#BlogTour – #BookReview of #TheNightInQuestion by Susan Fletcher @sfletcherauthor @TransworldBooks @RandomTTours #RandomThingsTours

calturner

May 2

I'm pleased to welcome you today to my stop on the blog tour for the deeply moving and beautifully written The Night in Question by Susan Fletcher. Thank you to Anne Cater and Transworld Books for giving me the opportunity to read and review this wonderful book.

About the book:

Florence Butterfield has lived an extraordinary life full of travel, passion and adventure. But, at eighty-seven, she suspects there are no more surprises to come her way.

Then, one midsummer's night, something terrible happens - so strange and unexpected that Florrie is suspicious. Was this really an accident, or is she living alongside a would-be murderer?

The only clue is a magenta envelope, discarded earlier that day.

And Florrie - cheerfully independent but (as with so many women in her life space) often overlooked - is the only person determined to uncover the truth.

As she turns detective, Florence finds herself looking back on her own life . . . and a long buried secret, traced in faded scars across her knuckles, becomes ever harder to ignore.

Prize-winning author Susan Fletcher's The Night in Question is an absorbing and uplifting whodunnit with a uniquely arresting and engaging protagonist at its heart.

About the author:

Susan Fletcher was born in Birmingham and studied English Literature at the University of York. Whilst taking the MA in Creative Writing at the University of East Anglia, she began her first novel, Eve Green, which won the Whitbread First Novel Award (2004) and Betty Trask Prize (2005).

Since then, she has written seven novels, supplementing her writing through various roles including as a cheesemonger and a warden for an archaeological excavation site near Hadrian's Wall. She has also been the Royal Literary Fund Fellow at the University of Worcester.

She lives in Warwickshire.

My Review:

Oh my goodness, what a deeply moving and beautifully written book The Night in Question by Susan Fletcher is! Exploring themes of life, death, love, loss and everything in between, it tells the story of 87 year old Florence Butterfield, a woman who has led a rich and varied life but suspects that there are no more surprises to come her way.

But Florrie couldn't be more wrong. Something terrible happens, something that is so strange and unexpected that she can't quite believe it is true, finding herself becoming more and more suspicious. Her only clue is a magenta envelope that was discarded earlier that day, so Florrie turns detective, determined to uncover the truth about what really happened that night.

As Florrie continues to search for clues, she finds herself reflecting on her own life. Of the loves she had, the friendships she made, the losses she's suffered - and the wonderful long life she's been lucky enough to lead. But there's also something dark in her past, a secret that she can feel in the faded scars across her knuckles. A secret she feels she can no longer ignore…

The narrative moves backwards and forwards through time as it tells the story of Florrie's long and fascinating life, with the mystery at the care home bringing the focus back to the present as she continues to search for the answers she knows must be out there.

The Night in Question is compelling as it takes us on an emotional journey of life, family, love and loss that really did take my breath away. Susan Fletcher's writing is gorgeous, full of empathy and with an authenticity to it that I loved. She shows us through Florrie that, no matter how old we are, life will always still find a way to surprise us. And that, just because we're older, in a body we may no longer recognise, that doesn't have to mean our lives are over and that we should become invisible to the world.

Florence Butterfield is a character I know I will never forget. Full of life and cheerful optimism, she is a kind and warm hearted person who is unique in every way - and I couldn't help but fall head over heels in love with her. Viewing the world through 87 year old Florence Butterfield's eyes was a privilege I didn't know I needed. She made me feel a depth of emotion that I haven't felt in a long time and I loved her for it!

Susan Fletcher has written one of those books that I know will stay with me for a long time to come. Warm, funny and full of life, The Night in Question is easily one of my favourite reads of the year so far!

An exquisitely written, moving and life affirming book that I would highly recommend.

The Night in Question by Susan Fletcher is available to purchase now:

Check out what these other lovely bloggers have to say about this book: