THE GREATCOAT

TITLE: THE GREATCOAT

AUTHOR: HELEN DUNMORE

Pages: 196

Date: 30/01/2012

Grade: 4.5

Details: Received from and reviewed for BookGeeks

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The year is 1954 and although the war has been over for 9 years Britain is still a bleak place with the remnants of abandoned military bases dotted in the landscape, rationing determining what people can get their hands on and daily comforts being few and far between.

Isabel Carey has recently married Philip who is a GP and together they’ve moved to a Yorkshire town where he starts his medical practice. While Philip is happy with his new career and surroundings, Isabel can’t seem to settle. She feels like everybody she meets in the town is judging her and can’t stand the apartment they’re renting, which is impossible to keep warm, or her landlady who lives on the floor above them and seems to spend all her time pacing from the door to the window and back again. This noise keeps Isabel awake at night and makes her uncomfortable.

One night, while Philip is out working, Isabel can’t shake the cold and searches the house for something to keep her warm. When she finds an old greatcoat at the back of a cupboard she takes it down and finds that it keeps her deliciously warm and allows her to sleep. That sleep though is filled with very vivid dreams. When a knock on her front window wakes her up she is scared when she sees a young handsome Air Force pilot staring at her through the window. She quickly closes her curtains but when she opens them again for a second look the man has gone.

It isn’t long before the pilot is knocking on her window again and mouthing her name. This time curiosity wins out over fear and Isabel lets him into her house. To her amazement Isabel discovers that although she has never met this man named Alec before, he seems to know her. And somehow Isabel develops memories about him and his relationship to her as they spend time together. Memories that are vivid and very realistic, although she knows that they can’t be hers.

Soon Isabel finds herself in a passionate affair with Alec while uncertain as to what is real and what isn’t. Because her affair with Alec seems to be taking place during the war rather than in the present while there are manifestations of his visits in her life with Philip.

And all the time her landlady continues her walking from the front door to the window and back again.

This is a fascinating ghost story. The reader has no more of an idea as to what is really happening and what is supernatural than Isabel does. As Isabel slowly pieces together who Alec is and why he is visiting her, so does the reader, and when it seems that all the questions are answered and the haunting has been brought to a peaceful end there is still one more disaster to avert.

In many ways this was as much a love story as a ghost story. Although the way in which the ghost takes over Isabel’s life and memories is spooky, it is never heartstoppingly scary because at no point is there the impression that the ghost has anything but love for the woman he’s visiting. On the other hand, the reader is only too aware that consorting with one who should have departed can’t lead to anything good and can only hope that Isabel will figure that out too, before it is too late.

Helen Dunmore has written a beautiful and haunting story which draws the reader in to England in the late 1950’s. Her descriptions make the greyness of the surroundings and the harshness of life at the time come to life and her characters are realistic.

The thing I appreciated most in this book though is that the author didn’t try to give logical explanations for everything that happens in the story. Some things remain unexplained or uncertain, leaving the reader with much to wonder and fantasise about after the last page has been read.

This book is published by Hammer, better known for its horror movies, through Random house and there will be more original ghost stories to follow. If this book sets the standard, then this is one publishing innovation to look forward to and embrace.

THE WEB WEAVER

TITLE: The Further Adventures of Sherlock             Holmes: THE WEB WEAVER

AUTHOR: SAM SICILIANO

Pages: 394

Date: 29/01/2012

Grade: 4

Details: Part of The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes Series

            Received from BookGeeks

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Sherlock Holmes is being visited by his cousin, Dr. Henry Vernier, when Mr. Donald Wheelwright arrives to ask for his help.

During a ball which Wheelwright attended with his wife, a gypsy woman made an appearance and cursed all those attending the event while singling his wife out for specific threats. Recently Wheelwright’s wife, Violet, has found a further, written, threat in their library. Worried about his wife’s safety, Wheelwright wants Holmes to investigate the gypsy and her threat and put an end to the whole affair.

Soon after starting the investigation it becomes clear that others who were present at the ball have felt the results of the curse. A Lord has committed suicide, others have fallen into ruin and an acquaintance of the Wheelwrights discovers that a very valuable necklace has been stolen from his safe.

Assisted by his cousin Henry, Holmes starts his investigation into all these related mysteries and soon suspects that he may be up against the most devious opponent of his career. Professor Moriarty may have been a figment of Dr. Watson’s imagination, but the mind Holmes is trying to out-think now might just be a real-life Moriarty; a criminal mastermind without scruples and an intelligence to match his own who is weaving a web destined to trap all in its reach.

