Tag Archives: crime

Book Review: BOMBMAKER By Claire McFall

Published by Templar Books, 1st February 2014.

Bombmaker Goodreads Synopsis: The English government have closed the borders with their Celtic neighbours. Any Celt found in England is branded with a tattoo, found twice they are executed. Scottish Lizzie is the ‘property’ of psychopathic London gang boss Alexander. Can Lizzie escape Alexander’s deadly grip and at what price her betrayal?

My Review (WARNING: Contains one spoiler, third paragraph!): Bombmaker was so thrilling! I was so excited to read more from Claire McFall, after loving Ferryman last year. Ferryman was a paranormal mystery: Bombmaker is very different. It stands out as anoriginal, thought-provoking dystopian, which is amazing because there’s a bit of a Dystopia craze at the moment.

It’s a dystopian vision of England, where the economic crisis has gotten worse; and the country has taken drastic measures by shutting foreigners out. If you’re a Celt, found without a Visa in England, you’re tattooed on the cheek; found a second time, and you’re shot. Lizzie is a tattooed Celt, living life dangerously in England, but under ownership of a psychopathic criminal mastermind, Alexander. Alexander was a terrifying antagonist… the way he used Lizzie as a servant, and his criminal organisation… it all gave me the shivers!

Lizzie was instantly likeable. I felt so awful for her from the first chapters, where Claire shows us what torture she’s under, forced to work for Alexander. She has a talent for making bombs, which is a main reason why she’s useful for him, and she’s also quite rebellious. I loved that side of her. Lizzie was relatable, brave and a really well developed character. I felt like I was living her story in real life, thanks to Claire’s writing and her realistic personality. The only thing I kind of didn’t like about her, was that she seemed to *SMALL SPOILER ALERT KLAXON :)* move on from one guy to another so quickly in the story. I’m not quite sure I felt she should’ve gone with A Certain Love Interest after… though I did warm to him a little bit more later on! *SPOILER OVER :)*

The plot was full of clever twists, and was completely unpredictable. I was aiming to read just half of it, at least: I started it on New Year’s Eve and wanted to finish one more book before 2014, but didn’t think I would. Well, I did, purely because I simply couldn’t put Bombmaker down! I ended up devouring the book in two hours… it was so clever, and thrilling, and full of mystery. The setting was… pretty scary. This vision of a near-future England is terrifyingly possible, Claire’s writing brought it to life so vividly and imaginatively. It’ll keep you awake at night wondering about it, and you’ll be eager for more at the end!

Overall, Bombmaker was a brilliant book to end 2013 with… I absolutely loved it. It was a pacy, tense thriller driven by a great protagonist. Just… addictive! Highly recommended to anybody looking for an original and unique dystopia, that’s set to be a big hit. I’m crossing all my finger for a sequel, or at least a new book from Claire McFall soon… I love her writing so much! (:

My Rating:

ratingsystem1 ratingsystemhalf

I received a copy of BOMBMAKER from the publisher, in exchange for a review. In no way at all did this affect my thoughts.

An interview with… Caroline Green! (PLUS GIVEAWAY!)

9 Replies

Wahey! If you have been reading my blog for a while, you’ll know that I read and loved the teen thriller, HOLD YOUR BREATH by Caroline Green. It was an awesome read, and you can see my review HERE! I went to the blogger’s lunch run by Hot Key, Piccadilly Press, and Templar Books a couple of weeks ago. There, I met Caroline- and she’s such a lovely person! We chatted for quite a while, and I took home another copy of her book by accident. I asked Caroline, and she was happy for me to do a special giveaway for it! I was also lucky enough to interview Caroline, online, after the event. So, here’s an interview, all themed around HOLD YOUR BREATH, one of her latest teen thrillers!

You can follow Caroline by her Facebook page, or her website: https://www.facebook.com/CarolineGreenAuthor

http://www.carolinegreen.net/

•Firstly, can you tell us a little bit about HOLD YOUR BREATH, your teen thriller?

