Book Review: All At Sea by Pauline Lawless.

A Caribbean cruise is fairly high up on everyone's wish-list, right? Escaping from the Irish weather; the daily commute; the housework and the sameness of everyday life. Three sets of Irish passengers board the Liberté in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, not realising the impact the trip could have on their individual lives.

The McElroys are led by their matriarch, Bunny, who gathers her flock with distinctive style. Herself and husband, Richard, have treated their grown children to the luxury cruise and the vision of an ideal family trip is not shaping up as they imagined. 

The Jordans are on on their 'second honeymoon', yet Cassie is unaware that Declan's bit-on-the-side is also embarking.  Alix is determined to get her man, no matter who gets hurt along the way.

The Kennys are escaping the exhausting family routine of Christmas and think a cruise is an ideal way to avoid stress and strife. While their young adult children make the most of their surroundings, Ann and Tony drift further and further apart. A lonesome passenger becomes Ann's ally, while Tony creates his own fun.

Pauline Lawless had hit the summer blockbuster market with a bang. The story is full of sun, sea, sex and scandal. The younger passengers are not the only ones making the most of the all-inclusive drinks and on-board entertainment. The over-powering Bunny is outrageously overbearing and her youngest daughter, Sarah is a self-centered, spoiled brat who needs to be given a good life-lesson. Recently separated Jess is not much better and completes the family tradition of frightful women. Declan is the atypical mid-life-crisis kind of man; full of a newly discovered sex-drive and a veritable briefcase full of lies. His wife Cassie is naive and taken for granted. A similar tale is told via Tony and Ann Kenny. Another middle-aged man; another downtrodden wife. Their two kids are bland and wholesome, yet manage to find their perfect matches. The overall tone does not portray women in a particularly good light. It implies that all men can be 'controlled' by a bit of forward planning and making them think they are actually the boss:

"Jess couldn't but admire her mother's scheming mind. She certainly knew how to manipulate her husband. Women who could do that always seemed to get what they wanted. Jess took note."

While two wives suddenly discover they don't need their husbands to survive, both seem to have only noticed this after said husbands had been caught cheating. I think us women deserve more credit for knowing what makes us happy, and what doesn't. 

This is a novel that is destined for holiday carry-on luggage as it is a complete package of escapism. It is like an episode of The Love Boat mixed up with the story lines of Dallas and Dynasty; all with Irish characters. Not for everyone, but sure to delight many. 

All At Sea is published by Poolbeg and is available in paperback and ebook format. 

The Cottingley Secret by Hazel Gaynor: Exclusive Cover Reveal and Giveaway

Thanks to Harper Collins in Ireland, I have the pleasure of the revealing the UK/IRE cover of The Cottingley Secret by Hazel Gaynor, published on 7th September 2017. There is also a chance to win a limited edition ARC. Just enter via the rafflecopter link below. Open INT and ends on 5th June.

Drum Roll Please...

The Blurb

The New York Times bestselling author turns the clock back to a time when two young girls convinced the world that fairies really did exist…

 Cottingley, Yorkshire, 1917: When two young cousins, Frances Griffiths and Elsie Wright, announce they have photographed fairies at the bottom of the garden, their parents are astonished. But when the great novelist, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, endorses the photographs’ authenticity, the girls become a sensation; their discovery offering something to believe in amid a world ravaged by war.

One hundred years later: When Olivia Kavanagh finds an old manuscript and a photograph in her late grandfather’s bookshop it sparks a fascination with the story of the two young girls who mystified the world. Delving deeper into the past, and the truth behind an innocent game that became a national obsession, Olivia begins to question her own beliefs. And as she begins to understand why a nation once believed in fairies, will Olivia find a way to believe in herself? 

Praise for The Cottingley Secret

The Cottingley Fairies

“I adored The Cottingley Secret. Gaynor has penned in majestic prose an enchanting and enthralling tale of childhood magic, forgotten dreams, and finding the parts of ourselves we thought were lost forever." - Pam Jenoff, New York Times bestselling author of The Orphan's Tale

"There is real magic in these pages. And beauty. And heart." - Nicole Mary Kelby, author of The Pink Suit

About The Author

Hazel Gaynor’s debut novel The Girl Who Came Home—A Novel of the Titanic—was a New York Times and USA Today bestseller and was awarded the 2015 RNA Historical Novel of the Year award. Her second novel A Memory of Violets, also hit the New York Timesbestseller list and her third, The Girl from the Savoy was an Irish Times and Globe & Mail Canada bestseller. The book was also a finalist for the 2016 Irish Book Awards. Hazel is also a contributing author to WWI anthology Fall of Poppies: Stories of Love and the Great War. Her novels have been translated into several languages.

