Shadows in the Night by Jane Finnis

 review by Maryom

Aurelia Marcella is the innkeeper at the Oak Tree Mansio on the main Roman road, 15 miles outside Eburacum. It's 50 years since the Romans invaded Britannia and things are normally peaceful and quiet - until a series of murders changes all that. All the victims were travelling on the Roman roads and a message left with the bodies saying ALL ROMANS WILL BE KILLED GET OUT OR DIE. It seems that a rebellion may be growing, led by the mysterious masked figure - the Shadow of Death.

The story is told in the first person as a supposedly official report from Aurelia to the Governor of Britannia. It must be the strangest report he's ever read -it's gossipy and chatty and full of asides! Perhaps because of this I found it really hard to get into this story and by the time I had, I'd guessed the bad guy and was just waiting for events to be wound up.

It gives an insight into Roman settlers in Britain, trying to make a living on the outer edge of the Empire, and the Britons acquiring Roman ways and manners, but in this first book of a series many are only 2 dimensional characters - I expect they'll re-appear and be more 'fleshed out' in later stories.

Maryom's review - 3 stars
Publisher - Head Of Zeus
Genre - historical fiction

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At the Dying of the Year by Chris Nickson

Review by The Mole

"Leeds, 1733. Three children are found dead in a disused bell pit, their bodies battered and bruised, each of them stabbed through the heart. Fear, suspicion and violence tear at the city as Richard Nottingham, John Sedgwick and Rob Lister hunt a ruthless child-killer. The Constable is certain he knows who's behind the murders, but his efforts to bring the killer to justice brings a blow that strikes right at his own heart."

Nottingham has only just returned to work after serious injury and is still very frail but he must also face the added frustration of class and wealth causing credibility issues with witnesses as he struggles to get the proof necessary to try the people he believes to be the culprits.

Although there are four previous Richard Nottingham stories, this is the first I have read. I found it to be extremely entertaining and I felt Nottingham's frustrations as Nickson portrays them so graphically. And when the end of the book comes all too quickly around, I have to admit that I did not like the ending. It certainly wasn't what I expected but Nickson carries it off very well and I found myself frustratedly accepting the ending he wrote.

It is not a 'whodunnit' but a crime thriller and one that really does thrill. I shall certainly be looking out for more from Nottingham and his crew - hopefully with a new mayor as I didn't like him one bit **nasty man**.

Genre: Adult Historical Crime Thriller
Publisher: Creme de la Crime

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I Am Forbidden by Anouk Markovits

review by Maryom

" I Am Forbidden is a powerful portrayal of family, faith and history which sweeps the reader across continents and generations, from pre-war Transylvania to present-day New York, via Paris and England. Immersive, beautiful, moving, it explores in devastating detail what happens when unwavering love, unyielding law and centuries of tradition collide."

Josef and Mila are both orphaned when their families are killed by Romanian Iron Guard during WW2. They find shelter and an adoptive family with the Sterns, members of an ultra-orthodox sect of Hasidic Jews saved from the Holocaust by an accident of geography and bureaucracy. The system of rules and restrictions that the Sterns live by form the backdrop to the story of these orphans and their own daughter Atara, as they grow to adulthood. Mila and Atara are the same age and the two become very close, but as they grow older their attitude towards the strict rules by which they live differs. Mila takes comfort from the rules and regulations governing her life; Atara fights them, always wanting to know and do things that are forbidden to women.

I'm not sure this is a book I'd have picked up at random from a bookstore or library shelf - but discovering something outside the norm is one of the wonderful things about reviewing books. It was a little difficult to get into the book at first but as the story unfolded I was drawn into it.
I Am Forbidden gives a fascinating glimpse into a culture so very far removed from my own that I can't believe I'd tolerate it for a minute - or that its adherents would tolerate me! It portrays a society in which women have an extraordinarily passive role and are expected merely to keep house and raise children - to never enquire too much about either the strictures and meaning of their own religion or of the happenings and ideas from the outside world. It isn't only women's actions that are controlled in this manner - there are rules surrounding everything from behaviour on the Sabbath to when sex is permitted.
At the heart of the novel is the clash between very intense religious beliefs and personal desires - and the devastating fallout it brings. I liked that attitudes didn't fall easily into for and against groups but were as numerous and individual as the characters concerned. Markovits manages to bring sympathy and understanding to both sides of the question.
A good read if you're looking for something different and thought-provoking.

Maryom's review - 4 stars
Publisher - Vintage
Genre - Adult Literary Fiction

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Nananette and The Wreckers by Tania Bramley

Review by The Mole

Having rescued Nananette from the Doldrums (Nananette and the Doldrums) Nicky and Nick are still waiting to meet Nananette for the first time but now they see danger for her from wreckers and must rescue her from them too if they are ever to finally meet Nananette.

