BOOK REVIEW: I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes

A young woman murdered in a run-down Manhattan hotel.
A father publicly beheaded in the blistering sun of Saudi Arabia.
A man's eyes stolen from his living body as he leaves a secret Syrian research laboratory.
Smouldering human remains on a mountainside in the Hindu Kush.
A plot to commit an appalling crime against humanity.
One thread that binds them all.
One man to take the journey.
Pilgrim.

Publisher: Corgi

Pages: 892

I Am Pilgrim was chosen by my book group, I had heard positive things but it is not my usual type of book so I didn't know what to expect. At 892 pages, it is pretty long but in my opinion it is fantastic. The pace is relentless, each chapter is a good size but you do not want to stop reading. The book is split into four parts, each one dealing with a different part of Pilgrim's journey.
Pilgrim has many names and he's lived many lives and even though this book is long, I felt that we barely scratched the surface as to who he really is
. Part of a super elite division of the intelligence service, Pilgrim's whole life has been dedicated to duty and serving his country. There are moments where a he talks of the life he would have liked with a wife and possibly children but ultimately he knows that the decisions he has made will always prevent that.
It is difficult to review the book without giving the plot away. Ultimately, Pilgrim is chasing a man known as the Saracen who poses a catastrophic threat to America and the wider world. He is terrifying, a new breed of terrorist; educated, cunning and highly radicalised. Terry Hayes is obviously writing from an American perspective but I was impressed by how he showed the events that led up to the Saracen's chosen path. He is not trying to make excuses but he is trying to understand the reasons why and in reality I think it is the best way of tackling these issues. It is a cat and mouse chase across many destinations, corruption, crime and coercion are rife and Pilgrim knows that ultimately he can only trust and rely on himself.
I Am Pilgrim is a fantastic book to immerse yourself in, Terry Hayes himself described it as an epic read. Don't let it's length put you off, I have read it on just under a week and I was not bored at any point. My only criticism is that there does not seem to be any positive roles for women within the book. I understand that the intelligence service is still very male dominated but it did seem strange that women were not represented. The majority of females within the book, even in a position of power were either corrupt or being manipulated by men. The others were weak characters or just downright unpleasant. I hadn't realised until I was thinking about the book afterwards and I still thoroughly enjoyed it.
I Am Pilgrim is a real adventure but terrifying as you can easily see that the events could actually happen. It is a book that I know I will read again in the future, Terry Hayes' writing is assured, entertaining and highly realistic.

BOOK REVIEW: Ivy Lane by Cathy Bramley

From spring to summer, autumn to winter, a lot can happen in a single year.
Tilly Porter needs a fresh start, fresh air and a fresh attitude if she is ever to leave the past behind and move on with her life. As she seeks out peace and quiet in a new town, taking on a plot at Ivy Lane allotments seems like the perfect solution.
But the members of the friendly Ivy Lane community have other ideas and gradually draw Tilly into their cosy, comforting world of planting seedlings, organising bake sales and planning seasonal parties.
As the seasons pass, will Tilly learn to stop hiding amongst the sweetpeas and let people into her life- and her heart?

Publisher: Corgi

Pages: 443

One of the mums who I have made friends with at Darcey's school is a big chick lit fan and asked me if I liked Cathy Bramley; when I admitted that I hadn't read any of her books, she very kindly lent me the first three. I'm so glad she did as I fell in love with Ivy Lane and I can't wait to read more by this author.
Tilly is looking for a complete fresh start; a new job at a primary school, new village to live in and a new hobby in the form of a plot of land at Ivy Lane Allotments. She goes with the idea that she will keep herself to herself but the other residents of Ivy Lane have different ideas. She soon becomes an integral part of their little community and begins to think that it may be time to stop hiding and start living again instead.
This book was just what I needed this week (well the two days that it took to read it) it is warm, witty and charming. I took to Tilly straight away and the author keeps you guessing as to what she's running away from which adds a little bit of mystery. Tilly is one of life's good people; she goes out of her way to help others at Ivy Lane  and she does so without want of praise or appreciation. It reminded me a little of joining my village W.I. I, like Tilly was a little daunted by it at first but then you quickly become enveloped into the group and can't imagine not being a part of it. The author has created some splendid characters, they really did bring the whole story alive and it was great to see them take Tilly under their wing.
Ivy Lane by Cathy Bramley is a lovely, feel-good read, and it is part of a series so there's plenty more for me to catch up on!

