The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley

More Scooby Do than Agatha Christie

For ever in search of the next great crime novel, this book seemed to have all the right ingredients. Set in the wilderness of the Scottish Highlands, a disparate group of revellers trapped in a rural idyll  by the worst snow storm for years. The scene was set for a real thriller.

The initial chapters revealed a simplistic writing style outlining the now cliched  group of friends who trace their history back to university days at Oxford. This is the third contemporary who dunnit to choose Oxford as the common factor in the characters back story.
There were strong echoes of other modern thrillers which also offer the same mix of stereotypical characters; the disadvantaged underdog who battles against all the odds to come out on top; the over privileged beauty who treats those close to her with disdain, ultimately getting her just deserts; a dark and brooding mystery man, in this case a game keeper, one step away from doffing his proverbial cap at the London elites.
The first half of the book seemed moribund with naval gazing reminiscence, each character examining their past lives, feelings and motivations in minute detail. We learnt their back story in a frustrating and overly detailed narrative, by the half way point the plot was still in its infancy. Despite so much time being devoted to character development Lucy Foley failed to make us care about any of the people in the story, all two dimensional and inauthentic, all slightly irritating.
The cast list offered a  modern day smorgasbord any diversity trainer would be proud of! but the essence of what makes people individuals was missing, preventing the reader from feeling any kind of empathy for the characters, thus not really caring what happened to them or why.
Full of contradictions and anomalies the reader often wondered how carefully this book had been edited. The train station that seemed to move its proximity to the Lodge depending on the plot line.
The concerned parents who wouldn't eat with the group because they wanted to eat with their baby, very laudable until  they left the  baby asleep and joined in the drug fuelled after party, Really?
The gay friend who everyone had a crush on. The glamorous  one who was bright enough to get a degree from Oxford but then decided to be a stay at home house wife, is that even a thing?
The mousy side kick who outperformed her friend on every level , cliche.
Scarcely hidden secrets lurking beneath the surface of an outwardly perfect life. If the characters had been developed more skilfully the plot when it eventually got going would have had carried more meaning and held the readers attention.
Unfortunately because we didn't empathise with the guests we just didn't care who went missing or why, our interest was almost lost when suddenly the plot picked up. There were finally moments of high drama, twists and turns, red herrings so out of left field as to be almost farcical. On several occasions the reader was ready for the immortal lines....'and I would have gotten away with it if it weren't for you pesky kids!'
Apparently this novel is set to be made into a TV drama, it should work brilliantly on screen as there is an interesting plot lost in there somewhere.
We look forward to the TV version but until then I'm afraid 'The Hunting Party' failed to bag its readers!

Join us next month as we discuss

The Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twan Eng

The Sixteen Trees of the Somme by Lars Mytting

This was an unusual choice given Lars Mytting’s earlier work was a non-fiction book about all things wood which received excellent reviews from critics interested in the chopping, drying, storing and stacking of wood. The theme continued through this fictional book which was highly recommended by a friend’s book group.


The Critical Readers didn’t not like the book, but, didn't or couldn’t like it as much as they thought they would having read the synopsis.  There was a feeling that some of the story may have been lost in translation. We were certainly lost in a world of over describing. Every place, smell, experience and emotion was given a full and comprehensive... whatever the word is!

This book is a cleverly plotted story about Edvard growing up on a remote Norwegian farm. Upon
the death of his grandfather he succumbs to his need to find out about the death of his parents. This journey takes him from Norway to the Shetlands and on to France uncovering the loves and losses of his family and the hidden truth behind another feuding family. We did find ourselves immersed in the
story wondering whether the eponymous  trees were  actually a real thing.  We also enjoyed the mystery and the twists and turns but at the same time it felt too long and laborious. Edvards romance with his two girlfriends becomes tedious and cringeworthy. This could almost be forgiven due to his age and lack of social skills with the opposite sex.

All in all a good read but not a holiday read ....

No Norwegian restaurants in Northumberland so the next best thing was to book a pub in the middle of nowhere! The Feathers at Hedley on the Hill. Warm cozy atmosphere sitting by the fire being attended to by their friendly staff. Opened the menu and, bang, very disappointed by the choices on offer. Not up to their usual ethos of slow, hearty home cooking. Not sure what went wrong because
we have been before and remembered how good it was. Maybe it was the chefs night off!







Our next choice to discuss very soon is The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley. Comments such as
‘Gripping’,’Chilling’ & ‘Riveting’ appear on the front cover. Can’t wait  ......

April 2019.

Relish; my life on a plate by Prue Leith

More of a light Lunch than Dinner !

This is the first time that our group have selected an autobiography but it may be the last.  An interest in food, the Great British Bake Off, and other readers’ recommendations led to this particular choice in that genre but our review was lukewarm.

Prue Leith surely has plenty to say and wisdom to share– her experience of breaking the glass ceiling to achieve business success despite being a woman?   The highs and lows of a life built on catering for others?   The joys of bringing food to the taste buds?  Sadly, none of this came through in her book. 

Instead, readers are taken on a chronological marathon which focuses more on her love life and her preference for affairs with married men - one of which led to a divorce allowing her to marry an older family friend.

Her writing style was easy to follow, and it was interesting to learn that she has written some fiction books, that she was born into a wealthy family, and is extremely well connected.  Her “can do” attitude shone throughout her life history and has enabled her to overcome most challenges in life.

Nevertheless, despite being a lengthy read (over 500 page) the book lacked weight and substance and left us feeling rather frustrated and dissatisfied about the time spent we had spent with Prue.

Indeed, the lack of depth, combined with Prue’s penchant for other people’s husbands, left  a rather unpleasant taste in our mouths.

