Category: Orion Books

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

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The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

Summary:

Alicia Berenson lived a seemingly perfect life until one day six years ago.

When she shot her husband in the head five times.

Since then she hasn’t spoken a single word.

It’s time to find out why.

 My Review:

I am rather late to the party with this terrific psychological thriller that has now sold over a million copies worldwide. The Silent Patient (Orion Books) by Alex Michaelides can be placed into a number of genres and is a real page turner of a debut novel.

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If like me, you have allowed The Silent Patient to pass you by I will attempt to tease you with my review. An absorbing thriller with some more than interesting characters and what an ending Alex Michaelides has written into the storyline.

Alicia Berenson is an artist and seems to have the most perfect life with her husband Gabriel who is a successful fashion photographer. But then one day Alicia shot her husband in the head five times. For a seemingly happy and settled wife to commit this gruesome murder something must have happened. Alicia was arrested and convicted of Gabriel’s murder and sent to a secure psychiatric unit called The Grove throughout her trial she remained silent, never speaking a solitary word.

It is now six years later and Theo Faber arrives at The Grove to start work and he want to try and get Alicia to start to talk. Theo who is a psychotherapist believes he can get Alicia to finally open up and tell the story of Gabriel’s murder. Now the story begins to really get going and you will not want to put this gripping thriller down. The further you get into the plot the more you begin to think that there is more to what really is going on. Theo has his own issues away from work with his relationship with his wife on the verge of breaking down but he is obsessed with Alicia and her story.

Does Alicia finally find her voice and tell the story of what happened and why she killed the husband she loved or does she remain silent. Be prepared for the ending. I never saw that coming at all. The Silent Patient is a really compelling read. Alex Miichaelides has delivered the perfect thriller.

 352 Pages. (Paperback)

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides was published by Orion Publishers and was published in paperback on 12th December 2019 and is available through Waterstones, Amazon and through your local independent bookshop.

The Choice by Claire Wade

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The Choice by Claire Wade

Summary:

Everything you ate was monitored by the government.
Every step you took was counted.
Your children were weighed every day at school.
Neighbours reported on neighbours and no one was safe from judgement.
Sugar was illegal, and baking was a crime.

Imagine if that world was here… What would you do?

Toe the line or fight for your freedom…

My Review:

Imagine a time in the future when sugar has been made illegal. Imagine all those wonderful sweet things we have come to love that would be no more. Welcome to the superb debut novel The Choice (Orion) by Claire Wade.

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In all my years of reading I have never come across a dystopian novel based around the banning of sugar. Just how was this going to play out. I am so pleased the publisher sent be a review copy of The Choice as it turned out to be a brilliantly written novel.

The UK is now run by a government that has decided to ban all baking and will make the UK a fit and healthy country again. We meet Olivia Pritchard who is a baker and she is a baker who loves baking. Now the UK is rum by Mother Mason is hell bent on health and happiness. Olivia is living in constant fear of being found out. If you are found out god help you.

I just loved the way Claire Wade drew the reader into the storyline and it does become a frightening storyline as you really understand Mother Mason’s regime and what she demands from her public. How disturbing it really became. Imagine just how one person who can come to power and effect the lives of those in the country and take them to the very edge before the country rises up against the government. This may be a novel about banning sugar and baking but there is a stronger message for us all her about who we choose to run our countries in our name and how quickly it can become a dangerous path. A novel that at times just makes you angry but one novel that you are so aborbed in that you just want more.

I could never allow any country to stop me eating chocolate. I certainly would rise up. The Choice by Claire Wade is just stunning and very readable.

400 Pages.

Thank you to Alainna Hadjigeorgiou (Orion Publishing Group) for the review copy of The Choice by Claire Wade.

The Choice by Claire Wade was published by Orion and was published on 26th December 2019 and is available through Waterstones, Amazon and through your local independent bookshop.

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The Lido by Libby Page

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The Lido by Libby Page

What an absolute joy to read. It is a novel that just had the most wonderful storyline about friendship and love and also the love of the community that you live in. The Lido is a fabulous debut novel by Libby Page that is so uplifting it makes your heart sing.

