Bibliomaniac's Book Event: Fabulous Fiction - A review!

Fabulous Fiction

June 13th 

Harpenden

Amanda Jennings, Laura Marshall, Cesca Major 

& Lucy Atkins

On Wednesday I hosted one of my Bibliomaniac events in Harpenden with four fabulous authors who came along to chat about their latest novels - and it really was a totally fabulous evening!

The event took place in Bennet's Club, Harpenden and in front of an audience of about 55 bibliomaniacs who were all keen to hear from the panel - they couldn't even be distracted by the sweeties in their goody bags! 

We began by discussing social media. Laura Marshall's novel Friend Request is about receiving a friend request on Facebook from someone the character thought was dead *pause for a dramatic ooohhh* ....... and the book is worthy of the oooohhhh indeed - there was a lot of oohhing throughout the evening as the authors teased us by introducing their current novels and then later gave us a few hints about what they are working on next! 

We chatted about appearance versus reality, perception versus truth. All the novels feature friendships or relationships which are not what they seem and we talked about why this fascinated us as readers so much.

 Both Laura and Amanda have set sections of their novels in the 1980s, which meant they were able to indulge in memories of Blind Date and listen to Depeche Mode while they wrote. Sadly for Lucy Atkins, her research for The Night Visitor involved poking about in cow pats for dung beetles - but somehow she even managed to make this sound glamorous and enthused us all with her tales of research into beetles and ladybirds which are a feature in the novel. Cesca Major's research for her historical novel, The Last Night, took her back to Devon where she loved spending time listening to people's real life memories which she then wove into her fictional one. 

Secrets are always key to a good story, as are discovered diaries, objects that a family member keeps locked away or mysteriously revealed clues which don't make sense. So what we were to open our authors' suitcases when they take themselves off on holiday this summer? What items might they stow away in their belongings which might reveal something about their life? The answer? A kipper! 

I'll just leave that one with you. 

It was a fantastic evening. All of the authors were so warm, relaxed, intelligent and entertaining and the audience heard not only about the books, but about the author's writing processes, how they picked locations and settings, choosing book covers, their favourite reads and much much more. There was a lovely atmosphere and a lot of laughing. The conversation flowed from the serious, to the more lighthearted and although we weren't able to dedicate much time to discussing 'Love Island', we did find out which fictional character these lovely ladies would choose to be stranded with on a desert island! 

An absolutely huge thank you to Amanda Jennings, Laura Marshall, Cesca Major and Lucy Atkins for coming along and being a truly fantastic panel. I highly recommend that you read all of their fabulous books this summer as they really are outstanding reads! 

Thank you also to the audience and for everyone who came along on the evening! Thanks to Harpenden Books for selling the authors' novels on the night and all their support with this event.

The Cliff House by Amanda Jennings

Set in Cornwall, Jennings' writing subtly echoes the influence of Du Maurier, and possibly Agatha Christie and Sarah Waters, creating a lingering, ominous atmosphere of friction, unresolved tension and dubious motivations throughout this novel. 

'The Cliff House' is stunning. The location is perfect for a thriller and Jennings' literary prose is absorbing, compelling and addictive. The alternating points of view help to create tension and the reader is never able to shake of the sense of a pending thunderstorm despite the summer sun. 'The Cliff House' is atmospheric, evocative and with a deliciously dark sense of malevolence or threat.  It has a brilliant plot which gradually creates an unsettling sense of foreboding. It explores families but it also explores friendship. It explores Tamsyn's emotional journey and takes us through some very open moments of raw grief, trauma and drama but all the while something more malevolent and threatening lurks in the darker edges of the page until we reach a fantastic denouement. 

Friend Request by Laura Marshall

This book's blurb will appeal to anyone who has a Facebook account and to anyone who has left the ghosts of secondary school far behind them. The thought of getting a Friend Request from someone you thought was dead has got to be one of the most exciting and frightening premises for a novel! There is a high level of suspense sustained throughout the entire novel. The reader is desperate to find out exactly what did happen to Maria, exactly what Louise is guilty of, what is it that she can't share with her husband who was also there on the night that Maria disappeared and should be the one person she feels she can confide in. Marshall keeps us turning the pages, guessing, grabbing on to clues and revelations, not knowing who to trust and who to believe and then we are gripped as the book hurtles to it's final dramatic scenes which are full of tension, twists and turns. This is a thriller for the modern world and although the story is about the past, it is also very much about the present. The Last Night by Cesca Major

This is a gorgeously written novel and Cesca Major clearly has a gift for storytelling. The dual time line is beautifully managed, pulling the reader immediately in to the historical context and the coastal setting as well as creating the sense that something tragic has befallen these characters. 

Major allows us to slip from past to present to past as we become totally caught up in each of the characters' stories and try to see how they might converge. Gradually the tension builds and the final third of the book is utterly compelling - it was impossible to turn away from the heartbreaking scenes which are so powerfully evoked that the reader is completely immersed in tension and drama. 

Major's writing flows across the pages, painting vivid pictures of the historical setting and of the coastal location. Her characters are complex and convincing. It's an absorbing read which is well worth losing yourself in for a few afternoons and I am delighted to have discovered her books. 

The Night Visitor by Lucy Atkins

This intriguing novel is about an unusual friendship between two women whose paths cross, apparently through circumstance, and then their lives become more and more intwined in a relationship that shows itself to be a danger to both of them. It's a tale about a complex relationship between two women, and a tale of jealousy, obsession, revenge and a search for the truth. 

The atmosphere becomes darker and darker as the novel progresses and  the behaviour of the women becomes more threatening, confusing and intense. I loved the fact that there are some exceptionally clever twists and revelations which really left me questioning everything I had read, leaving me unable to decide which character I could trust and what degree of blame and responsibility each character should take. The pace and structure of this novel is beautifully controlled to create maximum tension and suspense. 

And I have to say, I loved the descriptions of the beetles and insects in the novel - the metaphors, parallels and images are so very effective and reflect the talent of this author. 

BIBLIOMANIAC'S NEXT EVENT:

OCTOBER 10TH 2018

8pm - 10pm 

G J MINETT

ALEX CAAN

T M LOGAN 

ROD REYNOLDS

SAVE THE DATE AND WATCH THIS SPACE!