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Spring Tide is a gripp
ing, cinematic crime thriller from Cilla and Rolf Börjlind, the scriptwriters behind Arne Dahl and the Swedish Wallander TV series.
The spring tides are the highest of the year in Nordkoster; the beach will be covered in particularly deep water tonight. Three men on the beach are digging a hole, covertly watched by a young boy. His intrigue turns to horror as he makes out a fourth figure – the woman for whom the hole is intended. Buried up to her neck in the sand, the high tide is rapidly approaching. Still screaming in terror, the victim takes her last breath as water fills her nose and mouth – in her stomach, she feels her baby kick. And her waters break.
Twenty-four years later, the abhorrent crime remains unsolved; gruesome violence however is still prevalent after all those years. A gang has been beating up and killing homeless people in parks – worse still, they are filming their attacks and broadcasting them on the internet. The police have their work cut out trying to keep abreast of the crime wave. Olivia Ronning hopes to follow in her father’s footsteps and join their ranks in the next few months after she completes her training; she has only one last hurdle to overcome over the summer break, a challenge from her professor to pick a cold case and solve it. Should be simple, she thinks. Little does she know the world she is getting involved in, the danger she faces and the ugly truths she risks uncovering.
‘Chop off my head and hawk it to the highest bidder. I’m the Anatomist’s Dream, did you know? That’s what they call me.’ … In a small salt-mining town, Philbert is born with a ‘taupe’, a disfiguring inflammation of the skull. Abandoned by his parents and with only a pet pig for company, he eventually finds refuge in a traveling carnival, Maulwerf’s Fair of Wonders, as it makes its annual migration across Germany bringing entertainment to a people beset by famine, repression and revolutionary ferment. Philbert finds a caring family in Herman the Fish Man, Lita the Dancing Dwarf, Frau Fettleheim the Fattest Woman in the World, and an assortment of ‘freak show’ artists, magicians and entertainers. But when Philbert meets Kwert Tospirologist and Teller of Signs he is persuaded to undergo examination by the renowned physician and craniometrist Dr Ullendorf, both Kwert and Philbert embark on an altogether darker and more perilous journey that will have far-reaching consequences for a whole nation.
It’s been a while since I’ve read a book with a fulfilling ending, so it was a wonderful feeling to be quite satisfied as I read the final paragraph. Personally, I loved this book from start to finish, and the writing style is simply exquisite. Philbert is an extraordinary character whose part in this play is both imperative and subtle in equal measures. He is the catalyst for nearly every main event that takes place in the novel, yet his actions and speech are featured sparingly. I’ve never read a book with such exceptional prose and content – a real winner for me!
A majority of the group found it to be a magical read and agreed that they’ve never quite read anything with a tone and style such as this. Although some members thought that the story needed to move on a little quicker at times, they generally thought that it was a captivating read and were genuinely interested in Philbert and the direction in which his adventures were heading. One aspect that most members agreed on was the unpredictability of the story and the twists and turns that it takes were very much a surprise, and guessing what would happen next was nigh on impossible.
As well as the story being very well developed, the characters were incredibly well formed and although they had unusual quirks and attributes they were all very relatable; especially Philbert. In fact, most of the group felt very warmly towards Philbert and were genuinely concerned about his life and the misfortunate events and predicaments in which he found himself. You could genuinely feel for both him and his pet pig!
However, it wasn’t quite for everyone. Although most members of the group thoroughly enjoyed the book we did have a member that thoroughly disliked it! The fanciful aspect was a little too much for my group member and even though it is a work of fiction they still found it hard to believe in the story and the predicaments in which the characters found themselves. On a whole it was enjoyed by most, but I’d be doing a disservice to the group if not all opinions were discussed.
I was a little late to organise a Q&A with the author before the meeting, but Clio kindly sent me an email with some interesting thoughts and comments about this novel, which I’ve shared below:
‘I don’t know how many people in your reading group are also writers, but it might be good for them to know that this was actually one of the first books I wrote. Only since I revisited it a couple of years ago did I manage to get out all the bugs and horrifying prose that poured out of me like the proverbial.
‘But what folk might find illuminating – especially if they’ve any medical background – is that initially this book started as an intellectual exercise. I knew I wanted to write, but wasn’t sure where to start. I’d not long read a prose poem by Phineas Fletcher – written around 1630 – called The Purple Island, a sort of anatomical treatise likening the body to a city state, and that sent me flying off to my Gray’s Anatomy, seeking out memorable phrases from its index, researching all the words, how they worked in different languages, in different phrases, their etymology formed my initial chapters on those researches – all long changed, but the clues are still in there if you know what you’re looking for.
