Three Wishes by Liane Moriarty: terrific comedy thriller

They say trouble always comes in threes. . .

For sisters Lyn, Cat and Gemma Kettle, the year they turn thirty-three is no exception.

Sensible Lyn is struggling to balance being a mother, wife and businesswoman without losing her mind. Cat, whose perfect marriage is the envy of all her friends, never suspects that her husband has been hiding a secret that will tear her life apart. Directionless Gemma changes jobs and boyfriends every few months and has just met a new man who could be the one to unlock her hidden past.

Through everything, the bonds of the sisters are strong enough to withstand whatever life throws at them. That is until the night of their thirty-fourth birthday dinner, when home truths are revealed and things are said that can't be taken back . . .

My mini review:

A great book with an excellent understanding of the tugs of love and hate that run through families and which are both appalling and highly amusing. The relationship between the triplets, Lyn, Cat and Gemma is excellent and I loved all three of them - both together and apart. They all had fabulous stories to tell, and the plot lines were gripping.

The only place I felt let down was the career resolution for Cat which is now so cliched (and totally unrealistic ...) that it makes my skin itch - another career should have been found and surely wouldn't have been too hard to do! Otherwise, a great 4-star read.

Anne Brooke Books

Apple Tree Yard by Louise Doughty: first-class psychological thriller

Yvonne Carmichael sits in the witness box. The charge is murder. Before all of this, she was happily married, a successful scientist, a mother of two. Now she's a suspect, squirming under fluorescent lights and the penetrating gaze of the alleged accomplice who's sitting across from her, watching: a man who's also her lover. As Yvonne faces hostile questioning, she must piece together the story of her affair with this unnamed figure who has charmed and haunted her. 

This is a tale of sexual intrigue, ruthless urges, and danger, which has blindsided her from a seemingly innocuous angle. Here in the courtroom, everything hinges on one night in a dark alley called Apple Tree Yard. 

Review:

It's a very different book from the recent TV series (which I also loved). This is far darker and more dangerous and deeper, and I much prefer it! I enjoyed the fact that the main character, Yvonne, is neither particularly likeable, nor particularly honest, but her voice is just so strong that she becomes an absolutely gripping character and I couldn't put the book down.

The writing is both detailed and precisely fitted both to the characterisation and the flow of the story which makes for a first-class read. Doughty is now on my reading list and I will definitely be getting more of her books.

Anne Brooke Books

Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult: no 'Mockingbird" alas ...

When a newborn baby dies after a routine hospital procedure, there is no doubt about who will be held responsible: the nurse who had been banned from looking after him by his father. 

What the nurse Ruth, her lawyer Kennedy, and Turk the father of the child cannot know is how this death will irrevocably change all of their lives, in ways both expected and not.

My review:

On the whole, this book is a disappointment especially as usually I really love Picoult's books. This is definitely not her best and not even her most far-reaching work. The trouble is that the author has been so taken up by the nobility of her cause (campaigning against racism) that she has forgotten to write a novel. Most of the first three-quarters of the book could have been better expressed by means of non-fiction, and I felt that the material was being forced into a novelistic form which it definitely did not fit. As a result, Ruth is very dull and irritating and needs a good shaking every now and again - she repeats herself constantly and I ended up skipping her sections in order to read the sections on Turk or Kennedy, which were better written by far.

It's a great relief when the court scenes finally arrive in the last quarter of the book, and Picoult actually starts writing the novel rather than beating us over our heads with her cause. From then on in, I enjoyed the story, and it raced through to the dramatic (and, yes, a wee bit laughable) end. Ruth of course remains unbearably smug, but I loved the way things turn out for Turk. He at least is a great character.

I hope Picoult will remember to let the story and the characters (not the cause, please!) take centre stage for her next novel - a return to form would be appreciated!

Anne Brooke Books

The Girl You Lost by Kathryn Croft: psychological page-turner

Eighteen years ago, Simone Porter’s six-month-old daughter, Helena, was abducted. Simone and husband, Matt, have slowly rebuilt their shattered lives, but the pain at losing their child has never left them. Then a young woman, Grace, appears out of the blue and tells Simone she has information about her stolen baby. But just who is Grace – and can Simone trust her?

When Grace herself disappears, Simone becomes embroiled in a desperate search for her baby and the woman who has vital clues about her whereabouts. Simone is inching closer to the truth but it’ll take her into dangerous and disturbing territory. 

