REVIEW - KISS & GOODBYE BY PATRICIA ROSEMOOR

  

Title: Kiss & Goodbye
Author: Patricia Rosemoor
Publisher: Dangerous Love Publishing
                      (ARC provided by Victory Editing Netgalley Co-Op)
Genre: General (Adult) Fiction, Mystery, Thrillers, Womens Fiction
Release Date: 15th October 2024

BLURB
Renny Butler races to Ireland in search of her mom Irene, who mysteriously vanished during a secretive trip. As Renny combs through Mom's belongings, she uncovers a shocking she was adopted, and her birthmother was named Aghna Shaw. With her decade of experience as an investigative reporter, Renny digs deeper, working with enigmatic professor Connell Rourke, who runs the Lost Children website. Together, they explore the dark history of Castlemeehan, a former Magdalene Laundry where unmarried pregnant women like Aghna were forced to work, and their babies were taken and sold, often to American families—just as Renny had been.

As Renny and Connell untangle the sinister secrets of Castlemeehan, they uncover personal and historical tragedies, confront rising danger, and face a growing body count. Would she find Mom alive? Someone tries to stop her! Amidst viable danger, romance blossoms between her and Connell. Their pursuit of truth and justice reveals long-buried family secrets, reshaping Renny’s understanding of her past and her life forever.

Goodreads Link 

REVIEW
The cover of this book becomes all the more poignant when you read the book. It is a photograph plays am important part in the story of Renny, Irene and Aghna.

The book flips between present day 2013 Ireland and Ireland in the 1980s which may not seem that long ago but when you read the content of the book you realise it was a world away from both the present days of 2013 featured in the book and our days now in 2025. Expectations, attitudes and cultures have changed significantly.
Back in the 80’s the Church and Government were very closely interlinked with each other. When the Church is accused of any wrongdoing, the Government tended to close ranks with the Church to brush any trouble away and as the saying goes “under the carpet”.

The book begins with Rose Horgen who in a hesitating as to whether she is doing the right thing by posting some letters, but she’s desperate and in a turmoil, every time she closes her eyes all she can see is “their tear-stained faces”, and all she can hear is “their howls and cries of grief”. She hurries to the post box and posts the letters she is somewhat distracted as she cannot stop 'seeing' thinking of "all those girls, all those babies". Her next destination is St Maura’s but she never arrives there as she is knocked over by a car.

Renny receives a cryptic letter from Rose from Ireland, congratulating her on her career as a journalist and then editor for a large well-known magazine and saying she is proud of her for doing the article about Chicago’s Irish Americans, the letter also stresses she must stay away from Ireland. It’s whilst Renny is pondering what on earth the letter is and who it is from that she receives a telephone call from the proprietor of a guest house in Ireland informing Renny that her mother Irene has been staying there and has now gone missing. Renny didn’t even know her mother was in Ireland!

After notifying her boss at the magazine she is editor of Renny flies straight to Ireland in search of her mother Irene. Irene decides to stay at the same guest house and in the same room as her mother had been. Renny looks around the room for clues as to why her mother was in Ireland. Then Renny comes across her mother’s treasure box, which her mother had insisted she promise to never open. Renny wonders why her mother has brought this treasure box all the way to Ireland with her. Thinking it must be somehow relevant to why her mother suddenly decided to visit Ireland without even telling her. Renny opens the treasure box and looks through the documents, discovering that she was adopted. There is also a photograph of a young woman holding a baby. Renny notices how much she looks at the woman in the photograph, the hair of the woman in the photograph being so like her own now. She turns the photograph over to read what is written on the back, it says Aghna Shaw and Mirad. So now Renny know she was adopted in Ireland and her birth mother was called Aghna Shaw. Renny’s journalistic mind cannot help but think that her mother Irenes disappearance is something to do with her being adopted and them receiving letters from Rose.

Of course, Renny speaks to the Garda about her mother Irene’s disappearance. Renny decides to contact Professor Connell Rourke who runs the Lost Children of Ireland Website and along with some other individuals they have formed a network of people who help to reunite children with their birth parents. Some of the individuals involved with the network prefer to stay in the shadows so they can continue to help without alerting those who wish the dark history of Irelands lost children to remain in the past. At first Connell is off standish and quite rude and short with Renny but she persists and when he realises, she isn’t going away and is determined to find both of her mothers he decides to help and use his network to help Renny however they can. Renny and Connell come together and share what they already know and then continue together to delve into the dark history of Castlemeehan, the former Magdalene Laundry where unmarried pregnant women like Aghna and others considered “too pretty” that they would be “temptresses” were also taken by their own families! The young girls/women at Castlemeehan were forced to work long hours doing arduous tasks in the laundry. Their work was in exchange for a roof over their heads and just enough food to keep them healthy enough to carry their babies to term. Then Castlemeehan would arrange the adoption of the majority of the babies. Many were sold to American families, in fact Renny discovers that her mother Irene, still sent regular payments to Ireland to benefit those that were supposed to have cared for those at Castlemeehan.

Renny and Connell become closer and there are romantic feelings between them. Though there isn’t 100% trust between the pair as there’s a point later in the plot that Renny doubts Connells intentions, even considering him dangerous. Connel is also keeping secrets from Renny that explain his heavy dislike of reporters of any sort and the reason he left America himself to come to Ireland. It seems like Renny is getting too close to answers when she is threatened multiple times, followed and there’s even an attempt to kill her too! Who wants to keep their secrets hidden so much they would kill her? Then strange murders start occurring which worries Renny even more, as she wonders if her mother Irene is already dead.

I really enjoyed reading this book, in fact I found it difficult to put down! I find the subject of the Magdalen Laundries, Mother & Baby Homes and the part that Irelands Churches and Government played in the selling of babies equally fascinating and horrifying.

I loved the characters of Renny and Connell, falling in love with each other yet at the same time not telling each other the whole truth, both keeping facts from the other. I adored the way Renny interacted with both her mothers giving them equal respect and loving and caring about both in slightly different ways.

