Tag Archives: Book Review

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Book of The Week: I CONFESS by Alex Barclay

On the remote Beara Peninsula in West Cork, Ireland, Edie and Johnny invite a group of old schoolfriends to reunite for a birthday and also to showcase the former convent school they have renovated into a luxury resort. However, as a storm builds outside, and the power goes out, dark events that marred all of their childhoods threaten to resurface… and there is a killer amongst them.

I CONFESS is an intricate whodunnit, layered with flashbacks and disturbing reveals. Because of the ensemble of characters, and the jumping back and forth between past and present, it did take some concentration in the first part of the novel to get a sense of everyone involved, but ultimately, the plot is a good one. An atmospheric thriller.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers, Harper Collins, for the opportunity to read the ARC.

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The Librarian’s Cellar: One We Sang Like Other Men by John MacKenna

This collection of short stories is a slow burner, in the best sense of the phrase. Each of the 13 stories stand alone, glimpses of other lives on journeys through very human themes – family, love, grief and death. Collectively, there is mystery, and tension, that connects these contemporary narratives with something that just might be other-worldly, each fractured character allied historically through their pasts. Lamenting the loss of  the man who once united them, The Captain – chieftain, messiah – leader of the pack. Now dead. Murdered. His loss is palpable as his disciples struggle in the void of the aftermath, a sense of trauma weaving through each story.

Published by New Island, more information on Once We Sang Like Other Men HERE

 

Caroline E Farrell is the writer and producer of films, In Ribbons and Adam, and is the author of the novel, LADY BETH.

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The Librarian’s Cellar: We Have Always Lived in The Castle

Set aside a couple of hours in a quiet corner and lose yourself in this tense, gothic classic from Shirley Jackson, We Have Always Lived in The Castle, a gem of a read for fans of psychological horror. Set in Vermont, New England, eighteen year-old Merricat Blackwood lives in virtual isolation with her sister Constance and Uncle Julien, secluded in their secrets and their strangeness – no spoilers here though!

Practicing her own personal brand of witchcraft, Merricat is a strange, feral young woman, with a strong will and a powerful narrative to match. Content to be with nature, running wild and unwashed, she shares a deep love for Constance, but hates people in general. So when her cousin Charles appears out of the blue, turning her devoted older sister’s head, trouble comes…

Engrossing, this was Jackson’s final novel, first published in 1962, only three years before her untimely death at just 48. It is a short, wonderful book. The kind of book you can barely tear yourself away from to make a cup of tea or lift your glass of wine. Explaining nothing, yet expertly unfolding a complex and horrifying tale, love her or hate her, the character of Merricat Blackwood will linger with you long after you’ve finished reading.

I’m holding my breath with anticipation for the movie version, coming soon, produced by Michael Douglas and filmed in Ireland with several Irish names featured in the cast and crew.

Shirley Jackson wrote some incredible short stories, including The Lottery, and was also the author of the classic gothic horror, The Haunting of Hill House.