Flashlight by Susan Choi

Reviewed by Jen

I know I won’t be able to do this novel justice in my review – it’s simply remarkable. This sweeping novel illuminates the realities and uncertainties of life after the Second World War for a Korean/American family through continents and decades: from Japan to the US via both North and South Korea and back again; from the 1940s through to the present day.

This is an immersive yet intimate story of loss and detachment, family and state, resilience and reconciliation. It is a twisty mystery and a political thriller wrapped up in a domestic drama. A plot-driven novel that is equally driven by character, Choi’s Flashlight is ambitious and bold and reveals layers of memory and perspective from the shifting viewpoints of the Kang family. 

Compelling, beautifully written and un-put-downable – don’t pass this one by!

Endling by Maria Reva

Reviewed by Mary

The opening quote, “People don’t live history, they live their lives.  History is a catastrophe that passes over them”, is a concise way to define the story to come.

It is a book of layers, well written and thought-provoking.  Ultimately it is a book about humans and loneliness.  Their need to connect with a partner, family, hometown and country to define themselves.  It is interspersed with humour against a background of the Ukrainian War.

This is perhaps a book you might not ordinarily pick up, but I highly recommend it.

The Killer Question by Janice Hallett

Reviewed by Vicky

Oh I do love a pub quiz. And what could be better than a pub quiz with the Janice Hallett treatment? 

Mal and Sue are new landlords of The Case is Altered. They used to be in the police but they don’t like people knowing about that. The weekly quiz is upset by the arrival of a crack team – they only lose 1 or 2 marks every time. Surely they must be cheating…but how? 

In true Hallett style, we learn of past misdemeanors and hidden agendas, laughing at every page. To say more would risk spoilers – my lips are sealed.

This is packed full of more twists than I thought were possible. It’s my favourite since The Twyford Code but it might just be her best yet.

The Cut Throat Trial by S J Fleet

Reviewed by Jen

A twisty, tense and troublesome courtroom drama from the pen of the Secret Barrister – you’ll be hooked. An absolute pageturner with the weighty question of how justice works (or doesn’t) hanging over the narrative.

The author’s real life knowledge of legal procedures and insight into the difficulties of the search for the truth shines through the 15 days of the trial that is central to this novel. The narrative, told from the different points of view of crucial characters, twists and turns: who is telling the truth? Will justice prevail?

Intrigued by the accuseds’ backstories and true-to-life voices and gripped by the flawed characters of the prosecution, defence and judge, this debut novel entertained, enlightened and explained! Enjoy!

Mona’s Eyes by Thomas Schlesser

Reviewed by Vicky

Having read an advanced copy, I feel like I’ve been waiting FOREVER for this to be published because I couldn’t wait to share it with absolutely everyone. 

One evening when doing her homework, Mona loses her sight. She later regains it but her mum and dad are devastated. Her grandfather Henry decides to take matters into his own hands – he cannot let Mona go blind without first showing her the wonders of art history. Every Wednesday they will visit the Louvre and each piece of art will be translated into a valuable life lesson. But along the way, Mona will learn more about her beloved Dade and the grandmother they lost.

This is balm for the soul. You won’t want to let it go.

Hawthorn by Elaine Thomson

Reviewed by Vicky

Hawthorn by Elaine Thomson (Vicky)

Writing from an asylum in 1871, Robert Sutherland lays down a true account of the events leading up to his incarceration. It is the story of a man who discovers his identity, whilst simultaneously losing his mind.

After he sustains an injury working for the Ordnance Survey in the boggy moors of Caithness, Robert is abandoned by his colleagues and forced to convalesce at Leask House. He soon discovers that it isn’t just the earthly inhabitants that don’t want him there…

As a self-proclaimed wuss, I approached this with some caution. To offset the spine-tingling effect, I started reading it in the midst of a heat wave. But the balmy sunshine could not quite dispel the chilling results of a uniquely Highland haunting, where a suggestion of the supernatural is always just beyond the reach of the rational senses.

Suitably creepy for the darker evenings ahead.

