Madame Burova is Ruth Hogan's fourth novel and it won't disappoint her fans. The story bounces between the early 1970s and the present day, and focuses on the secrets and confidences kept by clairvoyant, tarot reader and palmist Madame Burova who lived and worked on the seafront in Brighton. The storyline weaves the lives of the many characters in and out without giving too much away too soon and I remained hooked until the very end when the final mystery is solved. I especially loved the characters Hogan created - particularly Billie, one of the main characters in the story, Clive, a 'super recogniser' and Treasure, through whom the issues of race discrimination in the 1970s are explored. This book drew me into its world - definitely one of my top reads of 2021.
With thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for my ARC.

Ruth Hogan has done it again. Another engaging story with some great characters. I always feel a bit bereft at the end of a Hogan novel as I know I shall miss the characters for quite a while. Four solid stars. And thanks to Netgalley and the Publishers for the opportunity to read and review an e-ARC of this title.

Madame Burova is a pleasant enough story, with a cast of lovely characters but sadly, once again, a story written so many times, it is hard to add anything to it to make it fresh.
Tragic young love, infant abandonment, a quest of finding one's roots, new beginnings, new friendships - if that sounds up your alley, then I am sure you'll enjoy this.

Many thanks for the opportunity to read this.

Such a lovely warm novel with quirky well-drawn characters and a gentle teasing plot - absolutely loved it, it was a pleasure to spend time with the heartwarming cast and locations.

I really, really enjoyed this lovely book, with its cast of wonderful characters that you cannot help but adore. Imelda, a recently retired fortune teller, is just lovely and full of mystery whilst still being so relatable and I absolutely adored her parents - every appearance from her mother made me chuckle heartily. I loved the Larkins crew (mostly) and Henry and Clive - they were all just wonderful. Then we have Billie, looking to find out about a past that she has only just found out about...
I could almost imagine myself by the sea in Brighton too.

This was a great read, pacey and full of character, humanity and heart - Loved it!

Ruth Hogan’s characters are always brimming with life, quirky and full of colour, like a Beryl Cook painting. Madame Burova is no exception with its cast of entertainers and cafe-owners amongst others. I loved this dual-timelined mystery of the parentage of Billie that explored Brighton in the 70s and London now. Delightful, too short, another great read.

This is the second book I have read by Ruth Hogan and I am now an avid fan of her work. As before the descriptive writing really sets a scene or character and this, as well as unusual and superlative story telling, is what sets these books apart. Not only do you become invested in the people but also phrases such as “soprano notes duetting with the baritone of the waves booming onto the beach‘ set a scene that you can almost hear and smell. After finishing the book I also read ‘A few thoughts and more than a few thanks’ where I found that in addition to being a very good writer and storyteller Ruth Hogan is also a very thorough researcher, this is my pet love, as an academic librarian I am always delighted to see solid research going into anyone’s work. Thank you Netgalley, publisher and especially Ruth for the opportunity to read this delightful story in exchange for an honest review.

Told in two timelines, one in the 1970’s and centring on opening of a Butlins-like holiday park; the other timeline is contemporary where Billy, recently bereaved and searching for her birth parents. Madame Burova of the title features in both. The start of this book was fairly overwhelming with so many seemingly unconnected characters introduced all at once.

I really wanted to love this book, the premise was interesting and the character of Madame Burova had such potential but unfortunately it fell a bit short for me. I never really connected with any of the characters so instead of being unable to put it down, I started becoming reluctant to pick it up as I just didn’t care. It may well have been because there were just too many characters over two timelines.

I felt that she was using some unusual vocabulary at times, why use sobriquet when nickname would do, and why use libidinous when there are so many common use words having the same meaning (horny, randy etc.). This distracted from the story.

The ending on the other hand was good, it ties up everything and connects things we never knew we needed connecting and meant that I could forgive much that had gone before.
It didn’t quite do it for me. Too many characters and ultimately I didn’t really care what happened to any of them.