Hazel was selected by US Library Journal as one of ‘Ten Big Breakout Authors’ for 2015, was a WHSmith Fresh Talent selection in spring 2015, and the recipient of the 2012 Cecil Day Lewis Award for Emerging Writers. As features writer for national Irish writing website writing.ie Hazel has interviewed Philippa Gregory, Sebastian Faulks, Kate Mosse, Jojo Moyes and Cheryl Strayed, among others.

Following American publication in August, THE COTTINGLEY SECRET will be published by HarperCollins in Ireland in September 2017, with UK paperback publication to follow in March 2018. Later this year, Hazel’s epistolary novel LAST CHRISTMAS IN PARIS, co-written with Heather Webb, will also be published by HarperCollins.

Hazel lives in Kildare with her husband and two children. She is represented by Michelle Brower of Aevitas Creative, New York. For more information visit www.hazelgaynor.com, @HazelGaynor on Twitter, or @hazelgaynorbooks on Facebook

  

Hazel Gaynor & Margaret Madden

Praise for Hazel Gaynor:

*‘Addictive, charming and gleaming with Jazz Age glitz’ The Lady 

*‘Sumptuous, gorgeous, authentic and surprising, Hazel Gaynor has written another hit.’ Sunday Independent 

*‘Peopled with unforgettable characters…Once begun, I dare you to put it down.’ Kathleen Tessaro, author of The Perfume Collector

The Cottingley Secret is published by Harper Collins in Ireland, in TPB and ebook format, on the 7th September and is available for pre-order HERE. 

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Book Review: The Woman At 72 Derry Lane by Carmel Harrington.

Rea may not have left her house in over a year, but she is well aware of what is going on next-door. Despite the sturdy walls of the houses on Derry Lane, she can hear the realities of her neighbour's marriage. But how can she help if she cannot place a foot over the threshold of her home?

Stella and Matt appear to have it all. The beautiful couple turn heads wherever they go and seem flawless. If only the truth was known.

Behind closed doors, the residents of Derry Lane have secrets. Some more dangerous than others...

The seaside town of Clontarf, Dublin, is the setting for Carmel Harrington's latest novel. A beautiful area, steeped in history and home to the affluent. But, as with many villages and towns located near a large city, the residents rarely know their neighbours. With busy lives and hectic schedules, we often find ourselves with 'wave and smile' relationships and never get to really know who we live close to. The sense of community can fade and loneliness can be a reality. Rea is alone in Derry Lane. Her family have moved on and she finds herself trapped in the confines of her home. Agoraphobia has taken over her life and she spends her days in mismatched PJs, eating food delivered to her door. A local teenager takes out her bins (for an extortionate fee) yet she craves his bravado and humour. When Stella arrives at her door, she is hesitant to let her into her life. She has heard what goes on in 70 Derry Lane and is not sure she wants to get involved. But Stella looks so lost. She invites the young woman in to her house and they immediately find solace in each other's company. The world suddenly seems wider; their friendship becomes linked through their mutual pain; the light begins to enter the rooms of Derry Lane.

Carmel Harrington is renowned for her emotional reads. She touches the reader by bringing hope, love and inspiration into their lives, through her characters and their journeys.  In The Woman At 72 Derry Lane she weaves stories from the past and present; riding on a wave of emotions. There are magical family times; laugh out loud nights with friends (with the BEST hairdresser ever!); gut-wrenching scenes of despair; tense moments of fear and pain. This novel has it all, and more. The characters are brought to life with genuine affection and their stories are mesmerizing. The author has researched her topics and it shows. There are scenes in this book that will have you holding your breath and gasping with empathy and despair. It is entirely possible that you may have a book-hangover when you turn the last page. You will most certainly realise that you need to be careful what you wish for. Sometimes all you need is right there in front of you. A compelling and emotional novel that will delight and hurt, in equal measures. Sure to be a summer sensation.  

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Follow the publication day fun using #UglyCry where there will be photos of readers reactions to the emotional scenes in #72DerryLane. @HCinIreland will have a copy of the book to giveaway to the best #UglyCry photo.

