Poetic Justice: The Inheritance

In Poetic Justice: The Inheritance by Fran Raya, readers continue to enjoy learning about the life of Randal Forbes.

Forbes has extraordinary powers that make him a very scary person indeed. He believes his extraordinary telepathic powers are "the gift." Yet others, victims of his powers, would be more likely to describe it as a curse rather than a gift.

Randal Forbes's special child has been born. The child, a result of a one time assignation with his artist Maxine Hale, is something of a bitter pill for him to swallow down.

Maxine Hale is married to Saul Curtis so she is able, at present, to pass the child off as the progeny of Curtis.  

But Maxine is all too aware of who the child's real father is. She finds the gaze of her eyes to be frightening. She is also disturbed by what she perceives as her unusual behaviour.

Forbes is protected by his constant companion and lover, Clive Hargreaves.

Fortunately or unfortunately for them, Randal's children and their mother, Alison, are completely in the dark to his true, evil nature.

But now he has the desire and need to develop the power that is growing within Roxanne, his daughter.

However, even with his special, dark powers the life of Forbes is not without risk. Because what if he were to face a challenge from someone with powers equal to his own or even stronger? Could Carlton Flint be that man? 

But there's another stunning twist in this narrative. Will I reveal it? No. To learn what it is you'll need to buy the book, it's published by The Book Guild, at £8.99.

It will make a perfect Christmas present for the lover of paranormal thrillers in your life.

The Fairy Tellers

The Fairy Tellers by Nicholas Jubber is a book that is specially significant to me. Because after many years I returned to University (University of Wolverhampton for those readers who are curious) and as part of my BA (Hons) in Creative and Professional Writing as part of my coursework I helped first year students with work they were doing on fairy-tales.

With that out of the way, please let me continue with the review of the book.

Far too many people are over eager to merely dismiss fairy tales as being only suited for children and whilst that is true, to a certain extent with some bowdlerised versions, the truth about fairy-tales is that they are often actually records of historical events. 

A careful reading of them (in context) can reveal something of how a civilisation was formed.

Nick Jubber (who you might have come across in his role as an award-winning travel writer) explores the backgrounds to the fairy-tales, their secret histories, the people who related them, the cultures in which they were formed and the landscapes that gave birth to them.

Readers will almost certainly heard of Hans Christian Anderson or the Grimm Brothers (or Brothers Grimm, if you prefer) in relation to fairy-tales. But Jubber calls attention to other tellers of fairy-tales who are long forgotten. I have to admit that I was unaware of the Wild Sisters of Cassel, or of the  Syrian storyteller Youhenna Diab. 

In fact, had not Dortchen Wild told her stories to Wilhelm Grimm, it's almost certain that these stories would probably be unknown today. A very sobering thought.

Jubber traces the origins of fairy-tales to Italy, the countries bordering on the Mediterranean Sea, the Black Forrest and even as far as the Siberian tundra and up into Lapland.

This will be a wonderful gift to anyone with an interest in fairy-tales from the academic to the person who recalls being told these stories as a child.

It is published by John Murray on Thursday 20th January.

I'm Going to Find You

 

In 1976 there was the longest heatwave in decades. And in I'm Going to Find You J D Pullan brings her readers the story of the disappearance of Cerys Morgan a very attractive young student. She was camping with friends and vanished without trace from a crowded Cornish beach.

Her disappearance brought about the biggest police operation of its kind at the time. But despite the assistance of hundreds of local volunteers to help in the intensive searches, not even a trace of her was ever discovered, despite the story being in the news headlines for several weeks.

But in 2010, 34 years later Emily Harrison suddenly remembers something that she had observed back in the blistering hot summer of 1976 as a young child. 

But now, as an adult, Emily realises the dreadful significance of what she had witnessed all those years ago.

She immediately goes to the police to tell them what she witnessed as a child, giving them all the details she can recall.

But will she be believed? After all, her own parents put no stock in what she told them back in 1976, so why would anyone believe her now, all these years later?

But Emily is not the kind of person who can easily let something like this go, so she becomes obsessed with finding out the truth of what happened to Cerys. after all, don't her elderly parents deserve to find out the truth at long last?

But who is sending her some rather sinister and nasty threats? Why don't they want the truth to come out? And why is her own, apparently happy life, spiralling out of control? Can Emily discover the truth before it becomes too late?

This will make a nifty Christmas present for the mystery lover in your life.

It's published by Matador at £8.99. 

Cut the Crap and Feel Amazing

Cut the Crap and Feel Amazing is an important new book from Ailsa Frank who is a highly regarded hypnotherapist, motivational coach and self-help writer and author.

Feel as if you don't know where you are, where you should be? Or perhaps you think you know where you should be, but haven't a clue how to go from where you are to where you should be?