I also really loved Aghna, alone in a harsh world, finding herself pregnant with no where to turn and ending up in the even more harsh environment at Castlemeehan, basically used, abused and her baby snatched away from her and sold. I admired Aghna’s rebellion, her determination and even her surrender to what she had no way of controlling. When the title of the book “Kiss and Goodbye” is revealed to be a phrase said to those whose babies were being removed from them to be sold it had me in tears. I don’t think I will ever think of the phrase and not remember the story of Aghna and her Mirad revealed in this book.

I thoroughly enjoyed disliking or if I’m totally honest absolutely hating Bishop Nevan Flaherty and Reverend Mother Francis Xavier Cronan, being both horrified and disgusted at how they treat those they were supposedly “caring” for. Though this book is fiction I am fully aware of cases covered in the media where similar situations have occurred with people discovering they were sold and their birth mother forced to work in the laundries to pay for the “care” they had received from the nuns.

Two characters I felt sorry for were Rose Horgen & Sean Maddox. Rose was both victim and perpetrator really. Her conscience bothered her so much she had to do something, no matter the risk to herself in an attempt to right the great wrongs done at Castlemeehan. Personally, I believe Rose was taken advantage of and coerced into the position she found herself in, doing to others the exact thing that had been done to her. Her feelings for “right and wrong” won in the end and it was her letters that triggered the secrets being revealed. Sean Maddox was also a victim and a perpetrator but in a different way to Rose. He seemed such a quiet, introverted man, who did attempt to give Renny information but at the same time tried to discourage her digging any further into the dark history of Castlemeehan.

My immediate thoughts upon finishing the book were that the “story” felt so “real”, that the book felt almost more “memoir” than fiction. I also think this book would make an amazing TV mini series or film. I’d love more from these characters perhaps plots centred around the Lost Children of Ireland site that Connell, Renny & their network could run. It would be interesting learning other stories and it would raise awareness that this sort of abuse actually occurred.

Summing up, this book may be fiction, but these women & children existed, they still do, and still experience trauma without any full closure. The powers that be in Ireland still seem to want to avoid the topics of Magdalene Laundries, Mother & Baby Homes and the result such as sold children, families ripped apart not to mention the baby remains found at Tuuam. It makes you wonder if the whole truth will ever come out. Will these families ever be given their rights to have/do whatever gives them peace. Awareness of went happened, the fact the last Mother and Baby home didn’t close until 1990, the last Magdalen Laundry closed in 1984, this isn’t that long ago, this isn’t ancient history. It is however a dark history that both deserves and needs to have a bright light to be shone on it.

 

REVIEW - BUZZ BOOKS 2025 SPRING/SUMMER BY PUBLISHERS LUNCH

  

Title: Buzz Books 2025 Spring/Summer
Author: Publishers Lunch
Publisher: Publishers Lunch Buzz Books
Genre: General Fiction, Non Fiction, Teens & YA
Release Date: 14th January 2025

BLURB
Readers will discover new works from beloved bestselling authors including Emma Donoghue, Georgia Hunter, Louis Sachar, V. E. Schwab, Mia Sosa, and Maggie Stiefvater. The collection also features compelling releases from acclaimed literary voices Ron Currie, Stuart Nadler, Dolen Perkins-Valdez, Ivy Pochoda, Jessica Stanley, and others who continue to push boundaries in contemporary fiction.

Continuing our tradition of spotlighting the most promising new voices in literature, this edition introduces several remarkable debuts. Salvadorean-American author Darrow Farr’s The Bombshell draws partial inspiration from Patty Hearst’s kidnapping and radicalization to create a thought-provoking narrative. Other exciting debut authors include Katie Yee, Fred Lunzer, India Hayford, Nanda Reddy, and Josh Duboff, each bringing fresh perspectives to contemporary storytelling.

In nonfiction, powerful new releases explore the depths of human experience. Sophie Elmhirst’s A Marriage at Sea leads this collection with its gripping account of a couple’s Pacific Ocean survival after a whale destroys their boat. The other works delve into the complexities of communication, corporate culture, institutional power, and family dynamics.

The young adult section showcases Graci Kim’s Dreamslinger, a fantasy adventure set in Seoul where dreams materialize and dragons take flight. Other standout YA titles include Shampoo Unicorn, a heartfelt story connecting rural queer teens through podcasting, and Kaya Morgan’s Crowning Achievement, which weaves themes of grief and identity into a Renaissance Faire setting.

Goodreads Link

REVIEW
There's a great selection of excerpts as well as lists of book titles that are coming out.
So the ones I am really intrerested in are,
Happy Land by Dolen Perkins-Valdez, I read one of her other books called Take My Hand and thought it was both an amazing & thought provoking read.

One Good Thing by Georgia Hunter, I'm super lucky to already have an e-arc of this one which I'm eager to read especially after learning that We Were The Lucky Ones was also written by this author, though I have to admit I didn't read that book, I actually watched the Tv Mini series!

Ties That Bind Us by Nicole Knight would be a totally new author to me, I don't read a lot of this type of genre but felt really pulled in by the excerpt and I really liked the main character.

The Names by Florence Knapp, is another "new to me" author and I am intrigued by the concept of one book telling three different versions of the characters life all dependant on one choice they make. After reading the excerpt I discovered that the book deals with the subject of domestic violence which and how the main character could deal with it in 3 different ways. I'd love to read this one and I'd hope the main characters makes a happy life with herself and her children whether she chooses to stay with her violent, aggressive partner or not.

The Listeners by Maggie Stiefvater, I read and adored her previous teen/YA aimed books Shiver and after reading the blurb and then the excerpt I am interested to learn how the Hotel will survive being taken over and how the straight talking, no nonsense main character will deal with the intrusion of these unwelcome guests.