The Woman At 72 Derry Lane is published in TPB by Harper Collins in Ireland on 15th June 2017. The ebook is available for pre-order via amazon link below:

*I received an ARC of this title, for review purposes.

The Ludlow Ladies' Society by Ann O'Loughlin: Exclusive Cover Reveal and Giveaway.

Exclusive Cover reveal.

The Ludlow Ladies Society by Ann O' Loughlin. Pub. 4th July 2017.

Thanks to Black and White Publishing, I have the honour of revealing the cover of Ann O'Loughlin's latest novel, The Ludlow Ladies Society. They have also donated two Advance Reading Copies for giveaway. To be in with a chance of winning one, just enter via rafflecopter link at the end of the page. Open INT and closes on 31st May. Good Luck!

And without further ado....

The Blurb

Connie Carter has lost everybody and everything dear to her. To help nurse her grieving heart and to try and find answers, she moves from her home in America to Ludlow Hall, deep in the Irish countryside. All she knows about Ludlow is that her late husband spent all their money on the house – without ever mentioning it to her. Now Connie needs to know why.

At Ludlow Hall, Connie befriends Eve and Hetty and is introduced to the somewhat curious Ludlow Ladies’ Society. But can Connie ever reveal her hurt? And, more importantly, can she ever understand or forgive? As the Ludlow Ladies stitch patchwork memory quilts to remember those they have loved and lost, the secrets of the past finally begin to surface.

The Ludlow Ladies’ Society is a story of friendship, resilience and compassion, and how women support each other through the most difficult times.

"The Ludlow Ladies Society brought me to a beautiful place and into a circle of friends that I didn’t want to leave. Unputdownable. Ann’s world is uniquely Irish in its warmth and charm.”

KATE KERRIGAN

Author Bio

A leading journalist in Ireland for nearly thirty years, Ann O’Loughlin has covered all major news events of the last three decades. Ann spent most of her career with independent newspapers where she was Security Correspondent at the height of the Troubles, and was a senior journalist on the Irish Independent and the Evening Herald. She is currently a senior journalist with the Irish Examiner newspaper covering legal issues. Ann’s debut novel, The Ballroom Café, was one of the top 20 Kindle bestsellers of 2015, and her second novel, The Judge’s Wife was shortlisted for a Romantic Novel Award (RoNA) and an Irish bestseller for five weeks. Ann has also lived and worked in India. Originally from the west of Ireland she now lives on the east coast in Co. Wicklow with her husband and two children.

Links:

Black & White Publishing: https://blackandwhitepublishing.com/ludlow-ladies-society.html

Ann O’Loughlin on Twitter: https://twitter.com/annolwriter

Ann O’Loughlin on Facebook: https://facebook.com/annoloughlinbooks

The Ludlow Ladies Society will be published in PB and ebook format on 4th July 2017. You can pre-order your copy via amazon link below:

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ARC cover

As an added bonus,, Ann O’Loughlin has just launched a brand new mailing list. Black & White Publishing will be giving 15 lucky subscribers the chance to win an eBook copy of The Ludlow Ladies’ Society via NetGalley. For your chance to win one of these copies, simply sign-up to Ann’s mailing list using the link below before 30 June 2017.

Mailing List Sign-Up: http://eepurl.com/cPVml1

The Woman at 72 Derry Lane by Carmel Harrington. Exclusive Extract and Giveaway.

twitter prize

Thanks to Harper Collins, I have the pleasure of sharing a sneak-peek at the latest novel from Carmel Harrington, published on 15th June. There is also a chance to win one of two signed early editions of the book and a little extra prize (for twitter followers) of an A4-sized wooden wall plaque, which I thought captured the feeling of Carmel's novels perfectly.  Twitter winner will also receive a signed edition of the book.

To be in with a chance of winning The Woman at 72 Derry Lane, just enter via rafflecopter link below.  To enter twitter competition, see pinned tweet @margaretbmadden. Good Luck! 

The Blurb

On a leafy suburban street in Dublin, beautiful, poised Stella Greene lives with her successful husband, Matt. The perfect couple in every way, Stella appears to have it all. Next door, at number 72 however, lives Rea Brady. Gruff, bad-tempered and rarely seen besides the twitching of her net curtains, rumour has it she’s lost it all…including her marbles if you believe the neighbourhood gossip.