Hold Your Breath is about a 15-year-old girl called Tara who has the ability to locate lost items. This used to be a bit of a party trick within her family but things took a dark turn when she tried to help the police find a missing person, a toddler, for the first time. Her ‘gift’ appeared to be flawed on this occasion and her involvement actually led to tragedy. So as the story begins, Tara is in a new town with her family. She pretends she doesn’t get these images of lost things or people anymore, because it caused so much trouble and heartache before. But when a nasty girl in her class called Melodie Stone leaves school suddenly, Tara keeps getting disturbing pictures in her mind that suggest Melodie has been abducted and is in serious trouble. She has to make the decision whether she should become involved to help someone she doesn’t even like and who no one else thinks is in danger. Then there’s the fact that she doesn’t even trust her gift anymore…

•What was your main inspiration that triggered the idea for the book?

Unlike my other books, Dark Ride and Cracks, this one didn’t begin with a clear mental picture. This time I played around with a number of ideas until this one started to get me excited. I knew I wanted to write a psychological thriller because I love reading that kind of book!

•Your protagonist, Tara, has a special talent: why did you decide to give her that quality?

I was really interested in exploring what it would be like to have a skill that some would perceive to be a gift, but my character sees as a curse. Because her ability is potentially a useful one for other people, it means she would sometimes be under pressure to use it, when really, she would rather not have this special ability at all. She just wants to be normal.

HOLDYOURBREATH300DPI

•If you were to meet one character from this book, that wasn’t Tara, for a day, who would you pick and why?

Well if I was about 25 years younger it would have to be Leo! I did enjoy writing him and hope he is as a

ppealing on the page as he was in my imagination. But maybe it would be Leo’s dad, who cooks fantastic Italian food!

•Where do you write your novels?

My number one favourite writing place is the British Library. I love it there and find I can get lots done when I get the chance to spend the day there.

•Finally, do you have any advice for aspiring writers, in general or in the genre you write in?

I always say that writers must be readers first. So read, read, read, and not just in the genre you like best (although that is crucial too). All those words go in and whirl about in your brain and help you to make new stories. I really believe that. And you must want it really badly too and not let the inevitable knock-backs stop you from following your dream. It took me seven hard years of rejections to get published and I thought I would DIE from how horrible it was! But some stubbornness kept me going and I’m so glad I did.

Thank you so much, Caroline, for some brilliant interview questions! Now for a giveaway! ;D

UPDATE: Raflecopter is being stupid, and the code doesn’t let the widget show, and the link that was up previously doesn’t work. I’ve sent an email to them, but they can’t work it… so, in order to enter to win a copy of the book, please, instead, leave a comment telling me why you’d like to win HOLD YOUR BREATH!

TERMS: I will pick a winner at random fairly. The book will be sent via post, so if it gets lost or delayed I’m not responsible for it. Sorry! The giveaway is running from 12AM 7TH NOVEMBER until 12AM 21ST NOVEMBER. UK only, please, because otherwise postage is a lot of money 😦

Good luck!

Because It Is My Blood

An Interview with… Gina Blaxill!

4 Replies

I’m so lucky to have interviewed one of my favourite crime authors, Gina Blaxill! I’ve been a fan of her books for about a year-ish, now, having read her first two crime thrillers for teens last October and absolutely loving them. I didn’t know until a couple of weeks ago that Gina had a new title out- and I was so glad I got to read a copy. I really wanted to interview Gina on her newest book, Saving Silence, which I reviewed yesterday on my blog, and she was kind enough to agree to answer a few questions! So, here’s a little bit about this author, and an interview with some really great answers about her new thriller for teens (complete with pictures- of the setting and Gina’s awesome writing shed):

Gina Blaxill is 27 and lives in North London. She has an English degree from Cambridge University and now works in schools liaison, helping teenagers puzzle out the mysteries of higher education. Between the ages of 11 and 15 she wrote an epic 36 part story featuring over 1,000 characters – she still remembers most of their names! Apart from Saving Silence she has two other novels published with Macmillan, Forget Me Never and Pretty Twisted, which is an e-book bestseller.

Your newest novel is based in an area with a lot of crime. particularly gang crime (The McAllister twins): why did you decide to write a novel with themes of London gang culture?

