Book Reviews: 14 March
OUT NOW
THOSE WILD WYNDHAMS: Three Sisters At The Heart Of Power by Claudia Renton (William Collins, £25; offer price, £20) Writing about three complex women who were born 150 years ago is not easy, but Renton carries out the task with panache, interweaving the stories of Mary, Madeleine and Pamela Wyndham against a backdrop of social and political advancement.
Dubbed ‘The Three Graces’ by the Prince of Wales, the sisters were fêted by artists for their beauty, as captured in John Singer Sargent’s luminous 1899 portrait, and their intellect. But although their lives were privileged, they suffered heartbreak and scandal, as revealed by Renton’s access to a vast collection of sources. At 512 pages, the book is not a light read, but with her eye for historical detail and easy prose, Renton has written an addictive page-turner. Delightful from start to finish.
Lyndsy Spence
THE VISIONIST by Rachel Urquhart (Simon & Schuster, £12.99; offer price, £10.99) Set in 19th-century Massachusetts, this debut novel is dark and compelling, with its insight into the intriguing Shaker movement. Sister Charity, cut off from the world in a Shaker community, has fallen from grace because of the markings on her body. When Polly Kimball, who has set fire to her farm, seeks refuge in their community, she finds herself hailed as their first ‘visionist’ (a recipient of mystical revelations) – and two very different lives intersect. A poignant story of friendship, love and betrayal, with enough suspense to make the reader persevere despite the gloom.
Hannah Wilkinson
THE LAST BOAT HOME by Dea Brøvig (Hutchinson, £14.99; offer price, £12.99)In a small fishing town in Norway, Else Dybdhal thinks back on the summer of 1974. That was the year the circus came – and her world changed forever. In order to move on with her life and family, she must make peace with her past – but can she? Brovig’s debut novel, with its eerie atmosphere and sometimes graphic violence, will leave an indelible mark on anyone who reads it.
Helena Gumley-Mason
THE MAY BRIDE by Suzannah Dunn (Little, Brown, £12.99; offer price, £11.69)Dunn skilfully transports the reader to the oppressive atmosphere of Wolf Hall, seat of the Seymour family in Tudor England, and the heavy-handedness with which men treat their womenfolk. The story is told through the eyes of 15-year-old Jane Seymour, who is privy to the dark secrets surrounding her new sister-in-law. The prose has a modern twist, which can sometimes seem quite juvenile and far-fetched, but is enjoyable nonetheless. An upbeat read, perfect for those who prefer the modern world but are partial to a glossy take on the past.
LS
THE PERFECT MATCH by Katie Fforde (Century, £16.99; offer price, £14.99)Bella moved to the Cotswolds to escape a broken heart. She is dating her estate agent boss and life becomes even trickier when an old flame arrives on the scene. A heart-warming and cosy novel with a peppering of scandal, it only just fails to really excite the reader.
Rebecca Maxted
BOOK OF THE WEEK
A delightful Aga saga BALANCING ACT by Joanna Trollope (Doubleday, £18.99; offer price, £14.99)
The queen of the ‘Aga saga’ has produced yet another seamlessly cosy read: a tale of familial strife offset by the gentle familiarity of British domesticity.
Susie Moran, scion of a failed pottery dynasty, is a businesswoman who goes on to develop her own distinctive brand of country pottery. Like a fictional Emma Bridgewater, she has nurtured her brand since its inception. With the help of her three daughters, she has become a modern British success story.
Fiercely protective of her family heritage, she seeks to reconnect with her past by buying up and restoring her grandfather’s old pottery workshop in Stoke-on-Trent. But her preoccupation with the past proves detrimental to her present family, as her daughters and husband grow increasingly resentful of her side project. In a novel of percolating emotions, tensions finally bubble over when Susie’s hippy father returns from Africa, seeking reconciliation with his family and his past.
Trollope’s exploration of English middle-class preoccupations, with its notions of duty and respectability, is as apt as ever. Her characters deal with their personal dilemmas and dramas over a cup of tea with a splash of no-nonsense stoicism.
