Review: Dead Man’s Deal by Jocelynn Drake

 

Title: Dead Man’s Deal {The Asylum Tales #2}

Author: Jocelynn Drake

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Published: Harper Voyager May 2013

Status: Read from May 07 to 08, 2013 -I own a copy {Courtesy the publisher}

My Thoughts:

I had hoped to get my hands on a copy of Angel’s Ink before reading this, the next book in Drake’s Asylum Tales series but I didn’t quite manage it. Thankfully Dead Man’s Deal worked surprisingly well as a stand alone and I gratefully escaped into a world of magic, monsters and mayhem.

Dead Man’s Deal features Gage Powell, a wizard who turned his back on his training in order to escape the horrifying politics of his fellow magic wielders in the Ivory Towers. He makes his living as a tattoo artist in Low Town whilst forced to submit to strict conditions laid down by the Towers upon the threat of execution. Gage works hard to keep his head down but when the ruling class hears rumours of a rebellion amongst the general population that even leveling an entire city doesn’t quell, they are eager to blame Gage and now he, and everyone he cares about, is under threat unless he can survive long enough to strike a deal.

In Drake’s world, wizards and witches rule with sadistic impunity while humanity and other races suffer their whims. Children who exhibit magic skills, like Gage did, are forcibly removed from their parents with all further contact denied and are brought up amongst their own kind, apprenticed to mature wizards and witches. It’s a competitive, cut throat environment which breeds arrogance, entitlement and casual viciousness and in Dead Man’s Deal, Drake shares snippets of Gage’s past to reveal the horror of his childhood.

Gage’s determination to overthrow his destiny is his prime motivator but not at the cost of another’s life if he can avoid it. While Gage would like nothing more than to dismantle the Ivory Towers, in Dead Man’s Deal he is forced to stop the rebellion led by the Dark Elf, knowing that his brethren will destroy everything to suppress the dissemination of the coordinates of their towers. As Gage tries to capture the Elf he also has to deal with Tower assassins, jealous fae and the surprise arrival of his long lost brother. It’s a fast paced, action packed plot mired in magic and violence relieved by Drake’s wicked sense of humour and his passionate romance with his girlfriend, Trixie, an elf.

I really enjoyed Dead Man’s Deal and Drake’s creation of her gritty, unique world. Gage is a great hero with many admirable traits and he is supported by a cast of interesting characters and the story has may eager to know what happens next. This series is a must for fans of urban fantasy.

 

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Review: The Glass Wives by Amy Sue Nathan

 

Title: The Glass Wives

Author: Amy Sue Nathan

Published: St Martins Griffin May 2013

Status: Read from May 12 to 13, 2013 — I own a copy {Courtesy publisher/Netgalley}

My Thoughts:

I’ve been following Any Sue Nathan’s blog, Women’s Fiction Writers for a while, appreciating it’s focus on an often maligned genre that I enjoy. When I discovered her debut novel, The Glass Wives, available for review on Netgalley I jumped at the chance to read it.

In the Glass Wives, the unexpected demise of Richard Glass threatens to shatter Evie’s hard won, post-divorce equilibrium. While supporting her eleven year old twins, Sophie and Sam, as they mourn the loss of their father, Evie is forced to confront not only her changing circumstance but also Richard’s legacy, his widow (once mistress), Nicole, and her infant son, Luca.
Prompted by financial complications, her children’s affection for their half sibling and the young widow’s neediness, Eve reluctantly invites Nicole and Luca to live with her in a temporary but mutually beneficial arrangement.

Within the framework of this unusual set up, Nathan explores the idea of family and it’s changing definition in modern day society. While Evie initially thinks Richard’s death frees her from ongoing contact with Nicole, she hadn’t considered the bond between her children and their half sibling. It creates an interesting connection between the widow and the ex wife which Nathan dissects with compassion and keen insight into the situation’s unique challenges.
Friendship, trust, forgiveness and moving on are other themes explored in The Glass Wives. Evie is forced to reconcile her relationships and her hopes for the future with the baggage of her personal experience.