This is a really unusual book which focuses on clairvoyant Madame Imelda Burova both now that she has decided to retire and back in the early seventies when she got caught up with characters and life at the local holiday park. Also in the now we meet Billie, who is grieving the recent loss of her remaining parent when secrets that are revealed to her that send her into a whirl and cause her life to cross with Imelda. This is without a doubt a very character led book and there are plenty characters within it, the story itself is very gently paced with no major surprises in honesty but the characters more than make up for that.

I really like Ruth Hogan's books and this one does it for me too. "Madame Burova" is just full of charm, likeable characters and the simple story of a girl trying to find out who her real parents are. Just charming.

This was a pleasant enough read and certainly brought to life by the many and varied characters, some warm and homely, some fun and friendly and others down right cringy and creepy. The plot moved from a 1970s holiday camp typical of the time to the present day, which is fine but I did feel that it flitted about at times and confused me.
Not an exciting page turner but a nice enough read.

Every now and again a book comes along that is so extraordinarily enjoyable and this is one. The life Ruth Hogan breathes into her novels and the vibrant and colourful characters she creates are simply wonderful.

Madame Imelda Burova is a tarot reader, palmist and fortune teller. She is also a keeper of the secrets shared with her in her booth. The delightful Billie has just learned, after the death of her beloved parents, that she was adopted. It seems that Madame Burova could help her uncover the mystery of her identity, so she heads off to Brighton to meet her.

The story unfolds between 1972 and the present. The setting in the 70s is primarily a holiday camp where Imelda is supplementing the income from her booth. We meet a host of colourful characters including: Jeanie, a talented singer; her aloof friend Vivienne; Cillian, a dare devil stuntman; a trio of mermaids and Imelda's charmingly eccentric parents. There are also Treasure, a delightful young boy who loves dogs but suffers bullying at school because of his colour and Marty, the lecherous manager of the holiday camp. The book does not shy away from the themes of racism and sexism, so prevalent at that time.

In the present day, Billie soon establishes a close community of friends including a grown up Treasure, the mysterious MI5 Clive, the pianist Henry and Imelda herself. Armed only with a photo which may include her father Billie sets out to discover her roots.

This is such a lovely novel, full of wit, fun, humour and, of course, dogs. I fell in love with nearly all the characters and I was willing Billie on to uncover her truth. The author is so skilled as a story teller and a depicter of human relationships.This was a stunning and totally immersive read.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Two Roads Books for an ARC in return for an honest review.

Ruth Hogan writes great feel good novels and while this isn’t my favourite it’s still well worth a read. Following the characters in both the 1970s and the present day the fortune telling Madame Burova helps Billie, the baby who was abandoned on her doorstep 40 years before, find out about the past she was totally unaware of until she read the letter her adoptive father had left with his solicitor to be read after his death. A whole host of lovely characters but my favourite had to be Madame Burova’s dog!

I really liked this book. The story of Madame Burova flits between the early 70s and the present day, tying together the story of Imelda aka Madame Burova, a fortune teller and clairvoyant in Brighton, and Billie, who has just discovered that her deceased parents were not her real parents.
Madame Burova is described at the beginning of the book as someone who keeps everyone's secrets, so of course, Billie meets her and hopes to find out who her birth parents were.
I read Ruth Hogan's first book - The Keeper of Lost Things - and quite enjoyed it but I have to say I liked this more.
My only two criticisms would be:
1) Considering Billie finds out something rather life-shattering, she doesn't go on much of a personal journey in this book. I don't get much of her emotions on finding out she's adopted or on discovering who her real parents were.
2) There were a few too many characters for me - it was sometimes hard to keep track between the three sisters, all named after gemstones, the entertainers at the holiday park, friends of Billie's, friends of Imelda's and so on.

TW: unwanted pregnancy; mention of abortion; mention of miscarriage; experiences of racism; sexual harassment; death.

I have been a fan of Ruth Hogan for some time, The Keeper of Lost Things is a favourite comfort read of mine, so I was very excited to be approved for this proof! Thank you, NetGalley and John Murray Press!

For me, this was an interesting blend of a comfortable read but also dealt with some serious topics. The book follows two narratives, that of Madame Burova in the 70s and Billie in the present day who is meeting the older Madame Burova and uncovering the mystery of her birth parents. Most of the aforementioned trigger warnings mainly occur in the 70s narrative which depicts the sexism and racism that was sadly prevalent during the time period.

The plot felt somewhat chaotic to me, sometimes I wasn't sure if I was coming or going. The two narratives were easy to follow but something about the line of the plot felt a bit random. The ending felt somewhat far fetched and I definitely didn't feel contented by it. However, the characters were definitely a major positive! Hogan has a gift for creating wonderfully layered and complex characters where even the supporting cast have their own personalities and are genuinely fleshed out. There is also some decent LGBT rep. The characters are definitely the highlight of this novel and make it worth the read.

Overall, the book did feel like it was missing something, a certain magic that I just didn't feel. Hogan's books are worth reading for her characterisation skills and I definitely recommend this if you fancy a read that's on the lighter side!

Oh my I absolutely loved this book! As soon as I started it I just knew I was going to love it. The characters were so likeable and I couldn't wait to see how their story ended! I could not put this book down and by the end I was not disappointed. There were no questions left unanswered and the story came together so well!
I have never read any of Ruth Hogan's books before but I am very impressed and will be definitely buying some of her other books. This story is far from my usual choice of crime/thriller books but I am so glad I requested to read this book. I was initially drawn in by the cover but the story of Madame Burova was fantastic! I particularly loved how the book switched between the 70s and the present day.
I have already recommended this book to some of my family and friends! Such a feel good and magical story.
Thank you to Ruth Hogan, NetGalley and John Murray Press Two Roads for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Ruth Hogan has done it again! Her fourth novel is brilliant – I read the whole thing in one sitting.

But first let me tell you how I discovered the writer whose books have become amongst my favourites over the last few years.

I first read The Keeper of Lost Things and instantly fell in love with Eunice and Bomber and the lovely cup of tea. In fact I have read it twice (you miss things the first time – who hasn’t watched The Sixth Sense over and over to look for the clues they missed) which is something I almost never do. Except for The Wisdom of Sally Red Shoes, which I have also read twice. I have only read Queenie Malone’s Paradise Hotel once so far, but only because I haven’t had the chance yet for a second go.

I think it is something to do with the richly-drawn characters that make them seem like old friends. And the dogs of course. There have to be dogs. But it’s also the detail, which is why I have to go back, because in desperation to discover what happens next, it’s easy to miss something important or beautiful. It may only be something little, but it’s still worth a second look.

Like with Keeper, Madame Burova is set in two time periods – now and the early 1970s when I was just 20 years old like Imelda. I only visited a holiday camp once; it was the mid-sixties. We went for the day to Butlins in Minehead – my dad wanted to see the wrestling. I thought it was amazing…the camp not the wrestling.

Nowadays we often go to Brighton – my older son’s family live just down the road. The place has its own special buzz, there is nowhere else like it. “The book’s protagonist was inspired in part by the life of Eva Petulengro, a famous clairvoyant and Tarot reader who lived and worked for many years in Brighton, and whose booth can still be seen on the promenade…..Hogan studied for many months with an expert Tarot teacher until she was able to read to a professional standard.”* I’ve walked past the booth many times. I’d never dare go in.

Ruth has said that: “….The cast of characters became my friends and companions, and in all the strange days of lockdown I never once felt alone.” They became my friends and companions, albeit for only 24 hours but I shall miss them as I still miss Eunice, Bomber and Sally Red Shoes amongst others.

Many thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

*Quote from The Bookseller website

I loved this book it was so different to what I usually read. It was set in 1970 and I found that very interesting as I remember those times very well. I haven’t read any Ruth Hogan books before and I’m glad I read this one and will read her others. I loved all the quirky characters even the dogs which seemed to have sweet characters of their own. It was a refreshing change from my usual read which made it all the more enjoyable. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

A really great plot with interesting and quirky characters. I have enjoyed all of Ruth's books and Ma d and Burova is no exception. I read it in a couple of days and could not put it down.

🎶Oh I do like to be beside the seaside.....🎶

Brighton 1972 and Imelda Burova Tarot reader Palmist and Clairvoyant is preparing to take over the reins from her Romany mother Shunty-Mae and make the fortune telling booth her home from home. Jeanie Rogers is taking up her very first position of employment as a clerk at the local secretarial college although singing is her passion, listening to the likes of Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald. Larkins holiday park has a new manager Marty Mount and auditions are underway for acts to entertain holiday makers in the upcoming summer season. Ruby who works at the park and her Jamaican husband Randall are wishing son Treasure well for his first day at secondary school and Diamond and Jack are setting up for another day in the Tea Leaf cafe serving up tea, toast and bacon butties. Ruth Hogan really knows how to set the scene inviting her readers into what promises to be a magical and mesmerising tale full of entertaining characters of both the human and canine variety. I’ve read and loved this author’s previous three novels and couldn’t wait to dive right in!

Set in 1972/3 and the present the narrative switches effortlessly between the two so we are not only are treated to Imelda’s fascinating life as a clairvoyant, all the holiday park shenanigans and a bittersweet love story but to a present day mystery which may connect London based Billie, to our Brighton based keeper of secrets.Billie’s parents are now both dead, much like her marriage and career and with the sale of the family home comes a confession that will inevitably lead her to crossing paths with Madame Burova, a trusted caretaker of the truth. Imelda’s booth has served as a confessional over the years and she alone might hold the answers to the questions Billie now faces. With writing that reads like a dream Hogan gives you permission to don your rose tinted spectacles, (save for parts of Treasure and Randall’s backstory) as you solve a riddle that’s begging to see the light of day, bringing this lost woman a whole host of new friendships and a place in the world that feels just like home. Tread the pebbles with Madame Burova and Billie, along with Dasha, Star, Mabel and Sparrow, inhale the bracing sea air and raise a glass (of vodka!) in anticipation of reaching a successful and satisfying conclusion.

Reading this novel felt like taking a trip down memory lane to another era where good old fashioned seaside fun was the norm for British holidaymakers. Channelling an end of pier type entertainment cum Hi-De-Hi vibe ( yes I know this came later) this novel is a sheer delight from beginning to end. Since Brighton is my home town I automatically felt I was on the same wavelength as the author with plenty of references to both the locality and the 1970’s. There’s a definite nostalgic atmosphere to the narrative and I couldn’t help taking a backwards glance to my childhood when I didn’t live by the coast and a trip to the seaside was so exciting, beginning with that first glimpse of the sea, my ears assaulted by the sound of the seagulls swooping overhead. Fond memories of ambling along the promenade with my own daughter when she was young resurfaced enabling me to relive many a day spent spinning around on the carousel, playing the amusement arcade machines and sampling everything the pier could offer. Even the scenes set in St Pancras railway station had me yearning for the times spent gossiping with a dear friend, lunching in the Betjeman pub and listening to the piano players before heading back home to this mini city by the sea. I felt as if the author was conversing directly with me reminding me that there are better days to come. Thank you Ruth!

The characterisation in this novel is sublime. I’ve come to expect this author’s characters to veer towards the more quirky side of life and I wasn’t disappointed. There’s a wonderful eclectic array of characters, too many to mention here but who all help create that perfect ambiance of good hearted innocent (ish) humour, friendship, love and loyalty. How this author manages to breathe life into these fictional characters so that they feel as alive and real as the people around me is such an accomplishment and a testament to her powers of imagination. I half expected to take a stroll along the seafront and find Madame Burova waiting to read my cards or witness CI5 Clive messaging with his elastic bands. Without a shadow of a doubt they are my two favourite characters although it feels almost disrespectful to make a choice because every single one of them add their own magic to this storyline, allowing Imelda to bask in the limelight. From wandering hands Marty, piano supremo Charlie Martin, contortionist Sara Jade, walk of death rider and heartbreaker Cillian Byrne and Jeanie’s snobbish friend Vivienne the reader can find joy and laughter, romance and heartache in all these characters lives. I HAD to finish this in one sitting because I couldn’t bear to tear myself away

I’ll probably read somewhere in the region of 200 books this year (if not more!) but I already know this novel and Madame Burova herself has found a special place in my heart that cannot be usurped. If I gaze into my crystal ball I will predict this is THE feel good novel of the year from one of my favourite queens of uplifting fiction. Ruth Hogan deserves to wear her crown with pride. 5 dazzling sunny salty sea laden stars from me! My thanks as always to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read.