The Raven's Book Bunker

The Raven's Book Bunker Featuring the novels, blogs and various musings of Rohase Piercy (author of 'My Dearest Holmes') and Charlie Raven ('A Case Of Domestic Pilfering').

Readable but rather plodding story about a man whose UFO-obsessed girlfriend disappears without trace one day, and his f...
11/10/2025

Readable but rather plodding story about a man whose UFO-obsessed girlfriend disappears without trace one day, and his frantic search to find her. As might be imagined, it takes him to some very wacky places, and the plot is great, but for me the narrative lets it down - it's not as pacey and twisty as I like my psychological thrillers to be. The fact that it's mostly set on my home patch - the Suss*x South Coast - made me stick with it, and it does pick up pace towards the end so I'm glad I didn't give up on it!

A slow, sad and thoughtful novella, set over a long winter in the Pyrenees, about a young man whose unhappy mother walks...
06/10/2025

A slow, sad and thoughtful novella, set over a long winter in the Pyrenees, about a young man whose unhappy mother walks out of their house and village one day and never returns. According to the Afterword, it was inspired by a true local story - a story that remains unproven and unresolved, as does the mother's disappearance in the book - those hoping for a neat and tidy ending will be disappointed. But it's an immersive read, beautifully written, and Miquel's lonely, heart breaking struggle to come to terms with the loss that's left both him and his emotionally distant father bereft will stay with me for a long time.

This is a beautifully written account of the author's journey, on foot, from the source to the estuary of the River Ouse...
04/10/2025

This is a beautifully written account of the author's journey, on foot, from the source to the estuary of the River Ouse in Suss*x during the hot summer of 2009. Starting in the High Weald, where the water first rises as what seems at first to be nothing more than a muddy ditch, she walks stage by stage down to industrial Newhaven where the Ouse empties into the sea and the ferries depart for Dieppe.
Having planned her route meticulously, and booked her stop-off points at various pubs and guest houses along the way, she has plenty of time to consider not only the geography, flora and fauna that mark the course of the river, but also the history of the places it passes through. Much of this concerns the life and writings of Virginia Woolf, who famously drowned herself in the Ouse in in 1941, and since I'm not a fan of Woolf, or of the Bloomsbury set in general, finding them incredibly snobbish and self-indulgent, I found this much less interesting than, for example, Gideon Mantell's ground-breaking discoveries of dinosaur bones, or the Battle of Lewes where the Royalist soldiers, fleeing Simon de Montfort's victorious troops, drowned in the mud-flats still sitting on their poor horses in full armour. But Olivia Laing's descriptive powers are wonderful, and every stage of this personal pilgrimage springs to life in vivid detail. I'm so glad this was chosen for my local Book Club read - as an unadventurous Brighton girl I'd only ever really encountered the Ouse at Lewes and Newhaven, and now I feel I know it so much better!

Ah, you can't go wrong with Alan Bennett! I laugh out loud every time ... even when the subject matter is the ravages in...
27/09/2025

Ah, you can't go wrong with Alan Bennett! I laugh out loud every time ... even when the subject matter is the ravages inflicted by Covid on an old people's home.
There are the usual Bennet suspects such as the flasher the 'foot feller' and the closet queen, joined by a randy window cleaner, a wannabe archaeologist, a compulsive knitter and an alumna of Bletchley Park who wonders whether she's still bound by the Official Secrets Act.
When the bossy and pretentious proprietor of Hill Topp House, Mrs McBryde, is hospitalised with the virus along with the lead carer, the residents, far from being further restricted, are temporarily free to get up to all sorts of mischief - there's s*x in the bicycle shed (yes, really), a roaring bonfire, the recycling of designer gowns to make fancy masks, reminiscences of an affair with Molotov ('Oh, like the cocktail...') and, inevitably a few deaths - but the Hill Topp residents certainly know how to make an exit! I loved it!

It took me a while to get into this, and at first I thought I might have read it before, but that's because it's so simi...
26/09/2025

It took me a while to get into this, and at first I thought I might have read it before, but that's because it's so similar to Claire McGowan's 'What You Did', which also deals with the reunion of a group of University housemates who were witnesses in the case of a friend's murder.
This, however, is different in that old gang are called together by a True Crimes podcast that specialises in showcasing wrongful convictions. In a rather unbelievable scenario, they all consent to return to their old college accommodation to try and prove that none of them is the real murderer of former housemate Daisy, whose tutor committed su***de after spending years in prison for the crime.
It's bit ploddy, especially the bits where they're forced to listen to excruciating voice notes sent at regular intervals by the podcasters saying stuff like 'And now, to sum up what we already know about you all ...' but I did get more involved towards the end, especially as I wanted to know whether I'd correctly guessed the killer (I had). So enjoyable enough, but not the sort of gripping read I prefer in a psychological thriller.