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The local community is the heartbeat of society and the amenities that are there whether that is a library or swimming pool or even a lido belong to the people of that community, when you start to lose those amenities the community starts to go with it. Welcome to The Lido the beautiful debut novel by Libby Page that is being spoken of so highly this Spring.

The Story is set in Brixton, South London. We meet Kate is a lonely 26-year-old woman whose life seems to be just going to work and going back to her home she shares with a group of people she does not know. Her life of ready meals and seclusion made me feel for very quickly into the story. Then there is 86-year-old Rosemary who has lived here all her life she is missing her beloved husband George who died a few years ago and now for Rosemary she swims at the lido, the local library she used regularly has gone and is now a wine bar, for Rosemary the lido is all she has left and the memories of learning to swim here and the memories of George, she still goes to swim but also to remember. What would happen though if the lido was also to close. It has been part of the community for generations. It is now under threat by a property development business who has been talking to the local council about buying the lido and turning into an exclusive gym and tennis courts. Rosemary upset at the proposed closure of the lido now starts a campaign to keep it open.

Kate moved here to take up a reporter for a local newspaper and now she has been given the story about the proposed buyout of the lido by and what is to come. Kate has been struggling to settle in the area and suffers from debilitating panic attacks that can strike at any moment. She meets Rosemary at the lido and as a condition of an interview Kate must accompany her and swim in the open air pool. Throughout this deeply warm and emotional story we meet some great characters that Libby Page weaves into the story and they also become part of this local storyline.

The Lido is an emotional rollercoaster as we do not know of the outcome and what will happen if it does close. What would become of Rosemary and the home that is the lido. This is not just a story of the lido it is a story of a local community that is changing with time, the closure of the library and how the local market changes. Then there is the bookshop and how it is struggling to keep going. The people are the community and there are some truly wonderful moments in this book that just stand out. The lido is one of the books of 2018 and one I think we will be hearing a lot more about. I am already missing the characters. For the author Libby Page this is a work of literary art. I loved it. If you have read Three Things about Elsie by Joanna Cannon or Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman you will love The Lido.

384 Pages.

Thank you to Rebecca Gray at Orion Books for the review copy of The Lido by Libby Page.

The Lido is published by Orion Publishing and was published on 19th April 2018 and is available through Waterstones, Amazon and through your local independent bookshop.

 

Christmas Books Wrap Up 2015

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Christmas Books Wrap up

 Well here we are before we knew it Christmas has arrived and with it some pretty amazing books. So what better than to celebrate than review three Christmas books. So I thought a Christmas wrap up of three Christmas books I have chosen to review this year. With a number of really good books to choose from it was narrowed down to the three I have chosen.

A BOY CALLED CHRISTMAS BY MATT HAIG

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Many years ago I read Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol, but since then not very many Christmas books have I read, not that I am a bar humbug, more tried to stay away from the tinsel and glitter of some of the books, but I have to confess the last few years I have come to enjoy the spirit of Christmas in literary form once again and with Matt Haig’s A Boy Called Christmas it is a joy to the world creation that only Matt Haig could have written.

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It is the story of Nikolas an 11-year old boy who happens to have the nickname of ‘Christmas’ as he so happened to be born on Christmas Day. Living with his father (Joel) in the Woods in a very basic woodcutter cabin. Life is pretty hard for Nikolas and his father as they a very poor, with no toys to play with only a toy head carved out of a Turnip, a sleigh made by his father and a rather friendly mouse by the name of Miika. Nikolas lost his mother after she was killed by a bear some years before.

 

One day they receive a visitor to the cabin which is rare to say the least as no-one comes to call on them and an offer is made to Nikolas’s father a chance to make a lots of money by proving the existence of the village of Elfhelm, no-one has ever proved the existence of the village of the elves. Knowing that this would mean leaving Nikolas in the care of the evil child-hating aunt Carlotta. So the story moves on and Joel sets off with a group of ‘characters’ to the frozen North of Finland leaving Nikolas in the care of his aunt Carlotta. Things could not be worse for the woodcutter’s son and so Nikolas decides he can stand no longer to be so poorly treated and the terrible insults to his late mother, Nikolas decides to set off and follow in his father’s footsteps and together with Miika they head off into the woods in a quest to find his father.