The Memory Hunters by Mia Tsai, I adore speculative fiction and I really loved the blurb, concept and excerpt of this one!

There was a non fiction title that had covered the subject of the scout movement, Sex, Death, And Secret Societies Inside The Boy Scouts Of America Scout Camp by James Renner, I had recently watched a documentary series on this subject so it certainly piqued my interest but as it releases in February I wasn't sure if I'd manage to squeeze in reading by then so I didn't request that one. 

 

REVIEW - THE TEACHER OF AUSCHWITZ BY WENDY HOLDEN

From the bestselling author of Born Survivors, comes an assiduously researched
and powerful new novel. Drawn from archives and survivor testimonies,
historian and biographer Wendy Holden tells the inspirational
and uplifting true story of Fredy Hirsch: The Teacher of Auschwitz.

Title: The Teacher Of Auschwitz
Author: Wendy Holden
Publisher: Bonnier Books, Zaffre
Genre: General Fiction, Historical Fiction, History
Release Date: 16th January 2025

BLURB
Fredy built a wall against suffering in their hearts...
At the dark heart of the Holocaust, there was a wooden hut whose walls were painted with cartoons; a place where children sang, staged plays and wrote poetry. Safely inside, but still in the shadow of the chimneys, they were given better food, kept free of vermin, and were even taught meditation to imagine full stomachs and a day without fear. The man who became their guiding light was a young Jewish prisoner named Fredy Hirsch.
But being a teacher in such a brutal concentration camp was no mean feat. Whether it was begging the SS for better provisions, or hiding his homosexuality from his persecutors, he risked his life every day for one thing: to protect the children from the mortal danger they all faced.
Time is running out for Fredy and the hundreds of children in his care. Can he find a way to teach them the one lesson they really need to know: how to survive?

'Haunting and beautiful. Excruciatingly vivid, The Teacher of Auschwitz is rigorously researched and true to the history, powerfully conveying what a smart, loving and energetic man Fredy was.' Dr Elizabeth Baer, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

'The closest possible narrative a person who did not experience those times herself, could have written... which will do justice to Fredy and all those victims.' Dita Kraus, the real-life inspiration for The Librarian of Auschwitz and one of the last known survivors of the children's block.

Goodreads Link

REVIEW
I really like the book cover with the bright yellow butterfly representing freedom, that the Jewish people had in their hand until the Nazis snatched it away. The butterfly would also represent the hope that Fredy tried to give all the children that were ever in his care. The cover image would also fit a scene in the book very well too.
The bright yellow amongst the other more drab colours certainly catches your eye, so I would think the book would stand out on a bookshelf well.

The book’s prologue reveals Fredy’s arrival at Auschwitz and explains the conditions those prisoners had to endure on what was a long journey. All crammed into the carriage with just one bucket of drinking water for the whole carriage. Many died on journeys like this one and Fredy’s carriage was no exception to deaths, hysteria and a mixture of denial and fear. Denial that they could be going any where worse than where they had just been and fear that the rumours they had heard about the mass extermination of Jews was true and that when they got to where ever they were going they would either be immediately murdered or would be worked to death and suffer every day until they died. Those “looking on the bright side” as many valiantly tried to do would be telling those around them that this place could be better, that they wouldn’t be here long as the allies were winning the war etc. Even Fredy had tried to “look for the good” as he always did hoping they were not going to Auschwitz, even though those around Fredy told him what SB6 meant on the transportation paperwork, Fredy had hoped so much they were going to be wrong.

The book then flips back to Fredy’s early life with his family. Fredy didn't have the best or easiest childhood, never feeling he fit in at home or at school, perhaps that's what taught him to always search for the good in what he had and what was around him.

Fredy moves around in an attempt to stay ahead of the Nazis as many Jewish people did at that time. Fredy also realises he is “different” he doesn’t have a girlfriend, nor does he want one. This is something that causes him many problems in the jobs he does with people jumping to the conclusion he is homosexual which at the time was still a controversial topic and of course the Nazis party hated it and threw homosexual people or anyone they suspected of being homosexual into camps. Fredy does date a few women in an attempt to satisfy what was expected of him by those employing him. Fredy has an excellent work ethic and always strives to be as fit and healthy as he can be. He eventually meets and embark on a relationship with Jenda whose family also welcome him. Jenda is somewhat protected by his family and their wealthy status and has yet to really experience racism, anti-homosexuality & the Nazis regime.

Eventually, as with most people the Nazis caught up with Fredy and he ended up in the Thereseinstadt Ghetto. Fredy immediately offered himself forward to Jakob Edelstein, the leader of the Jewish Council there to work with the children and help care for the other people forced to live in the ghetto.

At Auschwitz Fredy helped those around him clamber from the carriages, those Auschwitz prisoners in the striped uniforms try to offer advice and answer questions without drawing the ire of the Nazis who basically want everyone moved and sorted as quickly as possible. When people notice the black smoke coming from two tall chimneys, one comments of the smell wondering what it is, one says it smells rancid, one of the people in the striped uniforms answers 'rotten flesh usually is'.

Fredy tries to help those around him quickly adapt and comply with the harsh orders that are being barked at them by the Nazis. When their heads are shaven, and they are directed to the showers, Fredy hopes its water that comes out of the shower heads not gas. Then clothes thrown at them by those in the striped uniforms, no chance to find sizes just put on what you’re given and be quick about it. Next there’s the line to be tattooed. When a nearby guard hears Fredy speaking, trying to reassure the younger people around him he realises that Fredy is German he instructs Fredy he is exempt from the tattooing. If these Jewish prisoners thought conditions and life were hard in Thereseinstadt they are soon wishing them selves back there. Auschwitz is a concentration camp with one purpose, to exterminate the Jewish people as Adolf Hitler and his Nazi party have decreed.

