#BlogTour The Reacher Guy by Heather Martin

 It’s an absolute pleasure to take part in the BlogTour The Reacher Guy by Heather Martin. -The Authorised Biography of Lee Child.

About the Author

Heather Martin was born in West Australia. She grew up in Aix-en-Provence, Paris, and Perth, where she would fall asleep to the sound of the Indian Ocean. She left Australia for England to become a classical guitarist but found herself singing with a Venezuelan folk group and learning to speak Spanish instead. She read Languages at Cambridge, where she also did a PhD in comparative literature, and has held teaching and research positions at Cambridge, Hull, King’s College London, and most recently, the Graduate Center, City University New York. 

Heather is a long-time Reacher fan. While waiting to get her hands on the next in the series, she once read a Lee Child book in Spanish and wound up writing to the author about the fate of his character in translation. The Reacher Guy is her first biography. Follow @drheathermartin on Twitter

About the book

The Reacher Guy is a life of bestselling superstar Lee Child, a portrait of the artist as a young man, refracted through the life of his fictional avatar, Jack Reacher. It tells the story of how the boy from Birmingham reinvented himself to become the strongest brand in publishing, selling over one hundred million books in more than forty different languages across the globe.

Heather Martin interviews friends, teachers, colleagues and neighbours, including agents and editors. Based primarily on her conversations with the author over a period of years, together with readings of his books and research in his literary archive, this authorised biography reveals the man behind the myth, tracing his origins back through the generations to Northern Ireland and County Durham, and following the trajectory of his extraordinary career via New York and Hollywood until the climactic moment when, in 2020, having written a continuous series of twenty-four books, he finally floats free of his fictional creation.

Lee Child comments: “I met Heather Martin some years ago, and we started talking about why people love telling and hearing stories. To get more depth and detail we started talking about why I do. Eventually I said, ‘If you want to really get to the bottom of it, you’re going to have to write my biography.’ So she did. It was a fun and illuminating process. I had forgotten a lot, and it was fascinating to be reminded. Now it all makes sense.”

Review

The thing about biographies, even authorised ones, they tend to hover just above the surface. You will get the top layers and the more personal moments the person is used to sharing – for whatever reason, and yes that is said with cynicism.

Martin doesn’t even bother with the peeling. It’s just right in and dig to the core, of course it only works because Child is open and willing. The two of them play off each other like tennis pros, they compliment each other, which in the long run makes this a better read.

That in no way should imply the book would be less of a great read if the cooperation between writer and subject had been a little less cooperative. Martin has clearly delved deeply into the mindset of the man behind Lee Child, and the creator of Jack Reacher. Somewhere in between there is a division, and yet if you go deep enough the three are the same on certain levels.

I imagine a non-authorised version would have a lot to say about the psychology behind it all, but that’s a topic for another book. This is a well-researched and written homage to the man behind the image. Martin absolutely does the man, the body of work and the legacy, justice. It’s an engrossing read, and I highly recommend it.

Buy The Reacher Guy at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: Constable; pub date 29th September 2020 hardback £20.00 – also available as an eBook/audio. Buy at Amazon com. At Waterstones.

#BlogTour Murder on the Downs by Julie Wassmer

It’s a pleasure to take part in the BlogTour Murder on the Downs by Julie Wassmer.

About the Author

Julie Wassmer was born in the East End of London, studied at Kingston University and had a variety of different jobs before she finally settled down to become a professional television drama writer.

She worked on several TV series, including ITV’s London’s Burning, C5’s Family Affairs and the popular BBC soap, EastEnders, which she wrote for almost 20 years.

In 2010, her autobiography More Than Just Coincidence was published by Harper Collins/True. The book entered the Sunday Times Best Selling Non Fiction Top Twenty and went on to become Mumsnet Book of the Year.

In 2015, Julie’s debut crime novel, The Whitstable Pearl Mystery, was published by award-winning publisher, Little, Brown Book Group. Six other books have since followed in the series with more on the way, and the television rights to the series have been optioned by the TV production company, Buccaneer, the makers of Marcella, starring Anna Friel.