‘As yet, there’s no sequel planned but I’m working on a sort of sister book that has very similar elements as The Anatomist’s Dream and in which Philbert pops up as a side character.’
Some of the group were intrigued to find out if there was to be a sequel so I hope that this covers it for you!
This was an incredibly well-written novel with interesting topics, places, characters and situations. If you like your history mixed with fact and a fanciful edge thrown in for good measure, then this is the book for you. A truly exceptional novel that must be read to be appreciated.
*The Anatomist’s Dream was long listed for the Bailey’s Women’s Prize for Fiction 2016*
Hollywood. 1963. A Saturday night. A broken taillight leads to a routine traffic stop. It shouldn’t have changed the lives of the four men involved, but it did. Before the night was over, one was dead, two would find themselves facing the death penalty, and the other’s life would never be the same again. Fresh from a string of robberies, the car contained two desperate men who got the drop on the two LAPD cops who stopped them, seized their guns and kidnapped them. They then drove to a rural onion field where they decided to execute the cops. One officer was able to escape, but only at the price of his partner’s life. Haunted by horrific memories, wracked by guilt, ostracized by his own, and repeatedly tormented by defence attorneys in one retrial after another as the defendants manipulate the quicksilver legal system, this cop suffered emotional meltdown. Wambaugh, takes us meticulously through the crime, second by second, and then tells the surviving cop’s powerful and moving story: the destruction of a forgotten victim. The Onion Field is Joseph Wambaugh’s best-known and most celebrated work. It may be based on a true story, but it reads like a novel, much like Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood.
This book came to me as a recommendation – and what a great recommendation it was. As a group we thoroughly enjoyed In Cold Blood so when this was described to me as a book that was similar to that little masterpiece I was very keen to give it a try. The first part of the book describes the killers (Smith and Powell), their upbringing, and their personalities later in life. Unlike fiction novels, where the villain is very rarely given a platform for their personal stories, non-fiction novels seem to delve into the minds of such characters with relish.
Learning about the killers was both interesting and baffling in equal measures. It was interesting to access the thoughts and drives of the killers, but their incompetence in executing robberies was simply perplexing. How these guys hadn’t been caught in the act, or caught soon after, was extraordinary. Was it luck? Was it police incompetence? I’m really not sure, but whatever it was it’s still hard to digest that they got away with so much for so long.
Reading the description of the the killing, and the subsequent botched-up effort to kill the second police officer (Hettinger), was simply harrowing. There were no fancy words and terminology, Wambaugh simply told it as it was, and it was truly terrifying. You cannot imagine what was going through the mind of the surviving police officer after having witnessed the cold-blooded murder of his partner (Campbell). It was equally upsetting to read about Hettinger’s treatment after the terrifying ordeal and even more distressing to find that he was back on the beat within days of the kidnap. As a group we thought that this must have been hugely traumatic for him and would certainly have contributed to his slow mental decline.
The reaction from the police department, and Los Angeles citizens, after the kidnapping was also an interesting topic of discussion. Rather than offering the sympathetic approach they began to victimise Hettinger, which became very uncomfortable. The lack of support for Hettinger began to show and his life began to deteriorate in a very sad fashion. It was a sorrowful life for that poor man and I found it very difficult to read, as did many of the group.
One thing that never comes to light in the book, and never seems to be clarified throughout the trial, is who exactly killed Campbell. We can guess, and the evidence is pretty overwhelming, but we never truly know. This became an interesting talking point for they were both going down for murder, and would be in line for the death penalty, so it didn’t make sense that they would hide the truth from the courts.
The sheer coldness and complete lack of remorse from both killers was both chilling and mystifying. To make things even worse they both escape the death penalty in the most fortuitous circumstances. Justice never quite seems to prevail in this book; it’s a very sad affair.
This was a fascinating read, and if you like to read crime fiction then I would definitely recommend giving this novel a try. Not only is it filled with the normal detective discussions and aspects, but it also covers some interesting territory that will have your mind working overtime. A brilliant piece of writing on such a horrific topic. A definite must read.
