Review: A Scandinavian Christmas

A Scandinavian Christmas is a slim anthology of sixteen short stories written by a range of authors both classic and modern. It includes three very famous tales from Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875), as well three from the first woman to win the Nobel Prize for literature, Selma Lagerlof (1858-1940). 

I am a terrible sucker for a pretty cover and this one is gorgeous. The book would make a beautiful stocking filler for someone who loves classic short stories that lean towards literary fiction but it won't suit everyone. Despite the cover, these tales are not all-out 'sleigh bells and mistletoe' festive tales, but unusual, poignant and sometimes downright sad stories that just happen to be set at Christmas.

My favourites were the three Hans Christian Andersen stories - beautifully written but incredibly sad. I also enjoyed The Forest Witch (about a girl trying to outwit a witch), The Christmas Rose (about a beautiful garden that only appears at Christmas) and Christmas Eve by Vigdis Hjorth (a clever but poignant story about an alcoholic trying to get through Christmas dinner with their family).

Thank you to Vintage/Random House for my copy of this book, which I requested via NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

Review: Midnight in Everwood by M.A. Kuzniar

This book has one of the most beautiful covers I've ever seen. When I found out it was a 'retelling' of the classic story, The Nutcracker, I really wanted to read it. However, it wasn't quite the romantic magical fairy tale I was hoping for.

Midnight in Everwood is set in Nottingham in 1906. Marietta Stelle dreams of becoming a professional ballerina but, as her parents are well-to-do, she is expected to have an arranged marriage to a man of equal status. Her new neighbour, the creepy Dr Drosselmeier, has impressed her family with his gifts of 'magical' clockwork toys; now he's built a stunning set for Marietta's last ballet performance on Christmas Eve. As the grandfather clock strikes midnight, Marietta hides from Dr Drosselmeier inside, only to find herself in a winter wonderland...

This is one of those 'perfectly good book but totally wrong reader' scenarios. From the cover, I was expecting a romantic fairy tale retelling of The Nutcracker, in the same way that Naomi Novik's Spinning Silver was a retelling of Rumpelstiltskin. However, while Midnight in Everwood does have elements of The Nutcracker, it is not a retelling but more 'inspired by'. There are also elements of other well-known stories such as The Red Shoes, Alice in Wonderland and The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe.

The first third of the story is about Marietta's life in Nottingham, showing how privileged she is (I loved the descriptions of her fabulous gowns!) but how she is also trapped by that privilege. Her life has been planned out for her by her parents and will be continued by her husband. As much as she rebels against this with her ballet lessons (considered shocking for an upper-class Edwardian girl) she is quite naïve. When she arrives in Everwood her first thought is to relish her freedom, ignoring the fact that she might be walking into a pretty trap. Marietta has many hard lessons to learn about family, friendship, love and sacrifice before she can earn her own happy ending.

Midnight in Everwood would suit anyone who loves ballet and historical novels about women fighting for their right to lead the independent life they want. It's not quite the magical fantasy the cover suggests, despite the luscious descriptions of the sweets in Everwood. I would have preferred more fairy tale magic, more romance, and an ending more in keeping with the original ballet, but the story is still worth a solid four stars.

Thank you to M.A. Kuzniar and HQ for my copy of this book, which I requested from NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

Spooky Reads for Halloween

I'm not a huge fan of autumn. Yes, the leaves look pretty but the weather turns distinctly chilly and the nights are growing longer. But cold, wet days and early dark evenings do lend themselves to reading spooky books...

There seems to be a trend at the moment for gothic historical novels, which I LOVE, and also super-scary ghost stories. Listed below are my recommended reads for this year's Halloween. There should be something for everyone: a Victorian ghost story, witches and changelings, a couple of classics retold, and a murder mystery with an 'appearance' by the king of the undead himself...Dracula (aka: Max Mephisto, star of Elly Griffiths' Brighton Mysteries).

Happy Halloween!

The Whistling by Rebecca Netley

Elspeth Swansome goes to work as a nanny on the remote Scottish island of Skelthsea. Her charge, Mary, hasn't said a word since the unexpected death of her twin brother William, and the last nanny packed up and left in a hurry. No one will speak of what happened to William, just as no one can explain the sound of singing in empty corridors, strange dolls appearing in abandoned rooms, and the faint whistling that comes in the night...

Full review

The Lighthouse Witches by C.J. Cooke

In the 1600s, Patrick watches helplessly as those he loves are accused of witchcraft - the penalty is death; in the 1990s, Liv escapes her problems by fleeing to a remote Scottish island, Lon Haven, where the inhabitants are a superstitious lot, obsessed with witches and curses; and in the present day, Luna travels back to Lon Haven hoping to discover the truth about what happened to her family, twenty-two years previously.