But appearances can be deceiving and when Stella and Rea’s worlds collide they realise they have much in common. Both are trapped in a prison of their own making.

Has help been next door without them realising it?

With the warmth and wit of Maeve Binchy and the secrets and twists of Liane Moriarty, this is the utterly original and compelling new novel from Irish Times bestseller Carmel Harrington.

 What Readers Think Of Carmel Harrington's Books

‘Will make you see life in a different way’ Woman’s Way

‘Heartwrenching and heartwarming’
Evening Herald

‘Guaranteed to brighten your day’
Novelicious

‘Carmel Harrington has done it again! Brilliantly written … it surpasses all expectations’
Chicklit Club

‘A bittersweet, quietly brilliant novel that will make you cry, laugh and cry all over again’
Female First

‘Funny, poignant and bursting with heartfelt humour’
I Heart … Chick Lit

‘Completely stunning’
Reviewed the Book

‘It will stay with you, well after you have turned the last page’
Bleach House Library

Exclusive Extract from The Woman at 72 Derry Lane

Looking at the trees, Stella thought that maybe next door was her answer. Her gut, her every instinct told her that despite the gruff exterior, her neighbour, Rea, was a good person. It had to be her who called the Gardaí each time. That showed she cared, didn't it?

So, before she had a chance to talk herself out of it, she found herself knocking on her neighbour’s door.

'I was surprised to see you,' Rea said. 'A nice surprise, I might add, but one I wasn't expecting.'

Rea looked at Stella closely, taking in how agitated she seemed, her hands wringing in her lap. 'You have a look of someone with something on her mind. Spit it out.'

Stella nodded, then cleared her throat. 'Can I be frank with you?'

'I'd rather that. I've little or no patience for anyone who beats about the bush.'

Stella smiled, warming even more to this woman; while she was what many would call brusque, her eyes were kind. 'I should have practised what to say. Sometimes finding the right words is difficult.'

'When you get to my age, that's something that comes with the territory,' Rea smiled.

'Oh I doubt that. You're not so old.'

Rea took the compliment.

'First of all, please don't be offended by this question, but I need to ask it all the same,' Stella said, leaning in.

Rea brushed aside her apology, 'You don't know me, so I would think you have more questions than answers.'

Somehow even before she spoke, she knew the answer, 'Can I trust you? I need to be sure that you won't repeat this conversation to anyone.'

'When you say anyone, I assume you mean your husband?'

'Yes,' Stella nodded.

'You can say what you like here. Think of it as a confessional.'

'I gave up believing in God a long time ago,' Stella replied.

'I've a pretty up and down relationship with her myself too.'

'Her?'

'Why not?' Rea said.

Stella smiled, thinking that she liked that idea a lot and liked Rea even more.

'Well, leaving God and confessionals aside, would you take my word for it, that you can trust me?' Rea asked.

Stella felt her shoulders sag with relief, nodding. Her heartbeat accelerated so rapidly she thought it would jump out of her chest and bounce clear across the floor, right out the door.

'I want to leave him,' Stella said.

'Good for you.' Rea had never been so glad to hear a statement in her whole life. Maybe this one had more about her after all.

'Then why don't you? He's at work. You're not chained to the house. Just pack a bag and go.'

'He's clever. He's backed me into a corner. I need to sort some things out first before he ....'

Rea watched the girl before her tremble, unable to finish the statement. 'Before he hits you again?'

Stella nodded, looking so broken, lost and very alone, that it made Rea's stomach flip nervously for her.

'Matt has told me over and over that I'm all alone without him, that I'd not last a moment on my own. He's right about one of those things. I don't intend to prove the second.'

'You've got nobody?' Rea asked. When Stella nodded, Rea felt something give deep inside of her. The girl’s face looked so sorrowful and bereft and she recognised how that felt.

'I have family living in France. That's where I'll go,' Stella shifted her weight slightly, wincing in pain as she did.

'That bastard, how could a man do that to a woman, to anyone?'

'He's not a man when he loses his temper. He's an animal. And each time he loses it with me, less of the man I married remains. I'm afraid that soon they'll be none of him left.' Stella took a deep breath and continued, 'I know you don't know me. I know that me landing on your doorstep is a terrible imposition. But I'm desperate. I don't have anyone else to turn to.'

It took Rea all of a nano second to reply. 'Now stop that. I'm very happy you called in to me. What do you need? Because if it's in my power to give it to you, it's yours.'