My review:

A good page-turning read and I very much liked the main character, Simone. However, as other reviews have said, there are so many books like this now that the 'female in jeopardy' novel is probably rather old-fashioned. Also, I worked out the twist a third of the way through so the ending was no surprise, and on a really picky note, I don't think you can draw blood from trying to stab someone with car keys but I'm not prepared to put this to the test, LOL!

However, still a good quick read and I will probably try this author again.

Anne Brooke Books

The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh: a poetic and powerful story

The Victorian language of flowers was used to express emotions: honeysuckle for devotion, azaleas for passion, and red roses for love. But for Victoria Jones, it has been more useful in communicating feelings like grief, mistrust and solitude. After a childhood spent in the foster care system, she is unable to get close to anybody, and her only connection to the world is through flowers and their meanings.

Now eighteen, Victoria has nowhere to go, and sleeps in a public park, where she plants a small garden of her own. When her talent is discovered by a local florist, she discovers her gift for helping others through the flowers she chooses for them. But it takes meeting a mysterious vendor at the flower market for her to realise what's been missing in her own life, and as she starts to fall for him, she's forced to confront a painful secret from her past, and decide whether it's worth risking everything for a second chance at happiness.

The Language of Flowers is a heartbreaking and redemptive novel from author Vanessa Diffenbaugh, about the meaning of flowers, the meaning of family, and the meaning of love.

My review:

This is a powerful and poetic story about a young woman trying to find her place in life. Victoria's relationship with flowers is a fabulous metaphor for how she sees the world and the people in it. The exquisite prose and the sympathetic main character drive the story along and the time-shift scenes between then and now are superbly done. The only reason it didn't get 5 stars was because I thought the ending was too weak and it was too obvious that a lesson was being learnt - whereas I'd have preferred the character's fantastic voice to remain as gripping as it had been up until the final chapter. Still, a great novel and I shall look out for more from this author.

Anne Brooke

The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty: fabulous and gripping read

This is a brilliant piece of women's fiction and I absolutely loved it. I've not read any Moriarty's novels before but once I started this one I couldn't put it down. Yes, the time between Cecilia discovering THAT letter and actually opening it might be a tad too long for my taste, but I kept on reading, particularly because I was getting to know the other characters well too. There are some wonderful twists and turns in this book, and it includes moments of comedy and moments of great sadness.

The contrast between the terrible tragedy from the past and how people simply have to keep living their lives and dealing with all the hundred and one everyday situations which keep cropping up is excellently described, and I really felt for all the characters. In fact I was thinking about this book and the people in it even when I wasn't reading it - which in my view is always the mark of a great novel. Other things I enjoyed were the voice of Janie (the deceased daughter) and how her story weaves in and out of the present day crises. How the situation is understood and resolved by all the characters is both gripping and moving, and the section at the end where we see onward into people's lives and how characters have turned out is simply wonderful and I very much appreciated this unexpected epilogue.

Yes, this book is very good indeed and I highly recommend it. I'm looking forward to my next Moriarty novel already.

Anne Brooke Books

Mrs Palfrey at the Claremont by Elizabeth Taylor: a bleak but incisive novel

A subtly written book that’s very sharp about human nature. I was however hoping for something more light-hearted and vibrant, but those sections were few and far between. The picture of advancing age, vulnerability and approaching death, as well as the small but significant betrayals of family and friends, is essentially a grim one. It left me feeling very bleak.

3 out of 5 stars

Anne Brooke Books

The Quality of Silence by Rosamund Lupton: a wasted opportunity

The story is rather too full of cliche for me - 'woman in jeopardy', and partial 'environmental thriller' were both just a little dull here. The journey across the snow was also far too long and uninteresting and I did a lot of skipping. That said, Ruby (the daughter) has a very strong voice and is by far the most interesting character in the book. I particularly liked how Ruby describes words by taste and smell. The sign language is also well used as a key part of the plot.

I also enjoyed the mother/daughter relationship and tensions, but Matt (the father) was just far too flat and really very annoying. He appears directly in the book at far too late a stage, and then launches into a huge section of 'info dumping' concerning what exactly has gone on, which is very amateur. It would have been better if Matt could have had sections earlier so we discover things in the same timeframe as he does - this would have been far more exciting.

In general, this book could easily have been cut by a third, and I suspect the film will be far better than the novel. That said, the final scenes of drama are fun (though anything would be good after that dull trawl through the snow!), and the ending surprisingly delicate.

Anne Brooke Books

Book Lover by Jennifer Kaufman & Karen Mack: a slow-burning literary romance

An unusual book and one I really rather enjoyed, in no small measure for its difference from any other women's fiction/romance book I've read recently.