V.I. Warshawski isn’t crazy about going back to her old south Chicago neighbourhood but a promise is something she always keeps. Caroline, a childhood friend, has a dying mother and a problem – after twenty-five years she wants V.I. to find the father she never knew. But when V.I. starts probing into the past, she not only finds out where all the bodies are buried – she stumbles onto a very new corpse. Now she’s stirring up a deadly mix of big business and chemical corruption that may become a toxic shock to a snooper who knows too much.
Book group reads are very different from your generic, commercial fiction – well I think they are anyway – so the only reason I chose a very standard crime thriller was simply due to the fact that it was a Harrogate Big Read book. Books are given out in their hundreds to various library groups in the north east, and I think that this is a super idea. To make it even more superer (yes, that is a real word – honest) there are book group meetings specifically for this book in the run up to the Harrogate Crime Festival. Anything that promotes reading on a big scale is pretty fab in my eyes, so I jumped at the chance of reading this with my group and dishing out free books at the same time. Everyone loves a freebie!
However, what I wasn’t planning on was how poor the choice of book was this year (and I NEVER like to be negative about a book). This book has sold in the thousands – the series in the millions – and yet my eyes have need dried up so quickly as they did reading this novel. Boring would be an improvement to what my group had to say on this book. It really was a very bland and simple book that it would probably sit better on a creative writing course as an example of how not to write a novel.
It really was that bad.
So, I’m quite reluctant to write this blog as I really don’t like to rip apart any novel, but I’ll do my best to keep it succinct.
We hated it.
Elizabeth is Missing, Emma Healey’s stunning debut novel, introduces a mystery, an unsolved crime and one of the most unforgettable characters since Mark Haddon’s Christopher. Meet Maud …
‘Elizabeth is missing’, reads the note in Maud’s pocket in her own handwriting.
Lately, Maud’s been getting forgetful. She keeps buying peach slices when she has a cupboard full, forgets to drink the cups of tea she’s made and writes notes to remind herself of things. But Maud is determined to discover what has happened to her friend, Elizabeth, and what it has to do with the unsolved disappearance of her sister Sukey, years back, just after the war.
We seem to have read quite a lot of very ‘samey’ books recently so I was a little dubious about reading this one for book group. Personally, I thoroughly enjoyed it. The way in which Emma Healey portrayed Maud was both gentle and, I believe, very accurate. I have limited experience of Alzheimer’s disease but I felt as though Maud was incredibly genuine and very well written and felt deeply for her plight to discover what happened to Elizabeth.
The book was met with mixed views at our meeting and although everyone seemed to find the read well written and interesting, some members did struggle with the believability of Maud’s character, and of the final plot twist too. However, it wasn’t until I began to write this blog that I realised that we digressed in our meeting and talked too much about social care and the current system than we did of the book. Indeed, the issues we raised did generate a healthy and lengthy discussion about the disease, and how it’s managed through out current welfare system, but we failed to get back to the novel in the end.
No one seemed to enjoy it as much as I did, but no one took a particular disliking to it either. In summary it was an interesting read addressing some delicate issues but maybe the sub-plot could have been a little stronger. It’s clear throughout the book that the disappearance of Elizabeth plays a strong role in Maud’s life but when the mystery is finally unravelled it feels a little far fetched. Nevertheless, I do believe it to be a very good novel and certainly recommend it as a general good read for anyone.
From prize-winning author Robert Williams, a novel about love and fear, family and security, and the search for sanctuary in the middle of chaos.
Harriet Norton won’t stop crying. Her parents, Ann and Thomas, are being driven close to insanity and only one thing will help. Mysteriously, their infant daughter will only calm when she’s under the ancient trees of Bleasdale forest.
The Nortons sell their town-house and set up home in an isolated barn. Secluded deep in the forest, they are finally approaching peace – until one night a group of men comes through the trees, ready to upend their lives and threaten everything they’ve built.
Into the Trees is the story of four dispossessed people, drawn to the forest in search of something they lack and finding their lives intertwining in ways they could never have imagined. In hugely evocative and lyrical writing, Robert Williams lays bare their emotional lives, set against the intense and mysterious backdrop of the forest. Compelling and haunting, Into the Trees is a magisterial novel.
After reading the blurb I was quite excited to get round to reading this book. It promised mystery, intrigue and something a little bit different. However, the end result was quite disappointing and I (and pretty much the entire group) felt quite cheated with the overall story. Without giving too much away the beginning draws the reader in with quite a generic problem, which then has quite an unusual solution. It’s this solution that raises the readers’ intrigue and urges you to turn the page, however, those first few chapters of wonder are soon forgotten as we delve into a completely different direction to that which you would expect.
Some of the group felt that there may have been some possible magic involved but, alas, it comes to nothing. This was probably the biggest disappointment for the group, myself included. It simply felt as though the beginning was a simple set up to draw in the reader because the story itself was pretty flat. Even as you read along you couldn’t help but wonder whether the beginning will creep back into the book and leave you in complete amazement into how the author did it, or simply give you that ‘didn’t see that coming’ feeling, but this twist, this special moment, this life-changing scene just doesn’t happen.
It’s rare that, as a group, we collective don’t like something but this was one of those books. Having said that we did manage to pull out quite a few questions and discussions, even if they were mainly complaints and ideas of how to make it better! It’s a sad shame really because the book had so much promise and potential with some excellent scenes for some great action, or twists, but nothing seems to happen and it just doesn’t seem to go anywhere and leaves the reader wondering just where it all went wrong. Quite a few of the group felt it became quite predictable towards the middle and the end too, which I have to agree with. As mentioned above it’s a great shame because there were so many opportunities for the story to gain momentum and really take off but for some reason these are never pursued.
Overall it was a disappointing read and most of the group felt like giving up partway through, which is always disappointing to hear. Not one for us I’m afraid.
Who are you?
What have we done to each other?
These are the questions Nick Dunne finds himself asking on the morning of his fifth wedding anniversary, when his wife Amy suddenly disappears. The police suspect Nick. Amy’s friends reveal that she was afraid of him, that she kept secrets from him. He swears it isn’t true. A police examination of his computer shows strange searches. He says they weren’t made by him. And then there are the persistent calls on his mobile phone. So what really did happen to Nick’s beautiful wife?
This is a book that I’ve been deliberating on using as a book group book for quite some time. When a book is talked about on such a scale it actually puts me off reading it. On this occasion the book was made into a film, which did look pretty good, so I decided to watch it rather than read it (yes, you heard me correctly, and I apologise profusely!), and I have to say that I was pretty disappointed. It was a good film, but I was expecting the plot of the century that would have me on the edge of my seat, but it wasn’t to be.
Although I wasn’t that taken by the film I did acknowledge that a lot of my friends thought that it would be a good read, so I decided to give it a whirl. I was pleasantly surprised that pretty much all of the group enjoyed it as a ‘rollicking romp’ and enjoyed it for what it was. We did discuss the possibilities of something like this happening in real life and came to the conclusion that most likely, it wouldn’t happen, or certainly wouldn’t be escalated to such a degree. However, as it’s set in America we did explore the possibility that yes, it could actually happen in this day and age – a very scary prospect indeed!
We also discussed the physiological aspect of the book and the possibility that Amy was in fact a sociopath. Some thought she was, but others were not so convinced. Personally, I think she was but this led us on to a discussion about whether her personality and mental troubles were actually caused by her parents and upbringing, or whether she really was a psychopath! Probably a bit of both, but one thing that we did agree on was the shear self-discipline she had to plan her own disappearance and death to implicate her husband was simply chilling and deeply disturbing.
Overall, we did enjoy reading it and certainly found quite a bit to discuss. However, there were a few areas that felt a bit unrealistic and we decided that the author really did stretch the boundaries of fiction to pull it off. If you don’t nit pick the police procedural aspect too much then you’ll probably find it to be a very good thriller, but don’t expect a fulfilling ending as we didn’t find it particularly credible.
Surprisingly enough I would say that I enjoyed the book more than I enjoyed the film and I’m pretty annoyed with myself for not reading it first. It really is a well-crafted physiological thriller with some unusual twists and a cleverly plotted storyline. The flipping between the two narrators, both past and present, really kept the excitement and intrigue and held my attention until the very last page. Worth a try if you like your thrillers but fancy something out of the ordinary.
The chilling true crime ‘non-fiction novel’ that made Truman Capote’s name, In Cold Blood is a seminal work of modern prose, a remarkable synthesis of journalistic skill and powerfully evocative narrative.
Controversial and compelling, In Cold Blood reconstructs the murder in 1959 of a Kansas farmer, his wife and both their children. Truman Capote’s comprehensive study of the killings and subsequent investigation explores the circumstances surrounding this terrible crime and the effect it had on those involved. At the centre of his study are the amoral young killers Perry Smith and Dick Hickcock, who, vividly drawn by Capote, are shown to be reprehensible yet entirely and frighteningly human.
