BOOK BLITZ: The Bookseller of Kathmandu (Tales of Kathmandu) - Ann Bennett

A sweeping tale of secrets and survival set against the mystical backdrop of Nepal, and the tropical heat of 1940s Malaya.

In the heart of bustling Kathmandu, Chloe Rai's quaint bookshop is a sanctuary for those seeking solace within the pages of timeworn stories. But when she discovers a collection of letters hidden within the crumbling walls of a forgotten Rana palace, her world begins to intertwine with a narrative from a different time and place.

Penned in the 1940s by a woman named Alice Lacey, the letters tell the story of the Malayan Emergency, a time of turmoil and conflict. As Alice's life becomes intertwined with that of Anil, a Gurkha officer, their bond is tested by the chaos and violence surrounding them. Chloe's discoveries not only reveal family secrets, but also mirror her own struggles in the present. As she delves deeper into Alice's story, she begins to understand the power of the past in shaping the present.

With a rich cultural backdrop and a poignant exploration of friendship, resilience, and truth, 'The Bookseller of Kathmandu' is a beautifully woven tale that showcases the enduring power of storytelling. Join Chloe on a journey through time as she uncovers the truth and learns to navigate the complexities of her own life.

If you enjoy captivating storytelling, then you won't want to miss 'The Bookseller of Kathmandu.' And if you loved 'The Fortune Teller of Kathmandu,' then you will be enthralled by Chloe and Alice's intertwined stories... 

What did I think?

The Bookseller of Kathmandu is the second book in Tales of Kathmandu series but it can be read as a standalone.  I haven't read The Fortune Teller of Kathmandu (but I definitely want to now) to find out more about Chloe's story.  

It's a riveting dual timeline story that transports the reader to 1940s Malaya via letters discovered in a donation of books to Chloe's bookshop in present day Kathmandu.  There is a family link to the historic story as the books belonged to Chloe's husband's Uncle Anil and reading the letters helps Anil's son to make sense of his father's will.

I loved both storylines that had newlyweds in common.  Chloe and her husband Kiran are struggling to adjust to married life in 2018 and Alice has pretty much been sold off to Bruce in 1948 in payment of her father's debts.  I detested Bruce with a vengeance and really felt for Alice having to deal with his abuse on her own in a strange country.  It's no wonder that her head was turned by Anil's kindness.

The way the story unfolds through the old letters between Alice and Anil is completely mesmerising and I loved the settings of Paradise Books and Malaya.  Ann Bennett's beautiful writing transports the reader on a wonderfully atmospheric journey and I thoroughly enjoyed my trip to Nepal and Malaya.

Poignant, atmospheric and mesmerising, The Bookseller of Kathmandu is a beautiful historical fiction novel and one I would highly recommend.

I received a gifted paperback to read for the Rachel's Random Resources book blitz and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Purchase link: https://mybook.to/booksellerkathmandu

About the author:

Ann Bennett is a British author of historical fiction. Her first book, Bamboo Heart: A Daughter's Quest, was inspired by researching her father's experience as a prisoner of war on the Thai-Burma Railway and by her own journey to uncover his story. It won the Asian Books Blog prize for fiction published in Asia in 2015, and was shortlisted for the best fiction title in the Singapore Book Awards 2016.

That initial inspiration led her to write more books about WWII in Southeast Asia - Bamboo Island: The Planter's Wife, A Daughter's Promise, Bamboo Road: The Homecoming, The Tea Planter's Club, The Amulet, and The Fortune Teller of Kathmandu. Along with The Lotus House, published in October 2024, they make up the Echoes of Empire Collection.

Ann is also the author of The Oriental Lake Collection - The Lake Pavilion and The Lake Palace, both set in British India during the 1930s and WWII, and The Lake Pagoda and The Lake Villa, set in French Indochina.

The Runaway Sisters, USA Today bestselling The Orphan House, The Child Without a Home and The Forgotten Children are set in Europe during the same era and are published by Bookouture. Her latest book, The Stolen Sisters, published on 29th November 2024 is the follow-up to The Orphan List (published by Bookouture in August this year) and is set in Poland and Germany during WWII.

A former lawyer, Ann is married with three grown up sons and a granddaughter and lives in Surrey, UK. For more details, please visit her website www.annbennettauthor.com

​Follow Ann Bennett:

Facebook

X

Instagram

Website

Giveaway to Win a Paperback copy of Fortune Teller of Kathmandu (Open to UK and Europe only)

*Terms and Conditions –UK and Europe entries welcome.  Please enter using the Gleam box below.  The winner will be selected at random via Gleam from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

Win a Paperback copy of Fortune Teller of Kathmandu (Open to UK and Europe only)

Follow the blitz

BLOG TOUR: Return to Half Moon Farm - Holly Hepburn

Discover the beautiful, escapist new novel from beloved author, Holly Hepburn...

