The Joker by Georgia Rose

The Joker is a thought provoking short story by Georgia Rose. It is a prequel to her Grayson Trilogy and as such works whether you’ve read the other stories or not. If you haven’t it’s a tantalising taster for what’s to come. If you have then it’s an insight into a very likeable, supporting character.

Will Carlton appears in all three novels and on the surface is a bit of a Jack the lad. Rose uses this short story, however, to give Will a voice. She cleverly does this by almost creating a stream of consciousness. There are no speech marks in the story as everything, including dialogue, is told from Will’s point of view.

Rose sensitively uses Will to highlight the plight of service men and women. Will has returned from war physically intact but his mental health has been shattered. Rather than seek help, Will tries to distract himself from his problems by engaging in hedonistic behaviour which is ultimately damaging him further.

I really enjoyed this short story and loved the fact that it ends more or less where A Single Step (the first novel in the trilogy) starts. It’s a quick read and I can’t recommend it highly enough. I guarantee it will make you want to read on. 

The Strangely Surreal Adventures of Sylvia Smetana by Meira Eliot

The Strangely Surreal Adventures of Sylvia Smetana by Meira Eliot is an unusual but engaging mixture of mysticism and reality. The novel begins with the profound question – “What is life?” - and Eliot spends the rest of her novel highlighting the importance of nurturing our inner lives rather than focusing on outward trappings such as ambition.

Eliot’s main character is the eponymous Sylvia Smetana, a likeable, middle-aged teacher, who has spent her life trying to please others. Her life begins to change however after a trip to Prague with her mother Sveltana, a Czech who relocated to England in the 1950s. Sveltana gives Sylvia a ring made from moldavite which seems to possess the power to make Sylvia more in tune with her own wants and desires.

Much of the story takes place in Our Lady of Ransom’s private girls’ school where Sylvia teaches religious studies. Eliot clearly has an eye for detail and her descriptions of school life provide the novel with much wry humour. For example, Sylvia is studying for a MA in Death Studies and reflects how death is preferable to teaching.

Eliot uses the setting of the school to illustrate the farcical nature of the modern workplace. However, anybody who has worked with the new ‘corporate’ style of management will recognise the toxic environment it creates. Eliot pokes fun at some of the ridiculous ideas such as “head-hunting”, “steering committees”, “inset training” and “thinking outside the box”, all of which made me chuckle heartily.

There is no denying that Eliot has a real flair for detail and a lot of research has gone into the telling of this story. However, in places, I felt that the narrator’s voice got in the way of the development of the characters. That said, Eliot brings Prague alive with her vibrant descriptions and likewise by the end of the novel the school felt like a familiar workplace.

I particularly liked the characters that Eliot has created and Sylvia is supported by a varied and believable cast. The poisonous head teacher, Barbara Styles, made me cringe and laugh in equal measure. Sylvia’s mother, on the other hand, provides the voice of wisdom and it’s no coincidence that hers is the only story told in first person, which lends her extra credibility.

I think The Strangely Surreal Adventures of Sylvia Smetana has something for everyone. It’s funny, serious, moving and entertaining so if you’re looking for something a bit different to read then I recommend you give this one a try.

Trust Me by Earl Javorsky

Trust Me by Earl Javorsky is a crime thriller that snares the reader’s interest from the beginning. The novel opens with a prologue in which a woman named Marilyn Fenner meets an unexplained death and the reader is taken on a white knuckle ride before the mystery is unravelled.

Unlike most crime thrillers, this novel is not driven by a cop protagonist. Instead there are four main characters whose lives are loosely connected and become even more so as the plot develops. Jeff Fenner makes an unlikely hero as the drug dealing, heavy drinking brother of the dead Marilyn. He is helped to sobriety by Ron Pool, a journalist and ex-alcoholic. Ron Pool has rebuilt his life around health regimes and self help groups, much to the amusement of his hard bitten detective friend, Joe Greiner. Holly Barnes is another troubled character whose path crosses with those of Ron and Jeff at a self help group meeting.

It is Ron who first questions the official ruling of suicide on Marilyn’s death. He spots a link between a spate of so-called suicides and the self help group Save Our Lives (SOL). He calls on the help of Joe and there follows an investigation into a sinister world of manipulation and corruption.

At the heart of the group is Art Bradley, a charismatic therapist. His true character is gradually revealed as he gets his hooks into Holly, drawing her deeper and deeper into his world. It is this relationship that provides the novel with much of its tension.

One of the things I like about the novel is the fact that it is set in LA with a backdrop of the seemingly rich and successful party crowd. Javorsky uses his story to dispel our illusions of LA by focusing on a dark seam running through all the surface glamour.

He also explores the theme of mental health problems and the prevalent use of prescription drugs. He uses the characters of Holly and Jeff to demonstrate how easy it is for people to become disconnected from who they are and what they want. The popularity of groups such as SOL reflects the way in which people can become lost in modern society.

I really enjoyed Trust Me and if you’re looking for an exciting but thoughtful read that defies you to put it down then I recommend you give it a try. 

Thicker Than Water by Georgia Rose

Thicker Than Water is the final instalment of Georgia Rose’s The Grayson Trilogy. As a massive fan of the first two novels, it was with a mixture of excitement and trepidation that I approached this story. On the one hand, I couldn’t wait to find out what was happening to the central characters, Emma and Trent, along with the finely crafted supporting characters but, on the other, did I really want my investment in their world to be over?

I needn’t have worried because Rose rewards her readers with the most satisfying finale to what has been a captivating trilogy. One of the strengths of these stories is their refusal to be pigeon holed into any particular genre and Thicker Than Water has something to offer most readers. It’s part love story, part family drama, part suspense with a big pinch of action adventure thrown in for good measure.

The story opens with Emma and Trent settling into domesticity as a married couple. When Emma finds herself pregnant, readers of the earlier stories will understand why the news provokes a complex reaction in her. As she and Trent work through the emotional turmoil, Rose manages to create even more depth to their characters and relationship. For me, one of Rose’s skills is the way she is able to describe the everyday parts of life with an authenticity that we can all relate to.

The novel changes pace about a quarter of the way in with the arrival of a mysterious package which brings a new character – Zakhar Volkov – into Emma’s world, with life changing ramifications. As Trent and Cavendish are still dealing with the fallout of their run in with the Polzin family in Before The Dawn, the situation travels full circle back to the Manor with dire consequences. It is during the resolution of this dispute that we are taken on a rollercoaster ride of action adventure with real moments of ‘edge of your seat’ tension.

What I like about Thicker Than Water is the fact that as well as being a page turner it raises many philosophical issues. Perhaps most importantly it explores the idea of whether we need to know our past before we can successfully embrace our future. Emma has had a troubled life with a childhood spent in foster care. Rose uses this novel to allow Emma to make peace with both her childhood and the death of her first child.

I also found myself pondering the rather timely question of whether there’s a place for an intelligence service operating with few limits in a world threatened by terrorism and other dangerous criminal enterprises. The introduction of Volkov, who is an assassin, raises questions of morality as he only kills people who are bad and seemingly deserve it. This moral dilemma becomes even thornier when Trent likens his own role to that of Volkov. Rose doesn’t give us simple answers and this lends the novel a sense of gravity.

Thicker Than Water could be enjoyed as a standalone novel but to get the maximum enjoyment I would recommend it to be read as part of the wonderful Grayson Trilogy. If you want a novel that will make you feel as though you are actually a part of this mysterious, thrilling world then give yourself over to Georgia Rose. Be warned though set aside a good few hours reading time because, once you start reading, you won’t want to put this book down. 

Reasons To Stay Alive by Matt Haig

Throughout Reasons To Stay Alive, Matt Haig asserts that his main purpose in writing the book is to reach out to people who may be in the grip of mental health problems and give them hope. I would say that he accomplishes this and so much more besides.

Anyone who has experienced their own mental wobbles will recognise the searing honesty that Haig delivers in a conversational and often amusing voice. The book is part memoir and part self-help but at no point does Haig adopt the role of expert. He is simply a man sharing his own experiences, including what strategies work for him when he is in a dark place.

This for me is the real strength of the book. The acknowledgment that we are all just trying to get by and hold on the best we can. Haig draws from the world of celebrity and historical success stories to hit home the fact that nobody is immune from mental illness. Abraham Lincoln, Winston Churchill, Georgia O’Keeffe, Emily Dickinson, the list goes on and they all weathered their own storms and came out the other side.

Ultimately, as the title suggests, Reasons To Stay Alive is a beacon of hope. Haig offers us himself as living proof that we do not have to be defined by mental illness and there is life beyond whatever hell may have us in its grip. Haig urges us to remember that nothing, even depression and anxiety, lasts forever.

I loved this book. It is a quick and easy read and one to keep as a reminder that we are not alone when those dark days dawn. Haig has taken a brave step in revealing his own vulnerabilities to the world but, as he says, it is only when we begin to talk honestly about mental health problems that we will be set free from a cruel stigma that so often imprisons people and leaves them without hope. 

The Fall of the Empire (The Rise of the Aztecs Book 5) by Zoe Saadia

The Fall of the Empire is the 5^th book in The Rise of the Aztecs’ series and, as with the previous four; Zoe Saadia captivates the reader from the very onset and leaves us craving more. Despite the fact that this book is part of a series, Saadia allows enough back story so that it could easily be enjoyed as a standalone read.

One of the things I like best about Saadia’s novels is that, even though they reflect a very male dominated, patriarchal world, she really makes her female characters count. The Fall of the Empire is no different and introduces us to Tlalli, a market girl with a deep burning secret. It is Tlalli who drives the story on, lending the warriors her geographical knowledge and, in the end performing so bravely that she is the one who dictates the fate of the deposed Tepanec Emperor.

