Frances Garrood The Birds, the Bees and Other Secrets

"Introducing England's most eccentric family . . .

I am about to start this book and can't wait!

It is the early Sixties, and thirteen-year old Cassandra Fitzpatrick is growing up in a household full of waifs and strays and general misfits. Despite her unorthodox home life, however, she is generally content – until something happens to her that turns her life upside-down.
Cass’s unhappiness deepens when she wins a scholarship to boarding school and is torn away from all she knows and loves – especially her adored, if wildly unconventional, mother. In time, Cass begins to settle down, but accustomed though she is to her mother's eccentricities, even she is not prepared for the announcement Mrs Fitzpatrick is about to make.
Years later, as her beloved mother lies dying from cancer, the adult Cass is reassessing the experiences, good and bad, that have made her who she is. The Bird, the Bees and Other Secrets is the story of how one woman comes to terms with her extraordinary past and eventually finds happiness. It is a novel about the brevity of childhood and the responsibilities of adults, and a reminder that love can be found in the most unexpected places."

About the Author

Frances Garrood's main career was in nursing, and she published many short stories in the odd moments between working and bringing up her four children. She was also a Relate counsellor for many years, and now counsels clients privately at home. She lives with her husband in Wiltshire.

Brian McGilloway: Gallows Lane

Brian McGilloway's second novel, Gallows Lane, came out back in Spring and I believe I saw it in Borders at Terminal Four at Heathrow. It may have been his first novel, however, as I was dashing through and didn't have time to take a close look. Also spotted was Annabel's Dore's The Great North Road. My own book was in a bookshop in central Sydney and I managed to sign five copies, which was a thrill.

But back to Brian and the second Inspector Devlin mystery... Here's what was posted about the novel on the Macmillan New Writers website. I'm rerunning all these blogs about new MNW titles because I know there are more people out there who ought to know about these books.

I can't wait to get hold of this novel.

Taking its title from the name of the road down which condemned Donegal criminals were once led, Gallows Lane follows Inspector Benedict Devlin as he investigates a series of gruesome murders in and around the Irish borderlands. When a young woman is found beaten to death on a building site, in what appears to be a sexually-motivated killing, Devlin’s enquiries soon point to a local body-builder and steroid addict. But days later, born-again ex-con James Kerr is found nailed to a tree – crucified – having been released from prison and returned to his hometown to spread the word of God.

Increasingly torn between his young family and his job, Devlin is determined to apprehend those responsible for the murders be-fore they strike again, even as the carnage begins to jeopardise those he cares about most.
Gallows Lane is the heart-stopping follow-up to Brian McGilloway's acclaimed debut Borderlands.

'Brian McGilloway joins the roll-call of excellence in Irish crime fiction' - Marcel Berlins, The Times

About the author:

Brian McGilloway was born in Derry, Northern Ireland in 1974, and teaches English at St Columb’s College, Derry. Previously he has written plays and short stories. He lives near the Borderlands, with his wife and their two sons.