It was refreshing to read a non-fiction title for a change. The last one we read was years ago, and I think I should certainly refresh my choice of books in future. The beginning was a struggle for me as I was wondering where it was going (even though I knew exactly where it was going). However, once we hit the actual murders I was hooked on every word. We’ve all read a crime novel, and we’ve all read a real-life story at some point, but this was something different. The quality in both the writing and research was simply masterful, and I can honestly say that I’ve never read anything like it.
Capote takes the views from both the killers, the victims’ friends, the police, the witnesses and various others involved in this horrific crime. He than crafts his account in as accurate a way as he possibly can to ensure that a fully-rounded account is offered to his readers. The length at which he goes to deliver this novel is quite astonishing and I’m pretty confident in saying that the whole group thought so too. It was interesting to read about the killers both before and after the murders and it’s quite unbelievable how emotionless they appeared to be.
As a group we all felt that the way in which the actual murders was described was a credit to Capote’s thoughtful and tactful writing skill. We didn’t need to know about the blood spatter, gore and the minute details of every shot or knife slash. Less was more in this case and Capote managed to paint a hauntingly vivid picture of the scenes without showering the reader with the usual bloody detail that seems to be required in modern day literature.
The end of the book, where the killers await execution, was both eye-opening and quite disturbing in equal measures, which prompted the group to discuss the death penalty and how relevant we think it is in today’s society. Thankfully, it’s not something we have to worry about in the UK, but it was interesting to discuss people’s thoughts on the American justice system and it was also interesting to read Capote’s account of other trials that were running at the same time as Smith and Hickcock’s.
The group, as a whole, found this to be quite a remarkable read and I would certainly recommend this to anyone who is interested in real-life crime, or indeed, crime fiction. It’s an exceptional read on many levels and a wonderful example of a well-written, factual account of one of the worst crimes in American history.
Set against the backdrop of the collapsing Ottoman Empire, the Gallipoli campaign and the subsequent bitter struggle between Greeks and Turks, Birds Without Wings traces the fortunes of one small community in south-west Anatolia – a town in which Christian and Muslim lives and traditions have co-existed peacefully for centuries.
When war is declared and the outside world intrudes, the twin scourges of religion and nationalism lead to forced marches and massacres, and the peaceful fabric of life is destroyed. Birds Without Wings is a novel about the personal and political costs of war, and about love: between men and women; between friends; between those who are driven to be enemies; and between Philothei, a Christian girl of legendary beauty, and Ibrahim the Goatherd, who has courted her since infancy. Epic in sweep, intoxicating in its sensual detail, it is an enchanting masterpiece.
After reading a blurb like that who wouldn’t want to read the book? The minute I started reading I had the immediate feeling of excitement. What I held in my hands was a piece of artwork and I was gripped from the onset. Admittedly, I was a little worried about the length of the book. Could it sustain my interest for the entire 625 pages? Thankfully, it held my attention for about 580 pages, which isn’t bad going to be honest.
I was pleasantly surprised at how comfortable I became with the characters, their surroundings and their culture. Louis manages to draw you into this unfamiliar territory and continues to subtly keep you there amongst the Muslims, the Christians and their natural way of living. Just as you become comfortable with the characters’ life style everything changes. Actions have consequences, war has consequences, and the people at the bottom end of the scale feel the full brutality of these choices.
As you can imagine, we had a lot to discuss in our meeting. Even though we only had a few attend we still managed to drum up some thought-provoking conversations with some split opinions on the novel. Some of us read the book from cover to cover – carefully and thoughtfully – and absorbed every last detail within the book. I tried very hard to have this approach but unfortunately I did skip some of the historical chapters, as did some other members of the group too. You can get away with skipping some chapters but I did feel guilty as they were relevant and informative, but I just couldn’t keep my concentration through all of them.
We had some interesting discussions on both the religious and political aspect of the book and found that, considering the content, we all very much enjoyed it. Yes, some did struggle with the length of the book (me included) but it was certainly a rarity in the world of books and agreed that it was definitely a novel worth reading. It made for a refreshing change and I would certainly recommend it to any reader looking for a challenging read (in length) but a wonderful read (in content).
Tees Valley Book Group 