The Good Enough Mother by Anoushka Beazley

About The Good Enough Mother

Gatlin - a leafy affluent town; Chelsea tractors and ladies who lunch. However, all is not as it seems. Drea, a most unnatural mother, struggles to find private school fees for her step-daughter Ava after her boyfriend leaves her for another woman. Watching the yummy mummies she becomes inspired, hatching a daring and criminal plan...unleashing all hell in the quiet town of Gatlin. Can Drea survive the fallout and the wrath of the PTA? A satirical and hilarious black comedy about love, motherhood and the human condition.

 

 

My Review of The Good Enough  Mother

Oh where do I start? Other than to say that I absolutely loved this book! I can honestly say that I have never read a book quite like it. It is shocking, hilarious and heart wrenching, all at the same time. I'll do my best to try and explain why I love this book so much.

 

Firstly, this is not your average feel good book about being a mother. It is not to be used as a parenting manual or some kind of self help guide to make you feel good. This book is very different, and is very obviously different  from the first page. This is an honest, tell it like it is story, of a woman who becomes a mother, after her boyfriend leaves her, and she does her  absolute best to fulfill that role. The book is dark, with lots of black comedy, so if you do not enjoy black humour, or swearing, )there is a lot of swearing mixed into many laugh out loud moments), I laughed an awful lot, then this book is probably not for you. But having said that, this book was definitely for me. It was the much needed antidote to all of those feel good mother books, that do nothing to make you feel good about yourself, in fact they make you feel worse. This book is very much about real life issues and a real life mother, who I felt was good enough.

 

So, we have Drea, the woman who has motherhood thrust upon her. Ava is not her biological daughter, but she has helped to raise her from the age of four, when her biological mother wanted nothing to do with her. This tells you everything you need to know about Drea's character. No matter what else happens in the book, with all of the dark dealings that she gets up to, (there are a lot), she is a caring and considerate mother who loves her daughter. In fact, everything that she gets up to is because of that unconditional love, and isn't that what motherhood is all about? Unconditional love? It is only because her boyfriend leaves her, and refuses to pay Ava's extortionate private school fees, that Drea has to resort to drastic measures in order to find the money. But this is only one side of her character. She is deeply funny, and I knew from reading the book that I would want her as a friend. She would always tell the absolute truth, but also, she would always be there for me.

 

This book is very funny. I love the descriptions of the yummy mummies, oh we all know them, who rock up on the school run in their Landrovers and of road monstrosities. Those mothers with the perfectly applied make up. Drea is not one of them and nor does she strive to be one. She is a loner, a woman who smokes joints, and has whisky with her breakfast hot chocolate. But she is not shameful of this fact. Nor does she hide it. But the real reason I loved this character was because of the many layers that were revealed throughout the novel. She is who she is, partly because of a traumatic event in her childhood, which is the reason  why she always caries around in her handbag a lethal dose of paracetemol. She is ready to die. This subject I felt, was tackled with both respect, empathy and understanding. The author does not make light of this aspect of the character, but instead explains why Drea feels this way. It is not done for comedic affect or to shock,  but is simply a part of who she is. This is a subject matter that is often portrayed incorrectly and with little respect in literature, but this author gets the balance just right, and this is often difficult to achieve.

 

The Good Enough Mother, is indeed about the human condition. It is about how we live in a community, how we interact in that community and the decisions that we make in life. Life is after all, one huge journey. It is also about the trials and tribulations of motherhood, with that one question forever in the back of my mind; Am I good enough? Isn't that a question that all parents ask? This book will make you laugh and sob uncontrollably. I have no shame in admitting that. This is a stunning debut novel that will leave you with an empty and hollow feeling in the pit of your chest, long after you have read the last page.

 

It's that good.

 

The Good Enough Mother is available to buy from most bookshops and can be bought from Amazon here.

 

 

About the author

Anoushka Beazley has a film degree, an acting diploma and a masters in creative writing. She is a full time novelist, lives in North London with three little witches, a lawyer and a Maine Coon. 

Ragdoll by Daniel Cole

 

About Ragdoll

 

The nation is gripped by the infamous 'Ragdoll Killer'
Every news bulletin and headline is obsessed with this story.

Your friends, your family and your neighbours are all talking about it.

Believe the hype. Sold in over 32 countries and counting, RAGDOLL is the standout thriller of the year.

