Sharon Gosling

A lighthouse and a bookshop? In the same book? What a perfect combination. Somewhat strangely, the lighthouse in this story does not serve to provide help to those at sea as it stands inland. The mystery of why it's there is a huge part of the story and I thought it was a rather wonderful tale that I could never have guessed at and which unfolds throughout the whole book.

Rachel runs the bookshop in the lighthouse. An incomer to the village of Newton Dunbar, she's made her home there and some show more excellent friends too. The characters in this book are all beautifully drawn and make up a delightful (with one notable exception), and somewhat eclectic, community. However, the sudden death of the owner of the bookshop means that Rachel might have to find herself a new job and a new home. But before that, she has to unravel the secrets of the tower.

Having loved Sharon Gosling's first book, The House Beneath the Cliffs, The Lighthouse Bookshop was high on my list of books I was looking forward to. I wasn't disappointed and found myself enjoying another gorgeous story of a tight-knit community, a small and remote location, and a challenge to be overcome. I was also pleased to read a nod to that first book in this one, with the Crovie Inn making a cameo appearance.

Gosling is a fantastic writer, creating characters and locations that I really cared about, and weaving them into a story that I enjoyed very much. Whilst a fairly easy read, The Lighthouse Bookshop refers to some difficult subjects and a historical thread that is very moving. I thought it was a perceptive book full of warmth, friendship and discoveries. show less

If I am drawn to any settings in particular it's always remote ones so The House Beneath the Cliffs appealed to me as soon as I heard about it. The setting is the small fishing village of Crovie (pronounced Crivvie) on the Moray Firth in Scotland. From the outset, when Anna Campbell arrives there at her new home called The Fishergirl's Luck, I was completely captivated by the place, a small string of houses built right at the edge of the sea and beneath a cliff.

Anna is kind of escaping from show more her life. Her long term relationship with well-known chef, Geoff Rowcliffe, has broken down and it's clear that he totally demoralised her during the 20 years they were together, despite her being just as good a chef as him. She meets new people in Crovie and starts to become part of the tiny, and mostly welcoming, community. Of course, there's always some who don't take to newcomers but by and large Anna starts to feel very happy in her new home and sets up a successful pop up lunch club outside her little shed.

There's most definitely a sense of living the dream with this book and it has a very romantic feel to it in that respect but the author portrays the fact that it's a harsh life at times very effectively. Living that close to the sea is beautiful but also completely destructive in a storm and the prospect of that is never far from the minds of the residents. I really came to care about each of them and was moved to tears at their plight at times.

The House Beneath the Cliffs is an absolutely gorgeous read. It's light and easy to enjoy, yet beautifully emotive, with themes of grief and manipulation entwined with the joy of seeing Anna make a new life for herself in a place that gets under her skin (mine too!). I thought it was really special story with a setting that was brought to life for me through the author's words, and with characters I loved and whose community I wanted to join. This tale of new beginnings made my heart sing. I absolutely loved this book which will easily be one of my favourites of the year. show less

Pathogen is the second of Big Finish’s Stargate SG-1 audio dramas read by Teryl Rothery, in her role as fan favourite Dr. Janet Fraiser, but the first of hers that I’ve listened to, leaving me without the opportunity to compare her performance this time to the one she gave in Savarna. Still, that didn’t keep me from enjoying the story on its own merits, and enjoy it I did.

Written by Sharon Gosling, Pathogen is the story of Dr. Fraiser’s race against time as she tries to save the show more lives of SG-1 – and her own, told in the form of a recording made for her adopted daughter, Cassandra. On a world containing Go’a’uld ruins, SG-1 explored an underground temple and triggered a deadly trap that caused them to ask for immediate medical assistance. They were infected with a dangerous disease and are depending on Dr. Fraiser to come up with a cure. Two days after her arrival, part of the cave system collapses, separating Dr. Fraiser and Teal’c from the rest of SG-1. She sustains a head injury that causes her to lose her memory, but that’s just the start of their problems...

It is difficult – or rather, impossible – for me to listen to this story without thinking of Dr. Fraiser’s eventual fate (cf. Heroes), and I am likely not the only one with such issues. Sharon Gosling knows this, of course, since she set the story deliberately in the show’s seventh season, some time after Fragile Balance, and even included a quick comment by Fraiser about the possibility of her death there in the caves.

Teryl Rothery’s acting is never a disappointment, and this audio drama is no exception. Her delivery is a joy – thoroughly believable and realistic. She is Dr. Fraiser, period. I’m glad that she’s been given another chance to play the character; even if Heroes ranks highly among my all-time favourite episodes of SG-1 (and, indeed, the entire Stargate franchise), I was rather shocked to find out that the two-parter was to be her last regular appearance (aside from an alternate version two years later).

In this story, she is ably supported by Christopher Judge in his usual role as Teal’c, who is trapped on Fraiser’s side when the rocks fall. Having reviewed Judge’s first audio (First Prime) some time ago, I know that he is new to this sort of thing; nevertheless, his performance here, limited though it is by virtue of Dr. Fraiser being the central character, is as confident and powerful as it was on the TV show.

The sound design is certainly okay, but most of the story – except for a few flashbacks – takes place in a cave, and there is little opportunity for variety. Still, it creates a fitting atmosphere for the characters to act in, and that’s really all it needs to do.

If there’s one thing I have to moan about, it’s the lack of SG-1’s main theme at the beginning – and, indeed, any sort of music, the ethereal warbles in the background notwithstanding. First Prime had some Joel Goldsmith-like cues, but even these are absent here.

All in all, if this is the quality of writing and acting we can continue to expect from Gosling and Rothery, I hope we get many more such audios. I know I’ll be listening to them! show less

I loved the idea of a bookshop in a lighthouse, even though this Scottish lighthouse was built away from the sea, so I was excited when I found this novel. Although the start was slow, I soon fell in love with the setting and the characters. There was a wonderful cast of people in the lighthouse bookshop but my favourite was definitely Gilly, the young homeless girl with a sassy mouth. She often had me laughing at her antics or the things she said.

With secrets, romance, mystery and a strong show more sense of community, "The Lighthouse Bookshop" was a sweet read. show less