Meanwhile, Henry’s wife Michelle gets drawn into the investigation because she is both Violet Wheelwrights physician and friend.

As the threats against and attacks upon Violet increase, Holmes clearly finds himself drawn to this beautiful, intelligent but troubled woman. The identity of the gypsy woman and of the person(s) delivering the threats and attacks remains obscure though, as does the identity of the mastermind behind the whole affair.

This was a very interesting take on the original Sherlock Holmes stories. For starters, there’s no sign of a Dr. Watson in this story, in fact the man only gets mentioned in relation to his lose allegiance to the truth when writing the original stories.

Instead, this book is narrated by both Dr. Henry Vernier and his wife Michelle, which gives a the reader a dual view of what is happening and maybe a better chance to come to their own conclusions as far as the mystery is concerned.

Except for Watson all the usual features of the Sherlock Holmes stories are present in this book. There are Holmes’ famous disguises, his dealings with those in the lower regions of society, his arrogance and single-mindedness and his reluctance to share his thoughts until he is ready to reveal all to both his fellow characters and the reader.

Through Michelle Doudet-Vernier, who spends a lot of her time treating those less fortunate, the reader gets an insight to all that is wrong with society in the late 19^th century, while the setting of the mystery in an upper-class environment makes for a great contrast.

The idea of Holmes in love and unable to deal with his feelings and their consequences, brings a nice twist to the story. Should this story have a sequel it would be great to see how that particular story-line might develop.

I did find both Vernier and his wife a bit too innocent, and oblivious to be completely credible, but I guess they were described that way to make the contrast with Holmes’ genius more obvious.

I do have to say that the solution to this mystery did not come as a great surprise to me, and I don’t think it will to most other readers. However, that didn’t take away from the pleasure reading this story gave me, and there is a certain satisfaction in coming to the right conclusions while reading any mystery.

Overall this was an enjoyable excursion into the world of Sherlock Holmes. It stayed close enough to the original to be completely recognisable while introducing enough new ingredients to make this a fresh reading experience.

THE FAULT IN OUR STARS

TITLE: THE FAULT IN OUR STARS

AUTHOR: JOHN GREEN

Pages: 313

Date: 25/01/2012

Grade: 5+

Details: Young Adult

Borrowed from Tara

Hazel is 16 and dying. She may be a medical miracle and her tumours may have shrunk, but her lungs are severely damaged, she needs a constant oxygen supply and knows that her days are numbered.

When she meets the gorgeous Augustus Waters at the Cancer Kid Support Group something changes in her life though. She rises out of her lethargy and embraces life and love with fresh determination.

A trip to Holland to meet an adored author brings the two teenagers closer together even if the meeting with their idol is a deep disappointment. The trip also reveals that Augustus’ cancer has returned, and suddenly the cards in their relationship are turned around.

Who knew that such a heart-breaking story could be this uplifting?

John Green doesn’t spare his reader in this book. From the very first page this is an emotional roller-coaster ride and it never lets up.

Hazel and Augustus are the sort of characters I wished I could meet and get to know. Green’s writing brings them to life to the point where I felt the need to hug and comfort them.

It is not all doom and gloom though.  These are two clever and insightful teenagers whose banter is as likely to make you laugh as it is to bring a tear to your eye.

This is a story about teenagers with cancer in which the disease takes a backseat to the spirit of the kids. Not because the book produces miracle cures for them but because they are bigger then their illness. The illness may limit their lives in many ways, but they determine how they live with it.

On a side note, I loved the descriptions of Amsterdam. It is clear that John Green spent time there and really saw and understood the place and the people who live there. I love that Hazel and Augustus gave in to their feelings in my home town, it seemed an appropriate setting.

This is a brutally honest and incredibly beautiful book. A book that gave me characters that will stay in my heart and mind for a long time. A book that I should have read at a slower pace because I know I there is a lot in there that deserved more thought and attention. This is a book I will have to read again to get everything it has to offer out of it.

Finally, this is a book in which almost every second sentence is quotable. I have decided to limit myself to the following though:

“Sometimes you read a book and it fills you with this weird evangelical zeal, and you become convinced that the shattered world will never be put back together unless and until all living humans read the book. And then there are books (…), which you can’t tell people about, books so special and rare that yours that advertising your affection feels like betrayal.”