Fredy helped a lot of children 'escape' the horrors of Thereseinstadt, then Auschwitz in creating as safe a haven as was possible. Then, via the concerts, he & the children performed, he provided some 'relief' from the terrors of the daily life of existing in Auschwitz. Fredy and those he asked to help him taught the children so they did not totally miss out on an education, though doing this was strictly forbidden by the Nazis. Fredy created 'games' that meant the children had some outlet & and escapism, yet by playing the games, there were serious lessons behind them, such as obeying the Nazis. He taught them morals and values, not to steal from each other, to help each other and to respect the older prisoners too. Fredy managed to get as many children as he could way from the harsher conditions and routines of Auschwitz. He is constantly worrying about these young people especially when Dr Mengele shows an interest. Fredy isn’t a push over for the youngsters though and when one breaks Fredys groups rules, he kicks him out of the group.

The book is well written and describes things so well that you can both visualise and almost “feel” the surroundings, such as when Fredy describes the train carriages as 'a coffin on wheels' you can imagine how claustrophobic those inside the carriages must have felt with no option but to stand pressed up against each other. Though the book is fiction it is based on real people and events. If you’ve read Heather Morris books then this book is written in a similar way and is well worth reading. Though these books may be fictionalised they need to be read so the real people and their stories are never forgotten. 

 

REVIEW - THE SPIRIT CIRCLE BY TARA CALABY

  

Title: The Spirit Circle
Author: Tara Calaby
Publisher: Text Publishing
Genre: General Fiction, Historical Fiction, LGBTQIAP+
Release Date: 7th January 2025

BLURB
For Ellen Whitfield, the betrothal of her dear friend Harriet to Ellen’s brother has brought both loss and solace. But when Harriet suddenly breaks off the engagement, ostensibly at the insistence of her deceased mother, Ellen is bewildered. And when she learns that Harriet is involved with a spiritualist group led by the charismatic Caroline McLeod, she fears losing her friend altogether.

So it is that practical, sceptical Ellen moves into the gloomy East Melbourne mansion where Caroline, along with her enigmatic daughter Grace, has assembled a motley court of the bereaved. Ellen’s intention is to expose the simple trickery—the hidden cabinets and rigged seances, the levers and wires—that must surely lie behind these visits from the departed.

What she discovers is altogether more complicated.

REVIEW
It was the cover of The Spirit Circle that first caught my attention, the deep blue background with the candles and flowers all of which feature in the book. Then once I read the blurb, I knew I wanted to read the book! I do find the spirit world, and things like tarot readers fascinating.

The book is set in East Melbourne Australia and the central characters are William Whitfield, Ellen Whitfield and Harriet Kirk. William lives with his spinster sister Ellen Whitfield. Harriet Kirk, Ellen’s friend lives alone, nearby the Whitfield siblings, as all her family died when the ship they were on sank at sea. Ellen and Harriet have become closer over the years, in fact, Ellen had romantic feelings for her friend that were unreciprocated. Their friendship continued despite the rebuttal. Harriet and William became close, dated and became engaged and Ellen is truly happy for her friend and brother. Once married it is planned that they will all live together in the Whitfield home. The wedding of William and Harriet has been postponed due to the mourning etiquette of the era, but William is happy to wait until Harriet feels it is the appropriate time. So, when Harriet suddenly calls off the engagement saying her mother told her to call it off, he is surprised as he always got on so well with Harriet’s family as well as being curious to how Mrs Kirk has told her daughter to call off their engagement/relationship from beyond the grave.

It turns out that Harriet has discovered a Spiritual Church and has been attending it for a while. It is there whilst in a séance circle that her mother spoke to her through the Circle leader Caroline and told her to break off her engagement with William. Harriet cannot seem to stay away from the Spiritual Church, in fact she confides in Ellen that she is going to move into the house where the Spiritual Church is based. Harriet tells Ellen that she feels safe and at “home” there and closer to her family again. Ellen tries to be the voice of reason asking Harriet about the home she is leaving, but Harriet reassures her she can/will come back when she is ready and she may even rent it out. Harriet then invites Ellen to visit her at the house where the Spiritual Church is based.

Ellen discusses the changes that Harriet is making in her life, with her brother William and naturally they are worried she is being taken advantage of. With her family gone, they are the only people to really look out for Harriet, and they are worried that this new on the scene Spiritual Church is just wanting Harriet’s money and property as her family left her quite comfortably off. Ellen explains that Harriet has invited her to visit her at the Spiritual Church house and suggests to William that maybe she should. Ellen plans to show her best friend Harriet that the Spiritual Church and its seances are nothing more than charlatans. Ellens idea is to visit and observe as much as possible, then work out how the séance’s etc work, to reveal the “tricks” that are being used against her friend.

Ellen does visit the once quite grand house that seems to have been let go into disrepair. The door is answered by the house owner Mrs Margaret Plumstead, herself a widow who is fiercely protective of the Church leader Caroline McLeod and isn’t afraid to make it known to new comers and anyone she may be suspicious of their motives for attending/visiting. Ellen visits on a few occasions welcomed by the house owner Margaret and Church leader Caroline. Everyone is very “normal” and welcoming, so much so Ellen feels a little guilty about the fact she is there on a mission to unmask their tricks! The only unwelcoming person in the house is Caroline’s daughter, Grace, a quiet, sullen young woman. At one point in the book Grace tries to warn Ellen off from becoming overly involved with the church. However this warning has the opposite effect on Ellen, who visits more and more, witnessing seances, and the use of the message boards. Ellen learns that the spirits communicate in various ways using Caroline as a conduit. The spirit may send a message via the dead Reverend McLeod who then speaks through Caroline with his voice. The spirits can also give Caroline the message directly for her to tell the recipient, or they can be asked questions and answer yes/no via sounds/taps on the séance table.

It's not long before Ellen is invited to move into the house and share a room with her friend Harriet. Ellen talks the idea over with William but has really already made up her mind to move in, though she is still determined to unmask Caroline as a fraud she is also becoming more and more drawn into the idea of those departed into spirit being able to speak to the living, even if it is via a third party or a variety of knocks on a table.