Have goals, dreams and aspirations but can't get motivated to reach them?

If so, then through her book Ailsa will, be able to help you get to where you deserve to be.

Everyone has negative habits, things they do (often without realising it) that hamper them in getting to live their best possible life.

In her book Ailsa helps you identify things in your life that you do, but shouldn't be doing. Or stuff that you should be doing but haven't yet got around to doing? Or perhaps they are key techniques that you hadn't even thought of?

Learn how to make small changes to your life and the way in which you think, because these small changes will help bring about the larger changes that you want to bring about.

It's published by Hay House at £10.99 and will make a fantastic Christmas present.

Dangerous Skies

Dangerous Skies is a well-plotted novel that is set against the backdrop of the dangerous skies of World War Two London.

Not all children were evacuated to the countryside or distant Canada or Australia. Many of them remained at home, sharing the dangers of the Blitz with their families, friends and neighbours. 

Brian James' novel follows the adventures of Alan and his mates Tommy and Alan's sometime bully Wilkie bunk odd school, explore the streets of their part of London, playing in bombsites and burnt out or abandoned houses.

Whilst they are merely having fun others out on the streets have far more serious and nefarious matters on their minds and they become enmeshed into the dark world of a gang of dedicated looters.

As the police close in on the gang Alan and his schoolmates are sucked into a deadly battle for survival by an evil killer and the police.

Can they escape the clutches of the gang? Return to the relative safety of their family bomb shelters as the bombs rain down on the civilian populace of London?

This is a gripping story and aimed at children who are at Keystage 2. Always provided they can rescue it from their parents and grandparents, that is!

It's published by the Claret Press and very well illustrated by Oscar Clarke.

It costs £8.99 in paperback at https://payhip.com/b/KEgl.

It is an ideal book for bulk purchase for schools and libraries and will make a fantastic Christmas stocking filler. 

Rufus Needs a Haircut

Rufus Needs a Haircut is a book for all lovers of shaggy dog stories from the pen of David Selby.

David has taken many shaggy dog stories and, assisted by the lock down period, has taken the time and effort to bring them to a new generation of book lovers and dog lovers.

There's the eponymous Rufus, who did, indeed, need a haircut. And what of of Britain's great heroes of yesteryear, Sir Walter Raleigh? You might be aware of his part in bringing potatoes and tobacco to the British Isles. 

But what of his search (ordered by no less a personage that Good Queen Bess) for the fabled and long lost bacon tree? Could the best ship in the Royal Navy crewed by the navy's 250 best sailors, captained by Sir Walter himself, seek out this mythical plant and bring it back home to his Queen?

Those of you old enough to know the end of this story, well, don't spoil the end of it, for the others, will you?

There's stories about prawns, the tale of the Bloody Red Night on the Bloody Red Horse. For this story at least, David Selby advises that the reader should provide their own sound effects. 

Read of a lone shark, odd doings at a library, auditions, and much, much more. And you'll be sure to admire the lovely line drawings of Katie Colquitt. 

Some of these will make you smile, smirk, guffaw or even groan. It'll be a great Chirstmas stocking filler for the lover of humorous writings in your family or circle of friends. 

 It's published by David Selby and is available from Amazon at £7.99 in paperback or £2.99 as an eBook. 

Vicious Cycle

Vicious Cycle is a very interesting book from cyclist and author Jim Rees.

It began its life as a book about a cycle race but over time it evolved and developed into a highly readable and very relatable book about the story of a life, or of life.

As well as being an outstanding athlete Jim is a highly respected executive coach and an accomplished author. When you buy this book you will see what I mean by that remark.

In his book Jim shows his readers to identify what a vicious circle is and how to avoid them.

It's a powerful and very important book that serves as something between a guidebook and a life script that readers can use to help them navigate their way through life. A sort if cycle path through the vicissitudes of life, if you will.

The following quote from Jim's book is a key part of why his book is a sure fire way of getting you were you should be: "Discovering who we are will force us to accept that we can do more than we think we can, we are only scratching the surface of our potential."

Jim has a heartfelt belief that literally every human being on the planet is "built for greatness" and that they can, potentially, be helped, encouraged and motivated to achieve this greatness.

Part memoir (learn of Jim's own struggles and his involvement in Ultra-Racing, plus how he has helped people achieve success and empowerment in his role as a life coach.

From fellow cyclists to senior executives, from athletes to health practitioners, Jim's helped many people from all walks of life. And he doesn't always charge.

The book is in hardback and is nicely illustrated with colour images.

It is published by The EI Guru Publishing at  £28.45, including £3.50 postage and packing.

https://www.theeiguru.com/bag.php

This book will make an excellent Christmas gift for the cycling enthusiast and life coaching aficionado in your life. Or a great self-gift, too.