The latest book in the Hartford Manor series

I began reading the Hartford Manor books with Betsy, which is actually the prequel to the series. It was, in some senses, a harrowing story of a hard and difficult childhood, set against a background of the Devon countryside in the 1800s. In that book, Marcia Clayton brought to life a host of characters, with their own dreams, fears and domestic dramas, all of whom have grown organically in the ensuing books. 
In Annie’s Secret, two shocking incidents from the past come together to threaten the hitherto happy marriage of Annie and Robert Fellwood. I will not detail these incidents as it may spoil these wonderful stories for new readers. Suffice to say, Annie is beset by doubts and resentment as Robert, engrossed with his own secrets and torn by divided loyalties, fails to support her. It’s an expertly teased out story, enhanced by the hustle and bustle of life surrounding the main characters. If you have not yet discovered the Hartford Manor series, I would urge you to check them out. You have many enjoyable hours of reading ahead of you  and more than a few surprises along the way.

Difficult, confusing and fascinating

Medusa’s Musings is a mix of stream-of-consciousness, philosophical debate, an edgy feminism and a sarky petulance. I have only a sketchy knowledge of Greek and Roman mythology and always thought of Medusa as a witch with snakes in her head who turned men to stone with the flick of her eyelashes. In this book, Medusa puts the record straight although, with all due respect, she should be considered as an unreliable narrator in places! 
I do admire the way in which Caroline Hurry has not only deconstructed the myth but used Medusa’s sufferings (and they were many) as a conduit to the modern world. I found it a difficult, disturbing and amusing book but, above all, utterly fascinating. I know I will return to it many times, finding something new to ;muse’ on each time.

Burning bridges

I like poetry but, if I’m honest, I only have a passing interest in it. Every now and then, though, a piece of work will take my interest and I acquire a new favourite author. One such is Rudy Francisco, a spoken word poet and writer from San Diego. Of all his work, this is my favourite.

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Sneak Peek at first pages

Burden of Freedom : the third book in the
Ashes on the Tongue trilogy

FAMILIES STEEPED IN CRUELTY AND BETRAYAL
A COUNTRY TORN BY SECTARIANISM

Fen Crozier is living in Belfast, homeless and a fugitive from justice. On the last day of 1957, her father, Victor, is hanged for the murders of a Catholic priest and an Orangewoman. Fen herself is not completely free from guilt in the murderous rampage that tore her life apart in the last year. 
She risks arrest by visiting the Crumlin Road Gaol on the morning of Victor’s hanging. There, she is approached by Geordie Maguire, who claims to be her half brother and tells her she also has a grandfather, Alfred Crozier.
Drawn into the troubled dynamics of this new branch of her family, Fen agrees to return to Greycastle at the behest of Alfred. There, she is forced to flee from the hostility and threats of her one-time neighbours, exposing her to danger from both the officers of the RUC and old enemies from the IRA.
Not knowing who to trust and growing ever more isolated, Fen must find enough inner strength to escape a situation that threatens not only her fragile state of mind but her very life.

A well-plotted character study

You know those family parties you look forward to, anticipating the conversations and conviviality with family and friends – the ones that start off with everybody in a great mood, just enjoying drinks ad ‘catching up’. Then the cracks begin to appear, maybe just a little uneasiness and, before you know it, the murky past you thought you’d papered over is rearing its ugly head. And you’re not the only one. There are others whose lives interact with yours and there are consequences as the veneer of civilised behaviour is slowly and inexorably cracked wide open.
The Guilty Party is not merely a well plotted, tricky novel but a masterclass in character study, a hallmark of Laura Lyndhurst’s work, as constant readers will know. Multiple points of view are woven ever more closely together until the ending, which you will not see coming. Take your time reading this one to fully savour the richness of the writing and ponder hidden motivations as you go.
Recommended writing for the discerning reader.

Burden of Freedom: Launch Day

Now available on Amazon as eBook, paperback, hardback and on KU

Fen Crozier is living in Belfast, homeless and a fugitive from justice. On the last day of 1957, her father, Victor, is hanged for the murders of a Catholic priest and an Orangewoman. Fen herself is not completely free from guilt in the murderous rampage that tore her life apart in the last year.