BOOK REVIEW: Severed by Simon Kernick

You wake up in a strange room on a bed covered in blood.
You have no idea how you got there.
Beside you is a dead girl. Your girlfriend.
The phone rings, and a voice tells you to press play on the room's DVD machine.
The film shows you killing your girlfriend. Then you're told to go to an address in East London where you're to deliver a briefcase and await further instructions.
There's no way out.
If you're to survive the next 24 hours, you must find out who killed your girlfriend, and why. Before they come for you. 

Publisher: Corgi

Pages: 475 

I have only recently discovered Simon Kernick, I very much enjoyed his latest book, The Bone Field and I wanted to read more. The lovely Victoria Loves Books recommended Severed and this lady is always spot on with her recommendations so I promptly ordered and and read it in two days!
I don't think that I have ever read a book that has made me hold my breath so much. It's just non-stop from the very first chapter.
Tyler wakes up in a strange room, covered in blood, lying next to his girlfriend who has her head missing. He has no recollection of how he got there and what has happened. There is a TV and DVD player in the corner with his name and the instructions to press play on it. The film shows a man who looks like Tyler but is wearing a mask, viciously murdering his girlfriend. However, Tyler knows it's not him but who's going to believe him? He's then given an address to go to and warned that if he doesn't then the video plus murder weapon with his prints on will be handed over to the police. And so begins the worst day of Tyler's life.
Simon Kernick is so good at writing fast-paced, edge of your seat fiction. He sets the story up and then flies with it; each chapter offering twists and turns that you don't see coming.
I was impressed with how he tied it all together, he delves into Tyler's past in order to show the consequences on his present day situation.
Severed was exciting, action packed and entirely believable, I highly recommend this author.

Book Review: Dirty Tricks by Jo Carnegie

Fashion Queen Saffron is leaving the London party scene for the country, to write her bonkbusting novel. It means six months without gorgeous boyfriend Tom... but at least his supermodel twin brother will be there to keep her company!

Good girl Harriet, meanwhile, has swapped country life for the bright lights of London, and finds herself working with quite possibly the sexiest man she has ever met. But what dangerous secrets lurk behind those twinkling blue eyes of his?

New lives, new temptations. Have both girls bitten off more than they can chew?

I read Jo Carnegie's other book Country Pursuits and really enjoyed it so I was looking forward to this one when it arrived. Corgi appear to have given the author's front cover a different feel and I personally think it's an improvement, I would definitely pick it up in a shop.
Saffron and Harriet are both extremely likable characters and it's a great idea to have one in the country and one in the city, I really enjoyed reading about what they were getting up to. Both women are effectively trying out new lives; Saffron is pursuing her writing career and Harriet is pursuing romance. There are a fair few supporting characters in this book and I think that is one of the main reasons that I enjoyed it so much. Harriet's father, Sir Ambrose has been left to fend for himself at the stately home whilst his wife is off travelling. He provides many comical moments and almost plays his daughter at her own game of trying something new in life.
There is a lot of romance in Dirty Tricks, Saffron has steady boyfriend Tom and the surprising arrival of his supermodel  brother Rex. Meanwhile Harriet has fallen for her new boss who has more secrets than she ever could imagine. Throughout the book we get snippets from the bonkbuster that Saffron is writing; they are very entertaining but you soon realise that Harriet and Saffron are having a few romps of their own.
This book has been perfect for sitting in the sunshine with over the past two days. Jo Carnegie's writing is incredibly warm and inviting, I would highly recommend Dirty Tricks.

Many thanks to Corgi for sending me a copy to review, Dirty Tricks is out now!