When Daisy’s mother falls ill she is forced to return home. With her twin sons in tow, she moves back to Half Moon Farm, her family’s ancient hop farm.  

But a new life in the Kent countryside isn’t necessarily as idyllic as it might seem. Daisy’s relationship with her mother is complicated and the tumbledown farm isn’t the only thing that needs rebuilding. Daisy and her sons must adjust to life with estranged family, a leaking roof, and no WiFi.

Luckily for Daisy, she might yet find some distraction in silver fox farmer, Drew, or in the haughty heir to the nearby estate, Kit, who she can’t seem to avoid.

Daisy must learn to juggle her new life, the boys, and the daunting task of updating the farm. But there are secrets lurking in her family’s past that might throw everything into further disarray…

 

What did I think?

Return to Half Moon Farm is a truly gorgeous Holly Hepburn novel.  It's like a modern day fairy tale with a castle and an earl's brother instead of a prince and I absolutely loved it.

Divorcée Daisy and her twin boys are temporarily moving to the picturesque village of Mistlethorpe to look after her estranged mother.  The last thing Daisy is looking for is romance but there are two love interests vying for her attention: mistletoe farmer Drew and spare to the heir Kit.  Which one, if any, will win her heart?

There's also the mystery of a long standing family feud between the Moons of Half Moon Farm and the Devereauxs of Winterbourne Castle.  As Daisy gets to know Kit Devereaux she might just get to the bottom of why the two families fell out all those years ago.  I absolutely adored how this mystery was woven seamlessly into the storyline, even though my heart was breaking as the past was gradually revealed.

I love how Holly Hepburn writes magical romances that aren't just filled with moonlight and roses but also real life challenges.  Daisy is trying to rebuild her relationship with her mum whilst juggling the school run and work commitments.  The wonderfully relatable characters are far from perfect and I really enjoyed getting to know them during my virtual visit to Mistlethorpe.

Heartwarming and uplifting, Return to Half Moon Farm is a magical romance that swept me off my feet from the very first page.  It's perfect escapism and I highly recommend it.

I received an ARC for the blog tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from:

UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon

Follow the tour:

The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels - Janice Hallett

Open the safe deposit box.

Inside you will find research material for a true crime book.

You must read the documents, then make a decision.

Will you destroy them? Or will you take them to the police?

Everyone knows the sad story of the Alperton Angels: the cult who brainwashed a teenage girl and convinced her that her newborn baby was the anti-Christ. Believing they had a divine mission to kill the infant, they were only stopped when the girl came to her senses and called the police. The Angels committed suicide rather than stand trial, while mother and baby disappeared into the care system.

Nearly two decades later, true-crime author Amanda Bailey is writing a book on the Angels. The Alperton baby has turned eighteen and can finally be interviewed; if Amanda can find them, it will be the true-crime scoop of the year, and will save her flagging career. But rival author Oliver Menzies is just as smart, better connected, and is also on the baby's trail.

As Amanda and Oliver are forced to collaborate, they realise that what everyone thinks they know about the Angels is wrong. The truth is something much darker and stranger than they'd ever imagined. And the story of the Alperton Angels is far from over.

From the bestselling author of The Appeal and The Twyford Code comes a stunning new mystery for fans of Richard Osman and S.J. Bennett. The devil is in the detail... 

What did I think?

I absolutely loved Janice Hallett's debut novel, The Appeal, written in the epistolary format of letters, emails and texts so I already knew what to expect with her third novel, The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels.  It's incredibly intriguing to be presented with all the evidence and to try to work it all out for yourself, although I didn't manage to predict anything that happened in this extraordinary novel.

The Alperton Angels story has remained a mystery for 18 years.  What really happened the night the 'angels' died?  Where is the baby that narrowly escaped being sacrificed?  That's what true-crime author Amanda Bailey intends to find out.

I didn't really like the main character of Amanda, but I think it's simply because I find journalist types to be ruthless and sneaky as they will do anything to get the story.  I really liked the competition between Amanda and Oliver, who have both been tasked with writing a book on the Alperton Angels.  There is clearly some history between them which adds another layer of intrigue to the story.