Rea reached over to hold one of Stella's hands between her own. 'He seems to be losing his temper with you more frequently. The walls may be thick in these Victorian houses, but they are linked all the same, so noise travels....'

Stella felt her old friend shame come back to torment her. The embarrassment of knowing that the most horrific, dark, secret part of her life was silently witnessed by her neighbour was a difficult pill to swallow.  'Yes, you're right.'

'You've got to get out of that house sooner rather than later. Do you hear me?' Rea said, her voice rising in anger.

There was a time that Stella would have disagreed with this. But things were different now. She didn't plan on dithering. 'I know. It’s hard when you are in the middle of it, to see a way out. He's been chipping away at me for so long, I've forgotten who I am.'

'Well then, that's the first thing you have to work out. How to get back the Stella you were before he came into your life. As for being trapped, the only person who can hold you back, is you,' Rea said.

She stood up and walked to the door, saying, 'I better make some tea. A large pot too. I think we'll need it, to work through this mess. But work through it we will. Two heads are better than one.'

'Thank you,' Stella said, almost breathless with gratitude.

Rea stopped at the doorway and said to her, 'You were wrong about something else you know. You're not on your own. Not anymore.'

****************************************

The Woman at 72 Derry Lane is published by Harper Collins in Ireland on 15th June 2017 in TBP and ebook format. 

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Book Review - Reinventing Susannah by Joan Brady.

Susannah is in her fifties. Her children have grown up and her life is mostly filled with housework, cooking meals for herself and husband Rob and prepping for her monthly bookclub. However, when Rob announces that he is off on a year-long trip of self-discovery, and she is not invited, things begin to change. It is time for Susannah to do some reinvention of herself...

Susannah is atypical of many 'women of a certain age' (a phrase I personally hate, but it serves a purpose in this case). She has devoted the latter part of her life to raising a family and ensuring the smooth running of the household. Rob, a banker, has always supported his wife and twin daughters but now feels he has missed out on something and has secretly been planning his escape for years. Downtrodden Susannah is pushed into moving on and (conveniently) lands a job as a newspaper columnist. Suddenly she is flying first class to cover a Mind, Body and Soul conference in London and being wooed (badly) by a famous self-help guru. A whole new set of opportunities are opening up when she least expected them.  Her love of writing comes back to her and she even begins to notice men 'of a certain age' (why do we never hear this phrase when referring to men?).

Joan Brady has a knack of bringing her characters to life. Susannah may be a little mousy, but she is balanced by her new boss (the young and determined Katie) and despite their differences, the two women work well together. Rob is a piece of work. Within two pages he shows his true colours and you can see how Susannah managed to blend into the background of their marriage. I suspect there are many, many women who find themselves stunned with their situations when their children move out. Not all of them will land their dream jobs so easily, or find themselves moving on without financial strain. But, perhaps fictional stories like Susannah's will inspire some to take a chance. Brady uses her writing skills to bring a mature lady to life. Reinventing Susannah is a warm, charming and easy read, ideal for enjoying on a summer holiday or on the patio with a glass of whatever tickles your fancy. Especially if your children have left you with no more 'Mom's Taxi' duties. A feel-good read, ideal for fans of  Cathy Kelly and Carmel Harrington.

Reinventing Susannah is published by Poolbeg and is available in TPB and ebook format. You can pick your copy up from all good booksellers, or via the amazon link below:

Book Review - Our Little Secret by Claudia Carroll.

This review was originally posted in Sunday Independent, 24 April 2017.

A good deed leads to despair with a sinister twist

Fiction: Our Little Secret, Claudia Carrroll, Avon €18.20

1

Our Little Secret

Margaret Madden

April 24 2017 2:30 AM

 

Taking someone under your wing. We have all done it. With the best of intentions, we see someone who may be down on their luck, and draw them closer into our fold.

But often there is a downside to this approach and Claudia Carroll explores the darker side of befriending a stranger in Our Little Secret.

Sarah Keyes has a comfortable life. She spends her days balancing her demanding job in a small law firm with her role as a mother to her teenage daughter, Darcy. Recently separated, she has no time for romance.

When she encounters a young law graduate, Lauren, she thinks nothing of giving the girl a helping hand. Before long, her protege has a post in Sarah's law firm and has inserted herself into Sarah's life, especially with Darcy. They seem to get on fantastically so Sarah is surprised to learn that her daughter is not happy Lauren is moving into their spare room. "Looking back, I should have seen the signs. Because they were all there, only I chose to ignore them," Sarah muses.

