten By Katherine Webb

Although The Misbegotten is Katherine Webb’s fourth novel it is the first I’ve read and it certainly won’t be the last because her storytelling skills are enchanting. The Misbegotten is the story of four people; Starling an abandoned child who grows up as neither servant nor lady, Alice the determined young woman who takes her in, Jonathan the grandson of Alice’s benefactor and Rachel who meets Starling and Jonathan twelve years after Alice’s mysterious disappearance which has left both of them devastated. Rachel has married to escape the drudgery of her life as a governess.  Through her husband she meets the Alleyn family and is employed as a companion to Jonathan to read to him and encourage his return to health and society. Through Starling and Jonathan she learns Alice’s story and the part they have played in her strange disappearance. Gradually she begins to piece together the puzzle and she discovers that her husband also has secrets. This is engrossing storytelling reminiscent of Kate Morton or Daphne du Maurier. The plot is full of twists and surprises and the characters intensely interesting if not always likeable.  The story takes place in and around Bath in the same era as many of Jane Austen’s classic works though it features a great deal more murk and grime, a fantastic gothic thriller. I highly recommend it. Thanks so much to lovereading.co.uk for the opportunity to read this book before it is released in hardback, trade paperback and e-book in August. The Misbegotten is published by Orion.

Follow the link below to see my review along with the other reading panel members at lovereadinguk.
http://www.lovereading.co.uk/book/8937/The-Misbegotten-by-Katherine-Webb.html

The Orphan Choir by Sophie Hannah

Bestselling crime author Sophie Hannah has written a spooky chiller for Hammer.  The same people who brought us the cult horror movies are now working with Random House to revive interest in horror writing. As well as re-issuing classic tales such as The Witches by Peter Curtis and a number of books by Graham Masterton some, some well-known authors are getting in on the act with tales of witches, ghosts and vampires. 2012 saw the release of Helen Dunmore’s The Greatcoat and Jeanette Winterson’s The Daylight Gate and this year also see the release of titles from Melvin Burgess and Julie Myerson.

The Orphan Choir is the story of Louise a Cambridge Mum with a noisy neighbour who is keeping her awake. Her husband Stuart however seems able to sleep through the neighbour’s noisy parties and as Louise continues to finds sleep elusive and her health begins to suffer we get the first indication that all is not quite right. Louise is advised by her local council to keep a noise diary and her entries are included as part of the narrative. We learn that her son has been accepted at Saviour College School as a probationer in the choir and now lives away from home during term time. Louise feels that the choirmaster Doctor Freeman is keeping her son away from her. As Louise wanders the house and fills out her noise diary she hears a choir of children singing she can even recognise her son’s voice amongst them. She believes that her neighbour is waging a campaign of terror and harassment against her. Her husband does not seem to understand. She hears the choir singing more and more often and dreams of finding sanctuary elsewhere and so she plans her escape to a second home at Swallowfield. She believes that here she will find peace and escape from those that are against her, her thoughts are growing increasingly irrational. When she hears the orphan choir and begins to see them she knows that her neighbour is not tormenting her but that the choir are warning her, but what are the warning her about? Where is the danger? And will Louise discover before she loses her mind? The Orphan Choir is a tense and thrilling read employing the fast pace and great character building that we have come to expect from Sophie Hannah. Her fans will not be disappointed.

Out now published by Hammer follow the link below to see my original review on welovethisbook.com

http://www.welovethisbook.com/reviews/orphan-choir

Happy Booker Award

Grace Tierney of the Woodfoolery Blog  http://wordfoolery.wordpress.com/2013/04/03/wordfoolery-nominates/ has tagged me in The Happy Booker Award check out the link above to see Grace's choices which are fab.

I decided to make two lists, one for adult books and one for YA. These are some of my all time favourite books.

Top 5 Adults Books

The Blood of Flowers by Anita Amirezvani

This is a stunning book set in Seventeenth Century Persia about a young girl with a talent for weaving beautiful rugs who seeks to assert herself in a world dominated by men. It is a sensual and lyrical debut which fans of Khaled Hosseini and Dina Nayeri will be enchanted by.

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield 

A fabulous book perfect for fans of Daphne du Maurier or Charlotte Bronte. Biographer Margaret Lea travels to interview reclusive writer Vida Winter and learn the secrets of Angelfield House. A sumptuous gothic tale. I loved it.

The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley

I first read this book nearly twenty years ago and it was already a classic then. It was the first in Bradley's Avalon series which Diana L Paxson has been continuing since her death. It is a retelling of The Arthurian tales through the eyes of his half sister Morgaine. It presents a feminist and Pagan version of the story as Morgaine sees the old ways pushed out and women's wisdom devalued. A must read for Fantasy fans especially if you enjoy the work of Juliet Marillier and Mary Stewart

The Kingdom of Shadows by Barbra Erskine

I have read almost all of Barbara Erskine's books she is a fantastic author who writes historical fiction with a paranormal element. This was my introduction to her writing way back in the 1990s. It weaves together the stories of present day Clare with her Scottish ancestor Isobel Countess of Buchan from the Fourteenth Century blending historical fact and fiction. If you are a fan of Diana Gabaldon then this a must.

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

One of my favourite recent reads. I adore the supernatural element and the romance is beautifully done. It's Twilight for grown ups. Historian Diana Bishop discovers a manuscript in the Bodleian Libray which has been missing for many years and there are many magical creatures who want to get their hands on it, including centuries old vampire Matthew Clairmont. This has been a huge hit amongst fans of Diana Gabaldon, Carol Goodman and Elizabeth Kostova.

I will post up my top five YA picks asap and tag some bloggers to get their choices. In the mean time feel free to comment here.

Blackwood by Glenda Bond

Blackwood is the debut novel from a talented new voice in YA fiction. Gwenda Bond has taken as her inspiration America's oldest mystery. In 1587 114 men, women and children settled an English colony on Roanoke Island, North Carolina. As supplies ran low John White one of the founders returned by ship to England, caught up in the war against the Spanish, White could not return until 1590. He returned to Roanoke to find it deserted and the disappearance of the 114 people including White's granddaughter; Virginia Dare the first English child born in America remains a mystery. Gwenda Bond's tale begins with Miranda Blackwood who from an early age develops an obsession with this mystery and works backstage at the Waterside theatre in Roanoke on a re-enactment of The Lost Colony for tourists. During a performance one night Miranda sees a strange shadow ship. That’s just the first of a series of strange events as once again 114 people go missing from the Island, including it seems Miranda's Dad. She must work with Phillips a teen who can hear the voices of the dead, even though he swore he would never return, the Island has drawn him back. They must unravel the mystery of the original settlers and the new disappearances, before it's too late. There is alchemy, murder, mystery and dark magic combining to make this an edgy, edge of the seat thriller which will appeal to fans of Marcus Sedgwick and Kate Griffin.

This book was published in September 2012 as one the first titles from Strange Chemistry Books, the YA imprint of Angry Robot Books. The team at Strange Chemistry are dedicated to publishing the best in YA Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Steampunk and Horror. 

http://strangechemistrybooks.com/