Notes of Life

Author: Mary Hooper
Publisher: Bloomsbury
ISBN: 978-0-7475-9921-0

Velvet is an orphan. With nobody else to care for her, Velvet must get on with life and that means doing exhausting and back-breaking work in a steam laundry, struggling to make ends meet.

Just when she thinks she’s lost not only her parents but the very job that’s keeping her from the workhouse, Velvet’s life is turned around by Madame Savoya, a famous medium. Brought to live in a grand London house and given elegant clothes to wear, Velvet enters the mysterious world of a spiritual medium.

However, Velvet soon begins to realise that her new life and that of her new employer is not quite all that it seems. And her realisation could put her own life in danger…….

I was lucky enough to win a copy of Velvet by Mary Hooper through The History Girls blog where authors such as Mary hang out and give us some insightful blog posts. Having already read a couple of Mary’s young adult, historical fiction books and enjoyed them, I was looking forward to getting stuck into Velvet.

I’ve always found Mary Hooper’s books atmospheric and Velvet is no different. You can so easily imagine the hot and sweaty conditions of the steam laundry, the life of late Victorian London and the creepy seances. Mary Hooper certainly brings that period to life.

Velvet is a compelling read and there are a few unexpected twists and turns thoughout the story. I don’t know if it’s because it’s a book meant for a young adult audience or if it’s because of Mary Hooper’s writing, but I found Velvet an easy read and I felt the story flowed really well.

I’ve noticed that Mary Hooper likes to include one or two real-life famous characters into her books. People such as world-famous Arthur Conan Doyle (a known believer in spiritualism) and Amelia Dyer, the baby farmer appear in Velvet. The author researches her history and characters, and some interesting notes are included at the end of the book. Mary Hooper is good at balancing fact with fiction, so you’re not just getting to read good historical fiction, you’re also learning along the way too!

If you’re a fan of historical fiction or have read Mary Hooper’s books before, then I’m sure you’ll enjoy Velvet too.

Buy Velvet by Mary Hooper from The Book Depository.

Other books I’ve read by Mary Hooper:

Fallen Grace (Read my review)
Newes from the Dead (Read my review)

Mary Hooper is a British author, born in London.

This is the 26th book I’ve read for the British Books Challenge 2011.

Author: Duane Swierczynski
Publisher: Mulholland Books
ISBN: 978-1-444-70758-8

Charlie Hardie is in Hell… What else could anyone call it? He has somehow found himself in a secret underground prison, in the middle of nowhere, and in the company of criminals so dangerous the world can never know about them.

He should never have gotten in “their” way. This is his punishment, but he’s not a prisoner… He’s the warden. Charlie is told he can leave any time he wants, but it’s not that simple. If he leaves, the “death mechanism” will be activated and everyone inside will die. Everyone, including the prison guards.

But Charlie’s family is in danger and he can’t protect them if he stays. He must find a way out, at any cost.

Charlie Hardie returns in this the second installment of his thriller trilogy. As with Fun & Games (the first Charlie Hardie book – read my review), Hell & Gone is quick paced, full of suspense, action-packed and with a little humour to boot.

You just don’t know what’s going to come next in Duane Swierczynski’s Charlie Hardie books. Some of it seems to border on the insane, but then you wonder maybe it’s just bizarre enough to happy in real life!

The characters in Hell & Gone are played off against one another. Swierczynski does this so well, neither the reader or Charlie knows who or what to trust.

I can’t wait to read the final book of the trilogy (due out March 2012). Swierczynski has given us a little teaser at the end of Hell & Gone, so we get the tiniest of insights into what’s next for “Unkillable Chuck”.

As this story follows directly on from Fun & Games, I’d definitely advise reading them in order. Hell & Gone does recount some of what happened in the previous book, so it is possible to still know what’s going on without reading the first one. However, I do think the Charlie Hardy trilogy is best read in order. I’ve read trilogies where the second book isn’t quite as good as the explosive first book, but Hell & Gone pretty much lives up to the excitement of Fun & Games and I’m really looking forward to Point & Shoot, the conclusion of the Charlie Hardie trilogy.

I’d highly recommend reading Fun & Games and then diving straight into Hell & Gone. You won’t be disappointed!

Buy Fun & Games and Hell & Gone by Duane Swierczynski.

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Please note: I received this book free from Hodder & Stoughton in return for a review. However, this has in no way influenced my opinion of the book.

Author: Duane Swierczynski
Publisher: Mulholland Books
ISBN: 978-1-444-70756-4

Charlie Hardie, ex-cop turned housesitter, takes a job guarding the well-hidden house of musician Andrew Lowenbruck in LA’s Hollywood Hills. All he has to do is make sure it’s secure and doesn’t burn down while it’s owner is away. That shouldn’t be too hard, should it?

Unfortunately, things start to go downhill when Charlie discovers an unwanted guest – Lane Madden, a B-list actress claiming she’s being hunted by professional hitmen. Charlie thinks she’s just a crazy, doped up, paranoid actress. But he’s wrong and the hitmen aren’t letting anyone out alive.

Fun & Games is the first book to feature Charlie Hardie and what a great start to a trilogy it is. It’s a non-stop, pacey, action-packed thriller with a little humour injected. I could easily see this being converted into a Hollywood blockbuster. I read the whole book in just two sittings as I just couldn’t put it down due to its perpetual momentum.

I can’t wait to read what’s next for this character. Charlie Hardie is very much a 3D character – honest, flawed but pushes the boundaries. I like how he hopes this is all a dream and he’ll wake up on the sofa in front of the TV with a beer in his hand. Unfortunately, life isn’t that easy!

Fun & Games is all about survival and Charlie Hardie is perhaps the ultimate survivor, though he really is on the edge.

A highly recommended read!

I have to thank Milo from Milo’s Rambles for recommending this book to me, and Hodder & Stoughton for sending me a copy to review. I thoroughly enjoyed it and look forward to reading the second Charlie Hardie thriller, Hell & Gone (which I already have here waiting to be read!).

Buy Fun & Games by Duane Swierczynski.

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Please note: I received this book free from Hodder & Stoughton in return for a review. However, this has in no way influenced my opinion of the book.

Author: John Rector
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
ISBN: 978-1-84983-068-3

After reading (and thoroughly enjoying) John Rector’s Already Gone last month, it was recommended that I also read Cold Kiss by the same author…

Nate & Sara want to escape their past and start a new life together, but with little money it’s not going to be easy. When the pair come across a man in need of a lift and offering money… a lot of money… the pair can’t afford to say no. They soon wish they had as the decision could cost far greater than what he gave them, it could cost them their lives.

Told from Nate’s perspective, Cold Kiss is a menacing, psychological thriller and a gritty tale of trusting your instincts and learning that each decision made has consequences. I’ve come across the hitchhiker storyline before, but John Rector has done a good job of it and the result is a great thriller that stands out on its own.

Cold Kiss is full of tension which winds tighter as the book progresses. Even at the start you get the feeling things aren’t going to go quite to plan for the young couple, but you don’t fully expect just how bad it will get for them. This is a compelling page-turner and one you won’t want to put down until the very end (and at just over 260 pages it’s a quick read!). In fact, I found the story so gripping that I’ve creased the back cover of the book!

If you like a good thriller then give John Rector and Cold Kiss a go, you won’t be disappointed!

Buy Cold Kiss by John Rector.

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Please note: I received this book free from Simon & Schuster UK in return for a review. However, this has in no way influenced my opinion of the book.

Author: Daniel Polansky
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
ISBN: 978-1-444-72129-4

Welcome to Low Town.

Here, the criminal is king. The streets are filled with the screeching of fish hags, the cries of swindled merchants, the inviting murmurs of working girls. Here, people can disappear, and the lacklustre efforts of the guard ensure they are never found.

Warden is an ex-soldier who has seen the worst men have to offer; now a narcotics dealer with a rich, bloody past and a way of inviting danger. You’d struggle to find someone with a soul as dark and troubled as his.

But then a missing child, murdered and horribly mutilated, is discovered in an alley.

And then another.

With a mind as sharp as a blade and an old but powerful friend in the city, he’s the only man with a hope of finding the killer.

If the killer doesn’t find him first.

The Straight Razor Cure is a thrilling crime novel with more than an edge of fantasy. It’s edgy and dark with characters showing real presence. The main character, Warden (who’s perspective the story is told from), isn’t a man to trifle with. He’s a drug dealer, ex-soldier and former agent, but he’s got a heart and that’s what sets him on a mission to investigate when he comes across missing girl murdered in a street.

Low Town, the setting, is dark and grim. It’s an apt name for a place full of low-lifes, criminals and poverty. Polansky’s words make it easy to imagine being there, seeing through Wardens eyes.

I was totally surprised to learn that The Straight Razor Cure is Polansky’s debut novel. It feels like it’s been written with complete confidence and I had expected the author to already have a number of novels under his belt. Polansky’s writing style drew me into the story and had me gripped from the very first chapter right until the final page. While it is quite dark in places, Polansky injects some wit and humour in places and I did find myself smiling at times.

I’m very much hoping, at the very least, there will be a sequel to The Straight Razor Cure, if not the beginnings of a series. I’ve come to know Warden and his acquaintances very well and would enjoy reading what’s next for them.

I’d definitely recommend The Straight Razor Cure to those who enjoy crime thrillers and fantasy. Daniel Polansky has a new fan here and I look forward to my next visit to Warden and Low Town.

Buy Low Town: The Straight Razor Cure by Daniel Polansky.

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Please note: I received this book free from Hodder & Stoughton in return for a review. However, this has in no way influenced my opinion of the book.