Book Review: You Don't Have to Say You Love Me by Sarra Manning

Sweet, bookish Neve Slater always plays by the rules. And the rule is that fat girls like her don't get guys like gorgeous William, heir to Neve's heart since university. But William's been in LA for three years, and Neve's been slimming down and reinventing herself so that when he returns, he'll fall head over heels in love with the new her.

So she's not that interested in other men, Until her sister points out that if Neve wants William to think she's an experienced love-goddess and not the awkward girl he left behind, then she'd better get some, well, experience.

What Neve needs is someone to show her the ropes, someone like Max. Wicked, shallow, sexy Max. And since he's such a man-slut, and so not Neve's type, she certainly won't fall for him. Because William is the man for her...right?

This book is quite long at 555 pages but it wasn't a problem as I enjoyed each one.
Neve is holding out for William who she met at Oxford University, he has been in LA for the last 3 years and their only contact has been emails and long, long, handwritten letters. However, Neve is convinced that William is 'The One' and so she is doing everything to be ready for his return. William is in for a shock though as Neve is half the woman she was; Neve's weight and her quest to lose it is a huge part of her life. At first I found this aspect of the character a little off-putting but as I learnt more about Neve and the negative impact her weight has had on her life, I began to like and understand her a lot more.
Neve lives in a house converted into flats, she has the top floor, her little sister Celia the bottom floor and then her brother Douglas and his nasty wife Celia have other one. Charlotte is a pretty nasty piece of work; she made Neve's life hell by bullying her about her size at school and she still manages to intimidate her now. Neve's sister Celia is a lovely character, she works for a fashion magazine and she introduces Neve to Max, one of the editors. Max is very much a ladies man and Celia warns her big sister to keep her distance. But it is Max who os the persistent one, following Neve home, trying to charm his way into her pants.
Realising that Max is not going to give up, Neve decides that he could be a good relationship practice before William returns. Ground rules are set; no holding hands, no sex and it will all be over once William is back on British soil. So much to everyone's surprise, Max and Neve embark on a pretend relationship, they have dates, share the same bed but there are no strings attached. Well there shouldn't be but once Neve realises that their time together is coming to an end she begins to wonder if William really is 'The One' and what will life be like without Max?
Sarra Manning has written an excellent book. Neve has bit of the Bridget Jones factor about her in that she is a woman that many female readers will completely identify with. She has aspirations, insecurities, fears and needs; she just didn't bet on Max becoming one of them.
You Don't Have to Tell Me That You Love Me is an absorbing, sexy read. Max and Neve are really well formed characters and I was a bit sad when I got to the last page. This really is a great book and I shall look out for others by Sarra Manning in the future.

Many thanks to Corgi / Transworld for sending me a copy of this book to review, it is available now!

Book Review: Blacklands by Belinda Bauer

This is one of the most disturbing books that I have read in a long while. Blacklands is Belinda Bauer's first novel and follows the relationship created between Steven Lamb and Arnold Avery who is a convicted paedophile and serial killer.

Steven's Uncle Billy was killed by Avery before Steven was even born, sadness and uncertainty has hung over Steven's family ever since. His Nan still waits for Uncle Billy's return as Avery has never revealed the whereabouts of the young boy's remains.

Steven is convinced that his family will be happy if they can lay Billy to rest so in his spare time he goes digging on the treacherous moors in search of his uncle's body. Frustration and desperation leads him to send Arnold Avery a letter and so the game begins.

Belinda Bauer really takes the reader into the mind and thoughts of Avery which obviously makes for pretty disturbing reading. What really shone through for me though is the devastation caused to the family by their loss and the power wielded by the killer even when he has been locked away.

Steven Lamb is a wonderful character and I think that you get a real sense of the responsibility that he feels. It is a massive burden that he carries with him as he sets out to bring some happiness to his downtrodden family.

The subject matter of this book is disturbing but the idea and the way that Belinda Bauer explores it is fascinating. I was gripped all the way through and although you cannot describe Blacklands as a nice book, I wouldn't be put off as it is definitely worth a read.