BLOG TOUR: Never Closer - Margot Shepherd

On an ordinary day in 2017, Jo receives a phone call about her 18-year-old daughter, Jessie. It is the call that every parent dreads. In 1940, 17-year-old Alice ties on her facemask and enters a laboratory to harvest a potential new miracle drug called penicillin. The lives of these women become entwined when Jo finds Alice’s diary in a vintage handbag. Past and present overlap and merge as life-changing events resonate for them all across the gulf of time.

This is a story about a diary opening a door on the past, chronicling a young woman’s determination to succeed against all odds, while unknowingly inspiring others to step into a better life. Set against the backdrop of the Second World War, the infancy of antibiotics and a modern medical emergency and its consequences, it not only reminds us how fortunate we are to live now, but also serves as a stark warning about the fragility of life and the dangers of complacency.

 

What did I think?

Oh wow!  What a debut from Margot Shepherd!  I had to actually double check that Never Closer was a debut as it is so beautifully written.  I don't think I can even begin to tell you how much I enjoyed Never Closer and no review I write could really do it justice, but I'll try my best.

The dual timelines in the story are both riveting and I love that the past storyline is told via an old diary that Jo finds in her friend's vintage shop.  Jo didn't realise how linked her life would be to Alice's until her daughter battles for her life against a deadly infection.  An infection that would have claimed many more lives if it wasn't for Alice's work harvesting penicillin in 1940.

I loved the story of penicillin and it's so sad that Alexander Fleming's name is the only one that springs to mind when you think of this life saving drug.  Yes, Fleming discovered it but he did nothing with it and it's only thanks to the work of Professor Howard Florey and the ‘penicillin girls’ that we have access to penicillin today.  If only Fleming had taken a few more steps to further his discovery into development, so many more lives could have been saved especially during World War II.

Captivating, immersive and thought-provoking, Never Closer is an unforgettable book that I will be recommending for a long time to come.  Blending historical fact with enthralling fiction, Margot Shepherd is an exciting new voice in historical fiction and definitely one to place on my watch list.  Very highly recommended - don't miss this book, historical fiction fans!

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

My rating:

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About the author:

Margot Shepherd is a British author who was born in Yorkshire where she spent her childhood. She now lives in rural Sussex with her husband and Springer Spaniel, Genni. When she’s not writing she works in medical research at the University of Surrey. She writes about family relationships with a particular emphasis on women and science from a female point of view.

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The Lake - Louise Sharland

The truth lies just beneath the surface…

Kate's world falls apart when her teenage son drowns in the waters by his school. She’s convinced it wasn’t just a tragic accident, but no one will listen.

Then, six years later, Kate unearths Michael’s lost diary and realises she may finally be able uncover what really happened that night.

But as she delves deeper, she begins to realise that she didn’t really know her son – or the people in his life – at all. And that, sometimes, secrets are better left submerged…

 

What did I think?

When it comes to books filled with secrets and lies, I'm like a moth to a flame so the cover and the blurb of The Lake immediately piqued my interest.  It's so incredibly well written and addictive that I read it over a 24 hour period but it's not quite as chock full of secrets and lies as I'd expected; there's really just one big secret and its revelation didn't really come as a surprise.

It seems like the main character of Kate has been manipulated all of her life; first by her mother and the Brethren community and then by her controlling husband Adam.  Oh I really didn't like him!  Kate's grief over the loss of her son is so heartbreaking to read and she has to deal with it on her own as Adam thinks Kate should just put it behind her and move on.  I wonder if he'd have felt the same if Michael had been his son.  When Kate finds Michael's old diary, it's like she can still hold a piece of him in her hands but rather than providing comfort it gives her more questions than answers.

Collecting pieces of the puzzle, Kate is determined to find out what happened to Michael and when it comes to her cubs, the lioness has sharp teeth and claws.  I have mixed feelings about Kate; obviously I felt for her as she has lost her son but I just wish that she had stood up for Michael when he was alive.  Not that she could have prevented his death, but the pair of them could have had a very different life if circumstances had been different.  My mixed feelings for Kate also gave me mixed emotions about the ending, which I won't spoil for others, but it did make me feel confused as to what kind of person Kate actually is.