I loved Ellie who is transcribing all of Amanda's recordings, often recorded surreptitiously (see what I mean about journalists being sneaky?).  Ellie can't help adding her own comments and opinions to the transcription and it often made me laugh.

There is so much information to dig through in the form of letters, emails, texts, scripts and book excerpts that you really feel as if you're part of the case.  I am completely in awe of Janice Hallett; she is an incredibly talented writer to not only write a captivating and intriguing plot but to create several styles of writing as if many different people had written the material.  

Cunning, clever and compelling, The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels is as impossible to predict as it is to put down; prepare to be up all night reading this one.  Five stars feel woefully inadequate to rate this book and I can't recommend it highly enough.

I received a gifted hardback copy for the Tandem Collective readalong and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon

BLOG TOUR: The Lost Letters of William Woolf - Helen Cullen

Inside East London's Dead Letters Depot, William Woolf unites lost mail with its intended recipient. White mice, a miniature grandfather clock and a full suit of armour are among the more unusual items lost then found thanks to William's detective work. But when he discovers a series of letters addressed only to 'My Great Love', everything changes.

Written by Winter to a soulmate she hasn't yet met, her heartfelt words stir William in ways he has long forgotten. Could they be destined for him? But what about his troubled marriage? Following the clues in Winter’s letters is the only way for William to solve the mystery of his own heart. 

What did I think?

There is something so very magical about receiving letters through the mail, an event that happens far too infrequently in this day and age of email and text messaging, but cast your mind back 30 years into the era of The Lost Letters of William Woolf and experience the magic of handwritten letters. 

I was vaguely aware of the UK having a 'dead letter office'; a place were undelivered mail is attempted to be passed to the intended recipient or returned to the original sender.  It's actually really fascinating when you google this and I was astounded to read about a postcard sent to Aberdeen, Scotland from Queensland, Australia in 1889 but was delivered more than a century later in 2001.  You can read the fascinating story here but I must get back to what I thought about the book.

I rather liked the character of William Woolf; he seems pretty comfortable in his own skin and likes the comfort of cardigans, despite it making him appear older than his years.  William is an aspiring writing and takes a job in the Dead Letter Depot until his inspiration to write returns but it is clear that William loves his job of reuniting mail with its rightful owners and his book remains unwritten, something that he has kept hidden from his wife, Clare.  This isn't the only clue that the marriage is in difficulty though; after several years of marriage, William and Clare have gotten out of sync and both are wondering if their marriage is worth saving.

It's no surprise that William latches on to letters from Winter, addressed to 'My Great Love', when he is feeling so lost.  Feeling that connection to somebody doesn't come along that often so William is determined to track down Winter but, as time goes on, it is more a case of revealing himself as her great love than reuniting her with her lost mail.  William has to choose between his tangible wife Clare and his imaginary idea of Winter; it sounds like a no-brainer but William Woolf's life is a lot more complicated than that.

Ultimately, this is a story of a marriage in difficulty but Helen Cullen injects a bit of magic and warmth into the story by setting part of it in the Dead Letter Depot.  Some of the stories of items passing William's desk were very moving and one in particular actually brought a lump to my throat.  It gave the story a nice weighting as we switched from the despair of William's marriage to the joy he brings to recipients through his job.  If only he could transfer his job to his life, then everyone could live happily ever after, although this rarely happens in real life.

The Lost Letters of William Woolf is a beautifully written debut, sparkling with the natural lyricism that Irish authors are blessed with.  I suspect that people will be talking about The Lost Letters of William Woolf for a long time to come and I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for Helen Cullen's next book.

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

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon




Follow the tour:

BLOG TOUR: Dear Mr Pop Star - Derek & Dave Philpott

A collection of hilarious letters to iconic pop and rock stars with fantastic in-on-the-joke replies from the artists themselves: Eurythmics, Heaven 17, Deep Purple, Devo, Dr. Hook and many, many more…

For more than a decade, Derek Philpott and his son, Dave, have been writing deliberately deranged letters to pop stars from the 1960s to the 90s to take issue with the lyrics of some of their best-known songs. They miss the point as often as they hit it.

But then, to their great surprise, the pop stars started writing back...

Dear Mr Pop Star contains 100 of Derek and Dave's greatest hits, including correspondence with Katrina and the Waves, Tears for Fears, Squeeze, The Housemartins, Suzi Quatro, Devo, Deep Purple, Nik Kershaw, T’Pau, Human League, Eurythmics, Wang Chung, EMF, Mott the Hoople, Heaven 17, Jesus Jones, Johnny Hates Jazz, Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine, Chesney Hawkes and many, many more.

