February Books

Covers of books reviewed in February 2025 by Is This Mutton

Dear friends. I'm back with some more reading delights, including two five star books.

Those with an asterisk were books I bought myself; the rest were given to me as advance copies by NetGalley and the publishers, in return for an honest review.

Do share your thoughts and recommendations in the comments.

The Boy From the Sea by Garrett Carr (4 out of 5 stars)

If this wonderful book isn't one of the biggest successes of 2025 I'll be surprised.

Garrett Carr weaves a beguiling story around a weary fishing town in Donegal where a baby boy has been washed up in a barrel. Adopted by Ambrose and Christine Bonnar, the "Boy from the Sea" captivates the town, but not his Bonnar brother Declan.

The writing is sublime, creating memorable and relatable characters. The 3rd party narration by the townsfolk helps to define the characteristics and stoicism of the town.

The relationships are finely drawn. Christine's sister Phyll lives with their taciturn father down the lane and is accepting of her fate. Ambrose is successful at fishing for a short while, going into business with his friend Tommy, but turns his back on factory style fishing.

Irish life is recounted with wry humour, particularly the way families with the same surname are described. Those with the same name are differentiated by where they live, or their occupation. "This evening she had to show a new girl about: Debbie Pringle, of the Largynagreana Pringles. This Pringle was slow-moving and unresponsive but Christine reserved judgement, your teens weren't easy."

This was a book that just kept on giving.

This Immaculate Body by Emma van Straaten (5 out of 5 stars)

Dazzling in its prose and pace. Dark and terrifying. This is one of the big novels of 2025. A fantastic debut from Emma Van Straaten. It's a story of obsession.

Alice has been cleaning Tom's flat every Wednesday for a year. She has become infatuated to the extent of taking a bite from his food. But as Alice prepares for the moment when they will finally meet face-to-face, she discovers that love might not be the cure she thought it was.

The Wedding* by Sarah Edghill (4 stars)

Sarah Edghill's writing is so perceptive. It raises her above the standard "chick lit".

In The Wedding, four friends from university are reunited at a wedding. How the day unfolds is recorded by Meg, the only woman of the four with children.

We instantly get the impression that Meg is the odd one out. She's very self conscious and constantly worries that the others think her life is boring.

Arriving at the wedding, at a fancy hotel in Wales, Meg decides to let her hair down for a change. Unfortunately she drinks far too much and the day turns into a disaster. But Edghill makes us consider that perhaps it was for the best. Meg emerges stronger from the weekend, and ready to confront the challenges she has been putting off. An enjoyable read.

The Graveyard Bell by Andrew James Grieg (4 out of 5 stars)

I was attracted by the beautiful setting on the Isle of Mull to this, my first introduction to private investigator Teàrlach Paterson.

I was a little undecided to start with because a private investigator can only do certain things. Their work can be painstaking and dull; they're not going to be banging on a door yelling "armed police." But in the case of The Graveyard Bell, I got to admire the breadth of the work of Teàrlach and his two colleagues, particularly in their usage of white hat hacking and social media.

Teàrlach is an interesting character: I didn't feel I got to know him, which is the author's intention: he seems quite inscrutable.

Three incidents which seemed unrelated came together beautifully and there was a dramatic finale. I look forward to reading more.

Thanks to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the advance digital copy. This book comes out on 24 February, 2025.

The Day You Saved My Life by Louise Candlish (3.5 out of 5 stars)*

I found this, from 2012, unread in my library. As a fan of Louise Candlish it was a great discovery.

Holly, suffering from post natal depression, goes to Paris for a weekend with her toddler son and mother. It's there she meets James, who instantly becomes part of her life after a heroic act. The novel explores the consequences on others of life decisions taken very quickly. It was a little slow at times.

Picnic on Craggy Island by Lissa Evans (5 stars)

What a treat for fans of the wonderful evergreen comedy Father Ted. Lissa Evans, who produced the show from series 2, shares memories and reminiscences. The programme was on a fairly tight budget.

Lissa and the script writers, Graham Linehan and Arthur Mathews, occasionally got roped in, with all three providing voiceovers as members of the Eurovision song contest judging panel for the unforgettable Irish entry My Little Horse.

I loved reading about Graham Norton's OTT audition to be Father Noel, and how Chris the Sheep, who belonged to the real-life owner of the parochial house, had to have a double for later filming in the studio. Unfortunately the sheep that turned up, although tame, was a different size and colour, and had to go to Make-up, although to Lissa it was obviously not the same sheep. Fortunately none of the eagle eyed viewers noticed.

I'll be re-watching series 2 with greater vigilance now that I know Ardal O'Hanlon was wearing a wig. He had got married and had his hair cut short during the filming of the series, and this was the only solution for continuity.

Written with warmth and humour, it's a must for Father Ted fans.

Sharing my posts with these fantastic sites.