A body is discovered with the dismembered parts of six victims stitched together like a puppet, nicknamed by the press as the 'ragdoll'.

Assigned to the shocking case are Detective William 'Wolf' Fawkes, recently reinstated to the London Met, and his former partner Detective Emily Baxter.

The 'Ragdoll Killer' taunts the police by releasing a list of names to the media, and the dates on which he intends to murder them.

With six people to save, can Fawkes and Baxter catch a killer when the world is watching their every move

My Review of Ragdoll

 

Oh My Word!!! Where do I start other than saying that this book was brilliant in every single way imaginable.  

 

 

I can't stop thinking about this book, I have a severe book hangover, I just loved everything about it. As the blurb says, this book focuses upon a serial killer who has killed 6 people. However, all the  police have to go on are the six body parts that have been found stitched together, so as to form the grotesque 'Ragdoll'. Then the killer releases a list of six future victims to the media, one of whom is Detective William 'Wolf' Fawkes, along with the dates in which they will die. The race then begins to find the killer.

From the very beginning I just knew that I would love this book. It is sharp, brutally violent, yet really, really funny, which seems strange when talking about a book that is incredibly violent and focuses upon a serial killer... but it is... very funny. This may be due to the fact that Daniel Cole is a former paramedic, and so has that natural ability to underhand and write black humour. As a former nurse, I totally get where he is coming from.  But that is not to shy away from the fact that this book is dark, disturbing and incredibly violent, so if you are at all squeamish or easily offended, then this is possibly not the book for you.

Having said that, not much offends me and I do enjoy black humour and grizzly crime thrillers,  so this book was right up my street. It very much reminded me of the film Seven, but with added humour.

I can't talk abut the actual plot as even sharing a little bit of what happened will spoil the excitement of reading the story for the very first time, and I don't want to do that,  so I'll talk about my favourite characters. So, to Wolf. What ca I say? He is witty, clever, handsome and flawed, but I could not help but love him. He is what glues this book together and, I found him absolutely fascinating. Just as fascinating was the character of Detective Emily Baxter, I just loved her bluntness and she created so many laugh out loud moments.

Now, back to plot. There are just so many twists, turns, dead ends and surprising moments, that you will find yourself momentarily putting the book down while you get to grips with what just happened, before taking a deep and shaky breath and carrying on, this happened a lot. I was so torn while reading this book, I wanted to whizz through the pages, to find out what would happen next, but at the same time I wanted to savour every word, as I did not want the book to end, and I was so very sad when it did, as I felt I had said goodbye to a long, lost friend.

So yes, I adore this book. If there is only one book that you buy in 2017, it has to be this one, you won't be disappointed.... and if it isn't made into a feature film, then I will eat my beanie hat.

Ragdoll is published by the Orion Publishing Group, Trapeze, on Feb 23rd 2017.

With many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an Advanced Reader Copy.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 



The Handsworth Times by Sharon Duggal

 

 

About - The Handsworth Times

 



 

Mukesh Agarwal sits alone in the Black Eagle pub, unaware that a riot is brewing or that Billy, his youngest son, is still out on his bike ...A mile away in the family home in Church Street, Anila, one of the three Agarwal girls, is reading Smash Hits and listening to Radio One as she sprawls across the bottom bunk, oblivious to the monumental tragedy that is about to hit her family ...It is 1981 and Handsworth is teetering on the brink of collapse. Factories are closing, unemployment is high, the National Front are marching and the neglected inner cities are ablaze as riots breakout across Thatcher's fractured Britain. The Agarwals are facing their own nightmares but family, pop music, protest, unexpected friendships and a community that refuses to disappear all contribute to easing their personal pain and that of Handsworth itself.THE HANDSWORTH TIMES is a story of loss and transition, and pulling together because ultimately, there is such a thing as society.

 

My Review of The Handsworth Times

 

The Handsworth Times is a raw and emotional read that draws you in from the very first page. Set in the early 80's, we are taken back in time to when there where no smartphones, internet and when people relied upon their local community and newspapers to find out the local gossip and news stories of the day. I loved this book for its nostalgia, lyrical storytelling but ultimately because at its heart was the story of a family learning to live with loss and prejudice.

 

The story opens with the father and head of the household, Mukesh Agarwal, sitting alone in a pub in the Handsworth area of Birmingham. He appears to be a lonely man, sat alone with just his thoughts and as the story progressed, my sorrow for him grew. It is while he is sat in the Black Eagle pub, that the riot begins and which ultimately leads to a tragedy within the family.