Julie moved to Whitstable twenty years ago where she shares a home with her husband, Kas, and three cats, Charlie, Lily and Maisie. She also spends a great deal of time campaigning on environmental issues.

Murder on the Downs is the seventh book in the Whitstable Pearl Mystery series.

Follow @juliewassmer on Twitter, on Goodreads, on Amazon, Visit juliewassmer.com, Buy Murder on the Downs

About the book

A controversial new property development is planned in Whitstable which will encroach upon the green open space of the downs, to the dismay of Whitstable residents who view this as the thin end of the wedge with regard to local wildlife conservation.

A campaign springs into life, spearheaded by a friend of Pearl’s family, Martha Laker. A committed environmentalist, Martha is no stranger to controversy herself. She has also managed to divide opinion across town, with the locals viewing her as their fearless champion while establishment figures seeing only an interfering agitator.

Tensions escalate between the developers and Whitstable residents, straining Pearl’s close relationship with London-born police officer, DCI Mike McGuire, who harbours concerns that the local campaign will spiral out of control. Pearl’s loyalties are torn, but the protest duly goes ahead – and newspaper headlines claim a moral victory for the residents in this David and Goliath battle.

But the victory is short lived when Pearl discovers a dead body on the downs…

Review

Pearl is thrown into the middle of a fight between a property developer and the locals in Whitstable. She doesn’t really want to take sides, especially because she is trying to focus on her budding relationship between herself and DCI Mike McGuire. Her hand is forced, although perhaps more due to nostalgia as opposed to admitting the practicality of more people needing affordable housing. That twinge of nostalgia places her firmly on one side. It’s all fun and games, and a bit of rebellion, until somebody turns up dead.

Wassmer captures the essence of rural and coastal smalltown mentality and definitely hits the nail on the head when it comes to the gentrification of areas perceived as perfect by those with second homes. If you happen to live in one of those areas it’s easier to understand the more negative implications for the locals. DfL’s (down-from-London) don’t help the local economy because their holiday homes are empty for the majority of the year. They tend to be key figures and string-pullers when it comes to environmental and conservation protests. It makes them look good. Yes, I am a wee bit cynical.

Wassmer knows exactly how things roll between locals and second home holiday dwellers. The plot is built around the same kind of tension, disgruntled opinions and energy the two sides tend to evoke. Combined with a cosy mystery crime vibe and a blossoming romance this is the kind of read you need when you want distraction and a bit of smalltown quirkiness.

Buy Murder on the Downs ( Whitstable Pearl Mysteries) at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: Constable; pub date 7 May 2020 – £8.99 Paperback/eBook. Buy at Amazon com.

#BlogTour The Curator by M.W. Craven

It’s an absolute pleasure to take part in the BlogTour The Curator by M.W. Craven.

About the Author

A brand-new voice in British crime fiction, M. W. Craven was born in Carlisle but grew up in Newcastle. He joined the army at sixteen, leaving a decade later to complete a social work degree and spent seventeen years as a probation officer in Cumbria, rising to the rank of assistant chief officer.

The first in the Washington Poe series, The Puppet Show, won the 2019 CWA Gold  Dagger, has sold in numerous foreign territories and has been optioned for TV by Studio Lambert. M. W. Craven has been shortlisted for the Goldsboro Glass Bell Award and an Amazon Reader Award. He is also the author of the Avison Fluke novels, Born in a Burial Ground (shortlisted for the CWA Debut Dagger) and Body Breaker. The second in the Washington Poe series, Black Summer was published in June 2019.

Follow @MWCravenUK @LittleBrownUK on Twitter, on Facebook, on Instagram, on Goodreads, Visit mwcraven.com, Buy The Curator

About the book

Called in to investigate, the National Crime Agency’s Washington Poe and Tilly Bradshaw are faced with a case that makes no sense. Why were some victims anaesthetized, while others died in appalling agony?