When Ellen moves in the house it’s full of women of various ages that have either lost husbands, or family members as well as a woman there who lost a child. All the women are waiting for a message from a departed love one for one reason or another. All the women have their own sad stories about those from their past they wish to have a message from. Even Ellen has suffered the loss of a loved one, though she keeps this information to herself, she is not really there to receive a message. Not everyone’s partners and families accept their loved ones living in the house in the hope of receiving messages from those departed loved one, very well. One husband becomes angry and tries to strongly persuade his wife to return home. Another rather spoilt young woman from a wealthy family, continually sways between staying as she likes being part of everything and getting a message but wanting to return to her family home to attend fancy balls and functions.
Mrs Plumstead is always quick to try to talk the women into staying, saying they never know when they’ll get a message and that if they only attend the church rather than living there, they could miss an opportunity. Caroline soon becomes attached and interested in Ellen saying she can sense she herself has a “gift” that if worked on could lead to her being able to communicate with spirit. Though sceptical, Ellen does some “work” on her gifts with Caroline. Theres a sudden increase in spiritual activity, it seems the departed are giving more physical messages for the women like a favourite flower, moving their things round etc.

When two mysterious deaths occur the suspicion immediately falls on those at the house when they cannot explain what happens there to the satisfaction of the Police. The Police investigate - secrets are uncovered, lies discovered and half-truths exposed.
Caroline is under suspicion, until someone else comes forward as the culprit, not of murdering those that died but of creating circumstances that led to accidents and their deaths. It’s a really sad end for the character that comes forward, it is clear they were so desperate not to be lonely, to keep their spiritualist family together and caught up in keeping the mystery and magic of spiritualism going that they themselves gave a human living hand to the spirits which ended in disaster for the two characters that died, meaning they had an extremely sad ending themselves too.

I really enjoyed the book, the way Ellen initially started attending the Church to prove to her friend Harriet that she was being tricked, but Ellen ended up moving in and though I don’t think she ever truly, fully 100% believed, though she came pretty close when she received her own “message” from a departed loved one. The book is very cleverly written as even as a reader you feel your opinions of the Spiritual Church and its leader Caroline flipping from one view to the other. The book covers a few important issues such as grief, loneliness, abuse, sexuality and women’s rights. I think the character of William was a very patient and fairly modern male in his attitude to Harriet’s reasons for calling off their engagement, his sister then visiting the Spiritual Church services more and more often and leaving the family home where she was the one who “looked after” him and “the home” which in that era would have been looked upon as her “abandoning her duties” to move into the Spiritual Church House. William was the voice of reason when Ellen visited him when she needed to escape the Spiritual House, never ridiculing her, only being supportive and providing a listening ear. Grace was a complicated character torn between protecting and caring for her mother and being truthful and pursuing a relationship with Ellen which was frowned upon in that era too. Women may have had relationships but it would have been behind closed doors and never talked about. During her time at the house Grace appear to really dislike Ellen, she even warns her to leave the house. Then she seems to warm to Ellen and there is a budding relationship between them, though Caroline will always be Grace’s first priority.

I really enjoyed learning the different stories and reasons for why the women were at the Spiritual Church house desperately awaiting messages from those in their lives who had died. Though most of the stories were emotional and I guess what I’m trying to say is I could understand why they felt the need for reassurance and messages from spirit. I’ll admit that I’d had my suspicions and they were proven right about who the real 'puppeteer' of the spirit apparitions was. It was a seriously sad ending for them.

My immediate feeling upon finishing the book were “Wow, my suspicions were right”! But then there was the feeling of sadness, particularly for one of the characters and how things ended for her. I was also curious as to whether Caroline was going to continue her séances and a Spiritual Church House.

Summing up, The Spirit Circle it was an interesting historical fiction book that covers a lot of subjects from thoughts and feelings about grief and séances, to sexuality and family relationships. I really enjoyed reading this one a lot, I was as intrigued as Ellen at some points as to what was happening and how! I loved the descriptions of the séances the wind flowing round the room, flickering candles etc they really helped you visualise the scenes well. I’d say that The Spirit Circle had a similar feel to it as The Second Death of Edie and Violet Bond by Amanda Glaze which I also loved. The Spirit Circle would make a great TV mini-series!

 

 

REVIEW - PANIC BY CATHERINE JINKS

  

Title: Panic
Author: Catherine Jinks
Publisher: Text Publishing
Genre: General Fiction, Mystery, Thriller
Release Date: 7th January 2025

BLURB
After posting a drunken rant that goes horrifically viral, Bronte needs a place to lie low. Jobless, friendless, broke, she volunteers as a carer on an isolated rural property. She won’t be paid for looking after dementia sufferer Nell, but at least she’ll have a place to stay. Bronte’s host is Nell’s daughter Veda, who runs spiritual rebirthing retreats. She also claims the rights of a sovereign citizen and rejects the authority of the state, refusing even to register her car. She has acquired a small but devoted following of the like-minded.

Are they harmless cranks, with their conspiracy theories and outrage at government overreach? Or dangerously paranoid domestic terrorists? And what is the dark secret that Nell, in her confused state, keeps harking back to? Bronte, increasingly uneasy, would be getting far away from the whole place—if she had anywhere else to go.

In Panic, master storyteller Catherine Jinks delivers a tense, claustrophobic thriller of isolation and fear that will have you on the edge of your seat.

Goodreads Link

REVIEW
The cover shows the rather desolate looking, isolated farm that is called Gwendolynn, it is in Australia and is the central setting in the book.

Bronte finds out that her boyfriend Callum has been cheating on her with her best friend and housemate Harper. Not only has she lost her boyfriend but her home too as Harper wants her out! Bronte is naturally upset so she gets drunk and goes on social media making a drunken Tik Tok rant about her ex-boyfriend Callum! Bronte can’t prove which one of her friends leaked the video she made but it had to be someone that she knew that had access to her accounts. Due to the content of this video, she earns herself the name and hashtag “pussybugs.” Later Bronte has her hot drink drugged and is filmed totally “out of it” on a train, further fuelling the context that is a some “drunken idiot who sleeps around.” Despite reporting the incident of her drink being drugged the Police don’t take her seriously because of her reputation of being “pussybugs.” Bronte is convinced that Callum, his cousin Jesse and their Tik Tok followers are hounding her so, decides she needs to “disappear” for a while. Bronte answers an advert on HelpX a site that matches volunteers with jobs. Bronte ends up answering an advert from a woman called Veda who needs someone to be a companion to her mother Nell who has dementia. The job sounds too good to be true, Nell can wash, and dress herself she just needs a companion and someone to keep an eye on her so she doesn’t wander off. In exchange for being this “companion” Bronte is told she will get free bed and board, though there are no wages.

Bronte soon begins to regret her decision to take the volunteer job when on the way from the train station, the Police attempt to get her new employer Veda to pull over and she refuses!! It literally takes another Police vehicle coming in the other direction to force Veda to stop. The Police want to talk to Veda about her lack of registration plates. It turns out Veda does not believe in our government, police and laws and will only recognise the common assembly that she is part of with some other like-minded members. Theres complete chaos with both Veda’s husband Troy and other farm tenant/Veda follower, Prish blaming Bronte for the current situation of Veda being held at the Police Station.

Once Veda is finally back at the old farmhouse, Bronte learns a little more about Gwendolynn, though it is a farm there is no livestock, but Veda's husband, Troy has beehives and sells honey. Veda explains they are vegetarian and that there will be lots of fresh organic produce & home baked bread. Bronte will not be staying in the main house she will have her own vintage caravan with kitchenette & composting toilet. She will be able to use one of the bathrooms in the main house to shower etc. The main house is used for Veda’s business which is a wellness retreat. The retreat is called YouBorn. Later when Bronte explores the house alone, she discovers there were 3 'womb rooms' all freshly decorated all in pink, called Rose, Aster & Olive. These bedrooms only have a kingsized be with pink plush headboard.

A 4th bedroom is called Daisy and was Prish's room, it is all white & Victoriana in style. When Bronte asks Prish is she can use the upstairs bathroom she is abruptly told, no she should use the downstairs one. Bronte puts her washbasin in the downstairs bathroom where she will shower etc.

We discover that reason Bronte has been employed later in the book. Nell tends to wander if she can get out alone. Her last adventure took her to the neighbouring property which used to belong to the farm but was sold off to a nurse called Iris. The Munro don’t like Iris, as they see her as always complaining and blame her for bringing Nell to the attention of social services. As when Iris found Nell on her property, she called the Police who in turn called the paramedics to check over the confused Nell.

Nell occupies the entire top floor of the rear wing of Gwendolynne and it’s whilst exploring that area that Bronte discovers a panic room containing a single bed, toilet & lots of food supplies behind a piece of the wall in Nells bathroom upstairs, when she talks to Nell about it Nell reveals there's one underneath it too downstairs, she explains that they were for herself and Joanne/Veda to hide in away from Ezra. The rules of “the house” that apply to Bronte even though she isn’t staying in the house are that all phones & devices are locked away, except for a short period after dinner and for work use, which she is happy to go along with due to her recent social media notoriety.

Bronte finds the job easy enough with Nell already having her own routine, the only issues she seems to have become somewhat obsessed on checking on the dam that is on the property and the fact she is terribly afraid of the Police. Veda/Joanne explain the fear of the Police as being a result of Nells latest encounter with them when she wandered onto Iris’s property.

Bronte goes along with a lot of things that should have given her “off vibes” because she feels has nowhere else to go. She comes to the conclusion that she is staying with a bunch of nutty, paranoid, new age anarchists! Sadly, she is soon labelled paranoid by Prish and Veda when she complains about someone hanging around her caravan at night. It’s a long, quite treacherous underfoot walk from the house so Bronte worries if anyone would hear her if she needed help.

There is quite a bit going on in the book, though it is all linked to Nell and her obsession with the dam and the obsession of Joanne/Veda and Troy etc being part of a common assembly that is against all “normal authority.” There’s a siege where Bronte and a Police officer end up locked in one of the panic rooms only to be rescued by the confused Nell.

Just when you think everything is over and all questions are answered something else pops up! This story really shows just how 'strange' people can be and how far people are prepared to go when they think they are being pushed into a corner. I enjoyed reading the book and it certainly kept me reading, I wanted to know who was hanging around after dark outside of Bronte’s caravan. I also wanted to learn more about Ezra and his altercations in the past with Joanne/Veda and Nell. There were so many spokes to this plot, though most seemed to lead back to Joanne/Veda and her mother Nell and a history of violence at Gwendolynn.

The book also reveals how social media is a double-edged sword, that once something is posted it is out there forever. That you can have a supportive, positive reaction on social media but that there is a darker, negative side where you can be trolled continually.

My immediate thoughts were Wow! What an ending! Just when I thought it was over something else happened…twice!

Summing up, despite having dementia there was a memory that Nell was fixated on to do with the dam that ends up explaining the reality behind her fear of the police. It does make you wonder if her daughter Joanne/Veda really cared about her mother or if she tolerated her just to keep a hold of the property Nell owned and keep their dark history with Ezra a secret. The loose ends were all tied up at the end of the book but the relationship that was created between Bronte and Reece could hint at a possibility of more books where the duo solve cyber bullying cases. There is also the potential for more exploration of the friendship with Iris and the possible romance between Bronte and Reece.

