Author: R.P. Bolton Reads and Writes

Author of domestic noir thrillers with Harper Collins. Reader and positive only reviewer of any genre.

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Patrick Ryan – Buckeye #bookreviews #positiveonly #5*

MY VERDICT? I read a few reviews saying the plot moved too slowly and it is definitely not a fast-paced book but I loved it. The novel focuses on the ordinary lives of two American couples set against a backdrop of world events. Beautifully written and compelling.

The Blurb: MAY, 1945. As news of the Allied victory in Europe reaches the small town of Bonhomie, Ohio, a woman named Margaret Salt walks into a hardware store and asks the man behind the counter, Cal Jenkins, for a radio. What happens next will change both of their lives forever.

While the country reconstructs in the post-war boom, a secret grows in Bonhomie – but nothing can remain hidden in a small town. The consequences of that long-ago encounter will intertwine the fates of two families, rippling through the next generation and compelling them to re-examine who they thought they were and what the future might hold.

Full of compassion, humour and charm, Buckeye is a dazzling portrait of the human spirit by way of one unforgettable community; the twisted roads we take to achieve forgiveness and redemption; and above all a universal longing for love and connection.

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Emilia Hart- Weyward #bookreviews #positiveonly #5*

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MY VERDICT? A few of my favourite bookish things: female narrators, multiple timelines and stories expertly woven to a very satisfying conclusion. Weyward ticks all these boxes… and witches, too! Perfect.

The Blurb:

In the present day, Kate flees a traumatic relationship to the Cumbrian cottage she inherited from her great-aunt; but the cottage hides secrets of its own.

In 1942, Violet rebels against her father’s ideas of a ‘proper young lady’ . . . until he takes matters into his own hands.

In 1619, Altha is on trial for witchcraft, implicated in the gruesome death of a local man.

Three women they tried to cage – but Weyward women belong to the wild. And they cannot be tamed…

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Martina Kemp – The Unwilding #bookreviews #positiveonly #5*

MY VERDICT? The complex family dynamics between a deeply unpleasant father, inscrutable mother and a cast of oddball siblings make this an engaging and ultimately sad read. Beautiful writing.

The Blurb: When fledgling writer Zoe arrives at the Sicilian holiday home of famed novelist Don Travers, she feels that she has made it. And yet as the week unfolds it is not Don but his children and unknowable wife, Lydia, who come to intrigue Zoe most. On the fringes, Don’s youngest, Nemony, watches as her older siblings begin to navigate the treacherous waters of the adult world. When her adored oldest sister makes a terrible mistake, the holiday ends suddenly, shattering the fragile balance of their parents’ marriage and the siblings’ lives.

Many years later and in the wake of loss, the events of that summer continue to haunt. Nemony, now a lonely new mother herself, strikes up a chance friendship with Zoe. With her support, Nemony attempts to grapple with the casual damage enacted by her father. But as their relationship deepens, she is soon forced to question the true extent of Zoe’s fascination with the Travers family.

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What I'm Reading

Sally Hinchcliffe- Hare House #bookreviews #positiveonly #5*

MY VERDICT? I love a Gothic tale and this ticks all the boxes: spooky setting, mysterious characters, deep, dark secrets all underpinned by madness and mass hysteria. It’s a beautifully written slow burn of a novel.

The Blurb:

In the first brisk days of autumn, a woman arrives in Scotland having left her job at an all-girls school in London in mysterious circumstances. Moving into a cottage on the remote estate of Hare House, she begins to explore her new home. But among the tiny roads, wild moorland, and scattered houses, something more sinister lurks: local tales of witchcraft, clay figures and young men sent mad.

Striking up a friendship with her landlord and his younger sister, she begins to suspect that all might not be quite as it seems at Hare House. And as autumn turns to winter, and a heavy snowfall traps the inhabitants of the estate within its walls, tensions rise to fever pitch.

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Liane Moriarty – The Hypnotist’s Love Story #bookreviews #positiveonly #5*

MY VERDICT? I really enjoyed this. Seeing the story from both Ellen’s and Saskia’s perspectives made it more interesting than the typical ‘obsessed ex’ type novel. Ellen’s work as a hypnotherapist fits naturally into the plot and the way the novel explores love obsession and control feels very real.

The Blurb:

Hypnotherapist Ellen O’Farrell has been single for a while, which is why she’s so taken with her handsome new boyfriend, Patrick.

But Patrick has a confession: he has a stalker, an ex-girlfriend who won’t leave him alone.

Ellen is a little disturbed – yet also curious. Who is this woman, and what would drive her to this obsessive behaviour? In fact, Ellen almost thinks she’d quite like to meet her.

What she doesn’t realise is that she already has . . .

