What Katie Read

This is an incredibly complex, well written, innovative book which is immensely impressive as it is a debut novel.  Turton set out to create a new type of Agatha Christie-esque novel and I believe he has achieved it.   In classic Christie style there is a death at a party which is taking place in a manor house set within expansive grounds.   And there is a whole cast of crumbling aristocrats, disreputable dandies and disgruntled relations in attendance.   The central protagonist must work out the backstories and motivations of each of the party guests, without arousing suspicion. But that’s not all, far from it.  There are additional mysterious characters lurking about, plenty of secrets, a previous “tragic event” that no-one wants to talk about and our hero has his own issues - questioning his own identity and past whilst dealing with a very peculiar set of circumstances.  This is not simply a murder mystery, it is a hybrid cross-genre novel which p...

If you're looking for a fun, quick, easy read with heart I would thoroughly recommend this book.  I literally read it in one afternoon.  Set in London in 1941 this is a World War Two novel about life on the home front.  Everything is very proper and amusingly stiff-upper-lip British with realistic 1940s language and mannerisms. The central character, Emmeline, is young and naïve, but she is also brave with a very kind heart.  She is a bit of a daydreamer, and has a positive outlook on life, despite the war.  Emmy dreams of being a Lady War Correspondent and is thrilled when she manages to secure her first job in journalism. But of course Emmy’s job is not at all what she had expected.  Instead of being a journalist she is merely a typist for the domineering old fashioned Mrs Bird.  And Mrs Bird is not an inspiring political reporter or even an amusing home front columnist, she is an agony aunt.  And to make matters worse, Mrs Bird’s st...