Derek and Dave Philpott are the noms de plume of two ordinary members of the public, working with help from a worldwide social networking community.

What did I think?

Derek and Dave Philpott don't just listen to popular songs, they dissect and analyse them to hilarious effect.  There is something for every pop music fan in their latest book: Dear Mr Pop Star; you're sure to find your favourite artist in this book, even if they didn't respond to Derek & Dave's letters.

I love the layout of letters to and from artists, along with postcards to those artists who didn't respond.  Admittedly, some of them go over my head if I don't know the song that is being discussed but a quick trip to google puts that right.  It's all done in such good fun and this is reciprocated in the responses from the artists.  Take the letter sent to Justin Currie of Del Amitri by Derek Philpott whereby Derek is worried about ruining his corduroys whilst rolling to Mr Amitri after car trouble in the rain!  Lyrics of 'Roll to Me' below if you're wondering what on earth I'm going on about:

When the engine's stalled and it won't stop raining

It's the right time to roll to me

So if you enjoy listening to music, you will never listen to your favourite songs in the same way again after reading Dear Mr Pop Star.  I've found myself listening a lot closer to songs on the radio and if one of the songs that Derek & Dave have written about comes on, it does make me laugh.  It's surprising how much gobbledegook is in lyrics so Derek and Dave speak for all of us listeners when they ask the artists to explain themselves!

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

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon



Links

Goodreads

Unbound

Twitter: @DerekPhilpott   

Facebook

Follow the tour:

The Chilbury Ladies' Choir - Jennifer Ryan

Kent, 1940.

In the idyllic village of Chilbury change is afoot. Hearts are breaking as sons and husbands leave to fight, and when the Vicar decides to close the choir until the men return, all seems lost.

But coming together in song is just what the women of Chilbury need in these dark hours, and they are ready to sing. With a little fighting spirit and the arrival of a new musical resident, the charismatic Miss Primrose Trent, the choir is reborn.

Some see the choir as a chance to forget their troubles, others the chance to shine. Though for one villager, the choir is the perfect cover to destroy Chilbury’s new-found harmony.

Uplifting and profoundly moving, THE CHILBURY LADIES’ CHOIR explores how a village can endure the onslaught of war, how monumental history affects small lives and how survival is as much about friendship as it is about courage.

What did I think?

I had my eye on The Chilbury Ladies' Choir when I saw it being published and I had barely added it to my wishlist before I was fortunate enough to win a beautiful hardback copy.  As a careful reader I always remove the dustjacket from a hardback whilst reading and I have to say that I got a really pleasant surprise to find a printed cover underneath of the village of Chilbury.  Full marks to The Borough Press and HarperCollins for making The Chilbury Ladies' Choir as beautiful outside as it is inside.

On turning the first page we are greeted with a notice that the village choir has closed as all the men have gone to war.  Throughout the forthcoming pages, comprising personal journal entries and letters, we meet the ladies of Chilbury who don't see why their choir has to close just because they are short of a few male voices.  So The Chilbury Ladies' Choir is born and through tears and laughter, personal challenges and German bombings, the ladies draw strength from each other.  You could certainly apply the phrase 'Keep Calm and Carry On' to Chilbury as they face each day with a song in their heart.

I loved the way this book was written with letters and journal entries of the main characters.  It surprised me how easily it flowed and I often forgot that I was reading what you would define as excerpts rather than chapters.  They are so very personal at times that we really get into the heart of the characters, warts and all.

We often hear stories of the Battle of Britain and the Normandy Landings but what about the Home Front?  The women who kept Britain running whilst the men went off to war.  I am proud to say that my maternal Grandad was part of the Normandy invasion, but what I often forget, yet remain equally proud of, is that my paternal Grandmother turned her hand to driving cranes in a munitions factory during the war.  It was said that Mary Ryles could pick up a threepenny bit with her crane.  Jennifer Ryan has subtly reminded us of the huge part played by the brave ladies of war-torn Britain and her book is dedicated, very fittingly, to her Grandmother and all the women of the Home Front.

So if you're looking to snuggle up with a good book, look no further than The Chilbury Ladies' Choir.  Read about the privileged lives and secrets of Venetia and Kitty Winthrop, the battle of the midwives: Mrs. Tilling and Miss. Paltry, but most of all the strength and camaraderie of The Chilbury Ladies' Choir.  A superb debut novel filled with tears and laughter, based on real life as told to Jennifer Ryan by her Grandmother.

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

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon