A SHINY COIN FOR CAROL PRENTICE by Mark Barry @GreenWizard62

5 out of 5 stars

On Amazon UK HERE
On Amazon.com HERE
On Goodreads HERE

How I discovered this book: I first got to know Mark Barry via Twitter, when he asked me to appear on his blog.  I read one of his books out of interest and it was so good I carried on reading them, the best (in my opinion) being Once Upon A Time In The City Of Criminals.  You can click that title to see my review; links to those for Carla, The Night Porter and Ultra Violence are to be found at the end.

I read 90% of this book in one session ~ I had to know what was going to happen, and I knew I wouldn't be able to settle to anything else until I'd finished it.  I can't describe too much about the plot without giving away the story, but... Carol Prentice is a young woman recently returned to her hometown after university.  In this hometown, businessman and politician Leonard Gifford is king, while the handsome, popular and privileged prince is his son, Toby.  Carol starts work part time in a book shop run by Steve, a man much older than her, and with whom she begins to form a deep connection.  War breaks out between Steve and the Giffords, with Carol in the middle.  What starts as a mild spat escalates into something much, much more serious....

This book has a slow start, and at first I just thought, yes, Mark Barry's always worth reading, but maybe this isn't as hard-hitting as my favourites.  But by only 10% it became much more interesting, and I was reminded why I like his stuff so much.  The observations, the character detail, the dialogue, the sharply viewed snippets of popular culture, the fearless sentences that might make lesser writers think 'hmm, I want to write that, but dare I?' ~ I loved it.  The basic you-got-it-or-you-don't talent, and he has, in spades.  Unanswered questions kept me agog all the way through the first half; what was Carol's connection to the Giffords?  And what were these mysterious 'work outs' with 'Gnasher' about?

Up until 52%, it was a jolly good book, I thought, but then ~ whoosh!  It became something else.  Questions were answered, and there were some passages of real brilliance (feedback for Mr Barry: Steve's speech about why he doesn't talk about feelings, and Carol's description of Steve's bender).  The plot stepped up about ten notches, and all of a sudden I was reading a different novel.  I couldn't read it fast enough, so eager was I to find out what happened.

At the beginning, we're told that it's connected to Barry's earlier book, Carla, and I never, ever guessed how ~ nice one, and it made me want to read Carla again!

I have only one criticism, and that's the constant repetition of Carol's dialogue 'tics' that I had to train myself to gloss over so that they wouldn't spoil it, but I am exceptionally picky about stuff like this, and this one minor irritation doesn't stop me from recommending this story of love, pain and revenge absolutely, totally and wholeheartedly.  

 

All at 99p (and couple of free ones)! Great books for under £1 each ~ genuine recommendations

I've got something for anyone currently spending their book budget on Christmas shopping ~ all the books listed below are permanently under £1!  They're genuine recommendations, books I've enjoyed and rated highly, not just a random selection of cheapies.  A click on the title will (in most cases) take you to my review, which includes buy links to Amazon.  A couple I have not reviewed on this blog, in which case the link will just go to Amazon.

I've also included links to the books of my own that are permanently on sale at 99p, and a couple that are permanently free, too :)


First, some outstanding historical fiction: The Bastard Princess by Gemma Lawrence.  The early years of Elizabeth I.

Wonderful short stories set in Suffolk: Sandlands by Rosy Thornton

Gangster thrills and spills in LA: Hollywood Shakedown by Mark Barry.

**FREE from Feb 25-27!**
My novella about three writers struggling to make it, with a few moral dilemmas: Best Seller 

Doesn't get any funnier than this!  Barb Taub's memoir of her travels in India ~ Do Not Wash Hands In Plates

More short stories, this time set in zombie apocalypse ~ a terrific collection, and I've read all the other books in the series, too! Broken Stories by Kate L Mary. 

The first part of the highly acclaimed romantic suspense/mystery Grayson trilogy by Georgia Rose: A Single Step

And more excellent short stories: What Tim Knows by Wendy Janes

My novella Round and Round: one woman, four men, and a guardian angel.  It's one of those 'what would have happened if I'd taken the other path' stories! 

Epic fantasy ~ the first part of the Storm trilogy by Antony Lavisher ~ Whispers of a Storm

 
I loved this Brexit thriller novella by Joel Hames: Brexecution

My two novels about a rock band, and various love triangles: Dream On and Full Circle

 
Very good long short story about a life not lived: Doppelganger by Jenny Twist

...and another long short story, this one a psychological thriller, very good indeed. The Kindness of Neighbours by Matthew Iden.

Great memoir about life on the waterways ~ Watery Ways by Val Poore. 

Last of all, my own collection of short stories: Nine Lives.

These two are permanently FREE!

