Blog tour: Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano

 

February 2020, when what we worried about were named storms that caused flooding and disrupted our travel plans, I was invited to Penguin HQ in London to meet author Ann Napolitano, to launch her novel, Dear Edward, in the UK.  It was a grand day out, and meeting Ann was a delight.  Over afternoon tea, Ann told us how she came to write Dear Edward, answered our questions about the story and we were able to talk about our reactions to it, too

Now I've been invited to participate in the blog tour to mark Dear Edward's paperback release on 4th February, and it's lovely to look back on that day, before Covid lockdowns changed our lives so utterly.

Dear Edward was inspired by the true story of a boy who, against all the odds, was the sole survivor of an air crash.  Edward's family take a flight across America from New York, to start a new life on the West Coast.  Unfortunately the plane comes down on the way and miraculously Edward survives.

Although this sounds incredibly tragic, the book is actually very uplifting, as Edward and others who care for him learn to live despite their losses.  Growing up means negotiating the hopes and expectations of others as well as our own, and this is forced on Edward in the absence of the shelter of his birth family.  It is not a disaster novel, but a positive story of love and recovery.

As the publishers say, Dear Edward is:-

 "A transcendent coming-of-age story about the ways a broken heart learns to love again.

One summer morning, a flight takes off from New York to Los Angeles: there are 192 people aboard. When the plane suddenly crashes, twelve-year-old Edward Adler is the sole survivor.

In the aftermath, Edward struggles to make sense of his grief, sudden fame and find his place in a world without his family. But then Edward and his neighbour Shay make a startling discovery; hidden in his uncle's garage are letters from the relatives of other passengers - all addressed him.

Following the passengers' final hours and Edward's unique coming-of-age, Dear Edward asks one of life's most profound questions:

What does it mean not just to survive, but to truly live?"

I was engrossed by this book and enjoyed it very much.  It provides so much food for thought and is sensitively and thoughtfully written.  It vividly illustrates a skilfully told story of the passage from childhood to adulthood and the negotiation we all have to make of becoming our own person.  It would also provide interesting threads of discussion for book clubs.  I am very happy to recommend it and look forward to reading more from Ann Napolitano.

Jane Corry's New Book: Cover Reveal

Exciting news: Jane Corry has a new book being published this summer, and I am privileged to be able to be part of the cover reveal today, so you'll know what to look out for in June! 

To read what I thought of her last book, read here.  And to find out more about Jane and her books (published by Penguin) follow this link.

 

The Search Party by Simon Lelic

 

They Said:-

'HUGELY GRIPPING' Mark Billingham
'HEART-STOPPING' Elly Griffiths
'CLEVER AND ATMOSPHERIC' Mark Edwards

16-year-old Sadie Saunders is missing.

Five friends set out into the woods to find her.

But they're not just friends...

THEY'RE SUSPECTS.

You see, this was never a search party.

It's a witch hunt.

And not everyone will make it home alive...

THE CHALK MAN meets THE HUNTING PARTY in this gripping story; witness four suspects as, alongside DI Fleet, you attempt to discover the truth about what happened to Sadie..

What I thought:-

Such an intensely suspenseful, twisty and engrossing story this is.  I have been in thrall to Simon Lelic's writing for the last few days, enjoying the images he creates of the woodland setting and experiencing events from the viewpoints of his well-drawn characters.  

The situation of a missing teenage girl is the nightmare of most parents and it is easy to suspect the worst  possible outcome; yet with no body, there is no certainty and there is also the possibility of other explanations for the disappearance.  Sadie is popular, but within her group of friends there is ambivalence which surfaces when we follow the narrative via their different perspectives. Each relationship has its strengths and weaknesses, and these are not adults. An added twist is that the primary detective involved in the investigation has had past experience of a missing family member of his own, and he also has powerful instincts for truth.  Further, the parents of the missing girl are not the most involved or caring.  So many different strands present themselves, the truth is elusive, and the story is truly a web of possibilities.  Gradually what happened is revealed and the conclusion is poignant, surprising and moving.  The plot has been very cleverly crafted: Simon Lelic has created a stupendous novel which deserves to be widely read and enjoyed.  I really hope that this is not the last time we meet  DI Fleet and Nicky, his DS work partner, because I would love to spend more time alongside them on another case.

The House by Simon Lelic

They Said:-

What if your perfect home turned out to be the scene of the perfect crime?

Londoners Jack and Syd moved into the house a year ago. It seemed like their dream home: tons of space, the perfect location, and a friendly owner who wanted a young couple to have it. So when they made a grisly discovery in the attic, Jack and Syd chose to ignore it. That was a mistake. Because someone has just been murdered. Right outside their back door. And now the police are watching them...

What I thought:-

Before I started this book, I was concerned that maybe it had already been done because I had read "The Girl Before" by JP Delaney earlier in the year, possibly this was because seeking a home in the overcrowded, unaffordable property market was a central element in both.  However, I need not have worried.  Simon Lelic told a very different, enthralling and engaging story of Jack and Syd, a couple in need of accommodation.  I was transported from my poolside lounger in Cyprus (good holiday reading) to their part of London, and was totally absorbed as their story and the mystery unfolded.  It is a moving tale: Syd has not had an easy life and, as she gets to know the house and the neighbourhood, disturbing echoes of her past developed, while Jack makes the grisly discovery in the loft.  It kept me guessing and threw me off the scent a few times, so the suspense was compounded.  A really enjoyable, surprising and satisfying tale, wherever you read it.

I am honoured to be part of this book tour - and look forward to discovering what other readers thought.  If you read it, please do let me know your opinions of it, too.

Lying in Wait by Liz Nugent,

A monster lurks within these pages, nesting in buried secrets, watching and waiting.  Who it is and what monstrous actions they will cause is cleverly woven into this tale of two Irish families and how their lives become connected across the class divide  Tense and unsettling, a story of Laurence's childhood evolves into a powerful psychological thriller as the monster claims its victims.  Grip lit at its best!