The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes
A.J. Sefton Author | Book Reviews
by
2d ago
This is the story of an ordinary man and the few close relationships he had in his youth, all of which ended, and he now lives alone. He is content and accepting of everything that has happened in his life but is forced to reassess his memories when he receives a letter from a solicitor regarding a will. The book is divided into two parts, the first being about the school and university days and the people he met and thought would remain in his life. Here, the narrator remembers things that people said or did that served as an indicator or catalyst to develop further events or endings. The s ..read more
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Finding Sophie by Imran Mahmood
A.J. Sefton Author | Book Reviews
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1w ago
An emotionally powerful, beautifully written and technically clever novel, from an author who knows the theatre of the courtroom and the heart of a parent. As the title suggests, the aim of the story is the hunt for a couple's missing teenage daughter as they feel frustrated by the lack of progress by the police. Ultimately they take things into their own hands. They are suspicious of a local man who appears odd and never opens his front door, and are convinced that he has something to do with their daughter's disappearance somehow. The distraught parents attempts to  access him become ..read more
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The Great Divide by Cristina Henriquez
A.J. Sefton Author | Book Reviews
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3w ago
The title of this book refers to the division of the country Panama, in South America, where the building of the Panama Canal practically split the country in half. This is a novel that has an unusual setting and one that I haven't come across before: the construction of one of the most significant canals in the world's history. The cast of characters is diverse. They come from all kinds of backgrounds from the very poor to the very rich. Some arrive from other countries looking for work in this huge undertaking, some are local, one is a scientist looking into a cure for malaria. While the i ..read more
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The Hunter by Tana French
A.J. Sefton Author | Book Reviews
by
3w ago
A beautifully atmospheric book that portrays western Ireland so well that I feel as if I know the place. Following on from the previous novel, The Searcher, this story follows a retired American police officer, a local woman and romantic interest, and a teenaged girl who is mentored by the American. Life is plodding along in the small rural Irish farming community and the eccentric characters are vividly portrayed. Then two men arrive and everything changes. One is an Englishman with claims of Irish heritage and the other is the teenger's previously absent father. They present the locals wit ..read more
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Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling
A.J. Sefton Author | Book Reviews
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1M ago
The opening of this sixth Harry Potter book has the head of the Ministry of Magic meeting up with the British Prime Minister to discuss how the magical world is now influencing the non-magical one, with the terror and real danger affecting everyone. This is a brilliant move: it brings realism to the Potter world even more than it did before so readers can relate to the situations more. The world is becoming much darker with higher security and curfews becoming the norm. At Hogwarts school, Harry is now in his sixth year and studying the subjects he was successful in the exams. However, one t ..read more
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Only If You're Lucky by Stacy Willingham
A.J. Sefton Author | Book Reviews
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2M ago
This is a story about college students in the United States, how they have their unchosen leaders, the sense of belonging, forming friendships, testing and discovering each other. Oh, and of course, doing regretful bad things brought on by too much drinking, drugs, sex and partying. The tale is from the perspective of one girl who has moved far away from her hometown to have a fresh start following the death of her best friend. She is immediately taken in by another enigmatic girl who reminds her of her late friend, and that comparison goes throughout the whole book. However, where the story ..read more
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True Crime by Georgina Lees
A.J. Sefton Author | Book Reviews
by
2M ago
There is something chilling about missing persons. How can people just disappear into thin air? We have to consider whether they chose to go away without telling anyone, were forced to or met with an an accident. But the most disturbing aspect is that we don't know what happened to them. Judging by the hundreds (or possibly thousands) of books written on this subject, I'm not the only one fascinated by this. I have read many novels and non-fiction books on this topic and feel that the market is saturated by it. However, I have read Georgina Lees (The Girl Upstairs) and her writing is hauntin ..read more
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The Bad Weather Friend by Dean Koontz
A.J. Sefton Author | Book Reviews
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2M ago
This is a weird mix of a book, from the premise of a reverse guardian angel intent on moral rebalance, to the odd interventions by the author and the dual narrative of the present and the fantasy horror of the protagonist's childhood. The premise is simple enough: a thoroughly nice man loses his job, his fiancee and favourite chair for no obvious reason. He takes it all in his stride even though he doesn't know why these bad things are happening to him. Then he receives a video message telling him that he is about to receive something - a crate that contains a seven-feet tall giant whose aim ..read more
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An Aura of Mystery by Joy Ellis
A.J. Sefton Author | Book Reviews
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2M ago
I know someone who says that she can see auras. Mine is gold, obviously, although I don't quite understand what it means. The only time I see auras around folk is when I forget my glasses. Anyway, that was the draw for me to pick up this book to read, something a little different. The story starts off charming and slowly as the setting and characters are laid out. Two single ladies - one recently separated from her partner, the other newly widowed - seek comfort and companionship in one another's company. One is a florist (what a lovely trade!) and the other has about five spaniels and they ..read more
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Uhtred's Feast: Inside the World of The Last Kingdom by Bernard Cornwell with Suzanne Pollak
A.J. Sefton Author | Book Reviews
by
2M ago
One of my favourite series is The Saxon Stories by Bernard Cornwell. (It was televised as The Last Kingdom). It tells the story of the beginning of England and the title refers to the end of the Anglo-Saxon period and the separate kingdoms of Wessex, Mercia, Northumbria, Sussex, Kent, East Anglia and Essex (plus a couple of others that were annexed by these major kingdoms). The storyteller is Uhtred, an Anglo-Saxon boy from Northumbria who was captured and raised by Viking invaders and through his adventures we can see how England was eventually shaped. It is a great story and the fictitious ..read more
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