Dora is obsessed with books and uses them to both hide from and try to make sense of her rapidly disintegrating life. I found it hard to get into the book and the character at first, partly due to the sheer numbers of literary allusions in the beginning - but something sparky in the story kept me going and I'm very glad I did.

After a while, I warmed to Dora and was very glad when things began (slowly!) to turn round for her. Her relationship with her ex, Palmer, is absolutely charming, and I loved him. In the course of the novel, Dora grows and begins to deal with friends and family more effectively, and I was really rooting for her by the time the story ended. The ending is almost perfect, although - being me! - I would have preferred a wee bit more emotion in those closing pages but, on the other hand, the subtlety works very well.

So good stuff and a book I recommend.

Anne Brooke Books

Past Secrets by Cathy Kelly: no real secrets at all ...

Behind the shining windows and rose-decked gardens of Summer Street, single mother Faye hides a secret from her teenage daughter Amber. Whilst thirty-three year old Maggie hides one from herself. When fiery Amber decides to throw away her future for love, and Maggie finds herself back home looking after her sick mother, secrets begin to bubble over. The only person on Summer Street who appears to know all the answers is Chrissie Devlin. Wise and kind, she can see into other people's hearts to solve their problems. Except that this time she has secrets of her own to face …

This all started out very well indeed and I was instantly hooked on Chrissie and her gift of sight, uptight Faye and betrayed Maggie. At the beginning of this book, I loved them all and couldn't get enough of them, to be honest. Heck I even liked teenage daughter Amber and that, for me, is a very hard sell.

So, a strange kind of kudos to the author then for somehow taking that very strong beginning and tearing the whole thing into tiny pieces. It all starts to go wrong about halfway through when we start finding out those deep dark secrets - and they turn out to be either (a) super-cliched or (b) no kind of decent secret at all.

I mean Faye's secret is a naughty night out with her callow would-be rocker boyfriend when she gets pregnant with Amber, and then flings herself into a self-imposed Pit of Shame, which means she can never talk about the whole thing and believes she's some kind of slapper. Really???! To me, as an Essex Gal, that just seems like a decent night out, after which we all have a laugh with our girlfriends and move on. I couldn't honestly believe Faye would change her whole personality and style so she makes herself unattractive to men for the next eighteen years, and even makes up a marriage and dead husband to put Amber off the scent. It's totally ridiculous.

Not, however, as ridiculous as Maggie, with whom I lost sympathy when she bounces back from her doomed love affair and meets another more suitable man within about a minute or so. Honestly??? That whole scenario was just laughable, again, and so slushy it made my teeth itch. I also thought her way of getting over being a victim of bullying at school was simply unbelievable, on all counts.

Nor indeed as ridiculous as the whole Amber plot: Amber ditches taking her exams and her plans to be an artist, and runs off to America with her would-be rocker boyfriend - yes, this is exactly the same type of man as her mother had all the trauma about, so doesn't Ms Kelly know any other kind of Bad Boy? Do they all have to be would-be rockers? How I long for some sweet young heroine to run off with a man who wants to be an accountant and plays cricket for his local village team, but alas I fear I might be waiting a while …. Anyway, Amber soon realises her man is hopeless and leaves him - but not before some passing stranger in the States has offered her a fortune as he loves her artwork (on the strength of one scribbled picture at a party!) and longs above all things to sponsor her talent. Major Unreality Alert!! Is the author playing a trick on us? This one made me laugh out loud this time, and groan too. And yes, in the end, Amber comes home and it's all marvellous and perfect, etc etc. Yawn …

All this ridiculous plotting would have been just about acceptable, almost, but what really made me angry as a reader was the way Chrissie is held up as a shining example of goodness and yet finally tells her poor husband James about her long-ago infidelity in the most cruel and heartless way I can ever imagine anyone giving that kind of news to their spouse. It's not Chrissie's infidelity I had a real problem with (though it is of course hugely cliched again …) but how cold and downright nasty her way of confessing it actually is. I found that scene very shocking, and I really wanted to give her a huge slap and tell her to grow up. I was glad when James walked out - he could definitely get someone a whole lot nicer. However, of course, eventually he comes back and says it doesn't really matter. Um, again, no. That's not how betrayal works in real life - the way back is never this easy.

The only characters who kept my sympathy throughout and who were really worth any attention were the lovely Shona (a friend of Maggie's) and her husband Paul - now they were a class act, very witty and wonderful together, and I wish the book had been about them.