Why is their only suspect denying what they can irrefutably prove but admitting to things they weren’t even aware of? And why did the victims all take the same two weeks off work three years earlier?

And when a disgraced FBI agent gets in touch things take an even darker turn. Because she doesn’t think Poe is dealing with a serial killer at all; she thinks he’s dealing with someone far, far worse – a man who calls himself the Curator.

Review 

The best Poe by Craven yet.

Fingers are turning up left right and centre. Fingers that were severed while the victims were still alive. Poe and Tilly are determined to find out who is committing these atrocities, finding the victims identities and putting this monster, who has no scruples whatsoever, behind bars.

I suppose I am lucky I read the ecopy version of this book, because I highlighted a lot as I was reading, which I only do when the author writes the kind of points or ideas I want to refer back to eventually. I particularly liked the way Craven researched the whole BWC and BSC elements of the read – the psychological impact and how the victims go from a to b and finally to a very drastic z.

After reading this book there is no doubt in my mind that Craven is set to stay a successful fixture in the crime fiction world – it just gets better with each story. I really enjoy the way this author combines the ruthlessness of violent crime with an element of mystery, however it’s the crime duo of Washington and Tilly that makes this read and series for that matter.

At this point Poe feels protective towards Tilly and is quick to defend when others are critical of her. Tilly is concerned for his health and overall well-being. The two are symbiotic, and perhaps in a way they have become family. Either way they are a crime solving duo to be reckoned with.

Kudos to Craven for the ending. Nice one. In equal measures also the well-plotted perpetrator of the story. It really is a fantastic read.

Buy The Curator at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: Constable- Little Brown Books Uk, pub date 4 Jun. 2020 – Hardback (£16.99), Ebook (£9.99) and Audio. Buy at Amazon com.

Read my reviews of The Puppet Show and Black Summer by M.W. Craven.

#BlogTour Black Summer by M.W. Craven

Today it’s an absolute pleasure to take part in the BlogTour for Black Summer by M.W. Craven. This is the second book in the Washington Poe series -it’s a cracking read.

About the Author

A brand new voice in British crime fiction, M.W. Craven was born in Carlisle but grew up in Newcastle. He joined the army at sixteen, leaving ten years later to complete a social work degree. Seventeen years after taking up a probation officer role in Cumbria, at the rank of assistant chief officer, he became a full-time author. the first in the Washington Poe series, the Puppet Show, won the 2019 CWA Gold Dagger, has sold numerous foreign territories and has been optioned for TV by Studio Lambert.

M.W. Craven has been shortlisted for the Goldsboro Glass Bell Award, an Amazon Reader Award and a Cumbria Life Award. He is also the author of the Avison Fluke novels, Born in a Burial Ground (shortlisted for the CWA Debut Dagger) and Body Breaker. Black Summer is the second novel in the Washington Poe series.

Follow @MWCravenUK @LittleBrownUK on Twitter, on Facebook, on Instagram, on Goodreads, Visit mwcraven.com, Buy Black Summer

About the book

After the Puppet Show, a new storm is coming…

Jared Keaton, chef to the stars. Charming. Charismatic. Psychopath… He’s currently serving a life sentence for the brutal murder of his daughter, Elizabeth. Her body was never found and Keaton was convicted largely on the testimony of Detective Sergeant Washington Poe.

So when a young woman staggers into a remote police station with irrefutable evidence that she is Elizabeth Keaton, Poe finds himself on the wrong end of an investigation, one that could cost him much more than his career.

Helped by the only person he trusts, the brilliant but socially awkward Tilly Bradshaw, Poe races to answer the only question that matters: how can someone be both dead and alive at the same time?

And then Elizabeth goes missing again – and all paths of investigation lead back to Poe.

Review

The first chapter will remain with me for a long time. It takes an excellent author to write something that is simultaneously innocent and the most menacing thing I have read in a long time. I just can’t get the birds out of my head – the description of the scene and the sound I think it must have made.

I’m sending curses to Craven, because I just can’t lose the imagery.

Washington Poe is called in to confirm the details of a gruesome past case. A celebrity chef killed his own daughter, and despite there being no body, he was convicted of her murder. But Elizabeth is back and she is very much alive and kicking, which means Poe made the kind of mistake that ends careers. It also means a psychopath will soon be walking the streets again.

Poe goes over every single step, especially the blood evidence, to find some kind of loophole that will explain how this was able to happen. He, and others, question his investigation and whether he neglected the truth in favour of a fast solution. Then Elizabeth goes missing once again and the shadow of suspicion falls on Poe.

It’s a psychological thriller, a police procedural with the vibe of the macabre, which is drawn from a deep well of darkness. The Puppet Show was good, but this second book in the Washington Poe series is even better. Craven is cementing his mark in the world of crime writers.

I really enjoyed the read and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it. Craven has this knack for creating memorable characters that readers connect with – Tilly for instance – and writing his crime with a hint of horror, a dollop of suspense and a spoonful of noir. It’s a dark, riveting read – what can I say it’s Cravenesque.

Buy Black Summer (Washington Poe #2) at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: Constable – Little Brown Books UK pub date Paperback 12 Dec. 2019 – £7.99. Buy at Amazon com.

Read my review of The Puppet Show by M.W. Craven

The Tenth Muse by Catherine Chung

Review

It takes a talented scribe to write about mathematics and keep non-maths enthusiasts captivated. Luckily Chung does so quite successfully by weaving the facts with the fiction and the complex theories of mathematics. Chung manages to take the world of numbers and meld it perfectly with history, and with the turmoil of emotions we humans bring to the table.

In essence this a story about a woman achieving recognition in a man’s world and simultaneously about Katherine discovering her true past and heritage. Even in the face of pure talent the majority of her peers and tutors refuse to acknowledge said talent, which leads to betrayal, disappointment and defines her path in life.

Without giving too much of the plot away, there is a moment in this story, which is filled with gender inequality, misogyny and oppression of intelligent women and women in general, when the betrayal comes from someone who knows firsthand how hard it is to succeed as a woman in a patriarchal society. I think this moment is one of the most poignant, because Katherine bows down and accepts the oppression out of a false sense of loyalty towards a fellow woman.

In a way the fate of her parents becomes like one of the unsolved mathematical problems. Riemann’s hypothesis becomes a metaphor for the unsolved mystery of Katherine’s parents.

It’s historical fiction, women’s fiction and a mystery to boot. Chung wades through oppression and ventures into empowerment, whilst weaving in and out of the secrets of the past.

Buy The Tenth Muse at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group – ebook pub date June 2019 – Hardback pub date 7 November 2019. Buy at Amazon com.

Follow @chung_catherine on Twitter, on Goodreads, on Amazon, Visit catherinechung.com

#BlogTour A Place to Lie by Rebecca Griffiths

Today it’s my turn on the BlogTour A Place to Lie by Rebecca Griffiths. It’s a dark psychological thriller with a strong emotional core.

About the Author

Rebecca Griffiths grew up in rural mid-Wales and went on to gain a first class honours degree in English Literature. After a successful business career in London, Dublin and Scotland, she returned to mid-Wales where she now lives with her husband, a prolific artist, their three vampiric cats as black as night, and pet sheep the size of sofas.

Follow @rebeccagriffit7 on Twitter, on Goodreads, on Amazon, Buy A Place to Lie

About the book

In a dark, dark wood

In Summer 1990, Caroline and Joanna are sent to stay with their great aunt, Dora, to spend their holidays in a sunlit village near the Forest of Dean. The countryside is a welcome change from the trauma they know back home in the city; a chance to make the world a joyful playground again. But in the shadowy woods at the edge of the forest hide secrets that will bring their innocence to a distressing end and make this a summer they will never forget.