Chasing the Dark by Ben Machell

Reviewed by Vicky

During his war service in Burma, something happened to Tony Cornell for which he could find no rational explanation. This experience set him on a course that would go on to shape his life.

An investigator for the Society for Psychical Research and a natural sceptic, Cornell brought a scientific and methodical approach to reports of the paranormal.

His career spanned an extraordinary era – from the national obsession with telekinesis sparked by Uri Geller to government backed research into the use of telepathy and extrasensory perception in warfare. Through it all, Cornell doggedly sought rational explanations in a credulous world.

Although criticised by some for his persistent doubt, in a world of online influencers competing for followers and hits, the paranormal field could well do with his diligence today. Cornell is a man to be admired, not least for his willingness to remain ambivalent.

For believers and sceptics alike, this thoroughly-researched exploration into the supernatural will open your mind.

Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams

Reviewed by Rosamund 

Facebook wanted to ban Careless People, it’s easy to see why.  They failed to ban the book, but did successfully serve a gagging order on Sarah Wynn-Williams, meaning she could be fined $50,000 for every breach. Her book is a compelling, not to say, shocking read.  

Initially, one could be forgiven for thinking Wynn-Williams a little naive in her expectations about big tech, but this is quickly over-ridden by some jaw-dropping whistle-blowing, from Facebook’s selective approach to censorship, to their truly appalling (alleged) contribution the the Myanmar genocide with the platform being weaponised by those seeking power while Facebook failed to act.

Wynn-Williams describes this behaviour as a kind of ‘lethal carelessness’ and is fascinating when highlighting the contradictions of those in leadership, particularly Mark Zuckerberg, who demonstrates a surprising naivety and a (less surprising) focus on profits at any cost.  It’s easy to think we understand about the dangers of big tech, but, as this book demonstrates, much of the iceberg remains underwater.

On the Calculation of Volume II by Solvej Balle and translated by Barbara J Haveland 

Reviewed by Jen

Having read and been enthralled by On the Calculation of Volume I, I desperately wanted to read more but wasn’t sure where this series of books could go: how often could the same day be repeated in a novel? I needn’t have worried! This second in a series of seven books is just as immersive and compelling as the first. In fact, even more so. The tone seems to have shifted as Tara herself finds a way to make sense of her own time. She finds joy in finding seasons and making her eighteenth of November embrace a whole year of changing light and climate.

This is a quiet and deliberate contemplative novel that gives much to think about. I cannot urge you strongly enough to follow Tara on her journey as she realises her “time is a container …it is a day one can step into. Again and again. Not a stream which one can only dip into once.” 

Buckeye by Patrick Ryan 

Reviewed by Jen

What a debut – it’s hard to believe that this captivating book is Ryan’s first UK novel. Its enigmatic title and quiet dust jacket, which hints at time passing, don’t give much away but I promise you this will be one of the best books you read this year…

Heartbreaking and poignant, this breathtaking and evocative American narrative follows two families and their intertwined lives from cradle to grave. Set in the fictional Ohio town of Bonhomie, against a backdrop of small town life, the Second World War and the Vietnam War, the lives of the characters are affected in so many ways by the fallout of these traumatic times. 

I laughed and cried and fell in love with Cal and Becky, Felix and Margaret, and their sons Skip and Tom (Buckeye). I’m sure you will too… it is a rollercoaster of a ride.

The Hallmarked Man by Robert Galbraith

Reviewed by Jen

Two books in one, this has Galbraith’s signature twisty-turny, multi-faceted murder mystery combined with the will-they-won’t-they romance of the two main protagonists. The joy of the Strike novels is coming for the intricate plots and staying for the relationship between Cormoran and Robin.

The Hallmarked Man doesn’t let the reader down. Pay close attention right from the start to the cast of characters that you’re introduced to and you’re sucked into a pacey thriller that you will want to devour in one weekend – at least I did! Switch your phone to silent, don’t answer the door, warn your family that you’re busy – and enjoy!

