The Canterville Ghost is a short story by Oscar Wilde written in 1887 but the style, content and commentary is surprisingly modern. This Christmas it was re-interpreted into a 4 hour (2×2 hour episodes, including adverts) version starring Caroline Catz, James Lance and the wonderful Antony Head as the Ghost. It has been at least 20 years since I Iast read the book so I thought I would re-read it and compare with the televised version.
The novella is less than a hundred pages and will probably take under an hour to read. An American family purchase the Canterville estate, ghost and all. Sir Simon killed his wife and was left to starve to death by her brothers. He is unrepentant and has enjoyed haunting ever since, using different personas to create mayhem. Simon meets his match in the American family who frustrate his every attempt to spook them. He finally finds eternal rest thanks to the daughter of the family, however the details are a little sketchy.
The style of writing is humorous and there are wry remarks about American politics of the time. I was surprised at how modern the writing seemed despite being 136 years old! Despite featuring a ghost, the book is not very spooky. I think the novella would make a fun introduction to classics for teens (along with Dickens’ A Christmas Carol)
The 2022 TV version fleshes out the story considerably. The ghost has been cursed by the family of his handfasted gypsy wife who he abandoned due to pressure from his parents to marry appropriately.
The humour is still evident but less political. There are extra characters to bulk out the detail and provide the past and present with an increased range of personalities, emotion and plot. I felt that this led to a more thorough examination of the characters’ motives and actions and made them seem more realistic.
I have to confess that I love Antony Head (or Anthony Stewart Head as he will always be to us Buffy afficionados!) His portrayal of Sir Simon’s despair at being thwarted in his attempt to spook alongside his friendship with a rat and his hope of redemption, give his character depth.
Both versions play on the power of love to defeat death as well as the machinations of class and society. I think the televised version will appeal more to modern audiences who want a greater depth of understanding of the characters.
Detectives Katie Scott and Scott McGaven are taking a shortcut home when their car has a minor accident. They are forced to stay in the small town of Coldwater Creek overnight but when they prepare to leave in the morning, the local chief begs them for help with a body: the first murder ever in the town but not the last…
The Rose Girls is the 9th book in the Katie Scott series. However, it would work as a standalone as there are no spoilers about previous cases, although obviously Katie’s personal life has developed over the series.
A teenager has been killed and posed. The chief asks for help and offers as much assistance as the detectives could want. But something doesn’t feel right and Katie suspects that the chief and the other locals are keeping secrets which are hindering the investigation.
Katie feels quite emotional due to being away from home and the youth of the victim. She remains focussed and determined to find justice. The descriptons of the bodies are quite grisly and there is autopsy detail included in the plot. These feed into Katie’s revulsion at the crime and make us want her to succeed.
Katie is frequently in danger and facing dramatic physical situations. She is pushed in a river, shot at, trapped in a building, and falls down an embankment. She nearly gives up several times but has the ample support of her partner McGaven, her lover Chad, her military dog Cisco and the rest of the police team.
The Rose Girls is an enjoyable detective thriller.
Book Description:
Like a precious doll, the girl leans against the towering pine tree with her long bare legs stretched out and her hands folded neatly in her lap. Her head tilts towards the sky, but this innocent child will never feel the warm glow of morning sun again; her fragile little body is cold, her tender heart is still.
When Detective Katie Scott receives a plea from neighboring Coldwater Creek to help with a tragic murder, she doesn’t hesitate. Fifteen-year-old Ivy Miller’s naked body was found tied to a tree, a freshly inked pink rose tattoo on her arm. The word “MORE” carved into her back means sweet Ivy could be the first of many…
Katie’s heart aches for the young girl whose life ended before it had even begun. But she has her work cut out with the inexperienced police department fumbling the case at every turn. There hasn’t been a murder in this small town for as long as anyone can remember, but why will none of the locals cooperate? Katie’s only lead is a blurry photograph of Ivy’s long-missing mother found in Ivy’s bedroom. If she can find out where it was taken, Katie knows she’ll have the first clue in a mystery that has been haunting Coldwater Creek for years.
But Katie’s world crashes down when Ivy’s two best friends are found murdered in the same woods days later. Inked with the same pretty flower, the rose girls were keeping a deadly secret. Katie will never forgive herself for not making the connection in time. As mothers cling to their daughters, terrified to let them out of their sight, Katie’s search leads her to an abandoned building deep in the forest where the last photo of Ivy’s mother was taken. But will she survive long enough to stop more heart-shattering tragedies?