There was a dark, dark house

Years later, a shocking act of violence sends Joanna back to Witchwood. In her great aunt’s lonely and dilapidated cottage, she will attempt to unearth the secrets of that terrifying summer and come to terms with the haunting effects it has left on her life. But in her quest to find answers, who can she trust? And will she be able to survive the impending danger from those trying to bury the truth?

Review

Caroline and Joanna used to be as close as sisters can be until dark secrets create an insurmountable wall between them. The kind of wall that makes the two of them into complete strangers. It’s no surprise that Joanna hasn’t got an explanation for the bizarre behaviour Caroline exhibits just before her death.

There appears to be no reason for her erratic and violent actions that ultimately led to her sudden death. Unanswered questions leads Joanna on a search for the answers and the truth, even if that means discovering uncomfortable truths.

The truth seems to be connected to events going back to their childhood when the two of them were sent to stay with their aunt Dora. Carefree play with friends in the forest suddenly becomes sinister and dangerous when something terrible happens that changes their lives forever, but it doesn’t leave the same impression on both of them.

It’s a dark psychological thriller with a strong emotional core. Griffiths plays on the fact that we all experience events in a completely different way and our reactions are also individual and very personal. This thriller and the crime is viewed and projected through that kaleidoscope vision, which in turn shows the vulnerabilities and loopholes in relationships, even ones that are supposed to be really close.

I found the ending quite interesting, perhaps because Griffiths doesn’t pander to what readers may be expecting or think they need. You’ll have to read it to find out.

Buy A Place to Lie at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Published by Sphere | Paperback | £7.99 | 22nd August 2019. Buy at Amazon com.

#BlogTour The Killer You Know by S.R. Masters

Today it’s a pleasure to take part in the BlogTour The Killer You Know by S.R. Masters. It’s a psychological thriller that plays with paranoia and the tendency to evolve along the lines of self-fulfilling prophecy.About the Author

S. R. Masters studied Philosophy at Girton College, Cambridge before working in public health and health behaviour for the NHS. He is a regular contributor to UK short fiction anthology series The Fiction Desk, having won their Writer’s Award for his short story Just Kids. His story Desert Walk was included in Penguin Random House USA’s Press Start to Play collection and he continues to have short fiction published in a variety of magazines. He grew up around Birmingham but now lives in Oxford with his wife and son. The Killer You Know is his first novel.

Follow @SRMastersAuthor on Twitter, on Amazon, on Goodreads, Visit sr-masters.com

Buy The Killer You Know

About the book

You need to kill at least three people, right? So that’s what I’ll do.

When Will jokes about becoming a serial killer, his friends just laugh it off. But Adeline can’t help but feel there’s something more sinister lurking behind his words.

Fifteen years later, Adeline returns to Blythe for a reunion of the old gang – except Will doesn’t show up. Reminiscing about old times, they look up the details of his supposed murder spree. But the mood soon changes when they discover two recent deaths that match.

As the group attempts to track Will down, they realise that he is playing a sinister game that harks back to one they used to play as kids. Only this time there are lives at stake . . .

Review

I am going to have to tiptoe around some of the aspects of this story, so I don’t give any major spoilers away. I will just stick to what I know you know or what you think you know. Okay? Then again I’m not sure I even know what I know at this point.

Imagine if one of your childhood friends, assuming you were part of a bunch of kids who used to hang around together, who announced his career goal is to be a serial-killer. Then taking that idea one step further by seeking affirmation for how many people one would have to kill to be a serial killer, and on top of that to detail how you would kill said amount of people.

The fact Will has already spent enough time on his ‘career choice’ to be able to give his friends detailed scenarios of how he would kill potential victims to achieve this status, suggests a certain disturbing pathology from the get-go. The others laugh it off and yet at the same time they mention how uncomfortable Will makes them feel and that at times they even feel scared of him.

Now years later when he doesn’t turn up to their planned reunion the group starts to question whether he has indeed put his ideas into motion. Has he really decided to make his thoughts a reality and become a serial killer?