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Florence Knapp – The Names #bookreviews #positiveonly #5*

MY VERDICT? I really loved this. the premise is totally original and I found myself completely hooked by the characters and their stories. Couldn’t put this one down. Highly recommended.

The Blurb:

It is 1987, and in the aftermath of a great storm, Cora sets out with her nine-year-old daughter to register the birth of her son. Her husband intends for her to follow a long-standing family tradition and call the baby after him. But when faced with the decision, Cora hesitates. Going against his wishes is a risk that will have consequences, but is it right for her child to inherit his name from generations of domineering men? The choice she makes in this moment will shape the course of their lives.

Seven years later, her son is Bear, a name chosen by his sister, and one that will prove as cataclysmic as the storm from which it emerged. Or he is Julian, the name his mother set her heart on, believing it will enable him to become his own person. Or he is Gordon, named after his father and raised in his cruel image – but is there still a chance to break the mould?

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Shelby Van Pelt – Remarkably Bright Creatures #bookreviews #positiveonly #5*

MY VERDICT? I was a bit hesitant about reading a book narrated by an octopus in case it came off a bit gimmicky but I found Remarkably Bright Creatures a really delightful read. I enjoyed the chapters from Marcellus’s perspective and I found his portrayal extremely moving and it definitely made me despair at the cruelty of keeping sentient creatures in captivity.

The Blurb:

After Tova Sullivan’s husband died, she began working the night cleaner shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium. Ever since her eighteen-year-old son, Erik, mysteriously vanished on a boat over thirty years ago keeping busy has helped her cope. One night she meets Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus living at the aquarium who sees everything, but wouldn’t dream of lifting one of his eight arms for his human captors – until he forms a remarkable friendship with Tova.

Ever the detective, Marcellus deduces what happened the night Tova’s son disappeared. And now Marcellus must use every trick his old body can muster to unearth the truth for her before it’s too late…

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Good Mourning- Imogen Carn and Sally Douglas #bookreviews #positiveonly #5*

MY VERDICT? Having lost my mum this year, I was looking for something to help me navigate through the pain of bereavement. Of course nothing makes it better, but I tried quite a few of the practical tips in here and they did help to make things more manageable. The setting aside a time to grieve was particularly useful to avoid feeling so ambushed by the big emotions. Not a book anyone wants to need to read, but recommended.

The Blurb: Good Mourning is a compassionate survival guide for anyone dealing with grief – the kind of book Sal and Im wish they’d had to help them through the dark times. Here they shine a light on the many ways grief can impact our lives (hello ugly crying, exhaustion and ‘grief brain’). Along with expert advice from clinical psychologist Tamara Cavenett and warm words and insights from hundreds of others who’ve experienced grief, the authors offer practical tips on coping with isolation and loneliness, navigating grief at work, managing milestones and so much more.

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Iain Pears- An Instance of the Fingerpost #bookreviews #positiveonly #5*

MY VERDICT? The Instance of the Fingerpost by Iain Pears is a gripping historical novel set in 17th-century England. Written from four different perspectives, it combines political intrigue, mystery and plenty of interesting historical facts about the origins of modern medicine. Although I found it quite an intense read in parts, I loved the twists and historical detail and the ending blew me away.

The Blurb:

The novel is centred on a suspicious death, that of Robert Grove, fellow of New College. We hear about it from four witnesses, a Venetian Catholic intent on claiming credit for the invention of blood transfusion; the son of a supposed traitor to the Royalist cause, determined to vindicate his father; John Wallis, chief cryptographer to both Cromwell and Charles II, a mathematician, theologian and master spy; and Anthony Wood, the famous Oxford antiquary. Each of the first three witnesses is unreliable – they seem convincing, but the conclusions are contradictory – and only Wood, in the final volume, reveals the truth. 

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Katriona O’Sullivan – Poor #bookreviews #positiveonly #5*

MY VERDICT? Katriona O’Sullivan’s Poor is a brutally honest memoir that recounts a traumatic childhood, filled with abuse and hardship. Her writing is raw and compelling, but what struck me is not just the pain she endured, but how she transformed her life. While I can’t help feeling anger for what she went through, my main takeaway is admiration for the tremendous strength and resilience she shows. Poor is heartbreaking but ultimately triumphant.

The Blurb:

Like young girls everywhere Katriona O’Sullivan grew up bright, enthusiastic, curious. But she was also surrounded by abject poverty and chaos, and after she became pregnant and homeless at 15, what followed was five years of barely surviving. Yet today Katriona is an award-winning academic whose work explores barriers to education for girls like her.

What set Katriona on this unexpected path were the mentors and supporters who truly saw her. The teachers who showed her how to wash in the school toilets or turned up at her door to convince her to sit at least one GCSE. The community worker who encouraged her to apply for training schemes. The friend who introduced Katriona to Trinity College’s access program while she was a cleaner. Simple acts that would help her turn her life around.