adult fiction – A Bookish Life

An Almond for a Parrot by Wray Delaney

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

I have to confess I requested this book from Netgalley based on a combination of that beautiful cover and the unusual title. I love books that are unique and that little bit strange and this most definitely fits into that category telling the story of Tully Truegood skivvy, orphan, conjurers assistant and prostitute.

It’s a bit of a hodgepodge of different genres, historical, romance and fantasy with a little bit of mystery and horror thrown into the mix. It shouldn’t work but somehow it does. It’s well written with some truly memorable characters and a fascinating story.

As someone who is not a fan of period stories this tale of life in 18th century England captivated me and I couldn’t put it down.

I would like to make myself the heroine of this story and my character to be so noble that you could not help but be in love with me. Perhaps I should portray myself as an innocent victim led astray. But alas, sir, I would be lying, and as I am on the brink of seeing my maker, the truth might serve me better.

The story begins in 1756 with our heroine Tully Truegood in prison for the murder of her husband. When visited by her sister Hope she requests paper and ink so she can write the story of her life in the form of a letter to the man she loves. So begins her story, from her mother dying in childbirth, to the neglect of her father and how she became one of the most famous prostitutes in England, discovered she had a very unique power and ended up in prison for murder.

I absolutely loved the form of this story. The majority is written like a letter to a lover and as such it feels like Tully is speaking directly to the reader. The tone is at times very conversational as she tries to give her side of the story and explain her feelings and actions.

Tully makes for a very likeable narrator, honest, forthright and brave, and I think that’s what makes this such a great story. Both Tully and the other characters in the story are rendered so well that you can picture them and the development of Tully over the course of the story is wonderful to read. She grows from a naive, weak and bullied child to a confident and assertive woman in a time when women were treated like possessions. I wasn’t sure about her at the start but by the end I absolutely loved her.

The other characters are also fascinating with my favorites being Mr Crease, Mercy and Lord B each of whom brought something very different to the story (a certain section with Lord B left me in tears). What I struggled a little with however, and the reason I couldn’t give 5 stars, was the central romance. The whole book is written like a love letter as Tully longs for news of Avery but when I learned of their history together I didn’t feel it. It seemed to me to be very one sided with Tully idolizing Avery.

Weirdly the whole thing reminded me a little of Tess of the D’Urbervilles. Partly I think because of the time period but also because of the way Tully is used and abused by most of the men in her life and is let down by the one man who claims to love her. I should say there are some very violent and abusive scenes which may upset and, as a large portion of the story is set in a brothel, there are also a lot of fairly graphic sex scenes although a lot of euphemisms are used for various parts of the anatomy. (As an aside, some of these did make me laugh particularly in the early part of the book where there seems to be a number of references to vegetables).

There are some magical and supernatural elements to the story which I loved and definitely gives it something unique even though they are at times a little confusing and disturbing. I would have really liked a bit more depth to these and to Mr Crease as I just wanted to understand how Tully could do the things she could.

The story is captivating and while there are a couple of areas where I felt it needed more background or explanation I was left feeling very satisfied by the end. I do wonder if it may have been more effective if it was that little bit darker and more explicit than it was but I don’t know.

Overall a great read that I would recommend to those who like a unique story with a strong female character and who aren’t offended by.some graphic sex scenes.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Blurb (from GoodReads)

‘I would like to make myself the heroine of this story – an innocent victim led astray. But alas sir, I would be lying…’

London, 1756: In Newgate prison, Tully Truegood awaits trial. Her fate hanging in the balance, she tells her life-story. It’s a tale that takes her from skivvy in the back streets of London, to conjuror’s assistant, to celebrated courtesan at her stepmother’s Fairy House, the notorious house of ill-repute where decadent excess is a must…

Tully was once the talk of the town. Now, with the best seats at Newgate already sold in anticipation of her execution, her only chance of survival is to get her story to the one person who can help her avoid the gallows.

She is Tully Truegood.

Orphan, whore, magician’s apprentice.

Murderer?

The Beast of Barcroft by Bill Schweigart
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A gripping, sometimes scary and enjoyable read about a creature that lurks in the dark. It’s definitely got me looking over my shoulder and staying away from the woods at night. Loved it.

When I was in my late teens I used to love books by Dean Koontz and James Herbert and while I don’t remember them too well this reminds me a lot of some of my favourite James Herbert stories.

It’s set in a quiet and friendly neighbourhood in Barcroft, Arlington where the residents are up in arms about one particular neighbour Madeleine Roux. Madeleine is the local crazy lady, rescuer of raccoons, feeder of pigeons and the reason why the neighbourhood has become infested with rats and other creatures. The county can’t do anything so the residents are understandably frustrated.

For next door neighbour Ben McKelvie it’s more or less the last straw. He moved in with his fiancé about a year ago following the death of his father and what was supposed to be a move up in the world turned into a bit of a nightmare. Struggling to cope with his grief and the crazy lady next door his fiancé Rachel leaves him with only his greyhound Bucky for company and some happy pills to keep him from losing it completely.

When a creature attacks and kills his dog one night however it seems that something much scarier has been drawn to the neighbourhood by the vermin. Other pets disappear and then things start to escalate with the death of one of the neighbours in mysterious circumstances. With none of the police believing him about the creature that killed his dog, Ben and zoologist Lindsay Clark begin tracking it but is it really an animal or something far more sinister?

It was only when I was reading this that I realised how much I missed this kind of book. I love a story that is genuinely creepy and somehow feels like it could be true. The story is partially based on events that happened in that area 40 years ago when 23 pets went missing from the area. They did solve that mystery (and it was less horrifying than in this story) but there always seem to be sightings of big cats or other large animals lurking close to civilisation which is something I find quite scary (especially as there is supposedly one near me).

The story itself is really well written and the author does a great job of getting the pacing just right so that the tension builds throughout. Sometimes with stories such as this it can get a bit slow in the middle or become repetitive but that isn’t the case here. It twists and turns and keeps you guessing till almost the very end.

The characters were well defined and likeable. Ben in particular was very easy to relate to especially in his reaction to the events that occur. He starts out pretty depressed and miserable but somehow seems to find some kind of purpose and determination or possibly realises he hasn’t much left to lose as the story progresses. Zoologist Lindsay Clark and Police Officer Cushing add a bit of romantic interest but more importantly represent strong, intelligent and independent women rather than damsels in distress. They are less than impressed with Ben which results in some very amusing dialogue and was another of my favourite parts of this book.

I get the feeling that this is the first in a series and I think it’s definitely one to watch out for.

Overall a fast paced, well written story which if you’re anything like me will give you the odd chill. There is the odd gory death so maybe avoid if you’re squeamish but otherwise I’d definitely recommend.

I received an advance copy from NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group – Hydra so big thanks.