JESS JUST READS

A BOOK REVIEW BLOG

City of Vengeance by D.V Bishop

Florence. Winter, 1536. A prominent Jewish moneylender is murdered in his home, a death with wide implications in a city powered by immense wealth.

Cesare Aldo, a former soldier and now an officer of the Renaissance city’s most feared criminal court, is given four days to solve the murder: catch the killer before the feast of Epiphany – or suffer the consequences.

During his investigations Aldo uncovers a plot to overthrow the volatile ruler of Florence, Alessandro de’ Medici. If the Duke falls, it will endanger the whole city. But a rival officer of the court is determined to expose details about Aldo’s private life that could lead to his ruin. Can Aldo stop the conspiracy before anyone else dies, or will his own secrets destroy him first?

Debut historical thriller City of Vengeance by D.V Bishop takes us to Renaissance Florence, 1536. Cesare Aldo is tasked with solving two murders — moneylender Levi, who was stabbed to death in his home, and cross-dresser Corsini, who was bashed to death after dark. The novel also explores the unrest in Florence, and the traitorous plan to overthrow Alessandro de’ Medici by his own cousin. Whilst fiction, this book is inspired by true events, which are detailed in the Author’s Note at the end.

Readers needn’t love historical fiction to enjoy City of Vengeance — you must merely enjoy crime and thriller stories. At its core, this is a book about two murders, and a lead detective trying to uncover the truth. Whilst the setting may feel vastly different, this novel follows a similar format to most police procedural tales.

“It took Strocchi hours to find a true address for Corsini. The Otto’s records revealed several arrests of him in recent months: petty theft, pickpocketing and indecent acts. But the accused gave a different address each time, forcing Strocchi to eliminate them all.”

D.V Bishop does well to paint the setting. I’m somewhat familiar with the Medici reign and felt like the author captured the atmosphere of the time — societal behaviour and attitudes— rather well. It’s clear that years of research went into writing this book, a lot of source material and perhaps reference books as well.

City of Vengeance explores political intrigue, betrayal, familial obligation and keeping secrets. Each major character has been crafted uniquely, their personalities differing significantly. We have more than one villain, and plenty of red herrings along the way to throw us off the scent of the murderer/s. Aldo in particular is a well-developed character. He is in charge of uncovering secrets, but at the same time, he’s hiding some secrets of his own.

“Aldo went to the door. It stood ajar but there was no splintering to the wood, and no damage to the bolt. That suggested Levi had let his attacker in — a debtor, maybe, or a rival? Or had it been someone closer to home? Killings in Florence were not infrequent and were usually personal, fuelled by family, love, hate or greed.”

Despite the book only taking place over a few days, the pacing slows in the middle and suddenly the novel feels very long. Four hundred pages wasn’t necessary for the scope of this story, and I’ll admit I groaned a little when I found out this was the first book in a planned series. Please, make the sequel more succinct!

Admittedly, the other gripe I had with the story were the similarity in names. Perhaps unavoidable when writing a story based on true events, but we had Cesare, Corsini, Cosimo and Cerchi. It took me about one hundred pages to tell them apart whenever they appeared in a scene together — some names starting with another letter would’ve been welcome.

“Levi had been anxious on the road back from Bologna, but not defeated. If what Dante said was true, something must have happened after Levi’s return to Florence.”

Energetic and intense, with enough intrigue to keep you reading. Recommended for readers of fantasy and medieval history.

Thank you to the publisher for mailing me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

City of Vengeance
D.V Bishop
February 2021
Pan Macmillan Book Publishers

Crackenback by Lee Christine

Detective Sergeant Pierce Ryder of the Sydney Homicide Squad is on the hunt for notorious fugitive Gavin Hutton.

After months of dead-ends, the breakthrough Ryder has been hoping for leads him back to the New South Wales Snowy Mountains on the trail of the suspected killer.

Meanwhile, when an injured man bursts into the remote Thredbo lodge managed by Eva Bell, her first instinct is to protect her daughter, Poppy. The terrifying arrival of Jack Walker turns Eva’s world upside down as the consequences of Jack’s presence become clear.

With a killer on the loose, Jack Walker and Ryder are tangled in the same treacherous web – spun across the perilously beautiful Crackenback Range.