Sleeping in the open and with little or no food apart from Mushrooms it is hard going. While at a lake they encounter a reindeer they call Blitzen after the lake.

ImageThen Nikolas is rescued by some of the very elves his father was sent to look for and he is taken to Elfhelm. But it transpires that all is not well and that humans are not at all welcome. Thrown into the dungeon with that also holds a troll and the Truth Pixie. Along the journey that Nikolas has taken bad things do occur but some good things happen as well. Now Nikolas begins to see simple kindness that can make such a difference. So now the story of Nikolas is being told and the journey that he undertakes and the man that we all know so well every 25 December that brings gifts to the boys and girls around the world.

Matt Haig’s A Boy Called Christmas is a book that is destined to become a Christmas classic that will span generations to come. It is one of the most beautiful books I have read this year, it is just magical in every sense of the word. Humorous and also heart-breaking.

What brings the book to life is the illustrations by Chris Mould, just outstanding and capture the mood of the story.

The perfect book to be given as a gift imagine at the wonder of a child on Christmas morning just reading this in bed. Brings to life the story of the man in the red and white suit as well as the meanings of Christmas.

A Boy Called Christmas written by Matt Haig is published by Canongate

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

A SNOW GARDEN BY RACHEL JOYCE

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After the success of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry and The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennesy Rachel Joyce brings together a stunningly beautiful collection of six short stories in A Snow Garden that is just in time for Christmas each with their own message.

Each of the stories is paced as so is no more than 40 pages in length but complex in nature. What Rachel Joyce has written is primarily aimed at someone’s very own Christmas and that each of the stories is unique in their differences and characters. From the first A Faraway Smell of Lemon were we meet Binny just after her long-time partner has left her for another woman and who is now pregnant. Binny has not showed any emotion following the split and has carried her emotions in her pocket so that no-one else can see. Christmas is fast approaching and she cannot even think of celebrating but we see that her children are excited. She then takes it upon herself to find solace in quality cleaning products. This one story alone is packed full of emotion that when you add Christmas to the story you are left emotional. One of my personal favourites.

Then there is Christmas Day at the Airport there are no flights as they have all been grounded, there is a heavily pregnant woman in this story with a family, here is a glimpse of people’s lives being stranded at an airport on Christmas Day and who each cope.

Each of the stories though unique I found intertwined with the next in some way that I know only Rachel Joyce could write and how she can pour emotions into words, just to get a feel of the stories, I urge you to read the forward, this gives a very unique insight into how Joyce came to write about each of the characters.

I get the feeling that some of these characters have been living in Rachel Joyce’s beautiful writing cabin just waiting to be brought to life in the short stories that are A Snow Garden. Each will leave you feeling with a warm feeling that only these short stories can bring you. This is perfect for a quiet Christmas read if you are short of time in between all the festivities. The cover design is just stunning and encapsulates the entire spirit of the book.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

A Snow Garden written by Rachel Joyce and published by Doubleday

THE CHRISTMAS WE MET BY KATE LORD BROWN

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The story opens in a wintery January 1979, Grace has been left broken as her husband has disappeared and not only that but he has taken all their money with him. Now Grace alone has to face the future with her daughter Harriet. Grace was running her own Jewellery business but alas as she cannot afford to run the business by herself she now gets the only other work she is qualified to do as a Personal Assistant for Fraser Stratton at Wittering Manor, but she would rather avoid working for the eccentric Fraser Stratton as he expects a little more than she is prepared to give. But needs must. Fraser is putting his memoir together and it is Grace’s role to put that into some readable quality that might sell a few copies down the line.

There are a number of leading characters all with a story and Grace has to cut through the lies and deceit, there is mystery abound in The Christmas We Met and Jewels are part of the story and for me play a leading role as you will find out for yourselves.

Grace also meets Jack Fraser’s godson and she feels at home in his company a blossoming romance on the cards, he just happens to be in the right place at the right time on that cold snowy winters day.

There is a lot going on in this story and at times you may feel you are losing track keeping up with the intrigue, but stick with this it is worth every page. Not like your normal Christmas story and that is why it made my selection, it has some much going for it with each character and watching how Grace deals with the lies from those around her.