A totally nail-biting, keep-you-up-all-night crime thriller from a USA Today and Amazon bestselling author. Prepare to pick your jaw up from the floor at that final twist! Fans of Lisa Regan, Rachel Caine and Melinda Leigh will be absolutely gripped!
Author Bio:
Jennifer Chase is a multi award-winning and best-selling crime fiction author, as well as a consulting criminologist. Jennifer holds a bachelor degree in police forensics and a master’s degree in criminology & criminal justice. These academic pursuits developed out of her curiosity about the criminal mind as well as from her own experience with a violent psychopath, providing Jennifer with deep personal investment in every story she tells.
In addition, she holds certifications in serial crime and criminal profiling. She is an affiliate member of the International Association of Forensic Criminologists, and member of the International Thriller Writers.
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Drew and Fern move to the small village of Arberness to get away from the pressure of city living. But Drew has been having an affair and has followed his lover in order to rekindle their romance. Can he keep the secret from his wife…?
The Doctor’s Wife is a psychological thriller set in the north of England.
Fern has given her husband a second chance but he doesn’t even know it. She is fully aware of his affair yet is hoping their marriage will survive. He is blissfully ignorant that she knows the truth, believing that he can fool her. Neither of the main characters is particularly pleasant, both being ruthless and devious.
Most of the book is written in the present day but there are some chapters from the past. The first person narrative swaps between Fern and Drew in the first half of the book so we see the secrets they are each keeping from the other. I loved the dual narrative for showing the contrasting perspectives and opinions on the same scenarios.
This is quite a quick read and I couldn’t put it down. I was completely swept up in the characters’ lives. I did feel that the final twist in the epilogue was perhaps one too far and stretched my credulity, however it was clever.
The Doctor’s Wife was a gripping and twisty novel about secrets and lies.
I have previously read other books by Daniel Hurst including The Accident, and The Break.
MEDIA PACK
The Doctor’s Wife: An absolutely gripping and unputdownable psychological thriller with a shocking twist
He thinks his secret is safe. But she knows the truth…
My husband is a doctor. He’s smart and charming and everybody trusts him. Except me.
On the surface, it looks like I have it all – the perfect marriage, the perfect husband, the perfect life. But it’s far from the truth.
Doctor Drew Devlin is not the respectable figure he makes out to be. The reason we moved to this beautiful, old property with a gorgeous view of the sea was because we needed to put our past behind us. It should’ve been a fresh start for us both.
Except I’ve discovered my husband has been lying to me again. He’s using the power he has in his job to mess with people’s lives, and to get exactly what he wants – no matter who it hurts.
But he’s underestimated me. I’ve had plenty of time, in this big, isolated house, to think about all of his mistakes.
And my husband has no idea what’s about to happen next…
From the number one bestselling author of The Passenger, an absolutely gripping psychological thriller packed with jaw-dropping twists that will keep you reading late into the night. If you love Behind Closed Doors, Gone Girl and The Housemaid, you’ll be hooked on The Doctor’s Wife.
About Daniel Hurst
Daniel Hurst writes psychological thrillers and loves to tell tales about unusual things happening to normal people. He has written all his life, making the progression from handing scribbled stories to his parents as a boy to writing full length novels in his thirties. He lives in the North West of England, returning to his roots after several years away exploring the world and garnering plenty of ideas for future books!
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Alexi is newly single and unemployed so she heads for her friends’ hotel Hopwood Hall in the countryside. They are concerned about another friend who has disappeared. Alexi’s journalist instinct kicks in and she is convinced that there is something sinister behind Natalie’s disappearance. She joins forces with ex cop Jack who is also looking for Natatlie…
A Date To Die For is the first book in a new cosy murder mystery series set in London and the south of England.
We as readers are instantly drawn to Alexi as she adjusts to drastic changes in her personal life and career. She is accompanied by the wonderful Cosmo, a fearsome and magnificent cat who is a brilliant judge of character. She meets Jack who is also hugely likable and there is a romantic tension between the pair so I’m hoping for more in future books.
The case itself surrounds a missing woman. Natalie has vanished and Jack’s sister runs the dating agency that she had joined. He quickly investigates the dates and discovers huge secrets from Natalie’s past could actually be responsible for her disappearance. There are some big plot twists and I wasn’t able to unravel the mystery before our investigators.
A Date To Die For is an enjoyable cosy murder mystery. It sets up the main characters well so I am looking forward to reading more from this series.
A Date To Die For
The start of brand-new Cozy Crime series! Welcome to Hopgood Hall.
An unlikely duo…
When investigative journalist, Alexi Ellis, falls victim to cutbacks, she and Cosmo, her anti-social feral cat, head for beautiful Hopgood Hall, where they plan to lick their wounds in the boutique hotel run by her old friends, Cheryl and Drew Hopgood.
A missing woman…
But when she arrives Alexi discovers Cheryl and Drew both distraught. Their close friend, Natalie Parker, who recently settled in the area, has gone missing. Alexi’s sure the woman has just taken a trip somewhere, but she still has a nose for a story and agrees to look into it.
A case to solve!
So too does ex-Met Police detective turned private eye, Jack Maddox. Natalie Parker had been using his sister’s online dating agency and Jack needs to find her before his sister’s business is ruined.
Reluctantly, Alexi, Jack – and Cosmo! – join forces to find out what happened to Natalie. But soon they discover secrets that someone desperately wants to make sure are never revealed!
Perfect for fans of Faith Martin, Frances Evesham and Emma Davies.
Author Bio –
Evie Hunter has written a great many successful regency romances as Wendy Soliman and is now redirecting her talents to produce dark gritty thrillers and cozy crime for Boldwood. For the past twenty years she has lived the life of a nomad, roaming the world on interesting forms of transport, but has now settled back in the UK.
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Bomb explosions, armed robberies, and finally murder. Four men dressed as the Beatles are destroying the calm on the island of Guernsey and DI Liam O’Reilly is desperately hunting for the killers.
Chaos On The Island is the 9th book in the O’Reilly series. It is not necessary to have read the previous books but I would recommend them all as this is one of my favourites series!
Once again, Liam is thrown into a dramatic and thrilling case. Four robbers dressed as the Beatles escalate their crimes until they include murder. The police investigation is in chaos as they struggle to cope with the number of crimes and the danger faced by the public.
There are lots of twists and red herrings as chaos develops. I felt that the deaths were quite shocking and unexpected, really emphasising the chaos theme of the book. As with his earlier books, the author uses dialogue to drive the plot forwards and immerse us in the crimes and investigation. Beatles fans will also enjoy trying to find the song titles dotted throughout the plot.
Liam has some personal issues in this book, including his daughter wanting to move out, his girlfriend is ill and his cat has found a friend. There is a careful balance of humour, fear and sadness which gives a strong emotional link between the characters and the reader.
Chaos On The Island is another excellent book in this wonderful series.
CHAOS ON THE ISLAND (Detective Liam O’Reilly book 9)
If there’s one thing Detective Liam O’Reilly hates, it’s bombs.
The Irishman transferred to the peaceful island of Guernsey to escape that kind of thing.
So, when random explosions start taking the people on the island by surprise, O’Reilly wonders if moving to Guernsey was such a good idea.
It soon becomes clear that the bombs are a smokescreen for something else. Something more sinister is going on, and when a gang of masked men enter the equation, O’Reilly realises this has nothing to do with blowing things up.
A team of armed men, dubbed the Fab Four Robbers by the press, soon capture the hearts of the people of Guernsey, and chaos hits the island.
O’Reilly is facing the worst dilemma of his career.
Many residents of the island are championing these thugs.
This new breed of criminals disguised as John, Paul, George and Ringo are about to educate O’Reilly in the fine art of chaos.
Stewart Giles – Author Bio
After reading English at 3 Universities and graduating from none of them, I set off travelling around the world with my wife, Ann, finally settling in South Africa, where we still live.
In 2014 Ann dropped a rather large speaker on my head and I came up with the idea for a detective series. DS Jason Smith was born. Smith, the first in the series was finished a few months later.
3 years and 8 DS Smith books later, Joffe Books wondered if I would be interested in working with them. As a self-published author, I agreed. However, we decided on a new series – the DC Harriet Taylor: Cornwall series.
The Beekeeper was published and soon hit the number one spot in Australia. The second in the series, The Perfect Murder did just as well.
I continued to self-publish the Smith series and Unworthy hit the shelves in 2018 with amazing results. I therefore made the decision to self-publish The Backpacker which is book 3 in the Detective Harriet Taylor series which was published in July 2018.
After The Backpacker I had an idea for a totally new start to a series – a collaboration between the Smith and Harriet thrillers and The Enigma was born. It brought together the broody, enigmatic Jason Smith and the more level-headed Harriet Taylor.
The Miranda trilogy is something totally different. A psychological thriller trilogy. It is a real departure from anything else I’ve written before.
The Detective Jason Smith series continues to grow. I also have another series featuring an Irish detective who relocated to Guernsey, the Detective Liam O’Reilly series. There are also 3 stand alone novels.
Twitter: @stewartgiles