Engaging and addictive, The Lake is a well written debut from Louise Sharland.  It's more of a slow-burning drama than a fast-paced thriller but it's still very difficult to put down once you pick it up.

My rating:

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BLOG TOUR: Last One At The Party - Bethany Clift

THE END OF EVERYTHING WAS HER BEGINNING

It's December 2023 and the world as we know it has ended.

The human race has been wiped out by a virus called 6DM ('Six Days Maximum' - the longest you've got before your body destroys itself).

But somehow, in London, one woman is still alive. A woman who has spent her whole life compromising what she wants, hiding how she feels and desperately trying to fit in. A woman who is entirely unprepared to face a future on her own.

Now, with only an abandoned golden retriever for company, she must travel through burning cities, avoiding rotting corpses and ravenous rats on a final journey to discover if she really is the last surviving person on earth.

And with no one else to live for, who will she become now that she's completely alone?

What did I think?

Wow what a book!  I admit to being a bit scared to read Last One at the Party but whilst the 6DM virus is scary, the story is funny, hopeful and soul-searching.  Although I could have easily read this book in one sitting, I chose to read it over 3 days to fully experience and contemplate the extraordinary story.

With an unnamed protagonist who appears to be the only survivor of a global pandemic, the reader is taken on a literal and metaphorical journey as our heroine searches for survivors and learns the skills needed to keep herself alive.  Written in the form of a diary, we experience everything from the horrific impact of the virus to her hopes and fears, and even get to know more about her past through reminiscences.  

The writing is stunning and amazingly vivid and I think the solitary nature of the story made me visualise a Hitchcock style movie in my head, which I think is exactly what the author was going for as the filmmaker does get a mention later in the book.  Despite the subject matter, the writing is often surprisingly witty and I often found myself laughing out loud one minute and being covered in goosebumps the next.

Bethany Clift wrote Last One at the Party before the Covid-19 pandemic, however, she added in references to our current day pandemic when editing her debut novel.  I read this in the lovely letter to the reader that the author has included at the start of the book and it really helped to get myself in the right frame of mind before I started reading the story.  We often read to escape real life so reading a novel about a pandemic during a pandemic kind of defeats the object, however, although it does have some similarities to the Covid-19 pandemic it is ultimately a story of survival and one woman's incredible journey to find happiness in the simple things.

Don't be scared to read it, Last One at the Party is completely awesome and an absolute must read.  Although it's a real goosebump-frenzy kind of book it's also a humourous, hopeful and powerful read.  An incredibly impressive debut from an exceptionally talented new author and with film rights already having been sold to Ridley Scott, I can't wait to see this breathtaking novel brought to life on screen.

If you only read one book this year make sure it's Last One at the Party; this book is sure to be the biggest debut of 2021.  5 huge stars from me!

Thank you to the publisher for sending me an ARC to read and review for the blog tour; this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from:

UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon

About the author:

Bethany Clift is a graduate of the Northern Film School and has had projects in development with Eon and Film 4, as well as being a director of her own production company. Last One At The Party is her debut novel.

Social media:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Beth_Clift

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beth_writes_stuff/ 

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Parasite? The Secret Diary of a Landlord - The Secret Landlord

Get ready to learn what really happens behind closed doors.

Landlords have become one of the most hated groups in society. Parasites, they’re often called. And there’s a lot of them. The Treasury estimates there are almost 2.6 million landlords in the UK with around 5.45 million rental properties.

But the real life of a professional landlord is very different to what most people think. From burglaries and break-ins to drug raids, police warrants, crazy tenant antics, bailiffs, squatters, lawsuits, wrecked properties, interfering council officers, game-playing freeholders to moments of heartfelt joy and happiness, the life of a landlord is never dull. Especially when the government keeps moving the goalposts.

This explosive front line exposé blows the lid off what it’s really like to be a landlord and the shocking reality of renting out a property. Hovering close to a nervous breakdown and likely suffering PTSD, The Secret Landlord exposes truths rarely shared. Stories that will grip you, move you and smack you in the face.

This is the truth, the other side of the door.