Suspense novelist Lee Christine returns with her latest novel set in the Snowy Mountains — Crackenback. Split between two storylines and written in third person POV, the hunt is on for an escaped murderer deep in icy terrain.

Half of the book focuses on Thredbo lodge manager Eva, whose life is upended when former lover Jack Walker turns up on her doorstep — injured, anxious, and forcing Eva and their daughter Poppy into hiding. Notorious killer Gavin Hutton is on the lease, and Eva and Poppy are his targets.

The other chapters in the book focus on Detective Sergeant Pierce Ryder, who is hunting Gavin. As the novel flicks back and forth between these two settings, events happen concurrently and Pierce and Eva’s lives inevitably collide as Gavin Hutton draws near.

“Eva squinted harder. What was it she could see down there? It was then she realised that it was a set of footprints, partially obscured by the fresh snowfall. They were leading from her front verandah to the trail to the Willy Wagtail. Or was it the other way round?”

Strengths lie in the police procedural aspect of the book, and Ryder’s collection of evidence. We follow Pierce as he interviews witnesses and close contacts, desperately trying to piece together Gavin’s whereabouts. It’s clear that great research has gone into this aspect of the novel to ensure authenticity.

Another strength is characterisation — Christine crafts characters we grow to love. We sympathise when they struggle, and we keep reading to find out how their stories will end. Quieter moments in the book allow for the characters to face unresolved conflict, adding a layer of depth to the book.

Once again, we finds ourselves deep within an icy, cold setting. It’s the perfect read to accompany a glass of red wine. I could feel the biting temperatures and I could picture the blocked, snowy doorways. I could sense the danger lurking beyond the dark, misty outdoors.

“Eva locked the door with a violent shiver. When guests were staying, she would leave it unlocked twenty-four-seven so they had unlimited access to the mountain bikes, skis and snowboards stowed in the equipment room next to the laundry.”

The only aspect of the novel that I didn’t love was the slow pace of the Eva/Jack storyline. He bursts into her home and their setting doesn’t change much for majority of the novel. It’s really just them hiding out, and whilst it was interesting at first, I did find myself getting a little impatient — perhaps a little bored. Even Poppy doesn’t really provide much of an obstacle for their safety, and sometimes I forgot she was even in the house.

I felt like the author was trying to establish more of a romance than a thriller in this setting, and I think there was definitely capacity for both. I would’ve liked it if Gavin reared his ugly head a little earlier on the novel, pushed them out of their hiding place sooner.

“In the lobby, she watched as Jack dug in his pocket for the key and unlocked the drawer. Poppy had gone from spinning the bear in circles to wheeling the chair around the lobby like a pram. How was it that their lives had changed so much in an instant? One minute, she’d been looking forward to the snow season and happily chatting to Bede about his son’s wedding, and the next…”

High stakes and a cracking mystery right until the end, Crackenback is recommended for fans of crime and thriller, but only if you’re also interested in romance. If romance isn’t for you, then this isn’t the series for you. Fans of Christine’s previous novel, Charlotte’s Pass, will be excited to see the return of a few familiar characters.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Crackenback
Lee Christine
February 2021
Allen & Unwin Book Publishers

The Imitator by Rebecca Starford

Out of place at boarding school, scholarship girl Evelyn Varley realises that the only way for her to fit in is to be like everyone else. She hides her true self and what she really thinks behind the manners and attitudes of those around her. By the time she graduates from Oxford University in 1939, ambitious and brilliant Evelyn has perfected her performance.

War is looming. Evelyn soon finds herself recruited to MI5, and the elite counterintelligence department of Bennett White, the enigmatic spy-runner. Recognising Evelyn’s mercurial potential, White schools her in observation and subterfuge and assigns her the dangerous task of infiltrating an underground group of Nazi sympathisers working to form an alliance with Germany.

But befriending people to betray them isn’t easy, no matter how dark their intent. Evelyn is drawn deeper into a duplicity of her own making, where truth and lies intertwine, and her increasing distrust of everyone, including herself, begins to test her better judgement. When a close friend becomes dangerously ensnared in her mission, Evelyn’s loyalty is pushed to breaking point, forcing her to make an impossible decision.