Meanwhile, in the workplace, Lauren is making her mark. She conveniently seems to be in the right place at the right time and is a huge hit with the partners. Sarah's life is slowly crumbling around her and she thinks she knows who is responsible. But how does she prove it or, indeed, gain back control?

In her 14th novel, Claudia Carroll dips into domestic noir. Sarah is a frustratingly naive victim, who ignores all the warning signs, while Lauren takes advantage of this.

Darcy is used as a pawn in Lauren's game with a secret being the bait: "I won't tell if you don't," was all Lauren would say. Because who knows?" she says casually. "Maybe someday I'll need you to repay the favour for me."

This sinister tale is a modern-day version of the Bette Davis film, All About Eve, showing how trust can be abused and kindness can be dangerous.

Sunday Indo Living

Book Review - The Possessions by Sara Flannery Murphy.

Guest Review from Merith Jones.

The Possessions was a real surprise. I was expecting a competent psychological thriller but Sara Flannery Murphy has delivered so much more.

The first sentence plunges us into mystery and rapid character building; Patrick and Sylvia Braddock are to become central figures but whose voice are we listening to? The description is sensuous and poetic and we are quite unprepared for the introduction of a world with the assured normalisation we associate with Margaret Attwood’s prose. Nothing here is ‘our’ normal. The Elysian Society offers a service whereby the living may be reunited with lost loved ones by means of a ‘host’, a medium through which they might speak, a body which is literally possessed by the dead for the benefit of others.

We are told that the society is strictly regulated, unlike the back street services which alerts us early on to the potential abuses and dangers of the system. Whilst this world builds we come to know the protagonist and appreciate that there is much hidden in her background. Why would she take up this profession? What needs does she fulfil by negating her very existence ?

The relationship with Patrick, her client, begins to demonstrate the frailty of her sense of self until at one point it is difficult for either she or the reader to be sure who she really is? The power of the novel’s title becomes ever clearer. Even more alarming is a growing sense of how the margins between past and present become obscured. Danger looms as the tension builds relentlessly. Self is dissolving into Time, driven by her overwhelming passion and her desire to be engulfed in Patrick’s world. But perhaps he has secrets too ? And is the Society itself all it claims to be?

This is a totally absorbing experience exploring self, womanhood, loneliness and the nature of obsession. The expertly crafted movement between first and third person offers some respite from the intimate intensity of escalating events and the use of classical names adds a layer of further depth, as does the key location, Lake Madeleine, with its allusion to time past associated with Proust’s famous madeleine – the catalyst which was the trigger to memories of the past.

This is a layered novel of absolutely page turning readability. It does lose a little pace at one point when there is a great deal to be revealed at one go but it soon re-establishes the mood and tone to power towards its conclusion. This is a remarkable achievement in a debut novelist and there is still so much more I could say !  Sara Flannery Murphy is certainly a name to watch out for.  Do read it and find out for yourself.

 (Also, this edition  has sprayed page edges which makes it a physical pleasure to pick up!)

The Possessions is published by Scribe Publishing and is available in HB and ebook format. Available in all good bookshops and via amazon link below:

Book Review: 'The Truth Will Out' by Brian Cleary.

Huge thanks to Merith Jones for her guest review of The Truth Will Out. I read and review as many titles as I physically can, but have a handful of readers that I trust to help me out when I cannot catch up. Merith has a wonderful way with words and, like me, is a voracious reader. I really appreciate all her help.

THE BLURB

The novel is set in Ireland. The friendship of Jamie, Shane and Mary Kate is tested to the limit after Mary Kate is brutally raped and lies in a coma. The evidence against Jamie is overwhelming and is compounded by the fact he maintains he cannot recall what happened that night. However, the one secret that Jamie has never disclosed can prove his innocence. Corrupt guards, a narcissistic film director and his mercenary private detective, an ex-girlfriend, a serial killer and an inept solicitor all weave a complicated compelling plot with twists and turns right to the end. A gripping read.

Guest review from Merith Jones.

Cleary throws us straight into the conversation between a lawyer and the prisoner he defends who desperately hopes to finally gain his freedom after forty years. Is this man innocent? Could there have been a gross miscarriage of justice? Or is the truth more complex?