The story continues told in the same voice teaching its readers (and Nicky and Nick) about wrecking and the people involved. It did leave me wondering if they would ever actually meet Nananette as we finally left 2 very disappointed children.

Another very enjoyable 8+ reading book with with frequent bright fun pictures and easy language. Once again ideal for reading and sharing alike.



Publisher - Austin and Macauley
Genre - Children's fiction

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The Hit by Melvin Burgess

review by Maryom

There's a new drug out on the streets -called Death it offers a week of the most amazing highs, fulfilling your wildest fantasies, followed by - you guessed it - death! There at the concert where rock star Jimmy Earle literally dies on stage, Adam is tempted to follow the same route. His life is going down the pan; he's not good enough to fulfil his dreams of playing football professionally;  his brother has died; his girlfriend has dumped him. Why not have one incredible week and end things there?
Turns out though that he might have been a little to quick to write his life off - only now there's nothing he can do about it. There's no known antidote so once you've taken Death, you're going to die.

This sounded like an extremely interesting premise for a novel but the story didn't pan out in the way I'd expected. It was a fun, engaging read and nothing like as serious as I'd anticipated. Adam comes up with a list of all the things he wants to achieve in his last week - but they mainly come down to having a lot of sex and driving fast cars. Other people who've taken the drug decide that with, only a week to live, anything goes - rioting, fighting, even killing. All of this is presented within the framework of a thriller. Adam and his girlfriend get dragged into the world of the gangsters supplying the drug and it's a race against time to see if the heavies or the drug will kill them first. The bad guys are so over the top that for me they fell over into comedy, but I couldn't decide if this was deliberate or not.

Overall I'd say it was a fast-paced action story not really something to get you thinking about the issues raised.

Maryom's review - 4 stars
Publisher - Chicken House
Genre - teen/YA, thriller

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This Is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E Smith

review by Maryom

Ellie and Graham met in the virtual world after she received an e-mail he'd intended for one of his friends. Despite living on opposite sides of the US their relationship has blossomed - they've talked about anything and everything, shared all the trivia of their lives but ignored the big things that matter - like why Ellie and her mom left the city behind and moved to 'middle of nowhere' Maine and like the fact that Graham is a famous teen film star. Then Graham manages to get the location of his latest film moved to Ellie's seaside town and they actually get to meet! Can real life live up to their expectations and how can a mega-star be seen out with an 'ordinary' girl?

This Is What Happy Looks Like is a delightful feel-good romcom-style novel. With a growing romance between a famous actor and a 'normal' girl it's like a role-reversal, teen version of Notting Hill. Ellie has almost fallen in love with the guy she's met on the internet - but she certainly hadn't imagined that he was a major teen heart-throb. Ellie's caught between her feelings for Graham and her mother's desire for privacy - not an easy thing to maintain with the press watching Graham's every move. The author captures how difficult it must be to try to lead a normal life under these circumstances and shows that a film star's life is not all fun.

Set in a seaside resort, there's a definite summery holiday feel to everything, whether it's swimming in deserted bays or the whole town gathering for Fourth of July clam-bakes and fireworks. The characters are well drawn, both genuine and charming; the plot, while it's every girl (or woman's) dream come true, is believable; is a happy end inevitable? Read it and find out.

Maryom's review -  5 stars

Publisher - Headline  
Genre - rom com, teen/YA 

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Welcome to the Multiverse * Sorry for the inconvenience By Ira Nayman

Review by The Mole

Noomi Rapier has joined the Transdimensional Authority and joins Crash Chumley on what is Noomi's first case. A man is found dead beside his Home Universe Generator but while his death doesn't appear suspicious the case is based around what he was doing to the insides of the Home Universe Generator - tampering with their workings is an offence. Noomi ends up chasing across multiple dimensions and meeting herself where ever she goes. Is she being played for a fool?

It's difficult to sum this book up. Think Douglas Adams. Think Tom Holt. Think Robert Rankin. Stir it all up with a little Spike Milligan and you start to get close. It didn't have me laughing out loud but it kept me smiling, amused, intrigued and reading. A great read that is highly entertaining and while it is funny throughout it isn't the kind of story that relies on one-liners and punchlines.

The story is sort of sci-fi but then again it also feels like fantasy as the sci-fi is SO different and extreme. It feels like a whodunnit but you won't be presented with enough suspects to even start guessing. There's a LITTLE sex in there but no real romance - it's all done in the best possible taste.

One thing I am confident of is that if you want something to not take seriously and lighten your mood then this will suit you.

Genre - Adult Humour, Sci-Fi
Publisher - Elsewhen Press

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