Is there anybody there?

The Seance by John Harwood

Jonathan Cape 2008, 304 pages

Constance Langton is a young girl growing up in Victorian London. When her sister dies in infancy, leaving their mother distraught and stricken with grief, Constance seeks to provide comfort from the other side, taking her to a seance with terrible consequences. Now alone and virtually friendless, Constance learns that she has inherited a mansion in Suffolk – the sinister Wraxford Hall – and along with it, the mystery of a family who have vanished; it is a mystery she knows she must solve.

What takes place in this superbly gothic novel is related to us by three narratives shifting forwards and backwards in time. The atmospheric setting permeates the pages and I was with Constance all the way as she sought to unravel the mystery surrounding the Hall and the Wraxford family. Reading this book should not cause you to lose any sleep (unless you are staying up late to finish it). Even so, it’s a spookily entertaining read that is perfect for a weekend in by the fire.

It’s my party

Therapy by Sebastian Fitzek

Translated by Sally-Ann Spencer

Pan 2008, 304 pages

Twelve year old Josy Larenz has mysteriously vanished from her doctor’s surgery during a consultation. Four years on, she is still missing and her father, a well-known psychiatrist, has sought the isolation of a North Sea island in order to come to terms with events. There he is visited by a woman seeking his help: Anna Glass is a novelist who claims that all the characters she writes about become real to her, the most recent being a young girl with an unexplained illness who has vanished. With reluctance Victor Larenz agrees to take on Anna’s case in a last attempt to discover the truth behind his daughter’s disappearance.

Therapy was a best seller in its native Germany and seems to have been rather well received over here too, so trust me to be the party pooper! I can’t deny that this is a real page-turner and that I would never have guessed the ending in a month of Sundays – so (party) hat off to Herr Fitzek for that. However, as in a drawn out game of pass the parcel I frantically shredded the final wrapping, only to be disappointed by what was revealed.

Five fall out in the forest

The Republic of Trees by Sam Taylor

Faber & Faber 2006, 240 pages

At the start of the summer holidays, four teenagers run away to a forest in the French countryside. There they indulge in their favourite pastimes: Alex goes hunting, Isobel sunbathes, Michael climbs trees and falls in love with Isobel, Louis plans a revolution. With Louis as director, the children act out scenes from defining moments in French history; they build their own guillotine and declare themselves a republic but when Joy arrives to complete their number events take a sinister turn.

When I plucked this one from the trolley and turned it over in my hand, my eyes caught the words “nightmarish and unforgettable climax” so of course, I had to take it out. Whilst the innocence of the characters, the sweltering summer and sexual tension are perfectly evoked, the story throws up questions for which there don’t appear to be any answers. As far removed from Harry Potter as you could possibly get, perversely when I turned the final page I had a Ron Weasley moment and two words popped into my head – bloody hell!

Blog Editor’s note: offmytrolley has never read the Harry Potter books, she just watches the films when they are on the TV and has been known to dress up as a house elf occasionally.

Identity crisis

Nina Todd Has Gone by Lesley Glaister

Bloomsbury 2008, 288 pages

Nina Todd has an ordinary life with a steady job and a reliable boyfriend (Charlie) whose house she shares with his mother and her budgie (Charlie Two). But when she is sent on a course from work, she ends up in bed with the gorgeous Rupert. Thinking of it only as a stupid mistake, she hopes never to see him again, but Rupert has other ideas.

Wave a book by Lesley Glaister under my nose and I will pounce on it like a cat on a squeaky mouse toy. As this story slowly unfolds she skillfully teases and plays with us – no one is who they appear to be and everyone, including the “real” people, seems to have something hidden. Lesley Glaister’s books are not for the faint-hearted, being as they are dark dramas populated by damaged characters and I wonder what it says about me that I cite her as one of my favourite authors. This is her eleventh novel and it did not disappoint.

Taking the trolley out

I’d been suffering from a cold earlier this week and was in need of a change of scenery to perk me up. So I took the trolley for a spin yesterday to Chesterfield library for an event marking World Mental Health Day. There were stalls offering information and advice, free Indian head massage, refreshments and a poetry workshop but I was there specifically to meet Liz Kettle, author of the novel Broken Biscuits. Liz’s book (which explores the theme of mental illness within a family) was first published in 2006 and I reviewed it for whichbook.net. It was great to meet her and listen to her talking about her book which I can highly recommend; this is what I said about it in my review:

Mis-shapes, mistakes, misfits, raised on a diet of broken biscuits – Jarvis Cocker’s lyrics resonate throughout this dark comedy. Agnes is senile while her granddaughter, Jodie, is odd. As the story shifts between the two women, it shows how our little histories and inheritance make us the people we are. I was hooked from the first page.