This is such a superb read. It is beautifully written and manages to weave in the key elements and experiences of Dementia.
Father (Gerry) and son (Jack) have a strained relationship with deep set grudges that have been festering for many years. Brought together by the disappearance of Jack's mother, at a time when Jack has unexpectedly been made redundant, we follow their individual takes on each other. The Fox is a wonderful sounding board!

Just wonderful!! I didn't think I would get so emotionally attached to these characters, but I did!! Their fragile relationships captured beautifully by the author and really shows the impact that illness and unsaid things have on family relationships.

At the heart of the book is Jack. He finds himself betrayed by 'friends' and fears for his future and while in shock he comes across an injured fox who he tries to catch - and then the fox speaks to him! Not what he, or you as a reader, expects but it becomes a really poignant part of the storyline as we also hear the foxes story too.

A call from home sees him going back, to face new problems that he'd not known about. His mother has gone missing, and his sister has been caring for their father who is dealing with memory problems. Had Jack been too focussed on his own life to notice what was going on back home... he now has time to refocus and try and rebuild relationships.

There are a number of storylines running throughout this book and all were so readable... we hear the story of his mum and dad and how parenthood changed their lives, the changing relationship between brother and sister, along with that of father and son and there was just so many emotional memories and realisations that it was so difficult not to get involved in the varying emotions displayed. There's frustration, regret, anger and forgiveness and the author has done such an amazing job of conveying the varying viewpoints of a fractured family facing more uncertainty with the changing health of the father.

A poignant and unforgettable read - highly recommended!!

Having loved Isaac and the egg I came to this book with some trepidation. How could Bobby Palmer possibly match the raw emotion of that book? Well, I’m so pleased to say that I need not as worried as once more he tackles a difficult topic with sensitivity and panache. Having coped with some of the issues dealt with in this novel, I was swept away in the story and yes I may have shed a tear or two. The writing is just wonderful and the descriptions of nature and the countryside are outstanding. I also listened to the audio of this book which was narrated by Stephen Mangan, who does an incredible job and gives the novel at times a dreamlike and mystical quality. So Bobby Palmer- you have done it again and I can’t wait for your third book. I can’t say how highly I would recommend this audiobook. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the AR see all this novel in return for an honest review.

Beautiful in its simplicity. I loved the unsaid words between the characters - the reconnections and the hope. It was all about understanding the relationships and the impact of eachother in the story.

An interesting premise with a talking fox, ultimately exploring the life of Jack who loses his job and has a fledging relationship with his sister and father who has dementia.

A beautifully written story about loss and coming to terms with change. A bit slow at times and the mingling of myth and reality got a bit confusing.

With thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy.

I'd like to thank NetGalley for approving me for an ARC of this book.

🥰Family
🎶Lyrical
🦊Nature
🍁Unique

What I love about Bobby Palmer's writing is his ability to give us a quiet story with so much power. From the beautiful prose to his unique plots, his stories always seem to resonate with me. What a tremendous talent it is to take popular, relatable themes and give them a unique voice. A truly memorable story!

⭐⭐⭐⭐

A lovely sensitive book with a profound understanding of human nature, that touches on generational struggles and the complexities of love while being a love letter to the natural world, the changing seasons both in life and nature.

Jack, a workaholic city boy is unceremoniously fired from his high-demand but somewhat anonymous city job, and on his way home finds an injured fox. This kick starts his wake up call, furthered by a call from his sister back home in the country at Mole End, telling him his mum has gone missing.
Jack reluctantly returns to his rural roots, all the while followed by the fox. Is it a vision, is it real? Who is the fox and why has it chosen him?

The book is quiet, sensitive and revealing.
It has a similar intimacy to Bob Palmer’s brilliant Isaac and the Egg, getting right into the heart and soul of the characters and showing us their vulnerability in a way that is refreshing and emotional.
There are beautiful parallels to nature throughout. We get to know the Penwick family in their entirety, Jack’s parents; absent-minded naturalist Gerry and dedicated matriarch Hazel and their nomadic lives before the children came along, and the surroundings of Mole End. The barn owl, the oak tree and the enigmatic fox.
A gorgeous read, made even more immersive by the audiobook brilliantly and emotively read by Stephen Mangan.

