Blood & Sugar by Laura Shepherd-Robinson

Blood & Sugar
By Laura Shepherd-Robinson
Published by Mantle (24 January 2019)

Publisher's description

June, 1781. An unidentified body hangs upon a hook at Deptford Dock – horribly tortured and branded with a slaver’s mark. 

Some days later, Captain Harry Corsham – a war hero embarking upon a promising parliamentary career – is visited by the sister of an old friend. Her brother, passionate abolitionist Tad Archer, had been about to expose a secret that he believed could cause irreparable damage to the British slaving industry. He’d said people were trying to kill him, and now he is missing . . .

To discover what happened to Tad, Harry is forced to pick up the threads of his friend’s investigation, delving into the heart of the conspiracy Tad had unearthed. His investigation will threaten his political prospects, his family’s happiness, and force a reckoning with his past, risking the revelation of secrets that have the power to destroy him.

And that is only if he can survive the mortal dangers awaiting him in Deptford . . .

My verdict
Blood & Sugar is a compelling historical crime thriller, delving into the darkness and horrors of the slave trade and the rise of the abolitionist movement in the late 18th century.

The book is well researched and feels authentic, bringing to life an array of strong characters and the colours, sights and sounds of the Deptford setting. I savoured all of the tiny details - from the opulence of the wealthy to the grime of the dockside slums. Author Laura Shepherd-Robinson gets right into the hearts of her characters, as well as their heads. Protagonist Harry Corsham is easy to like, with his strong sense of duty and determination, not afraid to dive into danger in search of the truth.

The complex plot is unpredictable, dark and twisty, filled with murders and abuse, secrets and lies, conspiracies and corruption. It's brutal and gruesome, yet also handled with sensitivity. There's a underlying sadness, as the slave trade casts its shadow on to so many people's lives.

Blood & Sugar is an impressive page-turning debut - a beautifully written, honest look at the social and political unrest of this period in history. I can easily see this book transferring to the screen - big or small. I also enjoyed reading the historical note at the end of the book, providing some of the factual background that influenced the plot.

MY PUBLISHING LIFE with Sam Humphreys

Welcome to my latest MY PUBLISHING LIFE feature, an interview with a literary agent, publisher, publicist or editor about their publishing career to date. Some serious questions, and some just for fun!

Today I'm delighted to welcome 

SAM HUMPHREYS

Associate Publisher

at
Mantle (imprint of Pan Macmillan)

What and when was your first job in publishing?
I actually started as a temporary editorial secretary, at Pan Macmillan, in 2002. I’d done a couple of weeks’ work experience and an editorial assistant left. There was a recruitment freeze at the time, so I was taken on as a temp, working across the commercial fiction and Picador lists, and, at some point, made permanent. When my original boss left, my new boss changed my job title to editorial assistant, as that was essentially the job I’d been doing anyway. 

How long have you been working in your current job/role?
I’ve been at Mantle, with Maria (Rejt, Publisher) and Josie (Humber, Assistant Editor) since September 2014, and have been gradually building my list since then. I now have about 15 authors. 

Which books have you worked on recently/are you working on?
I only publish fiction, and have mainly acquired debuts. Last year, I published the paperback of a book called Miss You by Kate Eberlen, which was a Richard & Judy pick. I seem to be publishing lots of books this year, including Only Child by Rhiannon Navin (March) and The Man Who Didn’t Call by Rosie Walsh (June), to name but two (which feels a bit like only mentioning two children when you’ve got a whole houseful!)…  

Which qualifications/life skills/experience have helped you get to where you are today?
I was a primary school teacher before I worked in publishing and I definitely think the skills I acquired as a teacher have stood me in good stead. I also firmly believe that the only real experience you need to become an editor is being a(n avid) reader: if you read, you can pick the good stories (and story tellers!) and you can edit. I don’t have an English literature degree and I don’t think it’s ever held me back.

How do you relax after a busy working day?
Probably a nice meal and a glass of wine – or two… I tend to spend my evenings reading submissions, but that’s not exactly strenuous. 

What was the last book you read for pleasure?
Joanna Cannon’s THREE THINGS ABOUT ELSIE; I loved THE TROUBLE WITH GOATS AND SHEEP, so was really looking forward to this – and I certainly wasn’t disappointed. 

Describe your job in 15 words or less...
I actually have no idea what I do! I publish books – whatever that means – and champion them where-ever and however possible. 