We reviewed “Relish” at a local restaurant, Bouchons (http://www.bouchonbistrot.co.uk) with an enduring reputation for good food (link to
https://www.gourmetguide.co.uk/city/northumberland/restaurants/bouchon-bistrot).  Fortunately, we were not disappointed and can highly recommend the whole dining experience.  Both the food and the service were excellent and untainted by our insights into Leiths. 

Why Mummy Drinks by Gill Sims

A good blog does Not a novel make!

Note to self; when selecting a book for the next 'Incognito Book Blog' avoid novels written by bloggers. I'm afraid Gill Sims that definitely includes you! It seems to be a growing trend among publishers to approach bloggers with offers of book deals. Whilst every day situations reported in a short form blog can be entertaining, and Gill Sims blog is definitely entertaining, it requires a completely different skill set to produce a well crafted novel.

Unfortunately this months choice offered non of the requisite ingredients for a good read, no plot, no strong characterisation, no twists, no turns. This book was a formulaic attempt to cover all the bases. From the 'badly behaved' children, who in reality never put a foot wrong, to the obligatory dysfunctional relatives. The divorced friend, the gorgeous gay friend, the vacuous school mothers and the long suffering yet boring husband.

"What's the plot?" I heard myself scream ! The author didn't even offer an answer to her own question....'Why does mummy drink?' FML if I know. Mummy wasn't driven to drink by her unruly self centred children, she chose to drink on each of her many nights out. How can the reader be expected to develop any feelings of sympathy for such a hedonist. 'Mummy' seems to have decided that the usual responsibilities that come with raising children were not for her, choosing instead to continue a social life most singletons would be proud of.

It is really not clear who the target audience for this book is. It failed to deliver the warm humour of 'Bridget Jones' Diary' as shallow characters left the reader ambivalent as to the fate of 'mummy'. Perhaps the author attempted to explore too many themes, resulting in a lack of depth and clarity. Were we supposed to despise the coven of mothers at the school gate, again the BBC T.V. series 'Motherland' did this brilliantly. Perhaps we were to consider the strengths and weaknesses of different 'middle class' parenting techniques. The portrayal of 'mummies' extended family was so extreme it lost its plausibility becoming instead a predictable parody of the bohemian family on the paternal side and the helicopter pushy parents on 'mummies' side. 

No depth, no substance, no plot. I wish we had enjoyed this book but unfortunately it left us feeling rather irritated but at least we are all now well versed in the language of abbreviation...FML we said with one accord. We may be non the wiser as to 'mummies' motivation for drinking but we all felt after that book we deserved a stiff whisky!

Join us next time when we review "Relish " by Prue Leith, will she have us reaching out for the chardonnay?

The Hearts Invisible Furies by John Boyne

This book was a 'top pick' from the Richard and Judy Book Club. Pushing that stigma gently to one side, it was chosen because of rave reviews from other local book groups and the generic marketing hype printed on the back of the book. Expectations were extremely high!

In a nutshell, no one was disappointed. It was an overwhelming success for the newly formed and mysterious, Incognito Book Bloggers. Read from cover to cover, no shirking or dipping out half way through. It was unanimously agreed that this was a stand out read.
The book represents a ....Who am I?, What am I? coming of age, hero worshipping, coming out novel. Its set against the back drop of an Ireland still trapped under the chains of the Catholic Church, an unfortunate time to be homosexual or unmarried and pregnant. The story is well written with lots of mini tragedies, peppered with sadness and humour in equal measure. A life's lesson showing the prejudices of the time paired with an educational theme of Irish history from the post war period up to the present day.

Cyril Avery will not be forgotten for quite a while. We loved the story, the characters were well drawn and true to their era and the excellent use of show don't tell brought out the dry humour of the book. Poor Cyril was a weak character being carried along by stronger personalities around him. He desperately tries to discover his identity in an Ireland steeped in Catholic guilt. As with all good novels the story comes full circle.

Our next selection has a lot to live up to!
Can Gill Sims keep us entertained over the Christmas period with her best seller....
'Why Mummy Drinks'

Crimson Lake by Candice Fox

The Death Messenger by Mari Hannah

The Death Messenger by Mari Hannah 

Niche Reading for Crime Fiction Fans 

When our local independent bookshop (Forum Books in Corbridge) recommended this book, it seemed like the perfect match for our book group.  We were easily wooed by signed copies, an acclaimed local author and the promise of a gripping thriller set in our own region.  

The story follows DS Matthew Ryan and DS Eloise O’Neil as they investigate a series of murders revealed by video footage. 

Perhaps our expectations were set too high, but the actual read was an anti-climax.  It wasn’t bad, it just wasn’t as good as we’d hoped.  The thriller element was more limp than tense and dominated by police procedural.   The writing had very faint echoes of Ian Rankin’s style and the specialist crime unit lacked authenticity.  

Fans of this genre will be familiar with Rankin’s characters -  John Rebus,  Siobhan Clarke, and “Big Ger” Cafferty.  Somehow, Hannah’s characters are more faint, less compelling, and harder to picture or care about.  

Interestingly, our enthusiasm for, and our familiarity with, the regional setting turned out to be an unhelpful complication.  When the action featured local landmarks like North Shields quayside, we found it harder to stay on the page because our attention jumped to previous associations with the place. 

Some readers might find these observations unfair and hypercritical.  There is plenty of support for Hannah’s books on Amazon and she clearly has a strong following.  The truth is that members of this book group are just not interested in police procedurals. 

We reviewed this over a pub meal at The Robin Hood Inn   - large portions of pub grub in the shadow of Hadrians Wall.  

Our next book involves yet another crime - hopefully not too much procedure though!!