The characters of The Glass Wives are well drawn and easy to relate to. I greatly admired Evie and her decision to deal with a difficult situation as gracefully as possible. I doubt I could be so generous to my ex husband’s mistress, even under such desperate circumstances. I found it hard to develop much sympathy for Nicole, even when her tragic history was revealed. I do think her motivations were a little confusing at times and I never really developed a sense of who she was. Laney and Beth, Evie’s best friends, provided much needed levity and warmth through out the book whilst still playing devil’s advocate Evie’s decisions and opinions.

Well written, The Glass Wives is a thought provoking, enjoyable debut novel exploring the challenges of defining family and love in a time of social change.

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Review: Into My Arms by Kylie Ladd

Title: Into My Arms

Author: Kylie Ladd

Published: Allen & Unwin May 2013

Status: Read from May 01 to 02, 2013 — I own a copy {Courtesy the publisher}

My Thoughts:

In her previous novels, Kylie Ladd has written with compelling insight into uncomfortable issues including adultery in After the Fall and death and grief in Last Summer. Into My Arms, her third novel, is similarly confronting while examining the complexities of family, love and desire.

It’s incredibly difficult to articulate my thoughts about Into My Arms while avoiding spoilers. The back cover hints at love at first sight followed by a passionate relationship which is then shattered by a shocking revelation but it is much more than that. Skye and Ben are nearly destroyed by a phenomena that challenges moral and societal conventions and Into My Arms explores it’s devastating effects on both the couple and their families.

What could have been a tawdry, sensationalistic subject, is dealt with carefully, shedding a compassionate light on a little known issue that is particularly relevant in modern society. There is no getting away from the fact that most readers will find it confronting but I think Ladd does a terrific job in humanising the issue by placing ordinary people at the center of the maelstrom.

While the controversial main plot will garner the most attention, there is a prominent subplot in the book not alluded to in the blurb. Zia is a pupil of Ben and Skye, a young boy from an immigrant Iranian family who is struggling to adjust to his new life. While Zia’s story is linked by the themes of family and estrangement, and he develops connections with the main characters, I thought it out of place somehow. Don’t get me wrong, it is interesting in and of itself, but I didn’t find it necessary and I wondered if it’s purpose was to blunt the confronting nature of Ben and Skye’s circumstance.

Regardless, I found Into My Arms to be a fascinating and thought provoking novel. I devoured it in hours and I suspect it will stimulate discussion amongst all who read it.

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Review: With All My Love by Patricia Scanlon

 

Title: With All My Love

Author: Patricia Scanlon

Published: Simon & Schuster April 2013

Status: Read on November 09, 2012 — I own a copy {Courtesy the publisher}

My Thoughts:

The 18th novel by best selling women’s fiction author Patricia Scanlan, With All My Love is a moving story of betrayal and forgiveness as three generations of women attempt to repair their shattered bonds.

Though the memories are hazy, Briony recalls the loving care and attention her grandmother, Tessa Egan, lavished upon her as a small child and how desperately hurt she was when her mother, Valerie, told four year old Briony that Gramma didn’t want to see her anymore. Thirty years later, while helping her mother to settle in Spain, Briony is devastated to learn that Valerie lied and deliberately excluded her deceased father’s family from her life.

For Briony, discovering the letter from her Gramma is a painful reminder of her childhood grief and she is furious with her mother’s deception. Confronted with her daughter’s anger, Valerie is forced to reexamine the circumstances that led to her decision to cut Tessa and her family out of their lives. As the novel unfolds, Scanlan delves into the complicated bond between Valerie and Tessa with stunning insight into the fraught tensions of such a relationship.