Wonderful classic The Call of the Wild by Jack London

Witch hunts in the 17th century ~ this is an awesome novelette length prelude to the main book: Blackwater by Alison Williams

 Hope you find something here that appeals :)

HOLLYWOOD SHAKEDOWN by Mark Barry

4.5 out of 5 stars

On Amazon UK HERE
On Amazon.com HERE
On Goodreads HERE 

I can't believe this is only 99p!  It's a bumper blockbuster of a book, a slightly tongue-in-cheek crime/gangster thriller that races from Los Angeles to Chicago, to London and back again.  It reminded me in some ways of a Jackie Collins, and certainly of the weighty and multi-faceted popular fiction heavyweights of the 1980s.

Buddy Chinn is a lazy, alcoholic, not very successful writer, passionately in love with the wayward Monique.  His trial starts when he meets dastardly rare manuscript collector Mortimer Saxon, who sets him a task ~ to uncover a lost series of correspondence between Buddy's father Henry (a much more successful writer) and a famous chess champion.  The prize will be $100,000.  Failure to complete the task will mean almost certain death. 

This is the fifth Mark Barry I've read, and it follows some of the traits of his other books: the sensitive loser with a hundred negative personality traits who you somehow can't help loving, who's hopelessly addicted to a woman who, the reader suspects, is less keen.  The difference with this book is that we get to see Monique's point of view too - and very surprising it is!  All the characters in this page turner are sharply drawn with humour and intricate detail, as always, and the plot is unpredictable and so well thought out.  One of the main triumphs, for me, is that an English writer living in England has successfully written about Americans living in the US; only now and again did I feel the dialogue/narrative was a little self-conscious, and that's only because I'm a bit picky!

It's really a book to settle in and snuggle down with, as I've enjoyed doing over the last few days.  Mark Barry is a terrifically talented writer, and I'd recommend anything written by him.

ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE CITY OF CRIMINALS by Mark Barry is reviewed HERE, with links to reviews for THE NIGHT PORTER, CARLA, and ULTRA VIOLENCE.

My Top 24 Books of 2015

I've read over 100 books this year, so this was no easy task, although the top ten was simpler: they're the ones to which I gave my rare 5 Gold Stars. 
 I started off doing a Top 20, but there were a few I just couldn't decide between ~ so, here's my...

TOP

....the reading of the following took place between January 1st and December 12th, 2015...

 
I haven't included more than one book by the same author; instead, I chose my favourite, but mentioned any others I've read/reviewed this year.  Lists such as this are all about personal taste, of course, and so much depends much on preference of genre; there are plenty of other very good books on this blog, to which I've given 4* ~ you can find them all HERE.

Okay, here goes!  For the full review of each book, click the title.  I've added a note to say how I discovered it, because I think this is interesting for writers, readers and book bloggers alike.

**Numbers 24~11 are in no particular order**:

24.  OUTBACK PROMISE by Maggie Bolitho

Australian family drama 

Discovered: A choice from those submitted to Rosie Amber's Review Team; 
I review for Rosie's blog as a member of the team. 

23.  CONCEALMENT by Rose Edmunds

Financial/psychological thriller

 

Discovered: Got to know the author via Twitter, I'd read her first one and liked it.

22.  OWEN by Tony Riches 

Plantagenet historical fiction 

Discovered: Another Rosie's book review team choice.

21.  CASTLES, CUSTOMS AND KINGS 

by English Historical Fiction Authors

Historical anthology ~ non-fiction

Discovered: A tweet!

20.  CHANGING PATTERNS by Judith Barrow 

1950s Family Saga.

Discovered: Got to know the author via Twitter.  This is the middle part of a trilogy, and my favourite of the three; there are links to my reviews of the other two parts at the end of this one.  
 

19.  MAD WORLD by Kate Mary

Zombie apocalypse  (US)

Discovered: Amazon browse, the cover of the first one in the series caught my eye, then I read the next three.  I liked Mad World, the third one, best.  You can see the review of the first, Broken World, with links to the others HERE

18.  PUBLIC BATTLES, PRIVATE WARS by Laura Wilkinson

 1980s northern England miners' strike drama

Discovered: I read a review by a fellow member of Rosie Amber's Review Team that made me want to buy it.

17. THE GODDARD AFFAIR by Scott Marlowe

Fantasy assassin adventure ~ novella

Discovered: Another choice from the reviewer's list on Rosie Amber.  This year I have also read Thief's Gambit by this author, review HERE.


16. SURVIVING THE EVACUATION: Book 1: London by Frank Tayell

Zombie Apocalypse (UK) 

Discovered: Amazon browse.  I've read four others in the series, links to which are on the review for this one.  I liked this one and the fourth best. 

15.  OVER THE HILL AND FAR AWAY by Jo Carroll

Travel Memoir  

Discovered: I won the author's second book in a blog competition last year, and liked it so much I bought her first one, too.

14.  LIVING BY EAR by Mary Rowen 

Contemporary drama/musician

Discovered: I read an article by the author on an unrelated subject, on a book blog.  Something about the way she 'talked' made me think I'd like her fiction writing too, so I read the blurb for her book and the subject matter appealed very much.

13.  THE PRODIGAL by Nicky Black

Gritty Geordie crime drama

Discovered: Our mutual proofreader told me it was really good, so I bought it when it came out!