An intriguing spy novel set during World War II, Rebecca Starford’s The Imitator is an ambitious blend of literary fiction, historical fiction, and espionage thriller. Whilst there were certain aspects of the novel that I enjoyed, the story did fall a little flat for me and certainly wasn’t what I was hoping for.

Rebecca captures the era seamlessly, thrusting readers into the depths of the Second World War — the paranoia, the fear, but also the unearned cockiness from some people who think they’re invincible at a time like that. Meeting all the different characters in the novel — main or secondary — allows for an enjoyable read.

Tension and pacing is managed incredibly well, allowing for a build-up of tension and a natural desire from the reader to keep turning the pages to find out how events during the war transpired. I personally found Julia to be quite the enigma, and I felt drawn to her as a character.

I also really enjoyed the structure of the novel. Rebecca switches back and forth between 1948 — a time when Evelyn is incredibly secretive about her role during the War, especially when she runs into an old colleague Julia — and 1930/1939/1940. The time shift structure is common in historical fiction, and by moving between these dates we get a glimpse of how a character’s personality has altered over time, and how events of the past have affected them years later.

“We trade in secrets here, Evelyn. There’s no shame in having a few of your own. Our only concern is for who might discover them.”

Truthfully, I never really felt like we got any glimpse into Evelyn other than her actions. She comes across as stiff, and her character impenetrable. A little cardboard cut-out. And because I never really felt like I understood the character, I couldn’t warm to her or develop any empathy towards her. So her struggles and plights — the complications she faces — didn’t really evoke much emotion in me. I sometimes wondered if writing this book in first person would’ve allowed for a more intimate portrayal of Evelyn, that might help readers connect with her better.

Additionally, I would’ve liked more of an insight into her role as a spy. I was expecting more instances of betrayal — more moments where Evelyn had to choose between friends and her job. In reality, we witness only a couple of moments. And the subplot with her parents felt a little rushed and underdeveloped, I would’ve liked to see that become a bigger part of the story.

“She felt a throb of tenderness for him. What courage it must take to sit down each day and work on the decryption, to unpick those messages typed up in the language of his childhood, all the while knowing what those people — his people — had done to his own parents. She felt sick at her ignorance.”

The Imitator is suitable for readers of historical fiction.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Imitator
Rebecca Starford
February 2021
Allen & Unwin Book Publishers

Outlawed by Anna North

In the year of our Lord 1894, I became an outlaw.

On the day of her wedding-dance, Ada feels lucky. She loves her broad-shouldered, bashful husband and her job as an apprentice midwife.

But her luck will not last. It is every woman’s duty to have a child, to replace those that were lost in the Great Flu. And after a year of marriage and no pregnancy, in a town where barren women are hanged as witches, Ada’s survival depends on leaving behind everything she knows.

She joins up with the notorious Hole in the Wall Gang. Its leader, a charismatic preacher-turned-robber, known to all as The Kid, wants to create a safe haven for women outcast from society. But to make this dream a reality, the Gang hatches a treacherous plan. And Ada must decide whether she’s willing to risk her life for the possibility of a new kind of future for them all.

A feminist and dystopian Western novel, Anna North’s Outlawed is a rollicking adventure for fans of The Handmaid’s Tale and Cormac McCarthy.

Set in 1894 after a Great Flu has wiped out a significant portion of the population, fertility is considered sacred. Women exist to be married and impregnated, so when our protagonist fails to become pregnant after one year of being wed, she is suspected of being a witch. To avoid hanging, she has no choice but to escape.

“My throat was scraped raw and my whole body aching when, out in the black to the left of the road, I heard someone playing a fiddle. The music was lively and dreamy at the same time, a tune I’d never heard but that reminded me of stories Mama told us when we were very little, about pirate ships in the time before America, about elves and goblins meeting at midnight in the woods.”

Outlawed explores the suppression of women, but also paranoia and superstition, and how this can fuel hysteria when left unchecked. Outlawed is about the outcasts taking control — barren women, gay women, black and non binary people. They escape their oppressive surroundings in search of a better life, where they are accepted by others. Where they are believed.

The strength lies in the first person narration, which captures an intelligent, worldly protagonist, without ever feeling self-indulgent or insufferable. Anna’s writing is eloquent and seamless, and her way of describing even the simplest of visuals is a most joyous reading experience.