What did I think?

What a complete eye-opener!  I really enjoyed reading Parasite? The Secret Diary of a Landlord.  It's written in diary format, which I often feel guilty about reading, but the voice of the Secret Landlord really stands out and I felt like I had her approval to read her honest account of some very busy and tiring days.

My heart really went out to the Secret Landlord, being on call 24/7/365 and I could have cried when reading about the wrecked properties.  I felt the frustration with the council housing department and the inability to take even a single day off without hassle.  It's not all doom and gloom though as there are plenty of funny moments; I laughed out loud when the Secret Landlord cleared up after a hoarder and went for a bone crunching Thai massage.  

I did briefly consider renting my property when house prices fell during the 2008 recession but, after seeing how tenants treated the rental property next door with total disregard, I thought it would be more hassle than it was worth.  Parasite? The Secret Diary of a Landlord certainly proves me right and makes me so glad that I'm not a landlord.  

Honest, humourous and horrifying, Parasite? The Secret Diary of a Landlord is a superb read whether you're a landlord, a tenant or a nosy neighbour.  I sometimes forgot it was actually non-fiction as it's a highly addictive book and I couldn't put it down; I'm sure there are many more stories that the Secret Landlord can share with us and I do hope that there are more books to follow.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from:

Amazon UK

Amazon US

About the author:

The Secret Landlord has been renting, refurbishing and selling properties across the UK for almost two decades. An award winning landlord, as judged by the National Landlords Association, The Secret Landlord has provided accommodation for hundreds of tenants from all walks of life. 

Social Media Links – 

Website: www.thesecretlandlord.com

Twitter: @landlord_secret

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Dead Rock Stars - Guy Mankowski

‘The first page of my sister’s diary was a picture of Frances Farmer, facing a drawing of Ophelia. My sister’s psychic accomplices were all tragic figures…’

Emma Imrie was a Plath-obsessed, self-taught teenage musician dreaming of fame, from a remote village on the Isle of Wight. She found it too, briefly becoming a star of the nineties Camden music scene. But then she died in mysterious circumstances.

In the aftermath of Emma’s death, her younger brother, Jeff, is forced by their parents to stay at the opulent home of childhood friends on the island.

During a wild summer of beach parties and music, Jeff faces up to the challenges that come with young love, youthful ambition and unresolved grief. His sister's prodigious advice from beyond the grave becomes the only weapon he has against an indifferent world.

As well as the only place where the answers he craves might exist…

What did I think?

Dead Rock Stars is something quite different from what I would usually read and that's what makes it so unique and completely brilliant.  Through the voice of Emma Imrie, Guy Mankowski transports the reader from banal family life in the Isle of Wight to the drug-fuelled music scene in Camden, leaving us unsure as to which one actually did the most damage.  Emma releases her pain through her music and her band has just been discovered when her life is tragically cut short.

Jeff has been sheltered from the truth about his sister's death but he can't make sense of losing her at such a young age.  When Jeff finds Emma's diary he finds a way to be closer to her and also to find out what really happened in the lead up to her death.  Why didn't he just ask his parents, you ask?  Well that's because this is one messed up dysfunctional family and they'd probably lie to him without giving it a second thought.

Reading Emma's diary felt terribly voyeuristic; there was so much pain and brutal honesty contained in it that I felt guilty for reading it, yet simultaneously couldn't tear my eyes away from the page as I approached the inevitable conclusion.  Through the sheer talent of Guy Mankowski's writing, Emma's voice is so clear and distinct from that of Jeff that it really feels as if her diary is real.  

I loved the character of Jeff; I wanted to wrap him up in cotton wool as it seemed like he was growing up too fast but sometimes protecting someone is doing them more harm than good.  When left to his own devices, Jeff reminded me of a polaroid photograph as I saw him develop before my eyes.  He just needed to know the truth in order to move on and I think that's a valuable lesson to be learned.

Brutally honest and devastatingly moving, Dead Rock Stars is an emotional and highly original read.  I feel like I have had a glimpse behind the music industry's shiny golden curtain and found a sheer drop into darkness, depravity and despair.  An outstanding read and highly recommended.    

 

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon