Lilian Harry
Author of Love & Laughter
About the Author
Disambiguation Notice:
Donna Thomson writes as Donna Baker, Nicola West, and Lilian Harry.
Series
Works by Lilian Harry
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Legal name
- Thomson, Donna
- Other names
- Baker, Donna
West, Nicola
Harry, Lilian - Gender
- female
- Short biography
- Donna Thomson was born in Gosport, near Portsmouth Harbour, England, UK. Growing up during the terrifying years of the Blitz in a two-up, two-down terraced house, the youngest of four, she aspired to be a writer from an early age.
As a young woman she worked in the Civil Service and moved to Devon to be near her sailor husband. They had a son and a daughter. When the marriage ended, she and her two children moved to the Midlands, where she happily married again to her second husband. After living in the Lake District for twelve years, she finally moved back to Devon, and now lives in a village on the edge of Dartmoor. She lost her son Philip in 2008, and has two grandchildren. A keen walker and animal-lover, she now has a dog and three ginger cats to keep her busy, along with a wide range of hobbies she enjoys.
She started signing her romance novels as Donna Baker and Nicola West, now she also writes as Lilian Harry (inspired by the first names of her grandparents). Among her works are historical novels, romances and even two books giving advice on how to write short stories and novels. - Nationality
- UK
- Birthplace
- Gosport, Hampshire, England, UK
- Places of residence
- Gosport, Hampshire, England, UK
Devon, England, UK
Midlands, England, UK
Dartmoor, Devon, England, UK - Disambiguation notice
- Donna Thomson writes as Donna Baker, Nicola West, and Lilian Harry.
- Associated Place (for map)
- England, UK
Members
Reviews
Catch Us the Foxes is a dark, enthralling thriller from debut Australian novelist, Nicola West.
The novel opens with a prologue where Marlowe ‘Lo’ Robertson, is being introduced to an audience at the Sydney Opera House. She is to speak about her best selling true crime book, ‘The Showgirl’s Secret’, an account of the tragic death of a young woman, Lily Williams, seven years previously.
Marlowe was a 22 year old intern at the local paper when she found Lily’s body in the stables of show more the town showground. When her father, the town police chief, asked Lo to lie about some of the details of the crime, including the symbols carved into the young woman’s flesh, she reluctantly agreed, but then she is given Lily’s journals which suggest Lo’s father, and other prominent citizens, may have a reason to have wanted Lily dead.
West presents a compelling, intricate mystery where the truth is shockingly elusive to the very last page. Lily’s diaries suggest a frightening cult is operating in their small coastal town, and while the allegations seem absurd, Lo is prompted to dig further when a carnival worker is arrested for Lily’s murder on threadbare evidence. If what Lily has written is true, there are plenty of possible suspects among the townsfolk, and West cleverly portrays them with an interesting ambiguity. Suspense builds as trust is eroded, and Lo attempts to ascertain the truth.
Lo presents as smart, resourceful and ambitious but there is an edge to her character that is disquieting. Doubt is thrown on the validity of her investigation when other characters suggest Lo is suffering from PTSD, and the possibility is a nag as she continues to piece information together, so that her reliability as a narrator is in question. It’s a clever conceit that West manages well.
The plot makes good use of the setting, small towns seem capable of hiding secrets behind their bucolic facades. I’ve been to Kiama (on NSW’s south coast) where Catch Us the Foxes takes place, and it’s a pretty coastal town, not so different from the one I live in now, but West successfully paints it as a claustrophobic, corrupt community.
With its clever structure and twisting, gripping plot, Catch Us the Foxes is an impressive read. The stunning final reveal seems to divide readers, but I thought it was terrific. show less
The novel opens with a prologue where Marlowe ‘Lo’ Robertson, is being introduced to an audience at the Sydney Opera House. She is to speak about her best selling true crime book, ‘The Showgirl’s Secret’, an account of the tragic death of a young woman, Lily Williams, seven years previously.
Marlowe was a 22 year old intern at the local paper when she found Lily’s body in the stables of show more the town showground. When her father, the town police chief, asked Lo to lie about some of the details of the crime, including the symbols carved into the young woman’s flesh, she reluctantly agreed, but then she is given Lily’s journals which suggest Lo’s father, and other prominent citizens, may have a reason to have wanted Lily dead.
West presents a compelling, intricate mystery where the truth is shockingly elusive to the very last page. Lily’s diaries suggest a frightening cult is operating in their small coastal town, and while the allegations seem absurd, Lo is prompted to dig further when a carnival worker is arrested for Lily’s murder on threadbare evidence. If what Lily has written is true, there are plenty of possible suspects among the townsfolk, and West cleverly portrays them with an interesting ambiguity. Suspense builds as trust is eroded, and Lo attempts to ascertain the truth.
Lo presents as smart, resourceful and ambitious but there is an edge to her character that is disquieting. Doubt is thrown on the validity of her investigation when other characters suggest Lo is suffering from PTSD, and the possibility is a nag as she continues to piece information together, so that her reliability as a narrator is in question. It’s a clever conceit that West manages well.
The plot makes good use of the setting, small towns seem capable of hiding secrets behind their bucolic facades. I’ve been to Kiama (on NSW’s south coast) where Catch Us the Foxes takes place, and it’s a pretty coastal town, not so different from the one I live in now, but West successfully paints it as a claustrophobic, corrupt community.
