Julie McLaren

A new book from an author whose work I enjoy.

Invisible Damage

Amaozon.com link

My review -

Julie McLaren has taken a woman who has had her confidence destroyed and allowed us to watch her pull herself up again. She not only tells us you can recover from inner hurts but lets us see it happening. It’s not an easy transition, however, and there are problems along the way for Samantha. As we watch her re-establish herself as a successful professional woman and I found myself cheering for her. I also winced at some of the past sections as we saw her husband’s undermining and sniping. The writing is fluid and elegant and I found the transition from present to past and back clear and easy to follow. A very enjoyable story.

Julie McLaren

Back and forth in time - what really happened?

An Unfortunate Incident

Amazon.com link

My review -

Alice and Georgia were inseparable for a year in early secondary school in the 1960s. Georgie’s family were better-off than Alice’s and, when they meet again nearly fifty years later, they each acknowledge that they envied each other. They lost contact following an incident which traumatised them both in different ways.

The story follows the 1960s narrative and the 2016 reunion, the former from Alice’s point of view and the latter from a third person viewpoint. There were plenty of small details which absolutely nailed the early 60s in time, for me, and I enjoyed it a great deal. After Alice has invited the now homeless Georgie to stay for a few days, little truths emerge and we realise the full import of what happened back then. Though it moves back and forth in time, it’s easy to follow, and a fascinating look at contrasting life-styles and expectations. It’s also a reminder that events, and people, aren’t always as we perceive them to be. Highly recommended.

Julie McLaren

A mystery to be solved and a mind to untangle - a fascinating story.

The Art of Forgetting

Amazon.com

My review -

Judy, though only in her 60s, becomes aware that she's losing her memory. Not the simple misplaced purse but whole sections of the day she can't remember – finding herself out dog-walking and unaware of how to get home. Her daughters Laura and Kelly find a respite place for her and it rapidly becomes apparent that she can no longer cope. While clearing her house, Laura finds part of an A4 pad on which her mother has started writing about her youth, with special reference to a mystery disappearance. Laura's own life begins to echo some aspects of her mother's. Things come to a head with a family wedding.

This is a super mystery story but it's also a detailed and affectionate look at a mother's failing mind. The day to day difference between a good day and a day when things go completely haywire is well observed. Judy is sometimes irrational or anxious which makes Laura's exploration of her past very difficult. We finally discover the truth about the past but it wasn't as simple as Judy, or her daughter, believed. A splendid story, highly recommended.

I received an advance copy for review.

Julie McLaren

This psychological thriller starts straight in - no messing about. 

The Butterfly Effect

Amazon.com The Butterfly Effect

My review - 

Amy wakes up in a strange room. She’s locked in with a freezer full of food and a wardrobe of clothes which look like her own but are new. She’s been abducted by her stalker. We know this from the start. She’s in mourning for the love of her life and bumped into a man at a gig where she sang with her friend’s band – The Butterfly Effect. He’s creepy, manipulative and she regrets giving him any positive signals. There are two people looking out for her. One is Olga, her friend from the band; the other is her late boyfriend’s best mate, a man Olga can’t stand. Amy is conflicted.

This is an unusual ‘stalker story’ in that the abduction has already happened by the time we enter the narrative. We watch as Amy works out, with horror, what has gone on in her life and how difficult it is making choices of friends. I enjoyed the tension set up in the story and Amy’s initial denials of what she eventually finds to be the truth. A very good, well-written read.

Julie McLaren

This is the third book of Julie's that I've read and I love her style. Each time she has changed genre. This, to me, is the true strength of indie books.

Chickens

Amazon.com Chickens

My review -

Tony's girlfriend has just left him, telling him that he's socially inept. He is left in charge of her three rescued ex-battery hens. He decided to fill the hollow in his life by offering to join a mentoring scheme and befriending Justin, a young man in care. We begin to see parallels between Tony's and Justin's lives and watch as Justin takes himself rapidly off the rails. One aspect I particularly enjoyed was Tony's emails to his ex in which he tells her the highs and lows of his relationship with Justin. He saves them all to a file because she has told him that if he contacts her she'll just change her email account. It’s like having an invisible person in the story.

I loved the interplay of characters here. Tony has his eye on the girl who runs the mentoring courses. As the story progresses he gets his life together and learns social skills and this is wonderfully observed and recorded. I read this book in just a couple of days because the characters came alive for me and I felt I needed to know the outcome. This is a great story and quite different from the author's previous work. I do love to see versatility in an author and Julie McLaren demonstrates it brilliantly.

Julie McLaren

This is a real work of intrigue! I enjoyed it a great deal.

Deceiving Ellie

Amazon.com Deceiving Ellie

My review - 

Ellie is a creative writing student who falls for the enigmatic Adam. He sometimes seems cold or distant and occasionally disappears off home and out of touch. To her delight he invites her to stay for a week with him in a caravan in the wilds of Shropshire but things don't go as she's imagined them.

This story had me intrigued all the way through. Whenever I felt I was on top of the story it shifted in a subtle way and I was back wondering again. Even in the last few percent I was thrown off-course a couple more times. I really enjoyed this unusual story.