Scanlan masterfully reveals the conflict between Valerie and Tessa, exposing their hidden jealousies and insecurities, creating believable characters that garner both scorn and sympathy. Valerie and Tessa are complex characters with motives that are simultaneously sound and irrational. Tessa believes she is protecting Jeff when she opposes his marriage to Valerie and Valerie believes she needs to protect Briony from Tessa’s controlling nature when she forbids contact after Jeff’s sudden death. It is much easier to empathise with Valerie whose difficult home life leaves her vulnerable and who is genuinely heartbroken by Jeff’s refusal to marry her. Tessa is difficult to like as she is often demanding, self centered and refuses to accept any responsibility for the rift. Yet Scanlan is careful to show how both women contributed to the consequences for Briony.

A compelling, poignant examination of relationships, motherhood, secrets, betrayal and the unbreakable bond of family, All My Love is brought to an eminently satisfying conclusion as the women seek forgiveness. This is a wonderful novel sure to hit the bestseller list.

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PS I was quoted in this book – though they spelt my name wrong!

 

Review & Giveaway: The River of No Return by Bee Ridgeway

 

Title: The River of No Return

Author: Bee Ridgeway

Published: Penguin: Michael Joseph April 2013

Status: Read from April 20 to 21, 2013 — I own a copy

Read an Excerpt

My Thoughts:

In The River of No Return, Lord Nicholas Falcott is about to be run through with a sword on a Spanish battlefield when he is hurtled two hundred years into the future. He wakes at the mercy of The Guild, a seemingly benevolent organisation that supports people who find themselves displaced in time. Nick spends a year in a reeducation center, adjusting to modern life and learning the rules of the Guild:

There is no Return.
There is no Return.
Tell No One.
Uphold the Rules.

Then, nine years after his resettlement in the USA, The Guild demands Nick’s help. He is required to travel back to 1818 and resume his position as Lord Blackdown in order to help The Guild find a Talisman which is said to amplify the ability to manipulate time, before a rival group of travellers, known as the Ofan, do.

The River of No Return is a tale of adventure, romance and intrigue as Nick finds himself a pawn in the battle for the control of time. Two groups, The Guild and The Ofan are comprised of people displaced from their own time who fail to agree on how it can be used but both fear The Pale, a phenomena which is causing time to reverse. Rumours of a Talisman, an object of some kind that could perhaps undo the damage to the timeline, has them all desperately searching, loathe for the other to gain control.

I found the concepts surrounding the time travel element in the novel surprisingly easy to grasp. Ridgeway’s characters have the ability to move both forward and backward in time and even stop time, within a limited range. The how is a little more complicated but it’s an instinctual talent so most people do not discover the ability until in the midst of a life or death crisis. The Guild tells it’s general members that traveling is a one off event in order to protect their own interests in the timeline. The Ofan are essentially a rebel group who have spurned the Guild’s control.

Though Nick makes the leap from 1813 to 1993, our time with him in both era’s are fairly brief. The bulk of the story of The River of No Return takes place in 1818 in England when Nick returns on his mission for the Guild. I think this is, in part, why I took to the novel so well as I didn’t have to contend with multiple jumps through time and the inevitable fracturing of the storyline that leads to.

There are three main points of intrigue in the story, the veracity of the Guild and the Ofan, the identity of the mysterious Mr Mibbs and the whereabouts of the Talisman. Nick is unwittingly mixed up in all three and is forced on a path to try and solve the mysteries.

Romance is a strong element of the novel, Julia, is the seventeenth century neighbour of Nick, raised by her grandfather, who discovers after his death that she she has power over time. Julia and Nick shared a moment as children and it is the memory of Julia that still haunts Nick after his leap in time. When he returns to his own time, a relationship develops between he and Julia, but it is complicated by secrets and misunderstandings.

One word of warning, The River of No Return is the first installment in a continuing story, so it ends with little in the way of plot resolution but I, for one, am looking forward to the next adventure.

I have to admit I was trepiditious when I agreed to review The River of No Return, not entirely convinced a debut author could write convincingly about time travel when it is such a challenging concept. However I was sufficiently intrigued by the premise and sample chapter to give it a try, even after I discovered the novel was nearly 600 pages long.

I am very glad I did because I found The River of No Return to be an entertaining, engaging and well written novel. As this novel crosses genre boundaries, blending elements of historical fiction, sci-fi, adventure and romance I think it will appeal to a wide audience and I am happy to recommend it as a great read.

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Review: Roll With It by Nick Place

 

Title: Roll With It

Author: Nick Place

Published: Hardie Grant March 2013

Status: Read from April 06 to 07, 2013 — I own a copy{Courtesy the publisher}

My Thoughts:

I couldn’t resist the premise of Roll With It, an Australian debut novel combining crime, action and humour. Author Nick Place introduces Major Crime Detective Tony ‘Rocket’ Laver who is plunged in the midst of a professional and personal crisis after shooting a suspect dead in self defense. As the sixth Victorian officer to do so in as many months, Laver becomes a political scapegoat and is swiftly reassigned to the Mobile Public Interaction Squad, forced to don a neon jacket and bike pants to patrol the streets of Melbourne on a mountain bike.

The intention of the Brass is to keep Laver out of the way and out of trouble but in between needling his earnest rookie partners, giving the wrong directions to backpackers and endless cups of coffee, his well tuned cop instincts finds something not quite right about two men menacing a hippie chick and her buttoned up admirer. Laver starts poking around convinced the ginger heavy and his companion, known as Wild Man and Stig are up to no good but without the resources of the force he has no idea just what he is getting into.

As Laver wanders around in professional Siberia, the case twists and turns revealing surprising links between a suburban supermarket store, a rainbow warrior runaway and a fiery car crash in Queensland. Though the plot isn’t difficult to predict it’s enjoyable to follow Laver Melbourne’s CBD as he tries to put the pieces together. Anyone familiar with the city is likely to enjoy the familiarity of the environs, and those who are not will appreciate the distinctly Australian flavour.

The narrative follows Laver, Stig and Wild Man and Jake, a supermarket manager assistant whose crush on beatnik Lou results in him unwittingly becoming tangled in the case. I think I would have preferred for the perspective to stay with Laver as I really enjoyed the cynical, wry humour of the hard edged cop, I particularly liked his observations of his colleagues in the ‘bike’ police. Laver is not just a cop though and his demotion plus his frustration at being ignored by the Brass spills over into his personal life, and not for the first time. Already a failed husband and father, his current fiance isn’t all sympathetic to his current predicament.

Roll With It is an entertaining read, there is enough intrigue and action to provide an interesting story and plenty of humour to amuse. I hope to see Tony Laver hot on the trail of some more bad guys soon.

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Blog Tour: From the Kitchen of Half Truth by Maria Goodin

I am excited to be part of Sourcebook’s Blog Tour for From The Kitchen of Half Truth by Maria Goodin today and share with you not only my thoughts about this engaging story but also a short Q&A with the author.

Title: From the Kitchen of Half Truth

Author: Maria Goodin

Published: Sourcebooks April 2013

My Thoughts:

From the Kitchen of Half Truth (published as Nutmeg in the UK, and in Australia as The Storyteller’s Daughter) by debut author Maria Goodin is a a poignant story of a relationship between a mother who has taken refuge in fantasy and a daughter who wants only the facts.

Meg’s mother has told her daughter whimsical stories of her birth and early childhood, stories Meg had no reason to doubt since she has no memory of anything that happened before her fifth birthday. But at eight years old Meg May’s belief in her eccentric mother’s tales of runaway runner beans, neighing horseradish and nipping crab cakes was shattered by the taunts of her peers. Now twenty-one, with her mother, Valerie, dying from a terminal illness, Meg has one last summer to discover the truth about her past.