12.  NO MORE MULBERRIES by Mary Smith

Family drama/Afghanistan

Discovered: I read an article about it, by the author, on the same book blog where I read about Living By Ear (the discontinued but still in existence A Woman's Wisdom), and thought it sounded like something I'd love to read.

11.  AN UNLAMENTED DEATH by William Savage

18th century murder mystery

Discovered: A choice from Rosie Amber's review team reading list.  Have since bought his next book, not read yet.

And now......the countdown begins!

 ~~~~ The Top Ten ~~~~

It was hard to put them in order of preference, but I think a countdown is more fun, don't you?  Adds a bit of tension to the proceedings!  So I struggled and hummed and hahhed, and here it is.....

10.  THE TURNING OF THE WORLD by John Privilege 

Post apocalyptic drama (pandemic), Northern Ireland

Discovered: Got chatting to author on Twitter, I asked to see his book.  Happened to be in a current favourite genre, and I liked the look of it ~ ker-ching!  Have since reviewed his second one, The American Policeman

9.  THE GREAT LAW OF PEACE by Zoe Saadia

Native American history 

Discovered: I've read lots of Zoe Saadia's books, discovered via her blogs on Twitter, and think the Peacemaker series is the best thing she's done, and this is the best of the series.  Links to her other books are on the review above, and I've also reviewed The Peacekeeper.

8.  INKKER HAUSER Book 2: LITERASTEIN by Phil Conquest 

Dark humour, contemporary drama ~ novella

Discovered: I got to know the author via the internet about eight years ago, through our mutual interest in writing, amongst other things, and always hoped he'd publish something because he's one of the most genuinely talented writers I've come across.  I read the first part of this last year, loved it, and this is even better.

7.   MANTLE OF MALICE by April Taylor

Alternative history ~ Tudor fantasy 

Discovered: I got to know the author on Twitter because of our mutual interest in the Tudors, and read the first part of this trilogy last year.  The links to Court of Conspiracy and Taste of Treason can be found on the review above; the trilogy got better as it went on, this third part was definitely my favourite.

6.  ANY MAN JOE by Robert Leigh

Vigilante crime drama/thriller

Discovered: I'd bought it after reviewing the first in this series, Kill Line (link on the review on above), for Rosie's blog, and I chose that after a review by another member of the team made me want to read it.  Robert Leigh subsequently submitted it to Rosie's review team list, so I reviewed it for her blog, too.  Oh, and our mutual proofreader recommended it, as well!

Getting exciting now....!

~~~~ The Top Five ~~~~

5.  THE BASTARD PRINCESS by Gemma Lawrence

Historical fiction ~ the early years of Elizabeth I

Discovered: Got to know the author on Twitter because of our mutual interest in the Tudors.  I read a few of her stories on Wattpad and loved them, so I leapt on this when it came out.

4.  FUTURE PERFECT by Katrina Mountfort

Sci-Fi, post apocalyptic drama, UK

 

Discovered: Rosie Amber was asked to review this but it wasn't her sort of thing so she asked me if I'd like to read it.  I'm so glad she did!  I've since bought and reviewed the sequel, Forbidden Alliance; the link is on the above review.

Now it's really getting exciting....

 

~~~ The Top Three ~~~

3. ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE CITY OF CRIMINALS 

by Mark Barry. 

Violent contemporary drama

Discovered: I 'met' Mark Barry when he asked me to appear on his blog, then thought I would try one of his books.  I have read four of them now, and this is the best one, by far.  This year I have also read his book Ultra Violence; links to all of his that I've read can be found in the review above.  Highly recommended!

*

Second Place...

My runner up and silver medallist is a two-in-one, really, because she writes under two names, Davina Blake and Deborah Swift.  I've read several of her books this year and it was so hard to choose which one, for this list, because I love them all, but in the end I went with...

2.  PAST ENCOUNTERS by Davina Blake 

World War II and 1950s drama

Discovered: via Twitter, I can't remember exactly how, I think I read an article on her history blog.  For this list, I was torn between the above book, and The Lady's Slipper, in her Deborah Swift guise; links to my reviews for all her historical fiction can be found HERE.

 

Drum Roll....

And the Gold Medal goes to.....

~ My Favourite Book of 2015 ~

DEATH & DOMINION by Carol Hedges

Victorian Murder Mystery

Discovered: Twitter, I believe... I think she commented on one of my blog posts!  I read the first of this series, Diamonds & Dust, last year, and didn't think anything could top the second, Honour & Obey, but this did.  Even if you think a Victorian murder mystery isn't your thing (which is what I thought), you should buy this NOW.  This is talent!

I do hope this has been of interest to you, not least of all how I found each book.  I'm so glad I offered to be a part of Rosie Amber's team, and that I've got involved with so many book blogs this year.  Unless writers have a traditional publisher behind them or have limitless funds for promotion, it's a constant struggle, in this deluged market, to get our books in front of readers, and for readers to sort the wheat from the chaff; if everyone who looks at this list bought just one of the books....!!