I wanted to write something that genuinely felt real, like it could actually happen. I also wanted to write about something that might affect teenagers, rather than about teenagers getting accidentally caught up in adult crime. Gang crime is a huge issue that affects lots of teenagers with loads of really interesting themes – identity and belonging and friendship to name a few, themes I think relate to teenagers in particular. I was lucky that I didn’t grow up with gang culture around me but for many of the young people I’ve met across London it’s something they have to deal with every day to a lesser or greater extent.

Did you always want, since wanting to become an author, to write crime/thrillers, and for teenagers?

I definitely always wanted to write for teenagers.I love teenage fiction and I just don’t have anything interesting to say to adults! My teenage years were not at all dramatic but I think it’s a really interesting period of life, when people are discovering exciting new things and figuring out who they want to be.

I actually ended up falling into writing crime thrillers. When I wrote my first book Pretty Twisted I didn’t realise I had written a crime novel! However it makes a lot of sense because I’ve always loved crime novels and crime dramas.

What was your main inspiration for Saving Silence?

My starting point was the idea that someone might do a good deed that had bad consequences. I wanted something really dramatic at the beginning too, so both those ideas turned into Imogen saving Sam’s life. Obviously I then needed an explanation for why someone would want to try to kill Sam and that became the rest of the book. I also really wanted to write something set in a part of London where kids have to be tougher and more streetwise – somewhere that felt claustrophobic and potentially dangerous.

Do you base any of your characters on yourself or other people that you know?

I usually don’t – not consciously, anyway! It’s not that I’m a boring person but I think characters like me would be a bit rubbish in a crime book because they would be sensible and just go to the police ! I do try and give all my important characters a little something of me – like Imogen I like to get things done without fuss and like Sam I enjoy baking. However, I did base Nadina strongly on a lovely girl I met through my day job at a college in Hammersmith – I gave her the same name, appearance and from what I could tell a similar personality. I hope the real life Nadina doesn’t mind being put in a book! I also based some of Ollie’s background, loosely, on a kid in an episode of World’s Strictest Parents, so character inspiration can strike from odd places.

There’s a bit of a romantic twist, especially at the ending, to Saving Silence. Were you always going to include it?

This is a good question! Originally there was less romance in Saving Silence . I think I got so caught up with
plotting and atmosphere that I forgot about it a little – my bad! Both my editors, very wisely, pushed me to up the

romance a little and I’m glad I did. The development of the characters’ relationships and the ending just feel right, and a lot of the romantic twists and turns just ended up happening naturally – I never really planned to end up with a love triangle, for instance.

Finally, do you have any ideas for a fourth book, that you can share with us?

Nothing’s set in stone for the fourth book and I might change my mind and go with a different idea! However the idea I’m working with at the moment is about a pair of twins, a boy and a girl, and revolves around one of them having been abducted.

Ooh, can’t wait to hear more about this idea if it goes forward! Also, I would write this in a picture caption, but stupid WordPress won’t let me caption things for some reason… So can we just take a moment to admire this writing shed/author habitat above. I WANT ONE.

Finally, thanks so much to Gina Blaxill for answering my questions with some really great answers- I really enjoyed reading them and hope everyone else will too. You can check out my review of SAVING SILENCE by clicking HERE, and you can also hear Gina read the first chapter HERE!

Saving Silence

4 Replies

By Gina Blaxill, published by Macmillan.

Goodreads Synopsis: A high-octane, intricately plotted teen thriller, by an exciting voice in YA fiction.
Sam is the new kid at school – he keeps himself to himself and people don’t take much notice of him. Imogen is little miss perfect – she’s popular, clever, good at sports and has the dream boyfriend – and yet for some reason, she’s drawn to Sam. One day Imogen is with her friends and Sam rushes up – he needs to tell her something urgently. Before he can, a car drives towards him and tries to knock him down – Imogen pushes him out of the way and saves his life. After that, Sam avoids Imogen, but she can’t stop thinking about him. What was it he wanted to tell her? Why would someone want to kill him? Why won’t he speak to her now?

