February 15, 2024 by Claire 'Word by Word'

Remember Me by Charity Norman (2022)

A new author to me, I became aware of this novel when I saw that it had won Best Novel in the Ngaio Marsh Awards 2023 (an award made for the best crime, mystery, or thriller novel written by a New Zealand citizen or resident, published in New Zealand during the previous year).

Life’s Turning Point

Emily, a middle aged children’s book illustrator, living alone in London, receives a call from her father’s neighbour Raewyn in Tawanui, New Zealand to say she ought to come, that her father Felix’s memory is deteriorating, the dementia much worse than when she last visited. The neighbour has been voluntarily helping him out, her son leases land off him, their families have been close for many years.

Emily is the youngest, her brother and sister though nearer have reasons why they can’t help. Not only does her father not recognise her when she first arrives, but the house is full of notes he has written to himself, an attempt to slow down the fast encroaching disease.

Notes To Self

He held up the envelope. ‘Something for you to look after.’
‘What’s this?’
‘Keep it for me, will you? Please, please, don’t open it until the event mentioned on the front. Until then, I’d rather you didn’t let anyone know of its existence. I will undoubtedly forget I’ve give it to you. I’m afraid I’m going doolally.’

Her return coincides with the 25th anniversary since Raewyn’s daughter Leah disappeared without a trace, last seen by Emily who was working in a petrol station where Leah bought something before going into the local bush on one of her conservation research trips, trying to save an endangered snail species from predators, but making a few enemies in the process. She was never seen again.

‘I envy you,’ she says.

She doesn’t. Why would she envy me? She’s Dr Leah Parata, five years older and infinitely, effortlessly superior. Everything about the woman screams energy and competence, even the way she’s twirling that turquoise beanie around her index finger. She’s tall, light on her feet, all geared up for back-country hiking in a black jacket – or maybe navy blue, as I’ll later tell the police.

The Slow Unravelling

Though she had never been close to her father, now that his short term memory is failing and his guard is slipping, she comes to realise there is much about her father she did not know, both in the way he cared and the terrible secrets he has kept.

Emily, I’m lost in the mist, I’m sliding into an abyss. You can’t begin to imagine the terror.’

Determined not to put him into care, as her siblings prefer, Emily decides to stay, reconnecting with her own past and begins to unravel what has been covered up and must decide what to do about it.

It’s an evocative read that brings the reader deep into the east coast North Island setting of a small town in the foothills of the bush covered Ruahine Mountain Range. It creates a strong sense of its locals, both those who stay and those who leave, all of whom have a history and connections, who harbour secrets, fear judgement and maintain strong loyalties, especially when outsiders come into the community.

It’s a slow unravelling of the mystery of Leah’s disappearance and the revelation of who a father really is to his daughter, as time runs out and he begins to forget not just who she is, but who he is himself and the important final task he has set himself.

Author, Charity Norman

Charity Norman was born in Kampala, Uganda, the seventh child of missionary parents, raised in Yorkshire and Birmingham. A barrister specialising in crime, family law and mediation, in 2002 she took a break from law and moved with her family to New Zealand and began a writing career.

She has written seven novels, See You in September (2017) and The Secrets of Strangers (2020) were both shortlisted for the Ngaio Marsh Award for crime novel. The New Woman/The Secret Life of Luke Livingstone was selected for the BBC Radio 2 Book Club. Remember Me (2022) was a Ngaio Marsh Award winner.

July 17, 2023 by Claire 'Word by Word'

The Maid by Nita Prose #20booksofsummer23

Another #20booksofsummer23 read for me, this was an airport purchase, left with me by a friend. I was intrigued that it won the Goodreads Mystery of the Year 2022, a genre I rarely read, but decided I would do so, to see what mystery readers are currently appreciating.

This is popular locked-room mystery fiction, featuring badly behaved hotel guests, errant staff and one young woman who appears to only see good in everyone.

It quickly became obvious that this is another novel that centres around a character that doesn’t pick up too well on social cues and is not able to interpret subtle meaning – it feels demeaning to use that term “on the spectrum”, however it seems that creating a character that has certain quirks, allows an author to create situations that wouldn’t otherwise seem realistic.

The truth is, I often have trouble with social situations; it’s as though everyone is playing an elaborate game with complex rules they all know, but I’m always playing for the first time. I make etiquette mistakes with alarming regularity, offend when I mean to compliment, misread body language, say the wrong thing at the wrong time.

So now, we can add The Maid to that group that includes Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine, Big Girl, Small Town and Lessons in Chemistry.

Molly the Maid is possibly the least perceptive in terms of judging other human’s intentions of all these characters, but her obsession with cleanliness, in part thanks to her Grandmother’s habits, and her observation skills and recall are second to none.

Gran used to say, ‘If you love your job, you’ll never work a day in your life.’ And she’s right. Every day of work is a joy to me. I was born to do this job. I love cleaning, I love my maid’s trolley, and I love my uniform.

25 year old Molly works in a posh hotel, as a maid and is excellent at her job, she has recently lost her grandmother and now she has discovered a dead body in one of the hotel rooms. It becomes clear that whoever is involved is trying to frame her and she is at a bit of a loss as to how to shift blame away from her. She needs to upskill quickly in discerning who she can trust and who is undermining her, before she finds herself on the wrong side of the law.

…existing in plain sight while remaining largely invisible. That’s what I’ve learned being a maid. You can be so important, so crucial to the fabric of things and yet be entirely overlooked. It’s a truth that applies to maids and to others as well, so it seems.

One of the best parts I liked about the book, was that whenever Molly felt alone or unsure, one of her grandmother’s sayings would pop into her head, and it was always pertinent advice. It might have been a little cliché, but it was also reassuring, given her still present grief and lack of trustworthy colleagues or friends.

‘Gran,’ I say to the empty room, ‘I think I’m in trouble.’ I arrange the photos on top of the curio cabinet. I polish each of Gran’s treasures and stow them safely behind the glass. I stand in front of the cabinet looking at everything inside. I don’t know what to do.
‘You’re never alone as long as you have a friend.‘
I’ve been managing alone though all of this, but perhaps it really is time to call for help.

When she begins to ask for help, she discovers who really is there for her and how connecting with these people also helps her continue to learn and grow.

As I finished this, I saw that there is a Molly the Maid #2 sequel coming out soon, a famous mystery writer drops dead in the Grand Hotel tea room and Molly appears to have known them previously!