Full review.

Horseman by Christina Henry

Everyone in Sleepy Hollow knows of the legendary Horseman, but no one really believes in him until fourteen year old Ben stumbles upon the headless body of a child in the woods. Could the Horseman be real after all? Or does something even more sinister stalk the woods?

Full review.

The Midnight Hour by Elly Griffiths

Brighton, 1965. When theatrical impresario Bert Billington is found poisoned, suspicion immediately falls on his much younger wife, ex-variety star Verity Malone. The evidence is stacked up against her; even her son thinks she did it. Exasperated by the police, Verity calls in two private detectives to clear her name: ex-police sergeant Emma Holmes and journalist Sam Collins. It soon becomes apparent that Bert had a very long list of enemies. In fact, it would be easier to find someone who didn't want to kill him...

Full review.

The Tailor and the Three Dead King by Dan Jones

One winter, in the reign of King Richard II (ie: the late 1300s), a tailor is riding home when he is knocked off his horse by a huge raven, which then turns into a hideous dog. The dog tells the tailor he must go to the priest and ask for absolution, or there will be terrible consequences...

Full review.

Image of pumpkins © Shutterstock

Review: The Whistling by Rebecca Netley

I adore Victorian ghost stories, particularly gothic ones, so The Whistling ticked all the boxes for me!

Elspeth Swansome goes to work as a nanny on the remote Scottish island of Skelthsea. Her charge, Mary, hasn't said a word since the unexpected death of her twin brother William, and the last nanny packed up and left in a hurry. No one will speak of what happened to William, just as no one can explain the sound of singing in empty corridors, strange dolls appearing in abandoned rooms, and the faint whistling that comes in the night...

If you're looking for a truly chilling autumn read, this is the story for you! Set in 1860, it is a gorgeously gothic Victorian ghost story, with proper spooky bits (not the kind that are all in someone's mind). Reminiscent of the recent Netflix series, The Haunting of Bly Manor (based on Henry James' short stories), The Whistling is a modern spin on the classic Victorian ghost story.

The book is big on atmosphere; the eeriness of the remote Scottish island, the creepy old house, sinister servants (shades of Mrs Danvers!) There are plenty of mysteries to solve. What happened to the former nanny? Why does no one speak about William? Why did Mary stop speaking? And then there are the ghosts...

One of my favourite books this year, The Whistling is perfect Halloween reading! 

Just remember to leave on the lights...

Thank you to Rebecca Netley and Michael Joseph for my copy of this book, which I requested via NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

Review: The Tale of the Tailor and the Three Dead Kings by Dan Jones

The cover and blurb attracted me to this book; originally I didn't click that it was written by historian Dan Jones. Based on a medieval manuscript, this is a quirky short story that would make a good stocking filler for anyone who likes a ghost story that is a little bit unusual!

One winter, in the reign of King Richard II (ie: the late 1300s), a tailor is riding home when he is knocked off his horse by a huge raven, which then turns into a hideous dog. The dog tells the tailor he must go to the priest and ask for absolution, or there will be terrible consequences...

This is a short story, so it is hard to say more without giving away the plot. It is well-written, deliciously chilling, but very strange - probably because it is based on an original story written in the 1400s by an unknown monk. According to Amazon the book is 196 pages long, but be aware that the original Latin version is included,  along with a foreword by the author. There are also notes at the end, about the history of Byland Abbey. I particularly enjoyed reading them! 

So this book would be best suited for someone like me, who loves history, ghost stories, and anything strange and quirky! A perfect short read for Halloween, the hardback would made a good Christmas stocking filler too.

The Tale of the Tailor and the Three Dead Kings will be published in the UK on 14th October 2021

Thank you to Dan Jones and Head of Zeus for my copy of this book, which I requested from NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

Review: The Lighthouse Witches by C.J. Cooke

I was attracted to this book by the absolutely beautiful cover, and then I remembered that I had read and enjoyed the author's previous book, The Nesting. While The Nesting was definitely a ghost story, The Lighthouse Witches is a mash-up of several difference genres: gothic mystery, psychological thriller, there is even a dash of science fiction. Although I started the story with an idea of where I thought it was going (apparently I've watched too many 70's folk horror movies), the twist at the end is astounding - and extremely clever.

The Lighthouse Witches takes place over several timelines. In the 1600s, Patrick watches helplessly as those he loves are accused of witchcraft - the penalty is death; in the 1990s, Liv escapes her problems by fleeing to a remote Scottish island, Lon Haven, where the inhabitants are a superstitious lot, obsessed with witches and curses; and in the present day, Luna travels back to Lon Haven hoping to discover the truth about what happened to her family, twenty-two years previously.