As Imogen and Sam get pulled deeper and deeper into the criminal underworld of East London, they have to rely on each other. Suddenly there’s nothing perfect about Imogen’s life, and people will never ignore Sam again…

My Review: Saving Silence was, quite simply, a brilliant crime book. I was so excited to start it, as not only did it arrive in the post as a surprise, but I’ve also read and absolutely loved Gina Blaxill’s other two teen thrillers! I had really high hopes for this… and it definitely delivered. While I still prefer Gina’s debut, Pretty Twisted, Saving Silence was a very close contender to that, for me.

I dived into this, knowing only what the pretty short and very mysterious blurb told me. I was hooked, straight from the start, with that gripping first line! I was really interested to see how the author used switching narratives in a plot where if too much was told, the story would be spoiled. However, it was done brilliantly! The story’s chapters alternated from Sam’s perspective to Imogen’s, and I really enjoyed seeing what they thought of each other, both their perspectives on the crime, as well as seeing both of them develop really well throughout the book. Gina Blaxill kept her writing detailed, and suspenseful- I loved it!

The idea for this story was brilliant. It was very original, and with its gang culture references and setting of a London crime hot spot, it was frighteningly realistic (and, of course, possible). I guess this story carries an important moral about getting involved in gangs, and committing crimes. That’s one of the reasons that I’d strongly recommend it to all people, teens and up, regardless of gender or age. Most of it was really unpredictable, and when I though everything had been resolved, a new dilemma would shock both me and the characters!

I liked the main character, Imogen, for a lot of reasons. One being that she was described to look exactly like me. That was awesome. Also, because she was a really great lead role; inquisitive, a good detective, determined, and I loved her relationship with Sam… she just ticked all the boxes for me! She was also tackling problems more common in lives of sixth formers like her; like managing studying and her relationship. A very relatable character for some teens, I think! I also really loved Sam, as the other main character. He was the kind of character that you couldn’t not like. I found his involvement in the crime, and the reason why he was being hunted down, really interesting- it’s a thing that could easily happen to anyone. He had a really great back-story, too, that I enjoyed reading about!

Overall, Saving Silence was a great crime book that I’d recommend to anyone looking for a thrilling read, or who wants a book that captures the lives of London teenagers, especially those caught up in gang crime, perfectly. It was a really unpredictable, exhilarating read from start to finish! The main characters were unforgettable, and very realistic teenagers. I think that the plot was pulled off so well, too! There were loads of twists and turns in the book that kept me reading- if you’re planning on grabbing a copy of this (which I highly recommend doing ASAP), I’m very sure you’ll get hooked like I did.

Also, I have interviewed the amazing Gina! Hopefully, unless I’m bombarded with homework tomorrow at school, Gina Blaxill’s brilliant answers will be up tomorrow. Be sure to stop be here tomorrow! 🙂

My Rating:

ratingsystem1

I received a copy of Saving Silence from the publisher, in exchange for a review. In no way at all did this affect my thoughts.

Cruel Summer

1 Reply

By James Dawson, published by Indigo (Orion).

Cruel Summer Goodreads Synopsis: A year after Janey’s suicide, her friends reunite at a remote Spanish villa, desperate to put the past behind them. However, an unwelcome guest arrives claiming to have evidence that Jane was murdered. When she is found floating in the pool, it becomes clear one of them is a killer. Only one thing is for certain, surviving this holiday is going to be murder…

A compelling and psychological thriller – with a dash of romance.

My Review: Cruel Summer is a fast paced thriller, that’s an essential read for the summer holidays! Set in a sunny paradise in Spain, the story follows a group of teenagers re-uniting for a holiday after a year of growing apart. They know it’s going to be tense- after all, this is one year on from the supposed suicide of their friend, Janey. Little did they know at the start of the holiday that one of them is a killer, with connections to Janey’s death and who is intent on a bloody revenge. Brilliant idea? I think so! After having a read of the synopsis I most definitely had high hopes for this. And, thankfully, I wasn’t let down!