At times Fraser would recount the family history which I quite liked as it brought a historical piece to the story and just adds to the storyline in general. I must give credit to Kate Lord Brown for the amount of attention to detail throughout.

There are so many questions that you start to ask yourself as you read through The Christmas We Met that you so dearly want to see Grace find the happiness she deserves. Does she find the answers to the Brooch that she inherited from her Grandmother? Only time will tell.

If you are looking to lose yourself in a story that you will not want to put down over Christmas, then this is your book.

The Christmas We Met written by Kate Lord Brown published by Orion Publishing Group.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

So there we have my three Christmas reads selections for 2015 each one very different and giving each reader a different view over Christmas. I enjoyed all three as they gave me so much more than I could imagine. Has this changed my view on Christmas books, well only Christmas 2016 will tell it has a lot to live up to.

To each of you I wish you the happiest of Christmases and may it bring you lots of wonderful books to read over the holiday period. Books can take us to places that only dream may take us.

Merry Christmas and happy reading.

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The First Thing You See by Gregoire Delacourt

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The First Thing You See by Gregoire Delacourt

Review Date: 1 September 2015

Author: Gregoire Delacourt

Release Date: 10 September 2015

Publishers: W&N Publishers

ISBN –10: 0297871021

ISBN – 13: 0297871026

240pp

Available in Hardback, Kindle and audio

The Last Word Review

Gorgeous novel about two troubled souls who are not all they seem, both seeking happiness. A tender love story. Just try putting this one down

First released in 2013 in France following on from his best-selling The List of My Desires. Now translated into English is going to become his latest best-seller.

Delacourt’s latest novel follows a young mechanic Arthur Dreyfuss who lives a quiet simple life in the village of Long, France.

Arthur’s life seems to follow a routine with little chance of finding his true love. One evening there is a knock on the door and when Arthur opens it is a life changing moment. There standing in front of him is Scarlett Johansson the famous Hollywood actress. But all is not as it seems she is an imposter and her real name is Jeanine Foucamprez,

At first Jeanine plays the part so very well and Arthur falls for this and also for Scarlett and her ample breasts, to the point he becomes infatuated with them,  but soon sees beyond this and to the real person.  What we have here in The First Thing You See is a very tender love story. With some witty and humorous moments.

The thing about the Jeanine is that she has led a very different life to that of the famous Hollywood actress and little by little she lets her guard down. Arthur falls for the actress but little by little then falls for the real woman in Jeanine Foucamprez and the real person on the inside.

Jeanine has led a troubled life an object of desire for men as they see her as a sex object and women are just jealous of her looks. I really felt for Jeanine as all she wanted a normal life and just to be loved for who she really is not what people just see. You have to look inside to find the real person. For the first time she has found that in Arthur he cute and as much as he has desires for her he makes no moves until she is ready.

As you read through The First Thing You See, there are little hints as to what is to come for both characters, I liked the way Delacourt used narration in his latest offering it really does bring out the storyline.

The author has used various massages through the story about who we are and does happiness really last. As to Arthur and Jeanine I am not going to give away the remaining part of the story. You will have to read that for yourself.

This is a short story that can be read in a day and is the perfect Sunday read in bed with a pot of coffee and warm Croissants.

There is a twist to this book, the real Scarlett Johansson took offence to her name being used in the book and sued for fraudulent and illicit use of her name as well as claims about her personal life and wanted an injunction placed on the book. That aspect of the case failed. Though a number of lines from the original version have been omitted. Interesting thought is that if the book was first released in the states, no court case would have been allowed under the First Amendment rule.

This is beautiful tender love story and is really worth the read it is hard not to fall for both flawed leading characters and their search for love and happiness.

I would like to thank Sam Eades and Weidenfeld & Nicolson for a review copy.

RECOMMENDED

 

Meet the Author

Gregoire Delacourt

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Grégoire Delacourt was born in Valenciennes in 1960. His first novel, L’ÉCRIVAIN DE LA FAMILLE, was published in 2011 and won five literary prizes, including the PRIX MARCEL PAGNOL and the PRIX RIVE GAUCHE. He is the author of THE LIST OF MY DESIRES, a runaway No.1 bestseller in France, with rights sold in 27 countries.