BLOG TOUR: The Better Brother - Simon Gravatt

 

Michael Merriweather's carefully planned life is blown off course when he receives a call to tell him that his father has cremated himself. Michael then learns from a small-town lawyer that he stands to inherit a small fortune he previously knew nothing about, but only if he sacrifices his accountancy career to take over the family funeral business with his brother, Jack, whom he despises.

Sucked back into the small provincial world and the family funeral firm he has rejected, Michael can no longer avoid his loathsome sibling. Jack Merriweather has no idea what he's done to deserve his brother's hostility, but he's about to suffer the consequences. Then, when his patience finally breaks, he will exact delicious revenge.

The Better Brother is a darkly comic tale of sibling rivalry laced with the power, passion, revenge and everyday friction of family business. It explores what happens when two warring brothers are forced to work together. Will Michael and Jack learn to love and respect each other? Or will their acrimony escalate? If so, who will come out on top? Who is the better brother?

What did I think?

That first line in the blurb about Michael's father cremating himself hooked me before I'd even picked up the book.  What an ingenious storyline!  It's sad but funny and sets off a chain of events that puts the Merriweather brothers in the same room when they haven't spoken to each other for years.  Expect sparks to fly!

The broken relationship between Michael and Jack is absolutely heartbreaking.  The hostility began when their mother died and their father was grieving so he didn't notice his sons growing further and further apart...which is something he plans to rectify from beyond the grave.  When the brothers inherit the Merriweather funeral business they either have to work together or lose their inheritance.  

Whilst Michael and Jack are brilliant main characters, my favourite character ended up being their father's long-standing employee, Royston.  Royston is hilarious, from his tattoos to his swearing he's such a colourful character that he virtually leapt out of the page.  I could read a whole book with him as the main character.

It is clear that Simon Gravatt has a background in business as the pressure of running a business is palpable throughout the book.  It was interesting to see how the brothers reacted to their inheritance; one changes for the better and one changes for the worse.  There are hard decisions to be made and back-stabbing aplenty as each brother vies to come out on top.

Very well-written, engaging and humorous, The Better Brother is a brilliant debut and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I received an ARC to read and review for the blog tour; all opinions are my own.

My rating:

Buy it from:

UK.Bookhop.org

Amazon

About the author:

Simon Gravatt is a first-time novelist who lives in South London. He's drawn from personal experience as a brother and business owner to write his tale of sibling rivalry and the combustibility of small business. Simon is married with two adult children.

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BLOG TOUR: The Colour of Thunder - Suzanne Harrison

One small island, six troubled lives, and the storm of the century is on its way.

In one of the world’s most vibrant international cities, present day Hong Kong, the lives of six people become irreversibly intertwined. The past is catching up with those running from it, while the futures of others hangs dangerously in the balance. But who knows the most? And what will they do to keep it that way?

What did I think?

The Colour of Thunder captured my attention from the very start with a murder at an orphanage in China.  The story then moves on to Hong Kong and the reader is introduced to a multitude of colourful characters, all the while wondering how this would all link back to the first chapter, which it does beautifully when all is revealed later on.

The synopsis mentions six troubled lives and as each character was introduced, they brought their own little backstories with them.  I made a note of nine characters as I was reading, as I wasn't sure who would turn out to be pivotal to the story, and I'm glad I jotted them down as I sometimes got confused as to who was who.  Five of the main characters are vividly drawn, multi-dimensional women who are linked together by businessman Johnny Humphries and the intertwining of their lives makes for compelling reading.  

There isn't just the mystery of the murder at the orphanage to unravel, there's also the mystery of the kidnapping and ransom of Madeline Chung.  I loved this tantalizing thread weaving through the story and it really held my interest and it's particularly personal to one of the characters.  Two mysteries in one kept me rapidly turning pages, especially as the stories ebbed and flowed like the tide and I couldn't wait for the direction to change so I could unravel more of each tale.

Very well plotted and wonderfully atmospheric, The Colour of Thunder is a very intriguing and compelling mystery set against a vividly painted backdrop of Hong Kong.  Suzanne Harrison's writing is filled with so much suspense and intrigue that I couldn't tear my eyes from the page until I had read every single word.  It's very addictive reading and I really enjoyed my virtual trip to Hong Kong from the comfort of my sofa.

Thank you to Legend Press for sending me an ARC to read and review for the blog tour; all opinions are my own.

My rating:

Buy it from:

UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon

About the author:

Suzanne Harrison is an Australian journalist and Editor who has lived in Hong Kong since 1999. She currently works freelance writing lifestyle and news features for the South China Morning Post.

Twitter: @suzannej123

Instagram: @suzannejs.455 

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