I am a huge fan of Finnish author Antti Tuomainen and his new release, Little Siberia, only confirms to me his status as 'King of Helsinki Noir'. The translation of Little Siberia by David Hackston is also excellent. Fargo meets Nietzsche in this atmospheric, darkly funny thriller by the … [Read more...]
Search Results for: Helena's Best Reads
Helena’s Best Reads: The Rumor by Elin Hilderbrand
This month’s best read is The Rumor by Elin Hilderbrand. Dubbed 'The Queen of the Beach Read', this author is hugely prolific, something I adore because it means I can binge read to my heart's content. A Story Set On An Island I found this author quite recently because I noticed she was one of … [Read more...]
Helena’s Best Reads: The Corner Shop at Cockleberry Bay by Nicola May
This month's Best Reads is The Corner Shop in Cockleberry Bay. I read this feel-good novel in two days while suffering from a winter cold. It was hugely restorative to be transported into the wonderful seaside community of Cockleberry Bay with its sea breeze, screeching seagulls and gossiping … [Read more...]
Helena’s Best Reads: The Rest of Their Lives by Jean-Paul Didierlaurent
To be honest, it was the cover of this novel, The Rest of Their Lives by French author Jean-Paul Didierlaurent, that attracted me to the book. Even I'm occasionally (=very often) drawn towards bubblegum colours. I also love European literature, and this quirky novel did definitely not disappoint me. … [Read more...]
Helena’s Best Reads: The Defenceless by Kati Hiekkapelto
The Defenceless by Kati Hiekkapelto, published in the UK by Orenda Books, is a Nordic Noir tale of immigration, drugs and unexplained deaths set in a coastal city in Finland. The Plot Anna Fekete, a young police detective hailing from Eastern Europe, is called to a case of a fatal car accident, … [Read more...]
Helena’s Best Reads: My Name Is Leon by Kit de Wall
'My Name is Leon' by Kit de Waal is a story of a lonely little boy lost in the labyrinth of the grown-up world that includes foster parents, social workers, and allotment gardeners in 1980s London. Leon's absent dad is from Antigua, and his single mother struggles to look after Leon after … [Read more...]
Helena’s Best Reads: The Other Alcott by Elise Hooper
This month's best read is a book about an author that I absolutely adored and was fascinated by when growing up. Louisa May Alcott wrote a series of books loosely based on her life, and in The Other Alcott, Elise Hooper conjures the fascinating, untold story of May Alcott—Louisa’s youngest sister … [Read more...]
Helena’s Best Reads: She Did It by Mel Sherratt
This month's best read is a psychological thriller, She Did It, by Mel Sherratt. This author, who I have a met a few times on the writers' circuit, has sold a whopping one million books (and counting) since she started her career in 2012. She describes her books as 'grit-lit' – gritty crime dramas … [Read more...]
Helena’s Best Reads: The Heart Echoes
This month's Best Read is The Heart Echoes by Helena von Zweigberk. This warm, sometimes chilling and ultimately tragic story of three sisters and long ago buried secrets by the Swedish novelist, journalist, and TV presenter, is brilliantly translated by Tiina Nunnally. An Intriguing Start The … [Read more...]
Helena’s Best Reads: After the Last Dance by Sarra Manning
This month I want to introduce you to a writer who is new to me: Sarra Manning. A journalist and an author, Sarra has written a huge number of young adult books but turned to adult fiction in 2009. I found her book, After the Last Dance, through a review in Grazia magazine, a section of this women's … [Read more...]