 

Although set in the 80's, this book could very well be set in modern day Britain. The issues that surround migrants, post Brexit and how we are now a nation that both embraces and fights against ethnic diversity, could be transferred so easily into this book. The problems within society have not changed, they have just been given different labels.

 

So the Agarwal family live in the Handsworth area of Birmingham that is home to many different cultures and belief systems, and it is because of the tragedy that the family endures, that these different cultures come together, in a way that would not have been possible before. This is a book about community, about how a community can divide itself because of its different belief systems, race, culture etc., but that at the end of the day, when a tragedy  occurs and that particular community is on the brink of collapse, the only way to fight and to stand up for what you believe in is to stand together.

 

This book is full of wonderfully captured characters. The mother, who keeps the home together is a strong and independent woman who finds her inner strength when those around her lose their focus and love of life. She was by far my favourite character. However, I also thought that all of the children in the book had their own distinct voice and story to tell. Together through all of the various different storylines that run throughout the book, we get a glimpse into a life that was dominated by prejudice, social insecurity and poverty. On paper, you would think that this would mean that the book was somehow despondent and a tale of how life used to be for those who where less well off - living hand to mouth, but this is not the case.

 

Handsworth Times is an uplifting book about the importance of family, friendships and community. Above all else, this book makes you think about what you value most in life - and the answer should always be that of family.

 

The Handsworth Times can be bought from Amazon here

 

About Sharon Duggal

 

Sharon Duggal was born to parents who immigrated from the Punjab, India and she grew up in and around Handsworth, Birmingham. She lived in London for many years and now lives in Brighton & Hove. She is a writer, campaigner, community radio presenter (alongside one of her sons), a daughter, sister, mother and partner, amongst other things. She works in arts and literature development and has an MPhil in Creative Writing from the University of Sussex. The Handsworth Times is her first novel.

 

 

 

*BLOG TOUR* Never Again by Nicky Clifford - Book Review

 

 

 

About Never Again

 

Mountains, Mystery, Romance: Can you run from your past?

 

Harriet Anderson’s life is spiralling out of control. Unused to such mayhem, she ditches her high-powered job to take refuge in the Swiss Alps where she meets Philippe Smith, a crime writer with a dark and shadowy past. Thrown together by chance, is their fate intertwined? Will the karma and romance of the mountains and the quaintness of the Alps soothe their troubled souls?

 

Or will their rocky paths create avalanches that cannot be avoided...

 

My Review of Never Again

 

 

Never Again is set within Wengen in the beautiful Swiss Alps.  I have never been to Switzerland, but now that I have read this book, I desperately need to go there and sip a hot chocolate on top of a mountain. This book is picturesque, romantic and a thoroughly enjoyable read.

 

The book begins with Harriet sat on a train as it slowly climbs the mountain to her final destination where she will be spending her summer waitressing at a hotel resort.  During this compelling start to the novel, we learn that Harriet has secrets and that she is fleeing from a past that she would rather forget. I found that I was instantly drawn into Harriet's world and I wondered what life would be like for her working in a new country. I also wondered who she was fleeing from? Harriet is a likeable character and because chunks of the book are told from her point of view, I really found that I could identify with her as a woman who wanted to be independent but whose ties to her past kept pulling her back towards a life that she no longer wanted.

 

Huge chunks of the story are also told from Philippe's point of view and I have to admit that my heart was well and truly stolen by him. I loved Philippe. I loved his slightly gruff nature, his complicated past, a trait that he shared with Harriet, and his ultimate good looks. This attraction to him, I felt was further enhanced because he is not perfect and not your average romantic hero. The reason he has traveled to Wengen is to find solitude in order to write his crime novel, but there are also other reasons that are made apparat as the story progresses.

 

Throughout the novel, Harriet and Philippe have multiple misunderstandings and clash over a number of different issues - their romantic journey is not a smooth one, but that is what makes this book so much fun to read. You have no idea how the book is gong to end nd if there is a future for them. You just hope that there is a Happy Ever After.

 

On a final note I must mention Elspeth, an older lady and guest who befriends Harriet. I don't want to say too much, but you'll love her. I did.

