time for some book reviews, then. whilst there's no set pattern to when i do these, other than after i have read two, look you see, it does feel like it's been a while since i gone done some. just not much chance to find the time to read, i guess.
anyway, for those of you in a hurry, the basics of the two books most recently read are right there in the title. with that being what it is, i dare suggest that you, in a rush, just want to know which books were really rather good. and so here's a picture of them.
brief, as far as possible spoiler free overview of both? sure. In A Cottage In A Wood by Cass Green is simply superb. the comparisons to the magnificent The Girl On The Train are spot on. it's not particularly the horror the cover or title suggests, though, but rather a suspenseful, scary thriller. much of the same is true of Dead Woman Walking by Sharon Bolton. i purchased it because the plot on the back sounded so absurdly amusing; and it was controversially cheap. ultimately it proved to be one of the best reads i have had in a while. that is unless my earlier reviews said the same thing.
right, on with a closer look. for regulars, as ever, please note that whilst i do my best not to do this, one of them possible *** SPOILER WARNING *** things is now in place. also, i don't do affiliates, endorsements or advertising on this blog. the links are here for your convenience, and are not a recommendation or in any way something i get coins for.
provenance of my copy? do you know i can't quite remember, but i am almost certain that it was Tesco. further, i think it was that "book of the week" special what Tesco do, and i suspect i paid either £2 or £3 for it. so it is wonderful it turned out so well.
the plot? Neve is a party girl who, after the end of a relationship she didn't really want to end, has taken to stumbling through the many outlets of drink, party and men London has to offer. after an excursion through these one night, she meets a lady stood by London (or maybe it was Tower) Bridge, not dressed for the weather and looking somewhat distractedly serene. She asks Neve for her name, then her full name, and tells someone it down the phone. and then, well, and then let me say absolutely nothing more on the plot. if you have an intention of reading it, as with The Girl On The Train it is better to know as little as possible.
except, of course, for me to say that it is exceptionally brilliant. i found it tough going to put this novel down, or if you will i found it "unputdownable". given the gift of time to be able to do so i suspect i would have read it all in one go, something i think i have not done with a novel since High Fidelity several years ago.
yes, some parts, elements perhaps, of the plot do seem preposterous. trust me, if you read, this really is only at first and everything comes together. even, if i may dare say such, if it is in certain parts in a very English way of doing things means. a must read, then.
the provenance of my copy is Tesco, but controversially so. as you can see, it was in the 2 for £7 section. this means it would have cost £3.85 on its own, or a net £3.50 if i spent on a further novel. i did, however, get it for (i think) £2.75. or thereabouts, certainly double digits south in the pence stake of £3.
how? alas this meant buying The Sun. for some reason Tesco makes a paperback available for £2 every week, conditional on the purchase of The Sun - a publication which for some reason gets stacked with actual, real newspapers - at the same time. so, in order to get the novel at the lowest possible cost, i did precisely that, depositing the unwanted publication from the pair in the very nearest recycling depository i could locate.
plot? i have spoken of much excitement about this already without saying what it is. get this - it involves witnessing a murder from a hot air balloon. yes, no, seriously, that is the plot premise. the best part of it is, also as i have intimated or explicitly said, it all works.
but of course there is a good deal more to it than that. how it all unfolds is magnificent, and honestly just as unputdownable as a read as the book above. a truly engrossing thriller which becomes a quite clever mystery too.
this was really good. again i am reluctant to say too much, for knowing anything more than that may well serve to spoil the reading experience. it has a disruptive narrative, going back and forth in time, but it works well and is certainly all worth it.
right, well, there you go. these are probably the last two reviews that i will do of books for the year that is this year which is 2017. how splendid that they should be two that i really, really thoroughly enjoyed.
hopefully these comments have been of some use to someone somewhere!
be excellent to each other!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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