No one conjures up the peculiarities of the English psyche – the old stiff upper lip and its resulting dysfunctions – quite like Trollope. With her latest offering, she rightfully retains her crown.
Anna Savva
COFFEE TABLE BOOK
LONELY PLANET’S BEAUTIFUL WORLD (Lonely Planet, £29.99; offer price, £24.99)The world’s number one travel publisher has produced a sumptuous book showcasing some of the world’s most scenic spots. Sharp, vivid images of dramatic landscapes, wildlife and the built environment make for a feast of colours and textures.
Their beauty varies from the serene to the majestic and the strange: lavender fields in Provence, a rainbow-crowned waterfall in Iceland, swirling volcanic lava in Hawaii. The lens zooms in and out – a bird’s-eye view of migrating water buffaloes, the gem-like eye of a bird in close-up – capturing both stillness and movement. A first-class visual journey that will have you planning your next adventure.
Juanita Coulson
PAPERBACKS
CRACKED by James Davies (Icon Books, £7.99; offer price, £7.59)Davies, a lecturer and psychotherapist, investigates current practices in psychiatry and exposes its uncomfortable relationship with pharmaceutical companies. He bravely questions why this medical field has become the fastestgrowing specialism, even if its success is sometimes questionable. He reveals some shocking facts that make for a chilling and thought-provoking read.
Patricia Phillips
FAMILY LIKENESS by Caitlin Davies (Windmill Books, £8.99; offer price, £8.54)
A novel of self-discovery that investigates the true meaning of kinship, as three seemingly separate family trees become inextricably linked. The carefully woven plot moves from a children’s home in the 1950s, where a mixed-race girl is cast aside, to her counterpart of several hundred years prior, and back to a modernday family who deals with an altogether different type of abandonment. This moving tale of life-long searches and accountability will pull at the heart strings.
Lulu Trask
3 GREAT BOOKS: ABOUT MADNESS
- ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST by Ken Kesey
- GIRL, INTERRUPTED by Susanna Kaysen
- THE BELL JAR by Sylvia Plath
ALSO ON THE SHELF
ABSOLUTELY BARKING by Michele Hanson (Simon & Schuster, £8.99; offer price, £8.54)The popular columnist takes a look at the hilarious, sometimes bizarre but always rewarding, world of dog ownership, reminiscing on her 25 years of canine companionship. Not just for pet lovers, this is witty and insightful social commentary.
JC
AUDIO BOOK OF THE WEEK
THE MISTLETOE BRIDE AND OTHER HAUNTING TALES by Kate Mosse, read by the author, Simon Russell Beale and Siân Thomas (Orion, £18.99; offer price, £16.99)Ghosts and grieving women populate these stories inspired by folk legends. Dark and intricately beautiful, like layers of black lace.
JC
KEPT IN SUSPENSE
Our crime-fiction detective, Victoria Clark, uncovers two exciting, new thrillers that will keep you guessing
The second novel by the bestselling author of The Expats is set in New York’s publishing world. Isabel Reed, a highly respected literary agent, receives an anonymous manuscript: a shocking biography of one of the most powerful men in America. Its author appears to have accessed the darkest secrets of his subject.
The facts it reveals put Isabel’s life in danger, as there are certain forces that will stop at nothing to prevent its publication. In fact, anyone who comes into contact with the manuscript seems to be at risk.
Well written, well thought out and incredibly exciting, this is one to look out for.
THE STRANGE DEATH OF FIONA GRIFFITHS by Harry Bingham (Orion, £12.99; offer price, £11.69)
The third instalment in Bingham’s popular series is a gripping psychological thriller.
DC Fiona Griffiths is small, bullish and psychologically fragile – her vulnerability makes her much more interesting than the average gung-ho policewoman. Sent to investigate a minor payroll infringement, Fiona is convinced that there is more to it than meets the eye.
When she discovers the emaciated corpse of an employee, she’s proved right and unearths a major fraud. Griffiths soon finds herself in demand as an undercover detective, after completing a course with flying colours. Posing as an office cleaner, she’s frightened to find that her undercover life feels easier than her real one – and many of her old demons surface. A tense and unusual read.
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