A fast-paced read with plenty of red herrings, 'The New Neighbours' is presented from several different characters' pers...
23/09/2025

A fast-paced read with plenty of red herrings, 'The New Neighbours' is presented from several different characters' perspectives, but mostly from that of newly-separated, forty-something Lena, whose teenage son is dividing his time between her mother's house and his father's flat. When middle-aged couple Henry and Marielle move in next door, Lena initially welcomes the chance to make some new friends. But curiosity about the new neighbours quickly turns to suspicion when she overhears them discussing a nefarious plan, the details of which remain obscure. Gaining admission to their house with the old neighbour's key, she finds a series of press cuttings that seem to relate to her own past, and in particular to two of the colleagues she encountered during her days as a student midwife.
I didn't find the ending sufficiently convincing, after such an extensive build-up, it all seemed too hastily tidied up for my liking and I was looking for a final twist that didn't come. But still an enjoyable and immersive read.

Heart breaking and beautifully written story of a lonely, sensitive 9 year old boy who is unhappy at having to leave his...
17/09/2025

Heart breaking and beautifully written story of a lonely, sensitive 9 year old boy who is unhappy at having to leave his comfortable home in Berlin because of his father's promotion, and feels comfort when he finally makes a new friend - a boy of his own age who lives on the other side of the high wire fence outside his new home, and unaccountably always seems to be wearing striped pyjamas.
Of course we discover as the story unfolds that the father's new position is Commandant of Auschwitz, and everything else follows from that. But Bruno's innocence and hopeful and friendly attitude to life is all the more heart rending given the context, and the tragic ending is no doubt familiar to many due to the popularity of the film.
If you weren't already aware, John Boyne has written a sequel to this story, 'All The Broken Places', which follows the life of Bruno's sister Gretel, from the immediate post-war years up to her life as a ninety-something widow in a well-heeled part of London. That also is a must-read.
I don't know how Boyne does it, his writing is so versatile, but he seems to get under the skin of every character he creates, young or old, male or female, and make them utterly believable in all their complexity. One of the best writers around today, in my opinion.

Fascinating, riveting but chilling read about the experience of Witchfinder General Matthew Hopkins' (fictional) sister,...
14/09/2025

Fascinating, riveting but chilling read about the experience of Witchfinder General Matthew Hopkins' (fictional) sister, Alice.
Returning in 1645 to her home village of Manningtree in Ess*x as a pregnant widow, Alice is at first bemused and then appalled by her younger brother Matthew's obsession with identifying and questioning 'witches' - most of them women she'd known as a girl, who may have been a little eccentric but she knows were certainly not capable of casting spells to kill their neighbours' cattle or children, as is claimed. But Matthew has seemingly risen high in the esteem of the local authorities during her absence, and is given more and more leeway to carry out his searches across Ess*x and into Suffolk.
It seems to Alice that many of the peculiarities and behaviours of the accused women mirror that of their late mother, who suffered much from anxiety and obsessional behaviours; but when she tries to point this out to her brother, he becomes angry. She knows she has touched a nerve, however, and seeks answers from her mother-in-law Bridget, who was also her mother's old servant, realising only belatedly that this has put Bridget in danger.
When Alice loses the baby she is carrying, her brother forces her to accompany him on his travels and to take part in the 'watching' and interrogation of his victims - a role she tries to carry out with as much kindness as is possible under the circumstances, but which nevertheless fills her with guilt and despair.
Will she be able to get to the bottom of this frightening obsession of Matthew's without putting herself in danger? And will she, as she finds herself ever more closely watched by him and his underlings, be able to escape his clutches and make a new life for herself?
The author states that according to her research, Matthew Hopkins was one of six children, four of whom (all boys) have been identified by name - the other two could easily have been sisters, hence her appropriation of Alice as a believable character. This is a cracker of a debut novel from Beth Underdown, and I'll certainly be looking out for more from her.

I first read this reworking of the Theseus legend as a teenager, and then again in my early twenties - both times, in th...
09/09/2025

I first read this reworking of the Theseus legend as a teenager, and then again in my early twenties - both times, in the first flush of feminist fervour, I took exception to the vivid portrayal of casual misogyny and s*xual exploitation of women, even though it undoubtedly carries historical accuracy. This time, older, wiser and a Pagan, I was able to appreciate the depiction of the 'Old Religion' of the Earth Mother presented alongside (and wondered why Renault never got round to setting a book in this context, with a female protagonist - she would have done it so well - was she afraid that rewriting Classical myth from a female point of view would carry less credence? That could well have been the case in the late 1950s/early 1960s, though of course it's practically been done to death now ....)
Of course, in the original legend Theseus is a cad and a bounder, thirsty for power and cruelly abandoning Ariadne, the Cretan princess he's promised to marry, on the island of Naxos. Renault writes him subjectively as a much more sympathetic character, and gives him a rather chilling but understandable reason for leaving Ariadne behind (one that I didn't fully understand on my earlier readings, being unfamiliar with the Rites of Dionysus).
What really stood out for me this time, though, was the power of the Gods in Renault's writing, particularly Poseidon, Theseus' putative Divine father, the Earth-Shaker who manifests in the earthquake, the tsunami, and in his sacred animals, the Horse and the Bull. None of today's feminist reconstructions of Classical myth seem to treat the Gods with such seriousness and respect, often reducing them to the level of capricious, spoilt children. I realised that it was this numinous quality that drew me to Renault's writing in the first place, as a youngster, and I appreciate it even more in later life, and was really pleased to have rediscovered 'The King Must Die' in a local charity shop and give it the appreciative reading it deserves!

Well, following all the recent Polari Prize controversy, I thought I'd better start getting acquainted with John Boyne's...
23/08/2025

Well, following all the recent Polari Prize controversy, I thought I'd better start getting acquainted with John Boyne's writing, so went along to my local Library and what should I find but 'The Echo Chamber' - which, as synchronicity would have it, is all about the toxicity of social media!
The truly awful Cleverley family - celebrity TV interviewer George, his wife Beverly, 'author' of numerous chick-lit novels that are actually the work of paid ghost writers, and their three children, neuro-diverse, uniform-obsessed Nelson (the only likeable one of the whole clan), Twitter-obsessed nepo baby Elizabeth, and teenage Achilles who despite his extreme youth has already embarked on a career as a blackmailer of older men - encounter a series of real-world challenges for which they are woefully ill-prepared, and their individual and collective downfalls are a joy to witness, happening as they do in slow-motion for the delight of the reader. There are so many laugh-out-loud moments, as Boyne ruthlessly mocks the tyranny of a Woke, virtue-signalling, all-pervading social media in which one's every comment, word or even 'like' could trigger outrage, ostracism, or the ultimate punishment, cancellation.
'I'm starting to feel that nowadays there's no-one more bigoted than a liberal,' wails George at one point; 'The right-wingers, at least they have their own hatred, and don't try to dress it up as anything other than the intolerant, narrow-minded, self-serving bu****it that it is. You know where you are with the Right. But the Left? My God, disagree with them for a moment, even dare to ask a question or deviate from the company line, and they're on you like flies on s**t. They won't stand for even an iota of disagreement, pleading for kindness while masking their own intolerance in sanctimony.'
Can't argue with that for a moment, and now that poor John Boyne has himself been the victim of just such a sanctimonious pile-on in a truly Wildean case of Life imitating Art, I'm determined to read a lot more of his stuff and hope that the whole fiasco brings him a host of new readers and fans!

Lovely heart-warming tale about an unlikely group of friends who decide to attend local Public Health Funerals (funerals...
11/08/2025

Lovely heart-warming tale about an unlikely group of friends who decide to attend local Public Health Funerals (funerals carried by the local authority for individuals who die alone, in poverty and with no next of kin). The group consists of kindly part-time librarian George, his much younger work colleague Roxy, local funeral director Edwin and his colleague Niall, generous florist Elena, and belatedly, fledgling reporter Briony. Together they decide not only to attend and witness these lonely funerals, but also to find out as much as they can about the deceased and their lives, in order to add a personal touch.
Of course they all also have their own lives and journeys, and George, Roxy and Briony in particular are also lonely people, with problems to deal with and relationships to iron out.
Cleverly interwoven into the narrative are snippets from the earlier lives of each deceased individual whose funeral is witnessed by the Light A Candle Society, and it all adds up to a beautiful and uplifting story of community, friendship and kindness. The perfect pick-me-up for anyone who needs reminding that the world isn't all doom and gloom!

There are a lot of retellings of the Classical myths and histories from a female point of view around at the moment - so...
05/08/2025

There are a lot of retellings of the Classical myths and histories from a female point of view around at the moment - some of them better than others, and this is definitely one of the best. It's right up there with Pat Barker's 'Silence of the Girls' in my opinion.
Set in a 'Lupanar' in Pompei - literally a 'Wolf Den' but colloquially a brothel - it spares no reader's sensibilities in describing the humiliations, degradations and dangers suffered by the women enslaved there. The main character is Timarete, renamed Amara, formerly a doctor's daughter in Greece but sold first into concubinage and then into slavery following her father's death and the family debts that accumulated subsequently. She and Dido, a young girl trafficked from Carthage, were both born free unlike their fellow prostitutes, and consequently find the life harder to adjust to - especially as their pimp, the brothel owner Felix, is a cruel and brutal master. However Amara is determined to use her skills and education to carve out a path away from prostitution, even if it means having to court the favour of a rich man.
There are many twists and turns to Amara's story, and at one point I thought the ending was going to be much more tragic than it is - that's not to say that it's entirely happy either, but part of the story's credibility lies in its illustration that for those in enslavement, compromises must be made in the struggle to gain a better life.
The author's research has obviously been meticulous, and anyone familiar with the excavation of Pompeii will recognise some of the artifacts, graffiti and locations that appear in this very immersive story. I devoured the whole thing in under three days!

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