Searching for a Silver Lining - Miranda Dickinson

The Blurb
It began with a promise . . .

Matilda Bell is left heartbroken when she falls out with her beloved grandfather just before he dies. Haunted by regret, she makes a promise that will soon change everything . . .

When spirited former singing star Reenie Silver enters her life, Mattie seizes the opportunity to make amends. Together, Mattie and Reenie embark on an incredible journey that will find lost friends, uncover secrets from the glamorous 1950s and put right a sixty-year wrong.

Touchingly funny, warm and life-affirming, this is a sparkling story of second chances. Perfect for fans of Cecelia Ahern, Searching for a Silver Lining will take you on a trip you'll never forget.

The Review
As a huge fan of Miranda Dickinson's writing, I was delighted to be sent an early copy of Searching for a Silver Lining to review.  I always love how Miranda is able to create warm characters that I root for from the off, and Mattie Bell is yet another wonderful protagonist - I immediately took her to my heart.

Mattie is grieving for her grandfather.  She throws herself headfirst into an adventure when she meets the wonderful livewire octogenarian Reenie Silver, a former starlet and performer with popular 50s band The Silver Five who were also a favourite of her grandfather 'back in the day'.  What follows is a crazy quest for one last hoorah which involves amongst other things a campervan, a memorable performance of Wheatus' Teenage Dirtbag and the rather lovely club owner Gil...

This book is a reminder that age is irrelevant when there's a bond between two people, and as positive friendships/relationships across the generations is something which is still relatively unexplored in fiction it was lovely to see this portrayed so well.  Reenie and Mattie were a perfect and believable duo and I was willing them on to their own happy endings.  Reenie's stories were an absolute highlight of this book, she was like Tom Jones on an episode of The Voice with her continual name dropping!

I also loved how each chapter was given a 'soundtrack', a song from the 1950s that linked into the themes explored in that section of the book.  It brings another element to the story and introduced me to some new tunes along the way.

Most of all Searching for a Silver Lining is heart-warming and charming and oozing with everything that makes friendship such a beautiful, beautiful gift. 

I can't recommend this book highly enough.  It's Miranda Dickinson's best yet.

Searching for a Silver Lining is out now in ebook and paperback format.

With thanks to Pan for providing me with a copy of this book in return for my honest opinion.

The beauty of covers- Sara Sheridan's Mirabelle Bevan series

Regular readers of Books with Bunny will be aware that I have a bit of a love affair going on with Mirabelle Bevan.  Sara Sheridan's super sleuth is sharp, enigmatic and completely beguiling- I just love her.  The mysteries themselves are top drawer too, well written, historically accurate and not too grisly.  They are like the classical stories of the genre, driven by character and plot rather than the shock tactics and 'how vile and disturbed can I make this story?' style of some other modern day detective books.

 

 

However, I must admit that the first thing that drew me to Brighton Belle was its delicious cover.  Mirabelle dominates the cover, her ruby red lips striking and alluring, her hair perfectly coiffured. The fur collar and pearl necklace set her out as being somewhat well-to-do, yet her smoky eyes seem to be taking in everything, dangerous and powerful. 

It has the reference to the setting by showing Brighton's iconic pier, and the birds in flight represent freedom and escape.  The red trim is eye-catching and daring, and the overall vintage feel appealed to me (I'm a bit of a 1950s geek, truth be told). 

Everything about this cover shouted out 'Buy me!  Buy me!', and buy it I did.  Maybe I'm the target audience for the Mirabelle books in every sense, but this cover gave me an accurate taste of what to expect from the books (indeed, the series too). 



 

London Calling, the second book in the Mirabelle series, went with a cover that complimented Brighton Belle.  This time Mirabelle is shown in the shadows of the Houses of Parliament with the added detail of a London bus heading through the mist over the Thames.  The jazz saxophonist gives potential readers a flavour of the underground London music scene which dominates this mystery, and the cover very evidently suggests this is a book set in a bygone era. 

 

Mirabelle is still wearing her trademark fire-engine red lipstick, this time accompanied by a red beret and jacket.  Mirabelle is colourful and vibrant in comparison to the rest of the cover which is dark and murky-she is clear whilst everything else seems to be hidden in a smoky haze. 

 

The peacock blue trim is very vintage in feel and is beautifully in keeping with the essence of the Mirabelle mysteries.

 

 

England Expects is the forthcoming Mirabelle mystery and I am so excited to be able to have a review copy of this book!  The fan girl in me knows no bounds and the cover is just as astoundingly beautiful as that of the two previous Mirabelle books.  

 

Mirabelle hasn't changed much in appearance, her lipstick and smoky eyes still prominent features on her porcelain face.  Her dark hair is still immaculately groomed and brought out by her bottle green clothing.  The ornate turrets of Brighton Pavilion provide a stunning backdrop and the golden yellow trim is striking whilst still holding with the distinctive style of the Mirabelle covers.

 

England Expects promises to be another enthralling read.  It is released in hardback and ebook on Thursday 3rd April and is available for preorder at Amazon.co.uk

 

I was also fortunate enough to speak to Sara Sheridan about how much input she has into the beautiful cover art.  Here's what she had to say-

 

'In all my contracts I’ve always had the right to see the cover, but never I’ve had cover approval. With the Mirabelle books, I’ve had more input to them than ever before, though. My editor, Alison, is as obsessed with 1950s fashion as I am and we have long conversations about what Mirabelle will get to wear on each book (HAT OR NO HAT?). We debate her make up too (what we have ended up with is slightly too pearlised to be absolutely authentic for the 1950s - especially the early 1950s - but we ended up going with it because it looks better.) I love those conversations… I think Alison does too. And I also love the covers – I’ve seen people pick up the books on bookshop shelves because they’re drawn to them… it’s a special kind of story magic. In British Bulldog (next year’s book) Mirabelle goes to Paris and we’re already thinking Eiffel Tower or Arc de Triomphe. It will be a glorious debate!'