The whole who-dunnit? plot was really complex, and every plot twist was unexpected. There is absolutely no way that I could’ve guessed the shocking outcome to the novel! James Dawson visibly has a lot of talent for creating suspenseful stories. He’s written this tale brilliantly, packing in tension and suspense, and the drama was so effective that I found it difficult to put the book down. A lot of reviews have said this before- but I’ll say it again- Cruel Summer really had that teen horror movie or point horror novel feel to it! It truly was quite terrifying at points (like the body floating in the pool or the writing on the wall in blood, later in the book… *shiver*). The plot was paced a little too fast for me in places, though in all, it was simply genius, in terms of the reveal of the killer and their motives!

On to the characters- all of which are probably the most well-developed characters I’ve read about this year! Each and every one of the teenage gang had relatable backgrounds; there’s at least one person that any reader will be able to connect with, I’m sure. James Dawson has taken all of the classic, stereotypical suspects- like the jock and the quite girl and the brat nobody likes (though this one’s called worse in the book!), and yet the book didn’t seem too cliched or unoriginal at all! Aside from Roxanne Dent (Oh, how I wanted to punch her! No worries- that’s not me saying she’s the murderer! She’s the one with the evidence from the synopsis! 😛 ) Dawson gave the characters attributes that made me like all of them in one way or another- which made it so difficult for me to decide who the killer was! No matter how many times I settled on a suspect- about three- I was entirely wrong. So extra points to the author for leading me off the path there.

Ryan narrates the book. He was probably the most loveable character of the story- as he seemed to be bottling up his emotions- and his love life was thrown upside down in the story. There were points when you just wanted to hug him! The only thing that I didn’t like about him was that he though everything was a scene in a TV drama. Don’t get me wrong- that made it quite fun- but at the deaths, it was kinda twisted too… You start to wish he’d snap out of his TV obsession at those points in the book.

Overall, Cruel Summer is the perfect crime read- and if you read it by the beach on holiday, like I did, it’s extra awesome (and extra scary. Gulp.). Highly recommended if you’re a fan of Crime Fiction in general, horror, or if you fancy a teen drama that gets a big messy. Cruel Summer has some great characters, and a plot so unpredictable you’ll find yourself shouting WHAT?! at pages, and not wanting to put it down.

My Rating:

ratingsystem1

I received a copy of Cruel Summer from the publisher, in exchange for a review. In no way at all did this affect my thoughts.

Also, LOOK! 😀 I (very briefly) got to see James Dawson at a book signing the other week. So thanks to James for signing my copy!

Hold Your Breath

1 Reply

By Caroline Green, published by Piccadilly Press.

Hold Your Breath

Goodreads synopsis: Tara has the power to find missing things and people, but it’s only been a source of trouble for her so far and she’s relieved when her family move house so she can make a fresh start and try to forget about the odd images in her head.

Making friends at her new school hasn’t been easy, especially with mean girls like Melodie Stone running the show. Then Melodie disappears. Tara’s not too sorry, but she starts to see strange images of a captive girl who she gradually realises must be Melodie. Tara tries but fails to ignore the pictures in her head and finally goes in search of Melodie, with the help of Melodie’s attractive half-brother. She finds herself trapped with her former enemy, and Tara and Melodie must work together to get free, with the help of Tara’s gift.

My review: Hold Your Breath was such a brilliant thriller! From the blurb on the back, it seemed a little too confusing, but as soon as I began the story, I couldn’t stop. The writing was brilliant, and the author clearly has a knack for keeping the reader on the edge of their seat. As the story began, I was instantly immersed in the world of Tara, and hints were frequently dropped that something terrible had happened to her in the past involving a child. The hints were cleverly dispersed, and left me itching to read on so that I could find out the full story. In fact, it was a little like By Any Other Name by Laura Jarratt- because that’s a story where the girl slowly reveals her shocking past, too. So, as that dark past slowly unravelled, so did a tense, eerie story line involving a suspected kidnapping. I loved the build up to the outcome of both events- and how both past and present wound together, to help Tara rescue Melodie Stone.