 

REVIEW - THE PARIS GIRL BY FRANCELLE BRADFORD WHITE

  

Title: The Paris Girl
Author: Francelle Bradford White
Publisher: Kensington Books, Citadel Books
Genre: Biographies & Memoirs, History
Release Date: 24th December 2024

BLURB
Andrée Griotteray was just 19 when the Germans invaded France and occupied Paris, where she worked as a clerk in the passport office. When her younger brother, Alain, created a resistance network named Orion, Andrée joined his efforts, secretly typing up and printing copies of an underground newspaper, and stealing I.D. cards which allowed scores of Jewish citizens to escape persecution.

Charming and pretty, Andrée nimbly avoided the unwanted attentions of German officers, even as she secretly began working as an undercover courier. Displaying fearlessness in the face of immense pressure, she traveled throughout the county delivering vital intelligence destined for France’s allies—until the day she was betrayed and arrested.

Throughout her ordeal, Andrée stayed composed, refusing to inform on her comrades. Before she was set free, she even duped her interrogators into revealing who had betrayed Orion, and continued her underground activities until France’s liberation.

Weaving in diary entries, letters, and conversations, Andrée’s daughter, Francelle, brings a uniquely personal slant to her mother’s story. The Paris Girl reveals the narrow escapes and moments of terror, the daily acts of bravery and defiance, and the extraordinary courage displayed by Andrée and so many of her contemporaries, that helped turned the tide of war. 

Goodreads Link 

REVIEW
I loved the introduction, where the author’s parents return from a British Antique Dealers Association ball, and Francelle’s dad is telling her that everyone at the ball had been looking at mummy's cleavage aka actually her war medals that she got for “bashing up the Germans during the war.” (The author was just 6yrs old at this time) From then on, through her childhood, teen years etc her mother used to tell her what she got up to during the war.

I also loved the byline of "The young woman who outwitted the Nazis & became a WW2 hero" after reading the book I think Andree would have found it amusing as she really didn’t see herself as a hero at the time. Rightly so she was awarded war medals for her service and all the risks she took and danger she faced.

To begin with I struggled with the book I found it not personal or humanised enough for me.....it was just a set of facts and felt a little more like a reference book, than the story of a woman who lived in Paris in WW2. Then as the book progressed there were more diary entries used and we got to know Andree more, the book became much more interesting and I became hooked on reading more about Andree and what she did to help the resistance.

Before the war and occupation of France, Andree was working at the Police HQ under the guidance of Monsieur Langeron, and when the Germans invaded all such civil servants were not allowed to resign. Some chose to disappear and escape, leaving France. Some continued to do their jobs keeping their heads down and doing what the Germans told them to, even going so far as to collaborating and giving the Germans information of the whereabouts of Jewish people and those who were helping them. Then there were a few people, like Andree who continued to work at Police HQ and used their position in any way possible to help others and the resistance. She felt somewhat protected by Monsieur Langeron he was sympathetic to the cause, in fact it was Monsieur Langeron that was behind Andree working around all the different departments, so that she had an extensive inside knowledge of how everything worked and therefore she could access an extensive range of documents and information. When Monsieur Langeron was arrested, reinstated and eventually left Police HQ, Andree felt more alone and knew she needed to be even more discreet in what she was doing. In fact, a colleague warned her about taking blank ID cards too often. The colleague had obviously noticed Andree stealing the cards but had turned a blind eye until the point it would personally affect her if Andree was caught, and even then, she just warned Andree and didn’t report her to the Germans. There were those not openly or heavily involved with the resistance but would turn a blind eye if they saw others engaging in activities the Germans would consider as acts against them.

Andree was drawn into the Orion Resistance group by its eventual leader, her brother Alain. It was a risk as resistance members were not meant to associate with each other, never mind be related to each other. I have to say that even had she not joined an organised resistance group, Andree would have found a way to help the Jewish people and hinder the Germans as much as humanly possible. In fact, Andree did small acts of “defiance” like crossing the road to avoid interaction with German Officers. Though she did have an unavoidable friendship with one German Officer due to working at Police HQ which came in very useful later when she needed someone to vouch for her innocence and that she couldn’t possibly be a member of the resistance. I feel at times because Alain trusted Andree so much he would push her to do more and more dangerous missions.

As Andree worked at Police HQ she had access to a fairly plentiful supply of materials to type things up, be that undercover newspapers, leaflets or information to be passed on. At one point Andree’s job gave her access to ID cards so she stole blank ID cards for the resistance to use to help Jewish people. Even when Andree was switched departments, which happened to her a lot, she would return to see her friends and use these visits to gain access to the blank ID cards.

When doing her regular work at the Police HQ grateful clients would gift Andree perfume and cigarettes which she would sell to fund trips she would take.

Andree took many trips with her small suitcase with its carefully designed lining that she could hide documents in. On a later trip she purchased a girdle to sew coins supplied by the Americans to fund the resistance in to smuggle them across the country. Andree used her image of a young, carefree, perhaps somewhat naïve woman to fool the Germans on more than one occasion. On other occasions she channelled her mother’s authorative manner and actually threatened the German Officers and challenged the Gestapo. Andree had many adventures, one of which resulted in her being unable to find a hotel room for the night, approaching the local Police for help and being directed to a brothel to spend the night! Though she didn’t have a great nights sleep there as she woke part way through the night being bitten by fleas!!

Orion Agents had no formal training, it was set up & managed by French men & women living in their own country familiar with their surroundings. The Orion group never used radio transmitters Alain thought them too risky, it was too easy for the Germans to pick up on radio frequencies. They may have used other resistance operatives & British & US Intelligence service radios but they never had their own. Alain insisted that if a courier was in danger they were to destroy whatever information they were carrying and try to lose whoever was tailing them, but not to lead them to their home or the home of other members. They were not to socialise with other members of the group, in fact the least they knew of each other the better. That way if they were ever caught and tortured, they could not reveal a lot of information. It was later after Alain’s training with the intelligence services that they were issued with cynanide capsules to take if absolutely necessary. Orion’s main instructions came from the “top, top man” Henri d'Astier de la Vigerie and were to make contacts & gather information that may be of use to intelligence services. On the whole Orion was quite successful but it mustn’t be forgotten is caught they would inevitably be tortured and either sent to the camps or simply shot. Orion only lost 2 of its 18 full time agents. These agents were young people. Alain was the youngest resistance group leader and all but 4 of his agents were still under the age of 24yrs at the end of the war. There were only 2 women in Orion, Andree Groitteray White & Margit Ehrart Hutton. Though other women did help Orion they were not full time members.

It was thought at the time that the Germans were less suspicious of women which is why the resistance recruited them, though they were still in as much danger and at times more danger than male recruits. There was always the threat of moles reporting them to the Gestapo, or Vichy. It could be a concierge at the building they lived in who reported them, a work colleague, a double agent or even a “friend”. There were roughly 2,500 German agents, 6,000 French agents and an estimated 24,000 people informing on their neighbours, colleagues and even their friends. These groups such as Orion were not really linked to other resistance groups and there were many such groups however, they did support and work with the SOEs. In comparison to the “untrained” Orion Agents, the SOE Agents received 6 months intensive training in the UK before being parachuted or travelling by sea into France. The SOE sent in 470 Agents - 118 did not return. Of the 470, 39 were female agents, 13 of those died in action. Wireless operators had a life expectancy of 6 weeks!!

I found the initial 20% or so hard going which annoyed me as I so wanted to read about this amazing young French woman & her brother who were part of the Orion resistance. Then as more and more of Andree’s own words are used within the book from her own diary entries made at the crazy dangerous time, I became more and more absorbed. The thing is Andree doesn't believe herself a heroine she sees herself as a normal French woman so doing what she can to help rid her country of unwanted invaders. I found reading about what “normal” life in Paris under the German rule interesting too. On one hand people were starving, yet on the other there were restaurants and hotels that still offered extravagant food. It was interesting to read about Andree’s family life, the way her mother knew her daughter was taking part in dangerous work being a courier of information yet they didn’t openly talk about it. Again it was better that the rest of the family knew no details of operations.

Though it was Alain and Andree that were deeply involved in the resistance they and their family had to know if they were caught that there would be serious repercussions for the whole family. It was amazing to read of the French citizens who all played a small part in the greater goal of the resistance.

Andree’s daughter Francelle, the author of this book used her mother’s diaries, spoke to other resistance members and her Uncle Alain as well as the memories of the stories her mother had told her. Francelle continues Andree’s legacy of helping others as the proceeds from this book are being donated to an Alzheimers & Dementia charity set up in her mothers name.

Summing up, I found the book intriguing, informative and fascinating. I think the word I’d use to describe how the book is presented/put over is pragmatic....... ”pragmatic” the way Andree had to be to survive. Andree didn’t think herself special or a heroine, she was just doing what she could to help the Jewish people and help to get the invading Germans out of her home country.

 

REVIEW - PRACTICAL SYMBOLS - RUNES & SIGILS FOR HOLISTIC WELLBEING BY AMY DONNELLY

  

Title: Practical Symbols - Runes & Sigils For Holistic Wellbeing
Author: Amy Donnelly
Publisher: Quarto Publishing, Leaping Hare Press
Genre: Arts & Photography, Health, Mind & Body, Religion & Spirituality
Release Date: 12th November 2024

BLURB
Would you like to learn how to invoke the power and energy of symbols in your everyday life?

Perhaps you’re looking for protection from a toxic situation at work, or guidance for a difficult assignment at school. Maybe you’re trying to help a friend in pain, or simply find more balance in your relationships.

Practical Symbols provides you with the tools you need to approach any situation with poise, confidence, and a little bit of magic.

This book is written in an accessible and friendly way, and will not only help you channel the energies of ancient and powerful symbols, but also show you how to create your own bespoke sigils. It will teach you which symbols work best for your specific purposes, and why, and help you to empower yourself to nurture your wellbeing every day with symbols.

Organized by theme, learn which symbols you can use for:emotional wellness—soothing your soul and nurturing your mental health
physical wellbeing—helping you relax, sleep better, and dream well
celebrating the wheel of the year—discovering how ancient symbols and runes have always been used to honor the sabbats
connecting with nature—through following the cycles of the moon
adding magic to special occasions—celebrating birthdays, marriage, graduations, and more
enhancing or starting your career—manifesting your dream job or boosting your career

With advice on rituals and methods for incorporating symbols into your daily practice, as well as a comprehensive index of symbols, this is a must-have book for any spiritually curious individual, no matter your level of expertise.

REVIEW
The cover looks quite dark and has an array of Symbols, Sigils, and markings on it that are later featured and explained in the book. The darkness of the cover gives the book a very mystical, magical, mysterious feel to it.

After reading the introduction that the author had always been fascinated by history and folklore and grew up with traditions such as throwing salt over her shoulder, putting a pin in a cushion to find a lost item, things handed down through the generations similar to my own passed down family traditions I was eager to read the book. However the book was more like a dictionary of different symbols, which whilst that is interesting, I would have loved to have read more folklore & superstition and traditions. The content of the book was detailed and well presented, though the actual content was not exactly what I had thought it was going to be.

The book begins by explaining symbol usage in witchcraft and cover things like the pentagram that most people would probably be familiar with. The book goes on to discuss how to choose and use symbols as well as where they came from. I found the history and origin explanations of each symbol to be detailed and well explained.

The book is then separated into 7 chapters with the following headings, Symbols for Wellness, Physical Wellness, Sabbat, the Moon, Special Occasions, for Career and Practical Sigils. This is the part of the book that is very much set out like a reference book. I read and e-copy of the book and I think a physical book would be much more tactile and absorbing as it would be easier to flick back and forth between pages and sections. There are also sections where the author recommends other books to read and an index of symbols

Summing up I think it's more of a handbook that you would dip in and out. A great addition to your book shelf if you're fascinated by Symbols & Sigils and are seriously wanting to learn to use them in a more in depth way in daily life.