We are taken back to the 70s and Jamie’s childhood recollection of his affections, loyalties and frustrations; a time of sometimes uncontrolled anger but also the potential for friendship and burgeoning teenage romance.  As he reaches his teenage years he confronts the often brutal world of The Sweeney-like policing of the era, particularly centred around the aftermath of a night of heavy drinking about which he has no recollection. His childhood friend has been raped and violently murdered; Jamie doesn’t know himself how culpable he is.

As the investigation moves forward Jamie is increasingly dependent on his best friend Shane as the net appears to close around him and court appearance looms. And then…

Cleary gives us an unpredictable and daring twist at the half way point just when the reader has become comfortable with this fast paced procedural and throws our preconceptions up in the air. The pace increases and, with the introduction of an American PI and a manipulative film producer after a new blockbuster story the tone changes.

This is a debut with much to recommend it. The two time settings are skilfully interwoven and the psychological profile of Jamie is convincing. There is promise in both halves of the story and it is to Cleary’s credit that he manages to bring some disparate elements to a cohesive and punchy finale.

If you love a plot driven thriller full of page turning twists and turns then you’ll really enjoy this one – I read it in one sitting and look forward to what Mr Cleary comes up with next !

The Truth Will Out is available in PB and ebook format. You can get your copy in bookshops or via the amazon link below:

Blog Tour: 'The Reunion' by Roisin Meaney. Author Feature and Review.

I am kicking off the blog tour for the PB edition of The Reunion by Roisin Meaney. Huge thanks to the author for her blog feature and to the publishers for inviting me along for the ride. Check out the other stops on the tour this week.


There is also a giveaway running over on twitter @margaretbmadden. See pinned post to enter. Open INT. Good Luck!

AUTHOR FEATURE

Home Sweet Office

  

The best part about working from home? You can stay in pjs all day and meet nobody. The worst part about working from home? You can stay in pjs all day and meet nobody.

It’s complicated.

In 2008, with four published novels under my belt, I took the quantum leap and gave up my permanent, pensionable teaching job to become a full-time writer. My parents, both former teachers, threw up their hands in horror at the thought. For me, it wasn’t such a big deal. Granted, I was taking a bit of a risk: despite my third novel having ascended the year before to the giddy heights of number one in the Irish charts (staying there for all of one memorable week) I was far from a household name in the literary world. Despite having had the incredible luck in 2002 to win a two-book publishing deal on the strength of the first three chapters of my first offering, I was still very much a newbie among Irish female writers of contemporary fiction.

On the other hand, I was single with no family to support, nobody to feed and clothe but myself – and I’d long been a fan of the charity shop, where you could kit yourself out from head to toe and have change from a tenner. I’d also been lucky enough to buy my house before prices had leapt into the stratosphere, so my mortgage was what estate agents would describe as bijou. My third trump card was that my aforementioned (horrified) parents lived a ten-minute stroll from me, so in the event of imminent starvation all I had to do was lift the phone and request that my mother add half a dozen spuds to the dinner pot. In short, I needed very little to live on, and I was young(ish) and blessed with an optimistic disposition, so I quit the classroom and became a bone fide fulltime writer.

Nine years on, I’m still here. Still writing, still solvent. Still not a household name, and certainly not well off in monetary terms, but my fourteenth novel is about to hit the shelves, and each new book garners a few more readers, and my publishers since book three (Hachette Books Ireland) are showing no signs of losing interest.

And as for working from home, it’s been wonderful. I took to it right away. I’m pretty organised – years of teaching will do that to you – so I found it easy enough to plan a schedule each time a new book was called for. After that, it was just a matter of nailing down a plot – a month or so of hair-tearing and sleepless nights, but it got done – and then parking myself in front of the laptop every morning once breakfast was dispensed with, and hoping for the best.

Thankfully, the schedules were followed and the books emerged. I discovered quite early on that there’s nothing like a deadline to concentrate the mind. It’s one thing to rail against setting boundaries on creativity, but when it’s a case of ‘deliver the manuscript or don’t get paid’, creativity becomes amazingly obliging. To date I’ve met all my first draft deadlines, and coped with the joys of editing the subsequent drafts, and with each new publication I’ve settled more happily into the routine of working from home. 

And here’s what I’ve learnt.