“Notkon tried not to show it, but I could tell he was intrigued. I took the book out of my satchel and laid it on the counter before him, open to the diagram of the woman sliced open to reveal the baby inside. He recoiled, then leaned closer. He began flipping pages. The minute hand of the grandfather clock ticked once, then twice.”

Admittedly, I don’t think I’m the desired reader for this book, or perhaps there was just something that didn’t quite land with me, because I couldn’t help but feel the plot got lost a bit, like I didn’t see a clear direction with the book. Our protagonist does seem to wander aimlessly for quite some time, and it isn’t until the final pages that her story seems to gain some significance. Until then, the pacing slows, the conversations still, and I was bored mid-way. In a way, this book reminded me of the TV series Westworld, but in this instance, you don’t have the visuals to keep you entertained.

Additionally, our protagonist Ada joins The Hole in the Wall gang, but a lot of the other members merge together in my mind — their characterisation does not feel distinct enough for them to be memorable. Characters blended together. The leader of the Gang, named Kid, felt very bland and two-dimensional, I was expecting a leader that was a lot more dynamic and charismatic than the one we actually got.

If this book were any longer, I fear I would’ve stopped long before the end.

Reading reviews of this book and I realise everyone else seems to love it, so perhaps I’m just not the intended audience. Another time in my life and perhaps this book will speak to me a lot more.

“Mama had always told me never to drink anything offered to me by a stranger, but I was thirsty and exhausted and confused and I took the glass and drank. I’d had champagne only once before, on my wedding day, and this was different — sweeter, spicier, with a strong poisonous scent like paint thinner.”

Recommended for seasoned readers, not reluctant ones.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Outlawed
Anna North
January 2021
Hachette Book Publishers

Anorak Magazine: Vol 54 by Studio Anorak

Studio Anorak is an independent kids publishing house established in 2006. Studio Anorak publishes Anorak Magazine and DOT four times a year. Launched in 2006, it pioneered a new aesthetic and concept in children’s magazine publishing. 

Anorak Magazine, the ‘happy mag for kids’ is aimed at boys and girls aged between 6 and 12 years old. DOT is aimed at pre-schoolers.

Did you know that Oxter means armpit? Or that Troglodyte is a person who lives in caves?

Today I’m reviewing something a little different on the website — Anorak Magazine by Studio Anorak. This kids publishing house based in the United Kingdom produce colourful, entertaining and ethical magazines for children, all produced and printed on recycled paper with vegetable ink. Each issue of Anorak explores a different theme or topic.

The issue I received from Studio Anorak was volume 54 – The Imagination Issue.

Immediately striking, Anorak Magazine uses vibrant, bright colours to mesmerise your reading experience. Additionally, the book is filled with gorgeous illustrations to accompany each page spread. None of the content is dated, so it doesn’t matter what volume you order — children will love pouring over these pages.

“Do you know what we did this summer? We swam in a lake of ice cream…Don’t believe us? We did, we did! OK it was…in our heads. How did we do that? We used our IMAGINATION which is the most fun thing to do. In this issue, we take you on a journey around the weird and wonderful worlds that live within us. We explore why imagination is so brilliant, what we can do with it and what an imagined future might look like.”

Anorak appeals to self-sufficient, independent children who are looking for entertainment — perhaps a story, game, puzzle, quiz, interesting facts to discover, or just anything creative they can do to pass the time.

But Anorak is also ideal for a parent looking to keep their children occupied. Filled within this issue are a lengthy list of game and activity ideas, such as Catch & Read and Leaf Art and Home Olympics. There is even a recipe for Happy Patties, a tasty treat that parents can bake with their children — the recipe also includes vegetables as well, so it’s a healthy treat for those kids who avoid their greens.

Vocabulary in the magazine is encouraging and positive, motivating young minds to unleash their creativity and undergo a fun adventure within books.

“What is imagination? It is this unique gift we have to make things up, to create stories, characters, objects and adventures…it’s like having a screen in our heads playing tons of films all day (and night!) long.”

Recommended for young families, and perfect for the school holidays or that long Summer break when parents are looking for material to pique their child’s interest.

You can browse Studio Anorak’s collection here: https://anorakmagazine.com

Thank you to the publisher for sending me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Anorak Magazine Vol. 54: The Imagination Issue
Published 2020
Studio Anorak