When I heard that this book featured a talking fox I was worried it might have been one of those stories that starts off okay and then goes off on a really weird and confusing tangent, but how wrong I was to think that! Oh my word, what an AMAZING story! This is my new favourite book. I loved how unique this story was and the delicate way it dealt with grief, friendship, reflection, putting pieces back together again, and stressful things that families go through as parents grow older. I really enjoyed the moments of humour as well. This book will stay with me for a long, long time. stunning.

Bobby Palmer is a beautiful human! Hugely talented and back with another gorgeous gem. I didn’t think Bobby could beat Isaac and the Egg with any book but this has definitely done that.

This is just completely brilliant. I am in awe of Bobby’s writing. It just flows so effortlessly and beautifully. You can’t help but be pulled into the story and love everything about it!

The characters in this book have really stayed with me. I feel like they are imprinted on my heart after reading this gorgeous gem. Jack, Hazel and Gerry have made this a great read and on occasions, made me very emotional.

Palmer is able to allow the reader to see inside the complex relationships of the characters whilst developing them with compassion, you can’t help but become invested in them.

This is an author who writes exquisitely. I loved everything about this gem. There are so many elements in this, you really become torn between devouring and wanting to savour every last word.

Bobby Palmer is just brilliant. This is a book worthy of all the praise and all the stars. No written review can do this justice. This is brilliant and should be on everyone’s TBR.

I had read a lot about this authors first novel so was keen to read this one. It took a while to get into, the magical realism was a bit over done at first, but once I understood the characters more I did enjoy it. I think it could have been shorter to make it a bit pacier, there felt like a fair bit of repetition but maybe that'll come out in the fully published version.

Small Hours by Bobby Palmer

On the day Jack loses his job he encounters an injured fox who appears to speak to him. He returns to the family home he's been avoiding for years after receiving a call from his sister Charlotte telling him their Mum is missing. Jack finds all is not well with his Dad either. Can insight from the fox and a near disaster bring Jack and his Dad back together after all this time?

I'm struggling to describe this book in any way that conveys just how brilliant it is! The writing is sublime and the insights into human nature, the natural world, family relationships and so many other things is fabulous. I read it in one go and absolutely loved it. Very VERY highly recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

Let me start by saying my usual genre is suspense/thriller but I do like to explore other styles in between.

This book caught my eye but I’m sad to say I could not get into it. I actually liked the talking fox but the bits in between just couldn’t keep my attention.

Many thanks to #NetGalley and #Headline for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

“It’s about connection and belonging and how the world comes alive when you stop to take it in”
An emotional tale about what it is to be human in a world where material gain has long overtaken the simple pleasures in life.
Primarily told through alternating perspectives of Jack Fenwick and his father, Gerry.
Jack is a financial whizz kid, who always planned to escape from his emotionally distant dad, Gerry and he did by getting a job in London’s rat race.
But then suddenly everything changes, he’s made redundant and his sister contacts him informing him that their mum, Hazel has disappeared and fox that’s talking to him.
Meanwhile, Gerry is living in a confusing world of dementia, which is made all the more scary by his missing wife and an angry young man turning up at his home.
Where has Hazel gone?
Covers the whole range of human emotions - anger, fear, sadness, joy, love and forgiveness.
A charming enchanting read - loved getting to know the Fenwick family’s story and the fox, who became such a part of their lives and of course the author’s magical style of writing.
Thanks @thebobpalmer, @headlinebooks & @netgalley for the magical read.

I was keen to read this book having read and enjoyed Bobby’s first novel, Isaac and the Egg.