From the Kitchen of Half Truth can not really be labeled as magical realism but it has a sense of whimsy that creates that impression. The imaginative tales stemming from Valerie’s obsession with food and cooking are absolutely charming, from the mint slice that bestows super speed to the hotdogs that bark and the toad in the hole that refuses to stay put. Apparently initially developed from an award winning short story, there are some flaws to be found, with holes in the plot, and sometimes weak characterisation yet the writing has a delightful rhythm and lovely imagery.

Meg’s rejection of her mother’s make believe world has driven her to excel in science, finding comfort in logic and order. In returning home to care for her sick mother Meg is forced to confront her mother’s delusions in her quest for the truth of her early childhood. Humorless and patronising, Meg is not immediately likeable, though she is sympathetic as it’s easy to understand her frustration with her mother’s evasion of the truth.

Valerie’s eccentric behaviour is both endearing and quite maddening. She is an attentive, loving and supportive mother but her denial of reality is quite absurd. It is obvious however that beneath the fantastical stories Meg’s mother has concocted lies a dark secret, and in fact we eventually learn she is hiding some horrifying truths. Truths that Meg finds that she regrets insisting on knowing when they reveal painful memories.

From the Kitchen of Half Truth is an enchanting tale of love, loss, and the conflict between what the head knows and what the heart wants. It is quirky and unusual but altogether I thought it moving, tender and funny.

A quick Q&A Maria Goodin

Q: From the Kitchen of Half Truth was adapted from a short story (that won the 2007 Derby Short Story Competition), did you think as you were writing the story that it had the potential to become a novel?

It didn’t even cross my mind. I had just started dabbling in short story writing, and my only thought was that I wanted to write something that I could enter into a competition to see how it got on. I was really just testing the waters at the time to see if I had what it took to make some success of writing, even if only on a small scale. It was winning the competition that gave me the idea to turn the story into a novel.

Q: What do you think about the varying titles of the novel – in the UK it is titled Nutmeg, in Australia as The Storyteller’s Daughter and in the US as The Kitchen of Half Truth?

It took me some time to get used to the new titles. It’s strange to have your work renamed. I am happy enough with the Australian title, although it focuses on the aspect of storytelling over food, whereas the UK title focused on the food theme alone. The US title manages to combine both and is my favourite. I have never been to the US or Australia, so I think it would be rather narrow-minded of me to assume I know better than the publishers what would appeal to their audience. Unless I strongly objected, I was happy to go with their suggestions. My aim is for people to pick up the book and read it; I’m not precious about the title.

Q: What has surprised you most about the reactions to the story?

The number of times the novel has been called ‘quirky’ has really surprised me. Some of the publishers in the UK said lovely things about the book but felt it was too ‘quirky’ to market. I never set out to write anything particularly unusual – to me the story seemed quite ‘normal’, so maybe that says something about my mind! Perhaps some publishers were concerned that readers might pick the book up, scan the first few lines and decide it was some kind of fantasy book. It’s easy to see how people might start reading the story and think it’s going to be a fairy-tale, but it doesn’t take long to realise something much deeper is going on in the novel, and that underneath the humour and the bizarre stories lies a story about confusion, hurt and self-protection. Maybe there is an assumption that readers like to know exactly what they are getting when they pick up a book, and maybe the way my novel swings from humour to pain makes it hard to pigeonhole. However, a lot of readers have said they really like the fact that the book is a little bit different, so I think being ‘quirky’ has turned out to be a good thing.

Q: Are you working on a second novel?

I am thinking through a few ideas. Life has been rather hectic since having my first novel published, but I am planning on starting to write the next one later this year. For updates, feel free to take a look at my blog on Goodreads.com or see my website, www.mariagoodin.co.uk, which will be live by April.

From The Kitchen of Half Truth by Maria Goodin

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FROM THE KITCHEN OF HALF TRUTH – BLOG TOUR

April 1 – Luxury Reading

April 2 – Laura’s Reviews

April 4 – A Bookish Affair

April 5 – Mrs. Condit Reads Books

April 6 – Adventures of an Intrepid Reader

April 8 – Cocktails and Books

April 9 – Library of Clean Reads

April 10 – Broken Teepee

April 11 – Dew on the Kudzu

April 12 – Raging Bibliomania

April 15 – Daystarz

April 16 – Chick Lit Plus

April 17 – Peeking Between the Pages

April 18 – Book’d Out

April 22 – Books and Needlepoint

April 23 – Write Meg

April 26 – Bookmagnet

Aust Edition

Review & Giveaway: Out of the Silence by Wendy James

 

Title: Out of The Silence

Author: Wendy James

Published: Momentum April 2013

Read an Excerpt

Status: Read from April 11 to 13, 2013 — I own a copy {Courtesy the publisher}

My Thoughts:

Set at the turn of the last century in Australia, Out of the Silence is a compelling blend of historical and crime fiction. Based on a true story it draws from historical record and the imagination of Wendy James to explore the fate of two women, working class Maggie Heffernan and genteel immigrant, Elizabeth Hamilton at a time when the suffragist movement, led by Vida Goldstein, was gaining ground in Victoria.

Maggie’s story is told in the first person, beginning in rural Victoria where she lives with her family. A little wild, Maggie wants more than “…a life indoors where nothing happens but potatoes boiling over and socks that need darning, or a child to be fed or changed or beat.” and when she meets Jack Hardy, who similarly longs for more than his status offers, she falls desperately in love.

Elizabeth’s life is shared through letters to her brother and private journal entries. The tragic death of her fiance in an accident shattered her dreams for the future and she chose to emigrate to Australia to take up a position as a governess. When she determines she unsuited to the situation she is instead offered accommodation with her cousins and Elizabeth joins the staff of a private school in Melbourne, finding herself a witness to the growing suffragette movement but yet hoping for “the promise of the fulfillment and contentment and happiness that for [Elizabeth] only marriage can provide”.

Vida Goldstein, who is a real figure from history, is Elizabeth’s employer at the private school where she works, and a close friend of her cousin, Harriet, with whom she lives. Vida’s passion for women’s rights is what brings these three very different characters together, when Maggie is accused, convicted and sentenced to death for murder.

Out of the Silence is not a who-dunnit but a why-dunnit exploring the social and personal contexts that led Maggie to commit such a heinous crime. It questions where the blame lies for the path her life takes, for the choices she is forced to make and how society’s perception of who she is, and so what she deserves plays a part in determining her fate. It’s a fascinating tale that James writes with empathy and adds human interest to the wider debate about women’s rights.

Though Elizabeth’s accounts can be rather dry, her moderate views temper Vida’s enthusiasm and Maggie’s desperate circumstances. I like that James gives each woman and her perspective a voice without judgement. Though their situations are very different their basic desire, to choose their own fate, is the same.

Out of the Silence is rich in period detail, it illustrates a time, place and attitude where science, religion and social awareness began to conflict. In large part this novel is a historical record of the momentum of the suffragette movement in Australia around the year 1900. It explores the role of women in accordance with class, privilege and law of the time, contrasting the circumstances of individuals like Maggie and Elizabeth.

A well crafted, thoughtful novel, Out of the Silence is a fascinating story of women, of love and desire. I am very pleased that Momentum has republished this award winning title for a new audience to discover.

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Review: Reconstructing Amelia by Kimberly McCrieght

 

Title: Reconstructing Amelia

Author: Kimberly McCreight

Published: Simon & Schuster UK April 2013

Status: Read from April 03 to 04, 2013 — I own a copy {Courtesy Simon & Schuster Au}

My Thoughts:

Reconstructing Amelia is an engaging contemporary mystery with appeal for both mature teen and adult audiences.

Kate Baron, a single mother and busy lawyer, has not noticed anything particularly awry with her daughter with whom she has always been close, so when she receives a call from the small, private and exclusive school Amelia attends, to advise her Amelia, an honour student, has been suspended she is sure it’s a mistake. It takes Kate over an hour to make her way from her midtown law firm to Grace Hall and when she arrives she is informed that her precious fifteen year old daughter is dead, having leapt from the roof of the school after being accused of plagiarising an English paper. Kate is devastated, Amelia was bright, creative and level headed, but the police seem certain that it was suicide.
Until Kate receives a text – “Amelia didn’t jump”.

Reconstructing Amelia is told through the point of view of Kate, as she recalls her relationship with her daughter and investigates the events leading up to her death, and Amelia, whose story also involves texts and Facebook status updates. Moving between the past and the present, in the environs of Park Slope in New York, we become privy to a score of tangled secrets.

As Kate unravels the events that contributed to her daughter’s death she discovers, within Amelia’s digital landscape, an elite clique’s hazing dares, a secret love affair and friendships complicated by petty jealousies, power plays and hidden identities. McCreight skillfully delves into the private world of a modern day teenager negotiating self discovery and independence. Amelia is a well developed character whose thoughts and behaviours are credible, teenagers will be able to relate to her, while parents will no doubt recognise their own daughters in her.

Kate must also confront her own culpability in the choices she has made as Amelia’s mother and reconsider her perception of her relationship with her daughter. I think McCreight is sympathetic to the simple truth that teenagers rarely share their inner lives with their parents and Kate, despite her flaws, is a sympathetic character.

It came as a surprise to me that I found Reconstructing Amelia such a page turner but this engaging novel was a fast read with an intriguing cast and storyline. Reconstructing Amelia is an impressive debut from an author to watch.

*Oh and the trailer below is fabulous – take a look and tell me what you think!

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Review: The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult

 

Title: The Storyteller

Author: Jodi Piccoult

Published: Allen & Unwin March 2013

Read an excerpt

Status: Read from March 27 to 28, 2013 — I own a copy {Courtesy the publisher}

My Thoughts:

I will admit I was hesitant to read The Storyteller so I was gratified to find myself absorbed in this story about a young woman, Sage Singer, who learns her elderly friend, a respected member of the local community, hides a horrific secret. Sixty years ago Joseph Weber served in the SS-Panzergrenadier-Division Totenkopf and was once the camp supervisor at Auschwitz. And now he wants Sage’s help.

The Storyteller is a challenging read, raising thought provoking questions about responsibility, forgiveness, justice and redemption. Sage is struggling with her guilt for the accident that led to her mother’s death, Josef is desperate for forgiveness for the role he played in mass genocide – what acts can (or cannot) be forgiven and who has the right to forgive them? The ethical conundrum’s are underscored by Department of Justice representative, Leo Stein, to whom Sage brings the story of Joseph Weber and with whom Sage becomes personally involved.

Blending historical fact with fiction, Picoult examines the horrors of the Holocaust as the novel unfolds from the perspectives of Josef and Minka – a survivor, and Sage’s grandmother. I found Minka’s story utterly riveting and desperately tragic. I can not imagine the horror’s faced and I found tears slipping down my face on more than one occasion. Josef’s story is also illuminating, exploring how it is that an ordinary man can become a mass murderer, indifferent to humanity.

It’s the story written by Minka, who aspired to be a novelist before Hitler overan the country, that bothered me. The tale of an upior (a vampire) terrorising a small community has obvious parallels to the main storyline, and is interesting in and of itself, but it’s inclusion seems somewhat calculated to me given the popularity of the paranormal genre.

There is no escaping the fact that there is no real subtlety to this story, but I’m not sure that is necessarily a bad thing. It ensures the events and emotions are accessible to a broad audience and the reader is able to immerse them self in the emotions and events of the tale.

The Storyteller is a surprisingly compelling novel that will continue to haunt you long after the last page is turned.

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