 

This debut novel is well written and lives up to the romantic genre. I found myself completely immersed within the beautiful valleys of Wengen and I too wanted to walk hand in hand with Philippe along the mountain ridge. The book was completely captivating and whilst reading it I completely forgot all about the world around me. It was pure escapism.

 

 

Never Again is available to buy from Amazon here  

 

About Nicky Clifford

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Writing has always been a passion for Nicky Clifford and as a student she penned poems, short stories and articles, many of which were successfully published. But a lack of confidence in her novel writing led her to follow a different career path and for many years she worked in the corporate world of HR & Training.

Now with her sons having reached their teens and with her husband’s encouragement, Nicky has decided to focus on her writing once again and, glued to her writer’s chair, has completed three novels. Her debut novel, Never Again, is the first to be published and hits the contemporary romance shelves this autumn. The book is set in her home county of Berkshire and also in the Swiss Alps where Nicky has many happy memories, having worked there in her student days.

As well as dedicating her time to writing, Nicky also works part-time for a local charity. She will make a donation from the book royalties to the charities, Auticulate and Childhood Tumour Trust. Having completed a writing course at Reading University, she is a member of her local writing group which she says, were staunch in their support and have helped enormously in encouraging Nicky to launch her first book.

Nicky was a keen ice-skater, managing to perfect backwards crossovers, mohawks and one foot turns, but has recently hung up her boots to spend more time relaxing with her friends and family at home in Berkshire.

Website: www.nickyclifford.com
Facebook: NickyCliffordWriter
Twitter: @NickyNovelist

 

Find out more about the Never Again blog tour below

Lost in Static by Christina Philippou



 

 

About Lost in Static (taken from Amazon)

Sometimes growing up is seeing someone else's side of the story. Four stories. One truth. Whom do you believe?

Callum has a family secret. Yasmine wants to know it. Juliette thinks nobody knows hers. All Ruby wants is to reinvent herself.

They are brought together by circumstance, torn apart by misunderstanding. As new relationships are forged and confidences are broken, each person's version of events is coloured by their background, beliefs and prejudices. And so the ingredients are in place for a year shaped by lust, betrayal, and violence...

Lost in Static is the gripping debut from author Christina Philippou. Whom will you trust?

 

My review of Lost in Static

 

Lost in Static is a novel that is told from four different points of view. We read narratives by Ruby, Callum, Yasmine and Juliette. All of whom are freshers at University and live together in a halls of residence. To be able to write a story from four differing and unique viewpoints is no mean feat for any author and, to then create such distinctive voices and to make the novel continuously flow is also incredibly difficult to pull off. However, this author manages to create a flowing narrative told by four distinctive voices with ease.

 

The beginning of the book starts with an accident, and it is only by reading each story, over the course of the book, that we finally find out the terrible truth of what happened that fateful day. I have to say that I was gripped until the very end. But what really intrigued me was the way in which these four characters told their version of events, one story, but each completely different. This is the real joy of this book.

 

Now, did I like the characters? Sadly not. I didn't like any of them really. They were all manipulative and selfish. The only character that I felt a smidgen of empathy towards was Ruby, as I found that I connected most with her, she seemed the most real, although her use of the word 'mate' continually during her inner dialogue did at times distract me from what she had to tell me. However, even though I did not like any of them, I loved this book, and I don't think that has ever happened before. I usually have to identify with the characters, fall in love with them even for me to truly love the story, but I loved the story without loving any of them. This I know is strange, but that is how good the story telling is. You become immersed in their worlds, why they act the way in which they do and, you NEED to find out WHY they did what they did and what the eventual outcome will be.

 

I also have to admit that reading about student life and in particular life in the halls of residence, brought back memories as life as a student. Although I never had the use of a laptop or mobile phone at the time (this was in the early 90's), I did identify with that nerve-wracking feeling of knowing absolutely no other person and feeling all alone in the world. I also missed my now husband, who was at a different University. One of the beginning scenes in particular, where everyone is introduced to one another in the kitchen, really hit home. That gut wrenching feeling that nobody will like you and that you will have to spend the rest of the year thrown together in awkward silence.

 

I found this book to be dark and quite frankly an uncomfortable read, yet I really enjoyed it. I very much look forward to reading more by Christina Philippou. This is a stunning debut novel.

 

 

With thanks to NetGalley and Urbane Publications for a review copy in exchange for an honest review

 

Lost in Static was published on 15 Sept. 2016 by Urbane Publications and can be found on Amazon here.