There was also, soon after Melodie disappeared, a kind of vague love triangle involving Tara, Melodie’s half brother, and Melodie’s boyfriend. Though love triangles are getting a little too common in YA fiction, I was so excited to see the outcome for this one. As Tara played detective, she started getting closer to both characters. However, and I won’t reveal which love interest, is part of a shocking event that basically kicks him out of the whole story, I got a little disappointed. Although that definitely shook things up, Tara didn’t seem to feel much sympathy. Instead of going to visit this person in the hospital, she went down to the Lido for more answers, and made it seem like she was going to go and see him later. But she never did. Apart from the slight mention of this love interest at the ending to Melodie, there was no other mention of him after the said shocking event. Where was Tara’s sadness, her anger, her sympathy? Where was everyone else’s? It just seemed like he was forgotten about- when he was quite a central character before. This, I think, was the only fault in the story for me.

Tara was a really great protagonist, straight from the start. I doubt any other teenage girl would go out looking for the girl that she originally hated and was picked on by. That’s what I admired in her, and it made her a good role model, in terms of forgiving. I loved her investigative side. She seemed a bit like the teenage, female, modern Sherlock Holmes, hunting for clues to solve a crime. I really enjoyed reading her action-packed, dramatic adventure. Her background was really well illustrated, both through the flashbacks to the past, and through her family. It was explained all really well. Tara’s supernatural gift was really cool- who wouldn’t want to find whatever they’ve lost? Though, obviously, I got kind of put off from wanting to be able to do that when Tara’s ‘fault’ affected a life massively in her past.

Overall, Hold Your Breath was a brilliant read, from an author that’s new to me and that I’d love to read more from. I’ve heard lots of praise about her previous novels, and I hope they’ll be as brilliant as this read! Fast paced, thrilling and with a supernatural twist, I’m sure that Hold Your Breath will be thoroughly enjoyed by teenagers. It has elements of crime and ransom in it, as well as reflections on teenage life and love. It was very well written, and the author clearly has a real talent for storytelling. Keep on writing, Caroline Green!

My Rating:

ratingsystem1

I received a copy of Hold Your Breath from the publisher, in exchange for a review. In no way at all did this affect my thoughts.

Theodore Boone: The Activist

Murder on the Orient Express

8 Replies

By Agatha Christie, published by Harper Collins.

Murder on the Orient Express (Hercule Poirot, #10)

Goodreads synopsis: “The murderer is with us – on the train now…”
Just after midnight, the famous Orient Express is stopped in its tracks by a snowdrift. By morning, the millionaire Samuel Ratchett lies dead in his compartment, stabbed a dozen times, his door locked from the inside. One of his fellow passengers must be the murderer.
Isolated by the storm and with a killer in their midst, detective Hercule Poirot must find the killer amongst a dozen of the dead man’s enemies, before the murderer decides to strike again…

My review: This was the first title I’ve ever read by Agatha Christie- and a brilliant introduction to her writing! I can definitely see, even just from reading one of her books, why she is one of the bestselling authors of all time. Right from the start, I was totally hooked into the story. The murder didn’t happen right away, or course, and there was a brilliant build-up to it. All of the many passengers were introduced really well, and I also really loved the backdrop. A train stuck in a snowdrift was a brilliant setting, because it made it scary- nobody could get in or out, and they would be stuck for days. It really added an eerie essence to the story.

The murder itself was gory and terrifying, and as it happened, certain things came to light that connected almost every passenger to the murdered man, Ratchett. Although it was ridiculously coincidental that most of the train had close connections to Ratchett and had grown to hate him, it was still very fun to read how Poirot worked out the mystery.

There were lots of clues dropped along the way throughout the story, that kept me wondering who-did-it every time I put the book down (-reluctantly!). Many things I thought connected to the murder were really just decoys, that made the outcome really unpredictable and the mystery hard for the reader to solve. They’re the things that pulled me into the book and made it utterly page-turning- my need to discover the criminal by working out the layered mystery!