“Some infinities are bigger than other infinities.”

“You gave me a forever within the numbered days, and I’m grateful.”

“The pleasure of remembering had been taken from me, because there was no longer anyone to remember with.”

“The real heroes aren’t the people doing things; the real heroes are the people NOTICING things, paying attention.”

VANISHED

TITLE: VANISHED

AUTHOR: LIZA MARKLUND

Pages: 500

Date: 24/01/2012

Grade: 4.5

Details: An Annika Bengtzon Mystery

            Proof copy received from Transworld Books through BookGeeks

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In a deserted port in Stockholm, a woman is fleeing for her life from a gunman determined to kill her. When she dives in the freezing water in order to escape, survival is far from certain. The next morning a security guard finds two dead men in the port, and a murder investigation starts.

Journalist Annika Bengtzon, meanwhile, is approached by a woman who says she has founded an organisation specialising in making people completely disappear by erasing their pasts and creating new futures.

Initially Annika is fascinated by what the woman has to tell her, and impressed by the foundation’s work, but on closer inspection things don’t completely add up. In fact, the more Annika studies the claims, the less likely they become. But before Annika is sure that the woman and her foundation are frauds she has advised a young woman to go there for help. A young woman who is very ill and in desperate danger.

Struggling with personal problems, Annika nevertheless continues investigating the Paradise foundation as well as the young woman. And as more people are killed it becomes clear that Annika is on the verge of uncovering a big criminal operation. And putting her own life in danger in the process.

Wow! There is an awful lot going on in this book. Apart from the crimes, there is Annika’s very problematic personal life, the internal politics in the newspaper where she works, social issues in the society at large and the lives of other characters in the story.

For a long time I found myself wondering how all these, apparently separate story-lines could possibly be connected. I shouldn’t have worried though, since Marklund proved herself a master at gradually and organically tying most of the different threads neatly together. And I suspect that the one or two threads that didn’t get finalised in this book will probably be continued in the sequels.

Liza Marklund is a journalist herself and that is clear from the writing. While reading this book I constantly felt that she knew what she was writing about, not only when it came to the newspaper business and politics but also with regard to organised crime, social issues and violence. All these subjects feature in this book and the opinions of the author are clear, yet I never felt that I was being preached to or that they interfered with the pace of the story.

In fact, the story unfolds at a steady and unrelenting pace, forcing the readers onwards, always guessing at what exactly is going on and very eager to find out.

The book doesn’t end with every single question answered or every evil erased, which, in my opinion, makes the book more realistic and better. The real world isn't a place where good always triumphs over evil, where people always make the right decisions or where answers are always clear-cut, and neither is Liza Marklund's. This means that this book gives the reader more than an escapist reading experience, soon to be forgotten. This story and its characters will stay with me for a while and make me look at certain issues from a slightly different perspective, which ultimately is what I hope for every time I pick up a book.

Now that I have discovered Liza Marklund and her books I look forward to reading the rest of this series.

ANGEL KISS

TITLE: ANGEL KISS

AUTHOR: LAURA JANE CASSIDY

Pages: 232

Date: 22/01/2012

Grade: 4+

Details: Young Adult / Irish

Library

Jacki King is a normal 15 year old girl. She loves her guitar, performing and writing songs. She is really upset with her mother for taking her away from all her friends and activities in Dublin to the small rural village of Avarna.

However, it doesn’t take Jacki long to start making new friends and even fall in love with the gorgeous but unavailable Nick. In fact, she would say her new life is quite promising, if it weren’t for the nightmares and headaches she’s been having ever since the move. And things get worse when she starts seeing strange visions, hearing voices and acting out of control.

Although Jacki is a realist and has always believed that the dead are dead and gone, she slowly comes to the realisation that not only is there at least one deceased person definitely not gone, that person also wants her to solve a mystery.

But investigating a decades old murder brings with it dangers of a more worldly nature.

I really enjoyed this debut by Laura Jane Cassidy.

In Jacki King the author has created a believable and likeable character. The issues Jacki deals with in her daily life ring completely true for someone her age and her conversion from sceptic to believer, if somewhat quick, also makes sense.

The mystery around the old murder is interesting and although I did have the solution figured out before Jacki, it was not too obvious.

While this is a shortish and fast-paced story, the author takes the time to describe her characters and the surroundings they live in with enough detail to make them come off the page and create real pictures.

Although this book is a complete story in itself, it could also be the first part in a series. I wouldn’t mind at all if there were future books about Jacki and the mysteries she solves and would most definitely read them. Not just because of the mysteries, but also to find out more about Jacki, her friends and her musical future.

THE MAGICIAN KING

TITLE: THE MAGICIAN KING

AUTHOR: LEV GROSSMAN

Pages: 400

Date: 20/01/2011

Grade: 4.5

Details: no. 2 The Magicians

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Quentin Goldwater and his friends Eliot, Janet and Julia are living in the magical land of Fillory where they are kings and queens. Their lives are filled with luxury and comfort, but for Quentin that isn’t enough after a while. And when a footman is killed it gives Quentin the opportunity to go on a journey, a quest Julia decides to join him on.

What should have been a simple cure to boredom and fun adventure soon turns sour when Quentin and Julia suddenly and unexpectedly find themselves in Massachusetts with no clear idea how to get back to Fillory.

Now Julia’s past and underground training in witchcraft suddenly become important. Making use of contacts from her dark past, Julia leads the way to Venice where, after an encounter with a dragon, she, Quentin and two other friends eventually find their way back to Fillory. Their return is not a comfortable one though. They now know that there are forces at work that would put an end to all magic, which would not only ruin everything the youngsters know to be their lives, but would also destroy Fillory. It turns out the quest Quentin was looking for has only just begun and is now very serious. Quentin and his crew have to find a way of saving magic and undo the damage Julia and her underground magical friends have done in their ignorance and pride.

This, for me, was a much better story than the first one. Not only was there a lot more to the story, the main characters got a lot more substance too. It is now possible to see Quentin as a fully rounded character who is actually learning from his experiences and far less self-obsessed.

Julia’s background story, which is told in chapters alternating with the story of the quest, is fascinating and brings a whole new level to the narrative.

I do still feel that a bit too much of the book is dedicated to introspection and description and I would have preferred more of an emphasis on action, however, this is nowhere near as indulgent as it was in The Magicians.

I read somewhere that Grossman is working on a third book in this series, and I look forward to reading it. I feel that Quentin still has a lot to learn and the story hasn’t yet come to a proper conclusion. And I can’t help hoping that a certain character from the first book will make a return appearance, unlikely as that may seem. After all, this is a magical universe, and a miracle should be possible. For now I can only hope and wait.

BURY YOUR DEAD

TITLE: BURY YOUR DEAD

AUTHOR: LOUISE PENNY

Pages: 371

Date: 18/01/2012

Grade: 5+

Details: no. 6 Chief Inspector Armand Gamache

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This is a book of three stories.

Chief Inspector Armand Gamache is on leave in Quebec City where he gets drawn into a murder in the library where he is conducting historical research. It soon becomes clear that in order to solve the present day mystery he has to look at the mysteries surrounding the founding of Quebec and Canada. In a place where the tension between the English and French populations has lead to violence in the past, the present still holds some of that tension.

Jean-Guy Beauvoir, also on leave, finds himself in Three Pines, taking another look at the murder of the Hermit and the possibility that the wrong man may have been convicted and sentenced for that crime.

And finally there is the story behind that reason that both Gamache and Beauvoir are on leave trying to recover from both physical and psychological wounds that run very deep.

Working separate cases in different locations both Gamache and Beauvoir have to try and concentrate on the present while the recent past is constantly intruding. And while Gamache has to find a way of living with the decisions he made and the responsibility he feels for what happened as a result of them, Beauvoir has to investigate in a place he doesn’t like, using methods he doesn’t approve of or believe in.

This was a fascinating story and about so much more then the mysteries the characters investigate. Those mysteries, while fascinating, well plotted and credibly resolved take a back-seat to the personal challenges Gamanche and Beauvoir have to face.

This is a story about going on living despite being surrounded by death, about finding the will to go on when curling up in a ball and retreating from the world seems a much better and easier solution.

The story is as level-headed and sedate as is its main character. Yet there is a constant underlying urgency to get to the answer, an urgency that keeps the reader turning the pages while the thoroughness of the investigation makes the reader slow down to make sure he catches every word and nuance. And, to top it all off, the beauty of the language and images in this book makes the reader want to linger, close their eyes for a minute to picture it clearly before rushing back to read the rest of the story.

Louise Penny writes excelent books. They’re good mysteries, they’re well written novels and they’re subtle page-turners. Her characters feel like friends after six books, people I know, like and would love to meet.

Penny’s novels are always a pleasure and a treat to read.