Ebbing Tides by F.K. Sewell

Reviewer: Jerome Griffin

What we thought: Ebbing Tides, the second instalment in the Black Feather Trilogy, is much darker and more sinister than the first novel, The Kestrel, and plots a course for Alex and his crewmates into the murky waters of uncharted territory.

The story opens with an unexpected and unwanted surprise: Captain Nathaniel Winters has disappeared and been replaced by the callous, vindictive and largely incompetent Captain Grahams. With nepotism being alive and well, Grahams has hand-picked a number of sycophantic associates to join the officers and crew on board and this motley collection of cretins and thugs see to it that the original crew are kept in check.

As if that wasn’t bad enough, The Kestrel is being hunted by the Vliet brothers looking for revenge, as well as the ghost of a ship that they had previously sunk. As the stakes rise and the new captain’s ineptitude leads to one disastrous decision after another, the original crew begin to plot a mutiny led by the fiery Vesta Calida.

The volatile former first mate, who has been demoted to the rank of quartermaster under the command of Grahams, really comes into her own in this book and her strength and courage continually shine through her battle-scarred body. She leads by example and intelligence and uses her expertise as a sailor to protect her crew and get them through many a sticky situation.

In the meantime, Alex and Kitty’s friendship blossoms into something more and adds depth to their characters. Indeed, one of Sewell’s strengths as an author is relationship development and she delicately plucks at the reader’s empathy strings with all the main characters.

In contrast to The Kestrel, Ebbing Tides has less action, but greater tension, which makes for a more gripping read. The plot and drama are still there, and even though it always feels as though it is the middle of the story, it still moves on apace and keeps the wind in its sails. In many ways, it put me in mind of The Empire Strikes Back as the real meat in the Star Wars story, with Ebbing Tides fulfilling a similar role in the Black Feather tale.

If the finale can deliver a Return of the Jedi, F.K. Sewell will have delivered a wonderfully accomplished saga.

You’ll enjoy this if you like: Pirate tales and strong female characters.

Avoid if you dislike: Adventure series

Ideal accompaniments: Spiced rum punch and winter warming stew!

Genre: Historical fiction, adventure

Available on Amazon

Summer House With Swimming Pool by Herman Koch

Reviewer: Jerome Griffin www.shortepublishing.com.

What we thought: In Summer House With Swimming Pool, Herman Koch holds a mirror up to polite, civilised, western society and watches it squirm and balk at its own ugliness. As he did in his previous novel, The Dinner, Koch paints a canvas of upstanding, decent citizens who abide by the law and frown upon the dregs of society. They may occasionally bend the rules to suit their needs, but only the silly little rules, never the big important ones. And it's always for a good reason.

The story centres around Marc Schlosser, a doctor with an enviable patient list packed full of famous household names, including the celebrated actor, Ralph Meier. The stars flock to Dr. Schlosser because he has a reputation for real care and attention to detail. Marc's unique selling point is that he spends twenty minutes on each appointment, a practice unheard of in today's pacy world.

Patients love him for it, but he, like all other doctors, knows what the problem is within the first sixty seconds. The rest of the time is just fluff. More often than not he daydreams as his patients moan about their dull lives – none duller than the boorish Ralph Meier. But, when Ralph invites Marc and his family to join the Meiers on their summer holiday, Marc goes out of his way to make it happen... for his own mercenary reasons.

The families are joined by Stanley, an ageing film director and his teenage model girlfriend, and as the holiday progresses and each character follows their own agenda, relationships become increasingly strained. As tensions mount the masks slip and we see these upstanding citizens for who they truly are.

Koch's gift is his squirm factor. He seduces his readers with average everyday characters in average everyday scenarios. Then he leads them with hypnotic ease, one chicken step at a time, to the scene of their most vivid horror. By the time they realise where the story has taken them, they are far beyond their comfort zone. Imagine waking up naked in the middle of an open city square surrounded by the people you despise the most and you're still nowhere near understanding his power.

But the real discomfort lies in the truth. We all know that we do it too. We all bend the rules a little and make excuses for doing so. We also know that we're capable of so much more. So you have to ask yourself the questions that Herman Koch poses to his characters: How far would you go? Where would you stop? What would you do to someone who tried to steal your partner? Or harm your kids? Would you become the worst you that you could be?

Mr. Koch, thank you for the discomfort.

You’ll enjoy this if you like: Bret Easton Ellis, Irvine Welsh, Chuck Palahniuk

Avoid if you dislike: The sinister side of civilised western society

Ideal accompaniments: Barbecue, pool and alcohol. Lots of alcohol.

Genre: Contemporary fiction

Available from Amazon