Although I found the constant switching between timelines confusing at first (despite the helpfully labelled chapters and changes of font - yes, I know, I'm an idiot) I was soon gripped by the story and read the book in two days flat. The sinister islanders, the atmospheric setting, the general creepiness of the story, all make for a fabulous autumn read. I loved it!

Thank you to C.J. Cooke and HarperCollins for my copy of this book, which I requested via NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

Related Review:

The Nesting by C.J. Cooke

Review: The Last Graduate (The Scholomance #2) by Naomi Novik

I am a huge fan of Naomi Novik's YA fantasy novels, especially Spinning Silver and Uprooted. Her Scholomance series is a little bit different, set at a dark school for magic. Unlike Hogwarts, this school seems to actively want to kill off its students!

The Last Graduate is the second book in the Scholomance series. It's like a cross between those witch/wizard school stories, like Harry Potter and The Worst Witch, with a hefty dose of The Hunger Games thrown in, and is both brutal and a little bit gruesome at times. Sure, the students at this school are here to learn magic, but they are also here to survive at any cost, which encourages an every-student-for-themselves mentality.

El and her friends are now seniors with the prospect of graduation looming ahead of them. You'd think they'd be delighted to leave the school far behind, except the graduation ceremony is the most deadly of all, with every mal (monster) waiting to devour them as soon as they enter the graduation hall. The practise runs are getting deadlier and deadlier, El can see no way for the students to survive unless they do something really radical... Like, work together?

This series is completely thrilling, edge-of-your-seat stuff, with El battling monsters and spells hurtling at her from every direction. The finale is amazing but (be warned) ends on a humongous cliff-hanger. The amount of work Naomi has put into creating this world, with no detail overlooked, is awe-inspiring. It reminded me a little of Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell. With that book the backstories were dropped into footnotes, and I did sometimes feel that all the detail (fabulous as it was) slowed down The Last Graduate just when I wanted to race ahead.

I loved the attitude of El (Student most like to say: 'Get lost, I can rescue myself'), who has spent most of her life being viewed with suspicion (thanks to her great-great grandmother's prophecy predicting she's going to cause death and destruction wherever she goes), and is unused to taking a hero's role. Orion, who has spent most of his life training to be a hero, is adorably confused. And El's familiar, Precious the mouse, is sooo cute! 

One of my favourite reads this year! I can't wait for the next one!

Thank you to Naomi Novik and Del Ray/Cornerstone/Random House for my copy of this book, which I requested via NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

Related Posts:

A Deadly Education (The Scholomance #1) by Naomi Novik

Uprooted by Naomi Novik

Review: Horseman by Christina Henry

I love the way Christina Henry takes well-known classic tales and puts her own spin on them, turning them into something new and fresh. Horseman is a 'sequel' to Irving Washington's classic story, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, taking place about twenty years later.

Everyone in Sleepy Hollow knows of the legendary Horseman, but no one really believes in him until fourteen year old Ben stumbles upon the headless body of a child in the woods. Could the Horseman be real after all? Or does something even more sinister stalk the woods?

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is one of my favourite stories, so I loved the way some of the original text was sprinkled through the book, acting like a touchstone. Ben's grandparents are the famous Brom and Katrina, now wealthy farmers, which causes friction in the village due to jealousy and Brom's habit of ensuring he is always at the centre of things. While Ben is desperate to grow up to be just like Brom, the main theme of the story is about being true to yourself, accepting who you really are and not being afraid to be different. Horseman is also a story about the importance of friendship and family.

Like the inhabitants of Sleepy Hollow, you might think you know the legend of the Horseman but there are still plenty of surprises here! There's more than one monster for a start! The creepy setting and evil lurking in the woods also reminded me of M. Night Shyamalan's The Village. Like Christina's previous book, The Ghost Tree, I am not sure if the story is supposed to be a  Young Adult, but it does read like one. There are some gruesome bits (headless bodies!) but it's not too scary. I wasn't so keen on the 'ten years later' segment at the end of the book, which I found rather sad, but I did enjoy the final twist. 

Horseman is a deliciously chilling read for autumn. A historical horror story dripping with sinister atmosphere, Christina's fans will love it - along with anyone who adored the original story. A perfect Halloween treat!