She risks arrest by visiting the Crumlin Road Gaol on the morning of Victor’s hanging. There, she is approached by Geordie Maguire, who claims to be her half brother and tells her she also has a grandfather, Alfred Crozier.

Drawn into the troubled dynamics of this new branch of her family, Fen agrees to return to Greycastle at the behest of Alfred. There, she is forced to flee from the hostility and threats of her one-time neighbours, exposing her to danger from both the officers of the RUC and old enemies from the IRA.

Not knowing who to trust and growing ever more isolated, Fen must find enough inner strength to escape a situation that threatens not only her fragile state of mind but her very life.

It’s payback time …

Forever Nigh: Circles of Confusion II

Jilly Graham has buried the terrible events of the past at the back of her mind. She doesn’t feel guilt or remorse because she doesn’t allow herself to think about the night someone died because of her desire for revenge.

Nothing stays hidden forever, though, and when Leon arrives at her door, seeking help to find his mother, Tina, who has been missing for many years, she’s plunged back into a world of betrayal, lies and fear and forced to confront her own culpability in past events.  

With old memories awakened and not knowing who she can trust, Jilly searches for Tina, hoping to reunite all three of them and lay past sins to rest. But nothing can prepare her for the explosive revelation that lies ahead and the danger it brings with it. 

Circles of Confusion
Forever Night: Circles of Confusion II
JJ Grafton

Toes in the sand …

THERE’S A BODY IN MAX DE PAULEY’S GRAVE …
BUT IT’S NOT HIS

Max de Pauley is dead, seventeen days shy of his eightieth birthday. He is survived by his lifelong partner, Martha Sunday, also nearly eighty. They were bound together, not by a mutual love and compassion, but by events of nearly sixty years ago which meant they could never leave one another. Now, all Martha wants to do is have him buried, along with his guilty secret. But there’s a problem.

Charlie Fox is dead, floating face-down in Max’s water-filled grave. Just a few short days ago, he’d been on top of the world, believing all his dreams were about to be fulfilled and he’d finally be somebody. No longer merely Pandora Fox, a drag queen eking out an existence in a sleazy Bottomless Brunch, but a man of substance, a property owner. But now, here he is in a sodden gown with the six-inch heels of his Louboutins pointing towards the rain-soaked sky.

The police investigation into Charlie Fox’s death leads to Martha’s door. Forced to think on her feet, she struggles to keep a grip on reality as she weaves a web of lies. Can she hold her nerve or will she crumble in the face of seemingly insurmountable pressure?  

The Lives and Deaths of Max de Pauley
JJ Grafton

Picture this …

Today, I’ve been amusing myself by making advertisements for some of my books. I love messing about in Photoshop and, at one time, I would have been using my own photographs as backgrounds but macular degeneration put paid to that so, nowadays, I’ve made friends with Getty Images instead. Anyway, these are the results of today’s labours.
On the left, we have an attractive lady relaxing on the beach, reading Circles of Confusion, the first to feature Jilly, a photographer; Tina, a sex worker; and Tina’s pain-in-the-ass son, Leon. It’s a sordid little tale to be honest which explores themes of prostitution, domestic abuse and brutal revenge. Jilly, Tina and Leon pop up again in Forever Night: Circles of Confusion II and there’s a third book in the offing called Sylvie’s Story, which delves more deeply in Jilly’s past and her relationship with her mother.

The Live and Deaths of Max de Pauley (centre picture) takes us into the world of drag queens and is written over two timelines, one of which stretches back to the 1950s. It begins and ends with a death and in between you’ll find a very twisted story involving, murder, betrayal and deception. It has a rich cast of characters, not many of them likeable and all with an axe of their own to grind. Maybe one day I’ll go back and re-visit this dark world. Or maybe they’re best left where they are.
Just to prove that not everything that comes from my grasshopper mind is doom and gloom, Albert’s Garden: A Binky Earle Cosy Mystery (pictured right) has a heroine who is a lady of a certain age, a little irritable and more than a little opinionated. Binky likes a glass of chilled white wine and loves her Siamese cat, Phoebe-cat. She lives in a sleepy village called Lesser Puddlestone and, when the ladies of her knitting circle are suspected of murder, Binky takes it as a personal affront. She and Phoebe-cat set out to exonerate them, not quite prepared for the well-hidden secrets they will uncover.