What have been the highlights of your publishing life so far
I was lucky enough to publish Emma Donoghue’s Room, which was an amazing experience, from winning the auction for it, to meeting and working with Emma, to the media response to the book, to the Booker dinner and beyond. It was especially lovely because it wasn’t Emma’s first novel, and it’s always heartening to be reminded that authors can become hugely successful (Emma had been critically successful previously, but not commercially so – or at least, not in comparison to Room) at any stage of their career. But there are many other highlights too. When I was first working at Pan Macmillan (possibly while I was still a temp), I can remember coming into the office one morning, and I had a voicemail message from Don DeLillo, saying he liked the cover for his latest book, which I’d just sent him… That was definitely a high point. As was getting to travel to both India and China for work. (I looked after both Picador India and Picador Asia for a while.) And there’s nothing quite like the feeling you get when you read a submission and you absolutely love it… 

If you could try out any other job for one day (with no limits on money, travel etc.), what would you choose?
I always used to say that my plan b, if ever publishing failed, would be dog walking – but perhaps somewhere warm and sunny rather than the UK. Or else teaching in a commune in San Francisco. Failing that, I think I’d make a great receptionist in a GP surgery. 

If your publishing life was a book, what would the title be?
The Never-Ending Story – because it’s not over yet, and also, because I’m a fiction editor, my publishing life has been all about stories… 

Thanks so much for taking part, Sam!

Look out for more MY PUBLISHING LIFE features coming soon.

Click here to read more MY PUBLISHING LIFE features.

If any literary agents, publishers, publicists or editors would like to take part, please contact me through my blog or Twitter for the full list of questions.

Jenny Quintana's writing toolkit

WRITING TOOLKIT gives you an idea of an author's writing process through the tools they use. The tools can be anything (real or virtual) that they think is essential for their writing - serious, fun or even a fetish (that they're willing to own up to)! 

I am delighted to welcome 

JENNY QUINTANA

AUTHOR OF THE MISSING GIRL

TO SHARE HER WRITING TOOLKIT

FOR HER BLOG TOUR

The Missing Girl was published on 28 December 2017 by Mantle. 

My study

I’m lucky because I have a room in the house which is mine. At least it’s supposed to be mine - school bags, shoes and musical instruments tend to drift in along with members of my family. The room is a short cut from the hall to the kitchen and as I feel guilty shutting my children out, I always let them in. The truth is I write best when I’m alone in the house or early in the morning when everyone else is sleeping. I prefer to keep my desk tidy – although I don’t always manage that, and I like to have special things around me – ornaments and pictures which remind me of my family.

Music

… but only sometimes. When I really want to get inside a character’s head and experience what they’re feeling, I’ll go on YouTube, find an emotional song and play it over and over. Part of The Missing Girl is set in the eighties so I listened to artists like Kate Bush and Siouxsie and the Banshees. The rest of the time when I’m writing though, I need absolute silence. Even a ticking clock or the fridge groaning away distracts me.

Tea in my special mugs
I drink a lot of tea – PG Tips. I’m not keen on herbal or fruit tea.  When I’m writing, I have my tea in a writing mug as I think it puts me ‘in the zone’. My family knows how much I love these and always buys me a new one for my birthday. My favourite is the Agatha Christie mug even though it’s chipped and faded now.

Snacks
When I’m writing, I might not have time to stop and cook, so I eat quick things like toast and marmite. I also have a lot of fruit because it stops me from going after the chocolate and the crisps (although I make an exception for marmite crisps). Heading for the fruit bowl forces me to stand up and move which is no bad thing when you’re writing all day. I’m also quite partial to cheese strings.

A glass of wine
Early evening if I’m still writing, I’ll have a glass of wine – red or white depending on my mood, but I like Sauvignon Blanc and Rioja best.  If it’s only one glass, I can keep going. In my head, I’m writing better! If it’s more, it’s probably time to turn off the computer …

Technology and software
I use Word and that’s about it. I have an old iPhone which my children are always telling me I need to update – it works, I understand how to use it, so why change? I’m not very technically minded and have only recently embraced Twitter. However, I do really enjoy being on Twitter and especially meeting book people, so I have to ration my time there. I’ll use it as a reward after I’ve been writing for a set amount of time.   

Bookshelves
Books, books and more books. I love the shelves in my study and when I’m feeling a bit stuck, I swivel around on my chair and stare at them for inspiration. And as everyone knows you can’t write unless you read. A lot of my books are very old – from childhood or when I studied English at university. Many of them are scribbled in with words underlined and pages turned down. I’m not the kind of person to keep a book in perfect condition. I like it to feel read.

The dog
Hector, our border collie, keeps me company. He also forces me to get off my chair and go outside for a walk. I go to the gym too, but walking in the fresh air with Hector is not only good exercise, it helps my brain work better. I like it best when the weather’s a bit moody. I like to sort out plot problems while I’m wandering around in the rain.

THANKS FOR TAKING PART, JENNY!

About Jenny Quintana

Jenny Quintana grew up in Essex and Berkshire, before studying English literature in London. She has taught in London, Seville and Athens and has also written books for teaching as a foreign language. She is a graduate of the Curtis Brown Creative writing course and lives with her family in Berkshire. Jenny has four brothers and no sister but she is fascinated by the relationship between sisters.

Find Jenny on Twitter - @jennyquintana95

About The Missing Girl

Published by Mantle (28 December 2017)

Publisher's description

When Anna Flores' adored older sister goes missing as a teenager, Anna copes by disappearing too, just as soon as she can: running as far away from her family as possible, and eventually building a life for herself abroad. 

Thirty years later, the death of her mother finally forces Anna to return home. Tasked with sorting through her mother's possessions, she begins to confront not just her mother's death, but also the huge hole Gabriella's disappearance left in her life – and finds herself asking a question she's not allowed herself to ask for years: what really happened to her sister? 

With that question comes the revelation that her biggest fear isn't discovering the worst; it's never knowing the answer. But is it too late for Anna to uncover the truth about Gabriella's disappearance?

Follow the Blog Tour

The Constant Soldier by William Ryan

The Constant Soldier
By William Ryan
Published by Mantle (25 August 2016)
ISBN:  978-1447255017

Publisher's description

The pain woke him up. He was grateful for it. The train had stopped and somewhere, up above them, the drone of aircraft engines filled the night sky. He could almost remember her smile . . . It must be the morphine . . . He had managed not to think about her for months now.

1944. Paul Brandt, a soldier in the German army, returns wounded and ashamed from the bloody chaos of the Eastern front to find his village home much changed and existing in the dark shadow of an SS rest hut - a luxurious retreat for those who manage the concentration camps, run with the help of a small group of female prisoners who - against all odds - have so far survived the war.

When, by chance, Brandt glimpses one of these prisoners, he realizes that he must find a way to access the hut. For inside is the woman to whom his fate has been tied since their arrest five years before, and now he must do all he can to protect her.

But as the Russian offensive moves ever closer, the days of this rest hut and its SS inhabitants are numbered. And while hope - for Brandt and the female prisoners - grows tantalizingly close, the danger too is now greater than ever.

And, in a forest to the east, a young female Soviet tank driver awaits her orders to advance . . .

My verdict

The Constant Soldier is an emotional novel about the uncertainty of war, the loss of humanity, guilt and redemption. It offers a far more humane side to German soldiers compared with other books that cover a similar theme, including many of those that I have read in the past.

Set in the last few weeks of the Nazi regimen, it follows the story of a German soldier who has returned to his home village to live with his father after suffering severe injuries. He wasn't a Nazi sympathiser, quite the opposite, but gets a job in a local SS rest hut after he recognises one of the female prisoners there.

The book provides an insight into the chaos, panic and conflict felt by the Germans as the war was ending, and also the experience of the Russians as they advanced towards the camps. Some of the SS officers looked back at their actions with disgust, others with pride. Then there were the Germans who refused to take part in the brutality and joined the resistance, determined to save as many lives as possible.

Based on true events, and inspired by a series of photographs of Nazi officers enjoying themselves at a rest hut, The Constant Soldier is certainly compelling and fascinating reading. It's beautifully written in haunting poetic prose, with vivid descriptions of the characters and setting. The story is gripping, realistic and well-plotted from beginning to end. I felt real empathy for many of the characters and was on the edge of my seat for much of the book and then in tears by the end.

The Constant Soldier is yet another novel that I'll be recommending widely (and already have been). It's powerful, heartbreaking and highly thought-provoking - a book that shouldn't be missed.

I received an Advance Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review.