#BlogTour Review: The Hiding Place by Amanda Mason

It’s October; the month where everything spooky, creepy and the wrong side of the light come out to play! So what better time of the year to be releasing a novel with an intriguing supernatural twist?

Welcome to my blog tour review of The Hiding Place by Amanda Mason, published today – 14th October – by Zaffre. It is an absolute pleasure to be sharing my review on publication day.

Nell Galilee is a jewellery designer, married to Chris, trying to co-parent her troubled stepdaughter Maude. A family party has brought the trio back to Nell’s home town of Whitby, and they are staying in the ancient Elder House, tucked against the cliff, at the end of one of town’s historic yards.

The family arrive looking to escape domestic problems, but Nell’s unease only seems to grow as they are consumed by the strange old house and its inexplicable presence. Maude on the other hand, furious with the adults in her life, seems strangely drawn to the old house; fascinated by it’s strange markings, hidden places and untold history.

But it isn’t only Nell and Maude who have strong feelings about the Elder House. In the days that follow their arrival female faces from the past emerge, each one tied to the house in some way. Each one hiding their own secrets and looking for their own answers…

From beginning to end The Hiding Place had me hooked! The female perspectives from which this story is both seen and developed are strong, troubled and believable. There is just the right amount of shadow and light, of doubt and truth to maintain the flame of intrigue and make this a truly great supernatural tale.

It is particularly pleasing to find a cast of female characters that are placed across the range of age and experience. Each one is compellingly and skilfully drawn, each one adding their own dimension and depth to the story. A wonderful lesson in careful characterisation.

This is a novel with truth and the search for truth at it’s heart. It has a strong sense of place, both within the unsettling atmosphere of the Elder House but also within the wider setting of Whitby. There is a tangible feeling throughout of the past reaching through into the present and the lessons that there still are left to be learned.

If you are looking for a perfect October read, then I have absolutely no hesitation in recommending The Hiding Place. It has been a joy to both read and review; thank you Amanda, you have done it again!

Rachel x

And there is more…

For more reactions and reviews to The Hiding Place check out the rest of the blog tour below…

#BookReview: Tall Bones by Anna Bailey

I always try to stop myself mentally compiling my ‘Books of the Year List’ long before the year is out. But sometimes you come across a book that is special. A book that you know it is going to be pretty hard to top. And when the book in question is a debut, with all the promise of more great things to come, then you know you are on to a winner.

Let me introduce you to Tall Bones by Anna Bailey. Set in a small Colorado town, this is, on the face of it, the story of a teenage girl gone missing. But it is the story of so much more…

When 17 year old Abi Blake vanishes in the woods after a teenage party, Emma her closest friend is filled with remorse. Blaming herself for the disappearance of her only friend, Emma’s life in Whispering Ridge, shifts from difficult to unbearable.

Being of mixed race and growing up without her father, Emma has always been an outsider, on the edges of this strange and insular community. Now, alone and grieving for her only friend, she seeks refuge in alcohol and the company of Rat, a Romanian immigrant, recently arrived and equally remote.

But as the investigation into Abi’s disappearance progresses, more than just the secrets of that one night rise to the surface. For Whispering Ridge is a very murky pool indeed. Families, like the Blake’s, are held together by bonds of fear and twisted religion and no one is willing to challenge long held stereotypes and distorted views.

In a community where the local pastor reigns supreme, where domestic violence is an open secret and everyone is busy turning the other cheek; will what happened to Abi every be known? Or will it be another dark secret buried under an avalanche of bigotry, hatred and fear?

This novel is an incredible debut. It is raw, dark and beautifully powerful. The plot races ahead, but never feels anything other than considered and authentic. Characters are painted in detail. They are alive, complex, bursting from the page and provoking strong emotions within the reader. These are characters that span generations and are woven together in a web of small deceits and complex connections, each keeping the secrets of the next. Many are accepting and complicit in maintaining and masking the darkness of the community they are a part of.

And yet, despite all of this, there is a pervading and tangible feeling of change, a feeling of hope and of challenge. It is the outsiders who facilitate this feeling, who bring the possibility to the community. But only those within can take the steps that are needed to save themselves.

It was fitting that I read this a buddy read alongside Jules, Rebecca, Emma and Siobhain. Because this feels like a book that encourages connection, that shows us the power of community both for good and for ill. Ultimately, it is the choice of the human spirit how we choose to take that forward.

I’ve said it before, and I will say it again. Tall Bones is going to be huge; everyone is going to be talking about this one. So clear some space in your reading schedule and settle in!

Rachel x

Publication Day Review: A Registry of My Passage Upon the Earth – Daniel Mason

I am intrigued by short stories. I make no secret of my admiration for writers who can weave a spell in this particular way. I am always on the look out for well put together collections that show off the skills and diversity of an author. This collection, A Registry of My Passage Upon the Earth by Daniel Mason, published by Mantle is a stunning example of it’s genre. Heartfelt thanks go to Camilla Elworthy for my gifted copy.

Right from the beginning this books feels like a journey. It has the quality of a genuine collection, in the truest sense of the word. Opening it’s pages is like stepping into the beautifully curated museum of curios. Each chapter is flanked by a beautiful engraving and stories are presented with craft, care and love. Like exotic winged specimens within a case they will provoke so many emotions, but I guarantee you will be marvelling at the beauty that they possess.

From the first story; of the bare knuckle fighter, clawing his way through the ranks one bloody fight at a time; to the desperate and driven mother looking for the answers to her sudden’s debilitating illness, there is a sense of awe and wonder. A pervading sense of a world filled with secrets, a world of treasures and happenings still undiscovered, unexplained and unexplored.

Like a A Victorian specimen collector the reader is invited to travel through time and over distance. Each story holds its own miracle, it’s own way of questioning the world as we know it and it’s own way of imparting new knowledge and perspective. The human spirit of adventure and it’s thirst of knowledge drives us through the collection, pausing to appreciate the known and to push the boundaries of the unknown, one delightful story at a time.

Stories such as the tale of Alfred Russel Wallace and his communications to Darwin, Psammeticus I and the beginnings of psychological experimentation, all highlight humankind’s ongoing and instinctive search for truth. And crucially while as a species we explore the truth created around us, we all instinctively need to make our own to make a mark upon the earth.

This collection is a jewel. It has certainly made it’s mark on me. Time to get exploring.

Rachel x