Someone Else's Skin by Sarah Hilary

Winner of the Theakston’s 2015 Crime Novel of the Year, this is Sarah Hilary’s debut novel introducing the character of DI Marnie Rome.  It is a fast-paced read as you would expect in this genre.  I liked the character of Marnie Rome – she was sufficiently complex with a backstory of her own.  I also liked her side-kick, Noah Jake.  The book opens with a devastating scene from Marnie’s past.  We’re then back in the present day with Marnie and Noah making a visit to a woman’s refuge to take a routine statement.  Their arrival interrupts an attempted murder.  It all seems a straight forward case of domestic violence, but as the investigation continues all is not what it first seemed and Marnie is forced to confront her own ghosts. The book deals with a serious subject in a sensitive way.  The chapters are short and punchy.  I look forward to spending more time with the characters in Sarah’s second book, No Other Darkness.     

Instructions For A Heatwave by Maggie O'Farrell

I’m a big Maggie O’Farrell fan so I was looking forward to reading this.  The story is set against the backdrop of the heatwave of 1976.  It’s a story about relationships.  It is written from multiple viewpoints – I’m not usually a fan of multiple viewpoint novels, but this worked for me as all the voices were distinct.  The story opens with Gretha in London.  She is up early baking her usual soda bread despite the heat.  Her husband, Robert, greets her as usual and then pops out to the newsagents – something he’s done every day since his retirement.  What starts as a normal day turns into an extraordinary one when Robert doesn’t return.  We then meet their children:- Michael-Francis, a teacher with two young children and marital problems.  Monica, the favoured child, who has just re-married and become a step-mother; she should be happy, but she’s not.    And, Aoife the youngest and wildest child, living in New York after falling out with Monica.  As the crisis deepens, the family pull together as they try and solve the mystery of Robert’s disappearance and face up to their own problems.  The story depicts the intricacies of family relationships so well.  I could feel the sticky heat of the summer of 1976 and there was a real sense of place, especially when the story moves to Ireland.  I wasn’t sure when I started reading if I was going to enjoy this as much as Maggie O’Farrell’s previous novels, but it didn’t disappoint and I thoroughly enjoyed the read.

The Girl In The Photograph by Kate Riordan

This is the story of two women, Alice Eveleigh in 1933 and Elizabeth Stanton in 1898.  The setting is Fiercombe Manor located in an isolated valley in Gloucestershire.  The chapters alternate between Alice, written in the first person and Elizabeth, written in the third person.  Unmarried Alice is pregnant and has been sent from her home in London to Fiercombe Manor to be cared for by Mrs Jelphs, the care taker of the manor.   Edith Jelphs is an old childhood friend of Alice’s mothers and Alice’s mother hopes that by sending Alice away no one will know of the pregnancy.  Alice, unused to life in the countryside, soon finds her imagination running riot in the eerie atmosphere of the house and the overbearing presence of Mrs Jelphs.  Alice becomes fascinated with stories of the Manor’s ancestors and, in particular, Elizabeth Stanton.  In 1898 Elizabeth Stanton was also pregnant and Mrs Jelphs had been her maid.  The mystery of what has happened to Elizabeth soon becomes an obsession and, as the unborn baby grows, Alice worries that her life is mirroring Elizabeth’s.   An easy read, I would have liked to know more about Alice’s mother’s past and her connection with Edith Jelphs.      

The Guest Cat by Takashi Hiraide

The Guest Cat is a gentle, thoughtful read.  It is about a couple in their thirties who have lost their way and have stopped communicating with each other when a cat starts to visit them.  The uninvited guest keeps coming back and brings a cheerful respite in their daily grind.  They become attached to the animal closely observing its habits.  They look forward to the cat’s visits.  The author is a Japanese poet and the writing is lyrical.  The story has been translated from Japanese and offers a window to a different culture but, because of the translation, I think I missed some of the subtle messages the author was trying to get across.