It’s a psychological thriller that plays with paranoia and the tendency to evolve along the lines of a self-fulfilling prophecy. Once the thought is there it burrows into the very essence of someone’s personality until everyone automatically heads in the same direction. Mass thought equals coming to the same conclusion, perhaps without paying enough attention to actual facts.

I enjoyed the way Masters plays with the carelessly lazy attitude of youth which then turns around and is loudly critical of its younger persona, the past, and even more so of the person they are at this moment in time.

I think it’s safe to say we will reading more by Masters in the future.

Buy The Killer You Know at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for an other retailer. Publisher: Sphere – imprint of Little Brown Books; pub date 30 Aug. 2018. Buy at Amazon com. Buy at Sphere.

#BlogTour The Puppet Show by M. W. Craven

It’s my turn on the BlogTour The Puppet Show by M. W. Craven. Poe is a character I would always return to, and Craven as a writer of course, because of the perfect balance of crime, injustice and jovial interaction between the characters.

About the Author

A brand new voice in British crime fiction, M. W. Craven was born in Carlisle but grew up in Newcastle. He joined the army at sixteen, leaving ten years later to complete a social work degree. Seventeen years after taking up a probation officer role in Cumbria, at the rank of assistant chief officer, he became a full-time author. The Puppet Show has sold in numerous foreign territories and has been optioned for TV by Studio Lambert.

Follow @MWCravenUK  @LittleBrownUK on Twitter, on Facebook, on Instagram, Visit mwcraven.com

Buy The Puppet Show

About the book

He pulls their strings. He watches them burn. Welcome to the Puppet Show…

A serial killer is burning people alive in the Lake District’s prehistoric stone circles. He leaves no clues and the police are helpless.

When his name is found carved into the charred remains of the third victim, disgraced detective Washington Poe is brought back from suspension and into an investigation he wants no part of.

Reluctantly partnered with the brilliant but socially awkward civilian analyst, Tilly Bradshaw, the mismatched pair uncover a trail that only he is meant to see. The elusive killer has a plan and for some reason Poe is part of it.

As the body count rises, Poe discovers he has far more invested in the case than he could have possibly imagined. And in a shocking finale that will shatter everything he’s ever believed about himself, Poe will learn that there are things far worse than being burned alive…

Review

Washington Poe messed up big time on his last case. He made the kind of decision that cripples careers and brings them to a dead halt, much like his own at this point, and yet here is the force asking him to come right back into the fold. Apparently their latest psycho has made it a necessity for Poe to be on board.

The sideshow favourite has got to be Tilly Bradshaw, who needs her mother’s permission to stay away overnight or engage in anything dangerous, bearing in mind that she works as an analyst for the NCA. Her naivety and intelligence combined with Poe with his devil may care attitude put the funny in this brutal serial killer plot.

However not everything is as it seems in this story filled with hatred and violence. It almost seems ironic that in the end the motives of the killer aren’t dissimilar to something that might drive Poe to commit a crime.

Regardless of that, Craven keeps the ball rolling and the plot twists popping with this revenge driven crime story. The characters are strong and more importantly they are believable, especially Poe. He is the perfect example of the rule-bending, risk-taking and laughs in the face of authority kind of character readers warm to. You can always trust him to do the right thing. Not necessarily the legally right thing or the thing the upper echelon wants him to do, but always the morally right thing.

It’s crime with a funny bone, despite the vicious nature of the crimes, and indeed the horrifying reason for said crimes. Poe is a character I would always return to, and Craven as a writer of course, because of the perfect balance of crime, injustice and jovial interaction between the characters.

Buy The Puppet Show at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: Constable – Little Brown Uk: pub date 24 Jan 2019

The Woman in the Dark by Vanessa Savage

Savage portrays the isolation of mental health in the middle of a family structure, and the blame game which often ensues. The ‘it’s your fault because, how could you do this or that’ ect ect blame game. It’s easy to point a finger in the direction of the most vulnerable person in the room instead of taking a closer look at our own faults and mistakes. It’s also easier than trying comprehend why someone would try to hurt themselves.

In a more understanding environment Sarah would be given support to deal with her grief after the death of her mother. Instead she has to deal with constant jibes, insults and a lack of respect from her children and her husband Patrick.

Moving to a new town and into Patrick’s old family home should alleviate some of the pressure of Sarah’s issues, according to her husband. If it wasn’t for the fact that the house is renowned for being the scene of a horrific crime, so it’s rumoured to be filled with ghosts and evil spirits, it would be perfect. Not exactly the right setting for a new start.

The reality is, Sarah has just taken a step into a dangerous situation, however she isn’t sure whether it is paranoia, her illness or something more sinister afoot. Her friends and family think she is slowly losing the plot, as the walls start to close in on her and her secrets.

There is no denying that the author knows how to keep the tension as taught as a bowstring, and also keep the reader looking under every stone and behind every corner. I particularly enjoyed the way she shows how outsiders are often unable to pinpoint and recognise abusive behaviour, even when it is happening right in front of them. It doesn’t always have to be a punch in the face or a hidden bruise. Sometimes it is something subtle which may make you feel slightly uncomfortable.

It’s a riveting whirlwind of darkness and suspicion with plenty of twists and turns to keep readers on their toes. You might not know who to trust, but you will definitely know who to dislike.

Buy/Pre-order The Woman in the Dark at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer.

Publisher: Sphere (pub. date 10 Jan. 2019) Sphere is an imprint of Little, Brown book group.

Follow @VvSavage

Days of Wonder by Keith Stuart

I absolutely adored A Boy Made of Blocks by Keith Stuart and I have recommended his work quite often, because it is a great read, but also for its emotional and educational value in regards to the topic of autism and a father seeking a connection to his son.

I was genuinely interested to see of he could bring the same kind of emotional inner turmoil and tug-of-war to the table with Days of Wonder.

The answer to that is yes, but in a completely different way. The focus in Days of Wonder is on the relationship between Tom and his daughter Hannah, however the difference is the connection between them is already there. Instead the author explores the difficulty between father and daughter as she comes of age, with the added tragic factor of a future she may never be part of.

The topic of a child with heart disease is one I found easy to relate to. Being told that your child has joined the inner sanctum and group of children suffering from or affected by a terribly frightening disease, especially when it comes out of the blue, is devastating and incredibly traumatic.

Luckily for my child, who was a guinea pig for a new procedure nearly 25 years ago, the medical world had a solution and she is now a healthy young woman. For Tom and Hannah the reality is a lot more dire. They both know that their time together is limited and on a timer.

Tom decided a long time ago to make every birthday Hannah manages to celebrate an event to remember, and there is no limit to his imagination. I loved the ideas he prepared for his child, especially the fairy parade. What a wonderful memory and experience to give to your child. This is the kind of parent Tom is, but he is also a typical father who has trouble letting his beautiful caged bird fly and experience the world for herself.

Days of Wonder is an ode to the relationships between fathers and daughters. The majority of stories focus on mother and daughter bonds or dysfunctional family relationships, which makes this a refreshing change of tempo and a smorgasbord of emotions.

Stuart manages to change a tragedy into a warm, heartfelt coming-of-age story. He portrays the father as a man willing to go to any length to ensure his daughter experiences each moment to the fullest, even when she decides it is time to cut the cord between them. Kudos to the author for giving Days of Wonder the ending it deserved, and not falling prey to the scenario some readers may want to see, as opposed to the brutal reality it needed.

Keith Stuart offers up his heart, mind and part of his soul, which is part of his style and it’s what makes his books so memorable. He invites the reader to sit down at the table with his characters and become part of the family. At the end of Days of Wonder you may just see the fairies dancing in your garden at night too, and that is the magic Stuart creates.

Buy Days of Wonder at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer.

Published by Little Brown Books Uk 7th June 2018

Follow @keefstuart @LittleBrownUK

Follow boymadeofblocks.tumblr.com

Read A Boy Made Of Blocks