With its clever structure and twisting, gripping plot, Catch Us the Foxes is an impressive read. The stunning final reveal seems to divide readers, but I thought it was terrific. show less
I don't tend to wax lyrical about a book but in this case I will make a rare exception.
I am going to put this forward as one of my must read psychological thrillers for the year - right up there with two of my past favourites - Killing The Girl and The Creak on the Stairs.
I - and probably much to the angst of the publisher - recommend having a physical copy of this book as you will often find yourself moving backwards and forwards, thinking you have missed some little clue, as the author show more dangles much before you, only to snatch it away at the last moment.
This book is - to use a colloquialism - an onion. There are so many layers that the reader really does need to pay attention. The synopsis really does give the reader a slight inkling as to what to expect - but you are being deceived. And don't think that by skipping to the end you have the whole story - you don't! You will find yourself sucker punched a number of times before the ending is revealed.
In the words of our protagonist: " ...... I know better than anyone just how alluring a conspiracy theory could be ..... I had fallen for it's allure ... it was a better story than the truth ..." - but what is truth, what is conspiracy and what is delusion ....... well, I for one won't be revealing that!
All I will add, is someone had better snap up the film rights to this one rather quickly! show less
I am going to put this forward as one of my must read psychological thrillers for the year - right up there with two of my past favourites - Killing The Girl and The Creak on the Stairs.
I - and probably much to the angst of the publisher - recommend having a physical copy of this book as you will often find yourself moving backwards and forwards, thinking you have missed some little clue, as the author show more dangles much before you, only to snatch it away at the last moment.
This book is - to use a colloquialism - an onion. There are so many layers that the reader really does need to pay attention. The synopsis really does give the reader a slight inkling as to what to expect - but you are being deceived. And don't think that by skipping to the end you have the whole story - you don't! You will find yourself sucker punched a number of times before the ending is revealed.
In the words of our protagonist: " ...... I know better than anyone just how alluring a conspiracy theory could be ..... I had fallen for it's allure ... it was a better story than the truth ..." - but what is truth, what is conspiracy and what is delusion ....... well, I for one won't be revealing that!
All I will add, is someone had better snap up the film rights to this one rather quickly! show less
This is the third book in Lilian Harry's "April Grove" series about a neighborhood in Portsmouth, England in WWII. Ms. Harry does a fine job with it. Unlike a lot of these types of series, it neither sanitizes the realities, nor descends into soap opera. There is certainly a good bit about the loves of the younger characters, but so there should be, and also many other things such as dealing with families split up by the evacuations of children, people dealing with what we would now call PTS show more due to the bombings, things witnessed in the Dunkirk evacuation, etc.
Although there are continuing characters in this series, and it enhances the story to read them in order, it's not really necessary to appreciate the story. Ms. Harry fills the reader in with the necessary prior events without a lot of tedious recap. It's very nicely done. show less
Although there are continuing characters in this series, and it enhances the story to read them in order, it's not really necessary to appreciate the story. Ms. Harry fills the reader in with the necessary prior events without a lot of tedious recap. It's very nicely done. show less
This story is set on the British WWII Homefront, specifically the coastal city of Portsmouth (aka 'Pompey') in the early years of the war. It follows a group of women from "April Grove", a working-class street/neighborhood.
There are quite a few characters who are followed here. Women who agonize about evacuating their children to the country for safety from bombing, but away from their watchful eyes. A group of roving boys who aren't evacuated who manage to find trouble among the blackouts show more and bombsites. A young mother, pregnant with her third, whose husband is away at sea, who is bombed out and relocated to a dilapidated April Grove house, a young woman who joins the Land Army and is sent out to a farm to work, and finds herself drawn to a young conscientious objector working there as well, and many more.
I enjoyed this story quite a bit. The characters weren't too difficult to keep track of, but since Ms. Harry carries the same characters throughout many of her books, and I've read quite a few, it would probably be more of a challenge if this were the first book of hers you were reading. Also, I often find this type of book devolves into a melodramatic soap-opera style of story, and although there are occasional moments like that, Ms. Harry mostly avoids that trap.
The scenes of everyday life as the war become reality feel authentic and the scenes set during the first Portsmouth blitz are particularly gripping. show less
There are quite a few characters who are followed here. Women who agonize about evacuating their children to the country for safety from bombing, but away from their watchful eyes. A group of roving boys who aren't evacuated who manage to find trouble among the blackouts show more and bombsites. A young mother, pregnant with her third, whose husband is away at sea, who is bombed out and relocated to a dilapidated April Grove house, a young woman who joins the Land Army and is sent out to a farm to work, and finds herself drawn to a young conscientious objector working there as well, and many more.
I enjoyed this story quite a bit. The characters weren't too difficult to keep track of, but since Ms. Harry carries the same characters throughout many of her books, and I've read quite a few, it would probably be more of a challenge if this were the first book of hers you were reading. Also, I often find this type of book devolves into a melodramatic soap-opera style of story, and although there are occasional moments like that, Ms. Harry mostly avoids that trap.
The scenes of everyday life as the war become reality feel authentic and the scenes set during the first Portsmouth blitz are particularly gripping. show less
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- Rating
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