Some Reading Highlights from Flaxmere Book Chat

A great mix of trusted favourites and new authors made the table at Flaxmere Library Book Chat last week. Click on the titles for a link to the catalogue records.

Mitch Albom is always popular at Book Chat and his new book, The Little Liar, is another inspiring read. Set during WWII, and the invasion of Slavonika by the Nazis, it follows eleven-year-old Niko who is persuaded to convince his fellow Jewish neighbours to board trains heading for the east, with the promise that his family will be spared. Nico’s story is interwoven with other stories of those affected by his actions. An amazing war story that also considers the redemptive power of love.

The Skeleton Man by Jim Kelly is set in Jude’s Ferry, Cambridgeshire, a hamlet requisitioned by the government for army manoeuvres. Journalist Philip Dryden is on a Territorial Army exercise when a shell hits an old pub, revealing a body in the cellar. Add a mysterious stranger who has lost his memory and you’ve got the makings of a terrific crime novel, which as it happens is based on a true story.

The Lie of the Land by Amanda Craig follows the story of Quentin and Lottie Bredin, once prosperous Londoners, but now unable to afford the divorce they’re desperate for. They decamp with their children to Devon renting an old farmhouse, unaware that a headless body was found there not long before. A wryly humorous read that looks at relationships between couples, between city and rural life, between locals and incomers, with a mystery thrown in.

Wild Fire by Ann Cleeves is the last of the Shetland series featuring island police detective, Jimmy Perez. The story follows an English family who move into the area to give their autistic son a better life. But when his nanny is found dead in their barn, rumours emerge about her affair with the boy’s father. It’s a disturbing case, but our reader really enjoyed how it brought a sense of closure to the series and reckons of all the Ann Cleeves novels she’s read, this was the best.

The Wakes is by debut Australian novelist Diane Yarwood. It’s about Clare, who’s newly separated and stuck at home when she is befriended by Louisa, her new neighbour. Louisa persuades Clare to join her in a fledging funeral catering service. They also meet Chris, also suddenly on his own, an ER doctor meeting the women at a patient’s funeral. All three have some issues to work through while the story shows, with both wit and charm, how precious life is.

The Secret Book and Scone Society is the first of a series by prolific cosy mystery author, Ellery Adams. We’re in a Miracle Springs, North Carolina where Nora Pennington can select the perfect novel from her bookshop to ease a customer’s pain. There are also scones involved. When a visiting businessman who has an appointment with Nora is found dead in unexplained circumstances, Nora is concerned. She and her group of friends form a Secret Book and Scone Society and set about investigating.

When She Was Good by Michael Robotham is the second in a mystery series featuring Cyrus Haven, a police psychologist. He has been trying to uncover the origins of young Evie, discovered by police years before, hiding in a decrepit London house where a body was found. Now, she’s a teenager, his seeking for answers could put her in danger. Our reader loved the clever story but particularly enjoyed the character of Evie who is quick witted and lively.

Another mystery series we’ve enjoyed before is the Elena Standish spy series by Anne Perry, set in the 1930s. The Traitor Among Us has Elena investigating the murder of a fellow MI6 agent near Wyndham Hall, the country estate of an influential family. There’s an alleged connection between the Wyndhams and the fascist movement, a complicated situation as Elena’s sister is courting Lady Wyndham’s brother. So a story full of conflict in more ways than one. Also an excellent read.

The mysteries are coming thick and fast, with another crime novel, this time set in rural Australia. Seven is by Chris Hammer and is the third Detective Buchanan novel. It concerns seven founding families which have become rich and powerful at the expense of others, through their careful harnessing of local water for their farms. When one of their number is found dead in a ditch, Nell Buchanan and Ivan Lucic are sent to investigate. The story goes back to secrets during the year before WWI – another brilliant Aussie Noir read.

The Couple in the Photo by Helen Cooper is a psychological thriller about two couples who are so close they’re like family. However Lucy becomes shocked when she discovers her friend’s husband in a colleague’s honeymoon photos, in a clinch with another woman. And more suspicious when the woman in the photo disappears. What is Scott hiding? Lucy is one of those obsessive characters who can’t stop digging, which both makes her annoying and powers the story along.

The lllusions by Liz Hyder is, according to the cover, a book about women and talent, magic and power. Set in Bristol in 1896, we’ve got Eadie, a pioneering early filmmaker no one takes seriously; George, a brilliant young magician; and Cecily, the assistant to a recently deceased con artist. In the background, a group of illusionists are gathering for a grand spectacle. This is a brilliant and original historical read.

Rounding off with another wartime read we have The Novelist from Berlin by V S Alexander. The story is inspired by the life of Irmgard Keun, a female novelist who fell foul of the Nazi regime. Our main character, Niki Rittenhaus makes a convenient marriage to a film producer, but pressure to make propaganda movies causes conflict. Horrified, Niki begins to write. Her first book is a success, but fearing for her life, she flees Germany, getting involved in the resistance movement in Amsterdam. Our reader found a novel about the war from a German point of view to be a breath of fresh air. An engrossing read.

8 March 2024

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