 

Something for me to look forward to in 2015!  If you are interested in finding out more about Sara Sheridan, you can read other Books with Bunny blog articles about her here or follow her on twitter, @sarasheridan.

 

The Morelli Diamonds- Sara Sheridan

 

I am an absolute fangirl when it comes to Mirabelle Bevan.  I can't help it.  She's just amazing.  Sharp, witty, beautiful, strong and with a deep down vulnerability which belies her outer exterior. 

 

The Morelli Diamonds is a short story, probably equating to the equivalent of one short chapter of a full length novel.  It took maybe 10 minutes to read, so would be suitable for reading on a coffee break or when commuting.

 

Mirabelle is caught in a scandal at the Imperial hotel when the body of a young girl is found at the same time that wealthy guest Morelli says diamonds have gone missing.  I found this an interesting short story with a lot packed in, but as with The Night Train I wished that it was longer so I could really get my teeth into it.  I liked the plot but did feel it would have been strengthened by more hints about Mirabelle's character for fans of the fictional sleuth.

 

However, for a quick Mirabelle fix it works well, and now that we're into 2014 it isn't long until the next full length novel!  I can't wait!

 

The Morelli Diamonds is out now in ebook format.

 

7/10

The Bucket: Memories of an Inattentive Childhood- Allan Ahlberg

Allan Ahlberg is a bit of a legend in my eyes.  Regular readers of Books with Bunny will know I am hugely passionate about high quality children's books and Ahlberg has been at the top of this field for decades.  I read his books when I was a child myself, particularly enjoying the Happy Families series (Mr Tick the Teacher may well have ignited my desire to work in a small school and influenced my career choice-talk about a life changing read!) and Ahlberg has continued to be an ever-present in my life as a reader, in recent years when reading to the children I work with and my own son.

So when I heard that Allan's new memoir of poetry and prose The Bucket was being published by Penguin I was very keen to read it, and begged Penguin to let me have an advance copy.   It was time to learn more about the man behind the magic.

The Bucket is a nostalgic collection; short yet embracing Ahlberg's family life (he was adopted as a child) and portraying aspects of childhood that readers will be able to relate to.  Unfortunately, the memory which struck me most was the horrifying fact that circa 1987 I ate one of my scabs whilst waiting for ballet class to begin (the wonderful The Things I Ate might remind you of some deeply buried 'meals' you enjoyed as a child too). 

Whilst reading The Bucket there were times I was reminded of the work of the late Seamus Heaney-not in the style which is predominantly rhyming poetry and simple yet emotive prose, but in the content.  Ahlberg's ability to conjure up long-forgotten images of a bygone era left me with pangs of emotion- heartbreak and humour side by side.  As I read I was reminded of how I felt the first time I read Heaney's Blackberry-Picking, longing for the innocence of youth to remain.  The generic experiences of childhood combined with Ahlberg's personal memories makes The Bucket a touching and heart-felt read. 

I found The Bucket to be a charming memoir, and I am sure it will appeal to a wide ranging audience. 

The Bucket is available to buy from tomorrow (5th September 2013).

8.5/10

With thanks to Penguin for providing me with a copy of this book after I unashamedly pleaded for it.  All views expressed here are my own.

London Calling-Sara Sheridan

Before I start, I should probably warn you.  I am going to eulogise about this book.  Unashamedly, unreservedly, full-on rave about it.


Firstly, it is part of the Mirabelle Bevan series.  If you are not yet familiar with Mirabelle, this is important because she is elusive, attractive, witty and sharp.  She is the kind of woman that men are intimidated by and she utilises her wily charms to wheedle out the facts she needs from men she encounters.  I want to be like her.  Infact, scrap that-I want to BE her.

Set in London in 1952, London Calling is the second book in the Mirabelle series.  When a beautiful debutante mysteriously vanishes from a jazz club, saxophonist Lindon Claremont is the number one suspect.  A childhood friend of Vesta, Mirabelle's sidekick, the women are determined to find out the truth and clear Lindon's name.  We are sucked into the underground music scene and exposed to alluring secret drinking dens and caddish jazz musicians.  As a fan of this era, Sara Sheridan does a fantastic job of representing post war London as a buzzing city high on promise and hope. 

Delightful old-fashioned mystery stories in the same vein as Agatha Christie's classic 'Miss Marple' books, the Mirabelle books are intriguing and beguiling whilst never drifting into uncomfortable violence or unnecessarily graphic scenes. London Calling does not disappoint, and I found myself wishing that it was longer-always a promising sign!  Infact, I was devastated when I finished the book and immediately tweeted the author asking when the next book will be out (unfortunately, not until 2014).

Well written and thought provoking, heart wrenching and thoroughly entertaining, Sheridan's evocative writing style will appeal to both those interested in the 1950s and the 'cosy crime' genre.  Vivid, likeable characters add to the appeal, complimented by a highly readable plot.  Pure escapist reading which makes me nostalgic for a time I never knew.

Bravo Sara Sheridan, bravo Mirabelle Bevan.  More!

9/10
With thanks to Polygon for providing me with a review copy of London Calling.  You can find out more about Sara Sheridan by tweeting her, @sarasheridan.

Brighton Belle, the first Mirabelle Bevan book is free via iTunes at the time of writing.  Try it!