Horseman will be published in the UK on 28th September 2021

Thank you to Christina Henry and  Titan Books for my copy of this book, which I requested via NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

Related Posts:

Near the Bone by Christina Henry

The Ghost Tree by Christina Henry

Review: The Midnight Hour (The Brighton Mysteries #6) by Elly Griffiths

Elly Griffiths is one of my favourite mystery writers and I was thrilled to receive an early copy of The Midnight Hour via NetGalley. This story is number 6 in her Brighton Mysteries, which is slightly darker than her Ruth Galloway series, and runs from 1950 to 1965 (so far!). While it is possible to enjoy this story without reading the others first, each book introduces more main characters, who all become involved in solving the mysteries, so you might find it a little confusing if you don't start with the first one (The Zig Zag Girl).

Brighton, 1965. When theatrical impresario Bert Billington is found poisoned, suspicion immediately falls on his much younger wife, ex-variety star Verity Malone. The evidence is stacked up against her; even her son thinks she did it. Exasperated by the police, Verity calls in two private detectives to clear her name: ex-police sergeant Emma Holmes and journalist Sam Collins. It soon becomes apparent that Bert had a very long list of enemies. In fact, it would be easier to find someone who didn't want to kill him...

The Midnight Hour is more light-hearted than the other Brighton Mysteries and in a similar style to Elly's recent bestseller, The Postscript Murders. Rather than DI Edgar Stephens (now a superintendent) and famous variety magician Max Mephisto solving the murders, in this book it is Emma (Edgar's wife) and Sam, with the police represented by DI Bob Willis and WPC Meg Connelly, although Emma and Meg do most of the legwork as Sam is chasing a news story in Manchester.

The Midnight Hour is set in the run up to Halloween and Elly has had a lot of fun adding spooky elements to the story. Max is working on a new film in Whitby, playing the part of Dracula's dad, and at one point Meg is convinced she's seeing a real vampire. There are also other tiny supernatural hints.

Despite the light-heartedness, there are darker moments and some serious themes are touched upon. This is the 1960s, so a reoccurring one is equality between the sexes and women's rights, along with harassment and  bullying in the workplace. As the story takes place in 1965, it also mentions the Moors Murderers. 

The Midnight Hour is probably my favourite of the series to date. I particularly liked the character of Meg (along with her eccentric family) and I hope she appears again. There are lots of red herrings; I was led up and down the garden path several times and didn't guess the identity of the murder at all.

Recommended to anyone who loves brilliantly written, fiendishly plotted murder mysteries with fabulous characters. One of my favourite reads this year.

The Midnight Hour will be published in the UK on 30th September 2021

Thank you to Elly Griffiths and Quercus for my copy of this book, which I requested from NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

Related Posts:

The Crossing Places by Elly Griffiths

The Janus Stone by Elly Griffiths

The House at Sea's End by Elly Griffiths

Ruth's First Christmas Tree by Elly Griffiths

Dying Fall by Elly Griffiths

The Chalk Pit by Elly Griffiths

The Dark Angel by Elly Griffiths 

The Stranger Diaries by Elly Griffiths
The Stone Circle by Elly Griffiths
Now You See Them by Elly Griffiths

The Lantern Men by Elly Griffiths

The Postscript Murders by Elly Griffiths

The Night Hawks by Elly Griffiths

Review: Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty

Liane Moriarty specialises in big family dramas that are a little bit darker than they first appear and always have a strong mystery at the core. I've read and loved both Big Little Lies and Nine Perfect Strangers, but I think Apples Never Fall is my favourite so far. 

The story is set in Australia and centres around the Delaney family. Thirty years ago, Joy and Stan were moderately successful tennis players but when their children were born they gave up the circuit and switched to running a training academy. While each of their children inherited their talent, none of them were good enough to take it further. The very competitive Troy is now a wealthy trader. Logan, who makes a point not to compete at anything any more, teaches business studies. The youngest, Brooke, forever playing catch-up, has recently opened her own physiotherapy practice.  Only Amy remains a free spirit/problem child - depending which parent you ask!

This is one of those stories where if the characters had just sat down and talked through their problems with a family therapist, this would have been a very short, dull book! And if Joy had not vanished without trace at the start of the book, with husband Stan soon touted as the main suspect, all the Delany's simmering and festering tensions would never have rocketed to the surface. As the police begin their investigation, each character is forced to re-examine their past, and how their family relationships - and tennis! - has contributed to how they've shaped their lives. 

Apples Never Fall is an incredibly clever, twisty family drama with brilliantly drawn characters that feel very true-to-life. Liane's skill is such that whichever viewpoint I was reading, that person became my favourite character - until the next scene! If the epilogue seems longer than one would expect, keep reading for a jaw-dropping finish! I thoroughly enjoyed it. Apparently there is a TV series on the way. I can't wait!

Apples Never Fall will be published in the UK on 14th September 2021.

Thank you to Liane Moriarty and Michael Joseph (Penguin) for my copy of this book, which I received via NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

Related Posts:

Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty

Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty