Lose yourself in a good (local) book

Abook that explores our relationship with the land; a bloody rebellion in medieval Norwich, the twelfth book in a series of confounding crime stories and a story that moves seamlessly from Tudor times to the modern era.

Five reviewers give their take on Norfolk’s contemporary literary scene and whet the appetite for bibliophiles who love their literature to come with a sense of place.

The Secrets of Saffron Hall

by Clare Marchant

The Secrets of Saffron Hall is an incredibly interesting historical story set in Norfolk with a dual timeline: one is set in the Tudor era and the other in the present time.

The author, Clare Marchant, was extremely skilled in weaving the two storylines together without causing any confusion or break within the narrative, and she also created two very strong and determined female characters, with whom readers could easily relate with, and become attached to in an emotional way.

I love historical fiction and was very excited to read this book, and I found it absolutely charming, especially as I live in Kings Lynn, which was mentioned many times throughout the book. The setting was beautifully described and it was easy to imagine the scenes set in the Tudor times.

that led to me becoming completely absorbed into the happenings at Saffron Hall and especially with the lives and losses of the two women that lived there, one who was from the Hall’s past and one who is its future mistress.

Review by Susanne Edge

The Night Hawks

by Elly Griffiths

The Night Hawks is one of the more recent Ruth Galloway novels, but whether this is your first foray around the Norfolk coastal roads with Ruth or you’ve been following the series since 2009, it’s a perfect example of Elly Griffiths considerable talent.

The author’s appreciation of the beguiling Norfolk coastline is clear and she uses this to sustain a tense backdrop throughout. As you would expect with a lead character who has endured for more than a decade, Ruth is a relatable, well-defined protagonist who is passionate and meticulous as a Forensic Archeologist at the fictional University of Norwich.

Tombland

by CJ Sansom

Who doesn’t love walking round the actual locations of an historic event particularly if it’s being traced through a wonderful fictional account? And when it is set in the beautiful city of Norwich with references to other locations in Norfolk what could be better?

I love taking visitors to Wymondham and the “City” to show them the location of Ketts Rebellion, particularly as told by the fantastic writer, C J Sansom in Tombland, the sixth in the series of the Shardlake chronicles.

As with all of Sansom’s books the story is based on actual events, this time weaving a Norfolk family link to Lady Elizabeth, the future queen, with a rebellion resisting enclosures and the gentry’s exploitation of the common people. Neither story has been explored much in fiction, or even non-fiction accounts, giving the author the room to dive deeper into the lives of the ordinary folk swept up in extraordinary events.

From the camp on Mousehold Heath to the fighting in the streets of Norwich, it’s easy to be caught up in the cause, as the pendulum swings from power in the hands of the people to a time when the royalty and the military have the upper hand.

The parallel story of a Boleyn family member allows a visit to Blickling Hall, to show off the family’s link to the county. But my imagination stretches to other great Tudor houses where the relative could have lived.

Any opportunity to read such a fantastic book, learn more about our local history and have an excuse to visit this wonderful county, deserves top marks from me.

This is not purely a book about agricultural policy however; Fiennes writes evocatively about nature, he talks honestly about his own upbringing as a member of a well-known family and, most importantly, he offers a plea and some policy to farmers and landowners to explore ways in which they can farm profitably using nature-friendly practices.

however;

Review by Dawn Course

Whatever Next?

By Lady Anne Glenconner

What an entertaining witty and delightful book this is – having read Lady Anne’s memoir Lady in Waiting, I already had an insight into her rather extraordinary life. Whatever Next? lets us into a more in-depth account of various parts of her growing up at Holkham Hall and onto her adult life, with the very many ups and downs she has encountered on her journey.

She married in her early 20s, having ‘come out’ in society and is always generous describing her husband Colin, who, although fascinating, exuberant and exciting much of the time could also be incredibly difficult with a fierce temper. Adjustment to motherhood was immensely tricky – in the early days with her eldest child, her nanny was rather a bully and took away a lot of confidence at a time that any of us mothers know can be a hard.

She was given a no-nonsense attitude from her mother, who always urged her to look forward and not dwell on hard times.

to create these absorbing intricate enjoyed how the historical sections

Much research was obviously done to create these absorbing intricate details that brought the characters and the situations to life for the reader’s pleasure. I particularly enjoyed how the historical sections were intertwined with the modern-day scenes via the Prayer book.

The secrets were enthralling and I found the book was absolutely gripping to read. Emotional at times, I discovered myself willing Amber on with her mission, not only to help her grandfather but to overcome her own heartbreak and for her to start embracing her life once more.

Such a beautiful story, that was told with such clarity and intricate details,

Ruth lives with her daughter in a remote coastal cottage, supported by a loyal and interesting cast who between them create the platform for the continuing story of her personal life which plays out over the series. Griffiths is measured in how this ongoing narrative is portrayed in each book, ensuring that the reader knows enough but is also intrigued to know more, whether that be what has gone before in previous books or what is still to come.

Review by Joanna Ballman

Ruth doesn’t suffer fools gladly, so you can imagine how she feels about The Night Hawks, a group of metal detecting enthusiasts who stumble across a body alongside a haul of Bronze Age weapons during a nocturnal outing on a Norfolk beach.

Griffiths adeptly handles a complex plot as we see Ruth embroiled in a multi-faceted mystery requiring her professional skills to solve a head scratching murder, all beneath the uneasy shadow of one of Norfolk’s most renowned folklores, Black Shuck, a terrifying black spectral hound.

Ruth doesn’t suffer fools gladly, so you haul of Bronze Age weapons during a nocmulti-faceted mystery requiring of one of Norfolk’s most outside,

Land Healer

by Jake Fiennes

A lot of people know about wildlife, a lot of people understand farming, a few people are getting to grips with the government’s agricultural and environmental policy. Very few people have an in-depth understanding of all three. Even fewer have the ability to link the three complex areas together to arrive at cogent plans for nature recovery within an effective farming system. In Land Healer, Jakes Fiennes has pulled off this hat trick quite magnificently.

Lady Glenconner recognises that she was born to considerable privilege but in a world where nannies did the majority of looking after the children. This left Ann and Colin to entertain, be entertained and do a lot of moving house – several times Colin announced a relocation without Ann even having seen the new property.

Her sense of humour is resounding throughout – that and her faith have been a constant, giving her great strength.

There was a purchase of the Caribbean island of Mustique, which Colin almost singlehandedly got up and running from a very basic community to one with mains electricity and water. This gave many of the locals jobs as well as wowing the local society with their amazing parties.

Whatever the weather outside, by the end you’ll be craving the big skies and unique Norfolk coastline – and more adventures with Ruth Galloway. Review by Lisa Forster (left).

– and more adventures with Galloway.

From the importance of hedgerows and field margins to the fact that many farm contractors have lost touch with nature to the polarising debate about the impact of cattle on grazing land – Fiennes has used his experiences, first as a game-keeper and now a conservation manager on the Holkham Estate, to unravel and lay bare many of the arguments around farming and nature.

Ann and Colin tragically lost two of their sons and acknowledges that she could almost certainly not have got through those terrible times without her dear friends who always gave her steadfast support.

This is such a thoroughly absorbing read and Lady Anne is totally charming. She happily agreed to sign several of the books for me at Christmas and when I popped over to her house, she couldn’t have been more lovely.

Review by Caroline Owsley-Brown (above).