BOOKSTAGRAM TOUR: The Burial Club - Claire Bamford

1864

Even though death is the greatest equaliser, only some can afford a luxurious send-off. Some can manage nothing but a hole in the ground, and some get only what they deserve.

Marianne Walker is nearly twenty-three, with no suitors and a dislike for impractical skirts. She sees and feels things before they happen, just like her mother, but it’s not always clear what her visions are trying to show her. She has to figure that out for herself.

But now she is seeing bloodied hands, and, for the first time, Marianne is scared – her visions always come to pass.

When one of the custodians of the local Friendly Society is found dead, the residents of Hazelbirch are in uproar amid rumours of fraud and dishonesty. With the help of the undertaker’s sister, Marianne begins to realise that not all is as it should be with the society known by the townsfolk as The Burial Club.

Marianne knows only she has been given all the clues to work out what is really going on and find out who has blood on their hands. But can she reveal everybody’s secrets without sacrificing everyone she holds dear?

 

What did I think?

Having loved Claire Bamford's debut novel, The Messenger, I was very excited to read her new book, The Burial Club, and I was not disappointed.  It's a very intriguing mystery with a wonderful paranormal element and a fantastic main character. 

I loved Marianne from the start.  Her mother died when she was young but Marianne is more like her than she realises as her visions can tell the future, she's just not sure how to interpret them.  Marianne knows someone is going to die but she doesn't know who, when or where.

The other mystery is what is happening to the funds that people are paying into 'The Burial Club'?  It's certainly a one-way street with people regularly paying in but not being able to withdraw anything when they need to arrange a funeral.  It's both intriguing and maddening as this is 1864 when people didn't have two pennies to rub together, yet someone is still managing to steal what little they have. 

There is so much mystery and intrigue that I couldn't put the book down and I wasn't going to bed until I had devoured every single word.  Beautifully written, mesmerising and captivating, The Burial Club is a stunning multi-genre novel that will appeal to all readers.  Claire Bamford is certainly one to watch and I'm looking forward to reading whatever she writes next.

I received a gifted ARC for the Novel Tours bookstagram tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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BLOG TOUR: The Messenger (The Jennifer Hattley Mysteries) - Claire Bamford

How do you bring a murderer to justice when the only eyewitness is a ghost?

Jennifer has returned home after a relatively amicable divorce to discover her family’s big secret — the maternal line has the ability to talk to ghosts. Before Jen has time to digest this revelation, tragedy strikes, leaving both her and her mum Jacqui to navigate their gifts in ways they could never have imagined.

When a new ‘visitor’ is a missing woman from thirty years ago, Jen is determined to help her; but what will her choices cost, and can she keep her family’s past from coming back to haunt her?

Although loss is inevitable and not everything in life, or death, can — or, perhaps, should — be explained, the strength of a mother’s love and the power of trust can pull us through any hardship. Almost.

 

What did I think?

What an outstanding debut novel!  Claire Bamford is going straight on my authors to watch list after reading her fantastic debut, The Messenger.

It's a refreshing take on a mystery when Jennifer Hattley, a woman who has just found out that she can talk to ghosts, helps the police to solve a 30 year old cold case.  Naturally, the police are sceptical when Jen calls with information about a missing person but they can't turn a blind eye to the evidence that is presented to them.

I was immediately drawn into the story by the intriguing prologue set in 1972 where the family gift is passed down through the generations.  It's incredibly poignant and surprisingly heartwarming when Jen learns that it is now her turn to wield the family gift.  Written with a mixture of humour and pathos, the first ghosts she encounters set me off an emotional rollercoaster as I laughed and cried when they revealed their messages.

This isn't just a ghost story though, it's a cracking mystery and an incredibly emotional one as Jen does everything she can to reveal the final resting place of Helen Swift's body.  I loved Jen's dogged determination to not just get the police to believe her but to also reassure Helen's ghost that she was safe.

Intriguing, moving and highly original, The Messenger is a fantastic supernatural mystery that evoked many emotions in me.  I am delighted that this is not the last we will hear of Jen and I can't wait to read more of The Jennifer Hattley Mysteries series.  A magnificent debut and a very highly recommended read.

I received a gifted copy to read and review for the Instagram tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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Waterstones

Amazon

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