However, all in all, I was relieved to get to the end of all this nonsense. Overall, it's a mismanaged and mis-written book, in which a strong start is sadly and comprehensibly ruined.

Verdict: 2 stars. Disappointing and frustrating.

Anne Brooke Books
Gay Reads UK
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Happily Ever After by Harriet Evans: Decent Plot with a Too Dim Heroine

This is a story of a girl who doesn’t believe in happy endings. Or happy families. It’s the story of Eleanor Bee, a shy book-loving girl who vows to turn herself into someone bright, shiny and confident, someone sophisticated. Someone who knows how life works. But life has a funny way of catching us unawares. Turns out that Elle doesn’t know everything about love. Or life. Or how to keep the ones we love safe …

I started off actually liking this well enough, as the set-up was very powerful. I particularly enjoyed Elle’s difficult relationship with her brother – that scene at the start when they’re children is simply brilliant. Sadly, we don’t stay in this childhood moment as we’re quickly tumbled into Elle as a young woman trying to make her way in the publishing world.

Entirely due to the great start, I was prepared to give Elle the benefit of the doubt and kept my determination going for a good 100 pages or so. Gradually it dawned on me that, no matter how much I tried to deny it as a reader, Elle is simply a doormat, and a dull one to boot. Sorry, but she just is. Yes, I know she’s a borderline alcoholic with an alcoholic mother, and surely medically depressed, but every time there’s a crisis she simply just keels over and agrees with whoever the strongest person in any particular scene is. I have to say it’s never her. If you want interesting depressive and/or alcoholic women in your fiction, you’re better off with Marian Keyes. However, there was one moment when I got rather excited because Elle was about to launch into a very justified row with her bitchy boss, but the moment said boss challenges her, Ellie gives in and just agrees. Sigh …

There’s also an allegedly torrid affair between her and another boss, Rory, whom she’s obsessive about but really I just didn’t believe anyone would be interested enough in her to bother. That goes for the on-off relationship with an ex-colleague too – and the moment when she realises (no serious spoilers here) that he’s fathered a child by someone else has to be one of the great clichés of romantic fiction – so clichéd that I couldn’t help but laugh uproariously. Sorry …

Then the storyline jumps again and we’re a few years on and she’s living and working in New York. Sadly she’s not any more interesting than she was in the UK and for the rest of the book, I did even more sighing. The relationships she has with the two possible men she’s supposed to be with are worryingly unrealistic, and indeed neither man is very nice or even interesting. As a result, the ending is nonsensical. Or would have been if I’d cared enough about what happens to her. If the novel had lost 150 pages or so, it might have been better as Elle wouldn’t have been so intensely boring and irritating. That said, the book covers she’s responsible for in her publishing job sound nice – maybe these pictures should have been included in the novel as they would certainly have been more riveting than our heroine. Oh well.

Verdict: 2 stars. Decent enough plot, but a too dim and unlikeable heroine

Anne Brooke Books

Gay Reads UK

The Gathandrian Fantasy Trilogy

How Will I Know? by Sheila O'Flanagan: a welcome outstayed

This is a prime example of a book that rather outstays its welcome. I enjoyed the story of how Claire picks her life up again three years after the sudden and tragic death of her husband, but it didn’t particularly grip me, and it went on for too long in the end. The loss of 100 pages or so would have made it a sharper and more interesting novel. And losing those pages would have meant the badly written and unbelievable scene in the art gallery would thankfully have vanished …

That said, it’s a light and easy read, though it’s certainly not top notch O’Flanagan. She’s written better stories. The problems for me were the rather irritating perfection of the dead husband, as I simply didn’t believe they were soulmates from the age of 14 and our heroine never needed to explain things to him as he was so in tune with her. Harrumph! It all sounds very unlikely to me. I also didn’t really get any spark between the heroine and her new potential boyfriend. Yes, they get together in the end (after a fashion), as you’d expect in a romance novel, but I wasn’t that bothered about them.

I was far more gripped by the story of Eavan, the best friend, and her husband, and how they deal with living with alcoholism and redundancy. It was far more interesting, and with a better plot line. I also loved Claire's daughter, Georgia, and felt she deserved her own stand-alone novel for sure. The scene where she’s far more aware of dating etiquette than her mother was expertly done.

So, all in all, not vintage O’Flanagan but, as I say, it’s easy reading.

Verdict: 3 stars. A welcome outstayed.

Anne Brooke Books

Gay Reads UK

The Gathandrian Fantasy Trilogy (gay themed)