Reclaiming Art in the Age of Artifice by J F Martel

Reviewed by Jen

I will admit to picking this up partially because Donna Tartt wrote the introduction ( and I’m – not very – patiently waiting for a new novel from her) but also because I wanted to stretch my brain in a non-fiction direction.

This call to arms from Martel did just that. Sometimes I found this treatise difficult to follow but not because of Martel and his writing but because of the complexity of the topic. Martel posits that “Proper art moves us, while artifice tries to make us move.”  In other words Real Art, he argues, is fundamental to society and humanity especially in these modern times of superficiality and AI whereas artifice is pornography or propaganda in their broadest senses. So what is Real Art? Martel approaches his subject from various directions including paintings, theatre, cinema  dance and literature and uses examples of Art from Palaeolithic cave paintings to Rothko,  Flaubert to Woolf, and Wagner to E.T. which makes it eminently approachable.

This is a book I want to read and reread as my understanding expands. It is a fascinating and involving read.

Barbara Isn’t Dying by Alina Bronsky

Reviewed by Vicky

Throughout their long marriage, Barbara has done everything for Walter. Cooking, cleaning, coffee, food shopping, you name it. But when she suddenly falls ill, Walter has to learn to fend for them both. He discovers that this is a lot harder than Barbara made it look…

Here there is a bittersweet sense of the passing of time coupled with a darker undertone of an unspoken past. This is combined with a darkly sharp wit and Bronsky has mastered the balance to perfection.

A wonderfully wise story about changing lives. It made me laugh aloud whilst also moving me to tears.

The Fathers by John Niven

Reviewed by Vicky

Jada and Dan become fathers on the same night in the same hospital in Glasgow. Though both live in this city, their lives could not be more different. The men meet and exchange pleasantries but do not yet know that their paths will cross in ways neither could have foreseen.

Undoubtedly gritty in places, there’s an emotional intensity that is impossible to escape. Niven highlights the stark inequalities that exist within a thriving city, but in a way that combines the shock this contrast brings with a dark hilarity.

Neither man is any kind of role model (quite the opposite), but there is a sense of redemption that is tender and irresistible. Niven explores themes of grief, crime and class in a narrative that ramps up the pace to such an extent that I struggled to put this down. At times, I felt physically winded.

Prepare yourself for laughter and heartbreak.

The Two Roberts by Damian Barr

Reviewed by Rosamund

Scotland, 1933. Robert (Bobby) MacBryde and Robert Colquhoun, two working class lads from Ayrshire, meet on their first day at Glasgow School of Art.  Bobby is immediately mesmerised by Robert’s beauty and talent, the two are inseparable from that day onwards.

They embrace all that Glasgow has to offer, from the Barras to the Botanics, finding shelter and tender domestic happiness in the attic rooms of a rather wonderful patrician landlady. 

Graduating top of their class, the boys win a joint prize to tour Europe’s artistic wonders just as the first tremors of WWII are felt.  Arriving in London, they are leaders of the art pack, admired by everyone from Francis Bacon to Lucian Freud.

Damian Barr has cleverly reimagined the lives of two artists long overdue a retrospective.  Their love and art burned perhaps too brightly to survive into old age, but oh, what a beautiful love story.

Just a Little Dinner by Cecile Tlili

Reviewed by Helen

On an August evening in sun-soaked Paris, anxious physiotherapist Claudia painstakingly prepares a meal for her boyfriend Etienne’s friends.  While she is wrist deep in chicken giblets and courgette flowers, Etienne is musing on how best to convince Johar, soon-to-be CEO of tech giant Oryx, to offer him a legal role in her company’s upcoming merger.  Meanwhile Remi, Johar’s husband, is distracted and nostalgic.

Set against the sweltering city backdrop, Tlili’s complex cast of characters are vividly rendered and their inter-personal struggles veer from petty to life-shattering.  As the evening unravels, buried resentments and strained relationships are revealed and events take a turn that is contrary to everyone’s expectations.

A claustrophobic vignette that crackles with tension, Just a Little Dinner is the perfect digestif.