Reviews

The Hyena’s Daughter by Jupiter Jones

‘The Hyena’s Daughter tells the far-too-untold story of a 19th Century sisterhood, the daughters of Mary Wollstonecraft: Fanny Imlay and Mary Shelley, the famed writer of Frankenstein, plus their step-sister Claire Clairmont, lover of Lord Byron.

‘Are they the three graces? The fates? They’re women, as alive and breathing and rebellious and analytical as you and me, as well aware and critical of the hemmed-in nature they’re expected to accept as women of their time – a time of a “new way of thinking, a new-world independence, a revolutionary world.”

‘It features their connection to Percy Bysshe Shelley – “how could we not love him, with his lofty ethics and words that flew like birds?” – and many of the other contemporary poets and thinkers of the time.

‘Pacy and assured, it turns its history to life from fragment to sensuous fragment. If the dead brought to life is to be Mary Shelley’s theme, this novella asks what the real source of life spirit is, the vital spark. This book, full of detail and richesse, is a piece of vitality in itself.’ – Ali Smith

This novella (or novella in flash) moved me to tears. Jones artfully tells the story of the three sisters through the eyes and heart of Fanny, the eldest, most overlooked and most forgotten. Through tiny chapters Fanny’s story moves the reader through a time in history that was on the cusp of change. While her sisters embrace the excitement, not caring about scandal, Fanny chooses duty and as she does, she is unwanted and left behind.

Fanny says: ‘You tell yourself… that all the things you do, you do for love. Love of a sister, a mother, a minute more, but you are a liar and would do anything to escape a future so small you wonder how you will ever squeeze yourself into it.’ And that’s the issue here, Fanny is unwillingly and heartbreakingly reduced to a future with few options; a future to be decided by the grace of others.

This book was a joint winner of the Weatherglass novella prize 2026 – and deservedly so. Fanny’s story captured and broke my heart.

Published by Weatherglass Books

ISBN: 978-1-0681766-0-9

Godfellas by Nicola Whyte

Newly ordained priest Matthew Linley is excited to take up the position of curate in a seemingly perfect parish, but his fresh start is ruined when he finds a dead body his first night in town.

What was presumed to be an accident is soon proved to be murder, and as the victim’s double life is exposed, Matthew’s own past catches up to him. He finds himself under suspicion from the police and under pressure from his new boss, Reverend Frank Maguire, who is not all he appears to be. Reverend Maguire oversees more than Sunday services and before long, Matthew is mixed up in a series of bizarre criminal schemes – all run by Frank and his aging flock.

As the police close in, Matthew may very well have to commit a crime and solve one if he’s to hang on to his new life. But is it truly possible to shepherd a flock while also flouting the law?

I enjoyed this book immensely. When Matthew Linley accepts his first position as a curate in a quiet village miles from home, he thinks it will be a new start, never expecting his past to not just follow him, but already be there. Matthew hopes for a chance to start a new life but he never expects that his new boss, Reverend Frank Maguire has extracurricular plans for him. Poor Matthew has to tussle with the philosophical dilemma of deciding if it’s all right to break the law in order to do something morally right. He also has to navigate a cast of parishioners who are not always who they appear to be, try to placate an inquisitive Detective Inspector, juggle masters of the underworld and settle into his new role as curate.

This book is highly entertaining and the plot twisted in ways I didn’t see coming. The characters are brilliantly drawn and I laughed many times at the gentle humour in this delightful cosy crime mystery.