Not very much was revealed about Poirot, in terms of background information. This is the tenth book in his detective series, so I can’t really say Agatha Christie doesn’t show much about him- she probably has in previous Poirot titles. He didn’t seem emotional in any way about the brutal stabbing, nor did he seem to express any emotion about the girl Ratchett had kidnapped a while before his death. He was quite like a robot, in my opinion!

However, I really did adore the way he went about working out the crime. He managed it expertly and was able to extract important evidence from the most undecipherable of things like a pipe cleaner or the place of a knife wound. He could even leak the truth out of the most stubborn passengers. I really liked his determination and patience too. He had the intelligence and personality of Sherlock Holmes, I think.

Overall, Murder on the Orient Express was a really brilliant read. The plot was clever and complex, with each character detailed and three-dimensional. It’s a must for crime fans and mystery lovers. It is packed full of suspense and action throughout, with the essence of mystery that keeps you guessing all of the way up to the reveal at the end. Although the outcome, explained by Poirot, was pretty long-winded, it was still understandable and genius. I love Agatha Christie’s writing, and will definitely be reading more from her when I can!

My Goodreads rating: 4/5!

I borrowed Murder on the Orient Express from my Dad’s seemingly-endless bookshelves.

The Double-Life of Cora Parry

3 Replies

By Angela McAllister, published by Orion books.

The Double Life of Cora Parry

Goodreads synopsis: Seduced by crime, troubled by conscience, Cora Parry creates a double life as she is drawn deep into Victorian London’s seething underworld…
Abandoned to the workhouse after the death of her guardians, Cora Parry refuses to accept her fate.
Under the tuition of persuasive street-rat Fletch, Cora finds herself reluctantly drawn deep into the Victorian underworld. As she is gradually seduced into a life of crime, Cora creates a persona for herself – Carrie – allowing her to separate her uneasy conscience from her actions.
But soon things are spiralling out of control. Carrie is committing acts of crime that Cora knows she can’t possibly have done. Where does Carrie end and Cora begin? Who is really in control, and where will it end?

My review: I couldn’t wait to start reading this, as the synopsis had made it sound so good! Honestly, it did really impress me, despite a short length at about 220 pages. The Double-Life of Cora Parry was about a girl whose guardians had died, and found she had nowhere to go after being kicked out of her inherited house. She was sent back to the workhouse by a horrible distant step-uncle, but is drawn into a life of crime in the Victorian underworld. I really loved the idea, because I’m starting to get really interested in Victorian historical fiction… so this was a perfect read for me! This ‘underworld’ is a whole new, imaginative side to Victorian London which explored the lives of those forced into a life of crime, more specifically stealing to survive. It was a really riveting read, because of a supporting character named Fetch I found it really shocking to find what she was forcing Cora (or should I say Carrie?) to do- breaking into houses and stealing rich people’s treasure. It really pumped up the adrenaline in the story, although I was a little disappointed when she disappeared! I would have liked Carrie/Cora to go and save her, or something, despite her selfishness.

Onto Cora/Carrie now! she was a really great protagonist. I admired her courage and determination to not give up and find a job, even when face with possible starvation. Her character, overall, was really enjoyable. I really liked the change that occurred in her, which led to an epic adventure of self-discovery. Just past the halfway point in the book, snippets of chapters were written in italics, and was the Carrie side (the thieving side) of Cora. Then, after a few paragraphs, it would switch to Cora and her waking up, forgetting what she’d done and not realising that she’d just been out, committing crime all night. I loved the way the author wrote this, and it was pulled off really well.

Another character I really liked was Joe, who worked in a pawnbroker’s shop that Carrie came across. I loved the developing relationship through Carrie teaching Joe how to read. It was really sweet. There was also quite a large focus on Joe’s father’s background, and I liked that, but I think it took up a bit too much of the ending.

Overall, I found The Double-Life of Cora Parry to be a really enjoyable read. The crime-infested setting was scarily realistic, and the author did a really good job on bringing the story to life. The character were three-dimensional and just brilliant, in total. The story of Cora discovering a whole new side to her was totally addictive and I really couldn’t stop reading. I’d love to read more from Angela McAllister in the future!

I received The Double-Life of Cora Parry from the publisher, in exchange for a review.