Although Saadia’s novels are sequential in the telling of the ancient America’s history, each one seems to have its own individual focus. The Fall of the Empire presents us with the reality of war. There are two big battles in the novel, as both Azcapotzalco and Coyoacan fall to the Aztecs and their allies, and Saadia captures the atmosphere of chaos perfectly. We are invited to experience the sights, sounds and smells of war in such a way that we are left with no doubt of the ugly reality.

Prior to this novel, Saadia has mainly depicted the life of noble people and warriors; however with The Fall of the Empire, she introduces us to a different stratum of society through the characters of Etl and Tlalli, who are both commoners. In doing this, Saadia is able to illustrate how the perception and experience of war can differ, depending on a person’s position. For warriors such as Tlacaelel and Kuini, war is glorious and thrilling. In fact, when Saadia describes the fights between warriors, her writing becomes almost cinematic in style. However, it is the ordinary citizens who bear the brunt of war. They become expendable and dehumanised as their towns are destroyed and countless people are slaughtered whilst the rest are forced to become refugees. It is a testament to Saadia’s writing skills that she is able to effectively highlight this dichotomy of both the historical battles and indeed war in general.

In The Fall of the Empire, Tlacaelel steps into the limelight as Itzcoatl, Coyotl and Kuini rely on his strategic and diplomatic skills to get things done. It becomes clear that growing up in a treacherous environment, where his survival depended upon him not being seen as a threat, his tactical skills have been honed to perfection. Of all the warriors, he is the one with the clearest vision. He is pragmatic when he offers Tlalli the stark choice of being reborn in the new world or going down with the old world.

The notion of a new world order is the central theme of the novel. As Tepanec rule is swept aside, all remnants of their culture is destroyed most notably by burning their temples. Saadia uses the two new characters of Etl and Tlalli to illustrate how historically the people most able to survive are the ones who are willing to adapt. Tlalli is just sixteen with no real ties to the old world so it is probably easier for her to let go of all she has known and move forward into a new life.

I loved the character of Tlalli, who acts not only as the heart of the story but enables Tlacaelel to engage with his feelings rather than being ruled completely by intellect. The two may be a surprising match but they each provide the other with what they need. As the novel ends the reader is left in little doubt that the two of them will enjoy an enduring relationship which will serve them both well.

The Rise of the Aztecs is a series that just seems to get better and better and makes for compelling reading. Saadia’s gift for storytelling and her incredible passion and knowledge of this historical period, combine to ensure that readers are simply able to immerse themselves into the sheer joy of reading these books. Although The Fall of the Empire would work perfectly well as a standalone, I really can’t recommend this series highly enough and I’m so pleased that I started at the beginning. 

Married To Maggie (Texas Boys Falling Fast) by Jan Romes

It’s a testament to Jan Romes’ writing that after downloading Married To Maggie, I intended to have a little peek and four hours later I was still reading. Married To Maggie is the best kind of romance, fun, witty and pure escapism.

With a plot that would rival Shakespeare, Married To Maggie hinges on secret schemes, double crosses, an arch-villain and nothing being as it seems. When Maggie Gray loses her job as a nurse, she is tempted into accepting an offer from billionaire oil tycoon Loy Vincent, to marry his grandson Ty. In a quirky twist of fate, Ty also hires Maggie to pose as his wife, in order to get his grandfather off his case. The novel takes place over the seven days from Maggie and Ty’s meeting to their wedding day and what a seven days it is.

The heart of the story is Maggie Gray herself, who is a terrific combination of vulnerability and grit. A dedicated cardiac nurse in her late twenties, she has a full life; helping at shelters for the homeless and dogs as well as belly dancing and socialising with her best friend Nancy. She’s not a woman to be pushed around and has no problem in standing up to the ferocious Loy Vincent and Ty’s snobby friends but at heart she is kind and caring. It doesn’t take long for her to regret becoming embroiled in the madcap scheme as her feelings for Ty are genuine and real.

Ty is also a likeable character, a man trying to live up to the reputation of his imposing lineage whilst making his own mark. There are lots of other engaging characters, most notably Ty’s mother Ellen and my own personal favourite, the paparazzi photographer Chaz Rosston. Romes’ skill as a writer is evident in her ability to bring her characters to life which makes her readers believe in them and care about them.

Married To Maggie makes no pretence to be anything other than what it is, a light hearted rom-com. However, it does touch on serious issues. Romes uses her novel to explore grief and how people deal with it differently. Ty is grieving for his father who died in a car accident and, because he has not really processed what happened, he suffers from debilitating panic attacks. Maggie has lost her own mother and her grief is manifested in a quiet sadness. At the same time we see how families can have a negative impact on each other when relationships become controlling rather than accepting.

Married To Maggie is the first novel in the Texas Boys Falling Fast series and one of the things I enjoyed was looking out for other characters who may be featured in future stories. I’m holding out hope for Sam Bright, the bar owner. All in all, I really enjoyed this novel and if you like a story that puts a smile on your face and a spring in your step then I think this will be a great choice for you.