The novel begins with three events: the protagonist, Jack, loses his job in the city; feeling lost and unsure what to do Jack then encounters an injured/unhealthy fox and helps rescue it; having dealt with the fox, Jack then receives a call from his sister, Charlotte, saying his mum is missing and so returns to his childhood home in a rural village outside of London, where the rest of the novel plays out.

I really enjoyed the structure of the book, in particular the sections written like streams of consciousness – an inner monologue - from Jack’s father, Gerry. Although I was initially unsure about the talking fox, in the end the perspectives from the fox worked out as a clever plot device. The small cast of characters, combined with the village setting, felt a bit insular and stifling at times, but this was probably part of the point. I would have loved to hear more about some other sides to Jack e.g., a past relationship with a girlfriend etc., which is a compliment to the character Bobby has created. As a reader I am a big fan of nature writing, but at times there was perhaps a little too much detail. Living in SE London however, I could very much identify with the descriptions of urban foxes and learnt a few things!

Small Hours demonstrates Bobby Palmer’s excellent skill in writing about male mental health and portraying awkward, tense, and stressful family dynamics (Jack and Gerry, Jack and Charlotte). Overall, Small Hours is an imaginative, witty, and heart-tugging novel – a strong follow-up to Issac and the Egg.

Many thanks to #Netgalley, the publisher #Headline, and the author for providing me with a digital ARC.

“Things aren't set in stone. The smallest creatures undergo the greatest transformations. We are all of us, always, in flux.”

He’s done it again! Just like Bobby Palmer’s extraordinary debut, Isaac and the Egg, Small Hours is a literary masterpiece. Mesmerising and poignant, this book was like a balm for the soul that wrapped me up in a warm hug as I read. Told in lyrical, melodic prose, I was transfixed and lost myself in its pages. I never wanted it to end but also didn’t want to put it down.

Small Hours is a story about a father, a son, and a fox. A story about family, estrangement, loss, grief, mental health, disillusionment, and new beginnings. Through Jack and Gerry’s strained relationship Palmer explores the father/son relationship from both sides. These characters are like chalk and cheese, and while I loved reading them both, I will admit that it was Gerry I had the softest spot for. Gerry is struggling with a memory problem that is never identified, but seemed to me to be like dementia and it was heartbreaking to read as he tried to grasp at disappearing memories or wandered through the world with no idea where he was or what was going on. Palmer’s research is clear in Gerry’s behaviours and thoughts.

"Did other people find it easy? To ask things, to say things out loud? To grab the stalks of the thoughts in your head and to pull up their roots, to bring them out of the soil and into her sunlight?"

Seamlessly blending literary fiction with fantasy, Palmer has taken the world we know and sprinkled in a little magic in order to help us understand ourselves and those around us a little better. It is so well done that I never once questioned that there was a talking fox or that the story was set in reality. I loved how Jack found a friend and confidant in the fox, and reading their scenes were some of my favourite parts of the story. Palmer's decision to write the inner monologues of the humans and the fox in disjointed, poetic verses that mirror the way our own thoughts take shape was a stroke of genius. It added to the feeling of authenticity and made me feel like I was really getting a glimpse into their thoughts.

Soulful, uplifting, moving, and original, Small Hours is one of the most beautiful stories I have ever read and it will stay with me long after turning the final page. This is one of those books that you have to experience for yourself and I can’t recommend it highly enough.

It's going to take me a while to process this book. By the author of Isaac and the Egg, it's another strange, moving and life changing story. Jack works in the City and on the same day he loses his job he rescues a fox who thanks him for his help. His younger sister Charlotte calls to tell him their mum has left. She's stuck at home with their dad who is sinking into dementia. It's a long time since Jack has been home so he hasn't realised what has happened. So Jack returns to Mole End, his childhood home in the countryside, from where he escaped as soon as he could. His dad is struggling with life and reality and is far removed from the distant unemotional figure from Jack's past. It takes time and a traumatic event for Jack, and his dad, to reach an understanding of their place in each other's worlds. