I seem to be on a somewhat slower reading trend this year. Once again, I read just 4 books this month, 2 of which corresponded to Book Bingo prompts. But most of them were very interesting. This month’s book selections took me across the US and France in the 1990s, on a road trip in small-town America, to the Scottish Highlands in the 1300s, and the moors in Victorian England. Here’s my reading wrap up for July 2024!
(Click on the book covers to purchase the book on Amazon.)
The End of Summer by Charlotte Philby (A book published in 2024)
When the phone rings in Judy McVee’s Languedoc farmhouse, she knows her past has finally caught up with her. It’s her daughter, frantically asking why there are journalists on her London doorstep making terrible accusations. Decades earlier, Judy was a girl with big plans – to ensnare a rich husband, to make something of herself, to rise above her upbringing and leave behind past tragedies. Wealthy young widower Rory Harrington seemed the perfect target, but Judy hadn’t reckoned on actually falling in love with him. Now her daughter Francesca, who has secrets of her own, must come to terms with the realisation that the mother she thought she knew wasn’t real. Where has Judy gone – and was anything she told her family true?
I read Charlotte Philby’s Edith and Kim last year, and really enjoyed the novel and her writing style. So when I came across this book on Netgalley, it piqued my curiosity. Though in a different genre from Edith and Kim, which was based on a true events and characters, Philby’s writing and her mastery over weaving a compelling story do not disappoint. Told in alternating perspectives and shifting timelines, Philby builds up Judy’s story; her many deceptions and betrayals; and her fierce love for her husband and daughter. Moving from Cape Cod to London, New York to the South of France, this is a cleverly layered literary thriller that will keep you hooked right from the start.
The Lady of the Loch by Elena Collins
‘Although I believe I will die here in this castle, my spirit will never be silent.’Ravenscraig Castle, Scotland. 1307
When the castle she works in is sacked by the army of Prince Edward of England, kitchen maid Agnes Fitzgerald manages to escape and throws herself at the mercy of the Lord and Lady at Ravenscraig Castle. Although safe for now, the threat of the English hangs heavy over the land. But when Agnes spies Cam Buchanan swimming in the loch, her mind turns away from war and towards love, until she learns that Cam must go and fight alongside Robert de Brus.
Present day
Twins Leah and Zoe need a change, and caretaking at Ravenscraig Castle seems like the perfect opportunity to get away from it all. Surrounded by rugged Highland countryside, and bordered by a loch, the picturesque setting is everything they dreamed of, except for the whispers of ghosts and lost souls. The sisters quickly dismiss such superstition, but soon the overwhelming sadness they feel coming from the tower grows too hard to ignore. Can the sisters finally right the wrongs of 700 hundred years of heartbreak, 700 hundred years of betrayal?
I love a well done dual timeline story, and this one, set in Scottish highlands, is beautifully written. I loved reading about Scotland in the 1300s; the war for independence against the English; life in a Scottish castle; and the beautiful, strong characters that Collins created. The present day story was also rather interesting, and the weaving together of the two storylines and the “haunting” of Ravenscraig Castle was beautifully done. I was a bit more invested in Agnes and Cam’s story, though Zoe and Leah’s stories were also quite interesting, and I found myself turning the pages late into the night, wanting to find out how their stories develop. This book left me with a glorious book hangover; highly recommended!
I’m Thinking of Ending Things by Iain Reid (Adapted for Netflix)
I’m thinking of ending things. Once this thought arrives, it stays. It sticks. It lingers. It’s always there. Always.
Jake once said, “Sometimes a thought is closer to truth, to reality, than an action. You can say anything, you can do anything, but you can’t fake a thought.”
And here’s what I’m thinking: I don’t want to be here.
In this smart and intense literary suspense novel, Iain Reid explores the depths of the human psyche, questioning consciousness, free will, the value of relationships, fear, and the limitations of solitude. Tense, gripping, and atmospheric, I’m Thinking of Ending Things pulls you in from the very first page…and never lets you go.
It’s kind of difficult to write too much about this book without giving the key elements away. But I will say that I guessed the end pretty early on in the book, and while it covers a lot of ground on the human psyche, free will, solitude and more — themes that are generally right up my alley — it felt rather forced. It’s like Reid was trying too hard to be cerebral and intellectual, but it just failed, for me. I think this is one of those books that you’ll either love or find rather insipid, but it’s fairly short, so if you find the blurb interesting, give it a go. You may find the reading experience more interesting than I did.
The Vanished Bride (A Bronte Sisters Mystery) by Bella Ellis
Yorkshire, 1845. A young wife and mother has gone missing from her home, leaving behind two small children and a large pool of blood. Just a few miles away, humble parson’s daughters — the Brontë sisters Charlotte, Emily, and Anne — learn of the crime and are horrified and intrigued by the mysterious disappearance. The sisters quickly realize that they have all the skills required to make for excellent “lady detectors.” Not yet published novelists, they have well-honed imaginations and are expert readers. And, as Charlotte remarks, “detecting is reading between the lines–it’s seeing what is not there.” As they investigate, Charlotte, Emily, and Anne are confronted with a society that believes a woman’s place is in the home, not scouring the countryside looking for clues. But nothing will stop the sisters from discovering what happened to the vanished bride, even as they find their own lives are in great peril.
Ellis uses a few historical facts about the Brontë sisters to weave together this engrossing fictional mystery that imagines the three sisters as lady detectives in the Victorian era. And what an intriguing case the sisters find themselves trying to solve. Elizabeth Chester appears to have been murdered: the vast quantities of blood painting the room certainly indicate a most gruesome death. Except that there is no body to be found. As the sisters try to determine Elizabeth’s fate, they uncover another long-hidden crime and come face-to-face with the cruelty and depravity that society hides beneath a layer of polite genteelness. This brilliantly crafted book kicks off the Bronte Sisters Mystery series, which has a total of 4 books out so far. Highly recommended!
Over to you! What was on your reading list this month?
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