Not having to set an alarm is psychologically great. I say psychologically because I’m a rubbish sleeper and wouldn’t know a lie-in if it smacked me in the face with a pillow. It’s just the idea of not having to wake up at a given hour that puts a smile on my face when I wake up an hour before that – and the smile widens in direct proportion to how heavily the rain is smacking against the bedroom window.

Following on from that, staying half the day, or the whole day, in pjs isn’t really what it’s cracked up to be. I rarely do it now, and when I do I feel obscurely guilty, and in nagging need of a shower – and of course Murphy’s law decrees that on those rare occasions the doorbell will definitely ring, and I’ll have to present myself in all my unwashed dishevelment to the caller. 

Lidl on a Monday morning is a very different animal to Lidl on a Friday evening. Shopping, particularly Christmas shopping, becomes a whole lot easier when you can choose what time to do it.

The fridge morphs into your enemy when it’s ten paces from your office. Since telling myself not to snack has as much effect as telling myself to go to sleep, I’ve had to adjust what the fridge contains: the prospect of bingeing on a bowl of carrot sticks or eating an entire cucumber in one sitting holds surprisingly little appeal. Mind you, my fruit bowl empties at an alarming rate – but it’s fruit, which everyone knows has zero calories.

I thought I’d miss the workplace interaction more. As long as I make sure I meet up regularly with pals after hours – not a problem – I’m happy to spend my days alone. Although now and again I tuck the laptop under my arm and head out to a coffee shop, just because I can.

I’m trying not to sound smug. I suspect I’m failing. The truth is, I love my life. I love working from home, making up stories and getting paid for it. I hope I can keep doing it till the day I keel over and stop breathing – and if that happens when I’m at the office, I’ll die happily.

MY REVIEW

Opening a school reunion invitation brings feelings of uncertainty for sisters, Caroline and Eleanor Plunkett.  Do they want to return to their past?  Caroline is now a successful designer, splitting her time between the UK and Italy.  Eleanor is stuck in a rut, overweight and struggling to connect with her husband and son.  Both women may have been born to the same parents, but their lives began to split while they were still in their teens.  Can facing up to the past help them improve their present, or is going back the wrong thing to do?

It's funny how two siblings can end up in completely different situations.  Caroline was the studious one, destined for a career in academia,  whilst younger sister Eleanor was the more fun-loving of the two; more interested in her boyfriend and having a laugh with her mates.  However, one fateful evening changes their paths in life.  Caroline soon finds herself pushed away from the family home and Eleanor's boyfriend dashes all hopes for her own future.  In the midst of all this change is the girls mother, who is more concerned with the goings-on of her neighbours than of her own two daughters.  Secrets are kept, lies are told and damage is done. 

Roisin Meaney has a way of telling a story that makes you feel like you are in a room with the characters, hearing them chat to each other, rather than reading words on a page.  From very early on in the novel, there is a feeling of genuine concern as to how these two girls will handle their own stories.  Caroline is the victim of the most despicable crime, yet is treated as if she is to blame.  Her mother takes control of the situation and God help anyone who tries to object.  A distance cousin, Florence, steps up to the plate and becomes Caroline's saviour.  A wonderfully warm and quirky character, she has a delightful presence throughout the novel.  Back in Ireland, Eleanor is weighed down with personal grief and is scared to face up to her past.  Her story is addressed further into the book, with memories unfolding which help to explain her distance.  

The Reunion is a book about families and how they can sometimes be fractured and displaced.  The keeping of secrets, the hiding of home-truths and the attempt at showing a united front are not always the right approach to take.  Most families have drama within their folds.  Sometimes admitting your flaws is the only way to gain solidarity.  By using two sisters, both with hidden traumas, the author has created a novel which is both endearing and astute.  The dual time frame is very cleverly used and every single character adds something to the overall narrative.  Florence is fantastic and her group of older-generation friends are a breath of fresh air.  Her bijoux cottage sounds like a place that we would all love to visit, with its mis-matched decor and charity shop finds.  Added to the narrative are Caroline's trips to Italy, with its stunning surroundings, warm family get-togethers and an air of change. 

It's easy to see why Roisin Meaney is one of Ireland's best-loved authors.  She has a way of bringing her characters to life, making them part of your world as you move from chapter to chapter.  Should you spot this on a bookshelf, grab a copy.  This is what female fiction is all about. 

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The Reunion is published by Hachette Ireland on 6th April and is available in PB and ebook format. You can pick up your copy in all good bookshops, or order via the amazon link below: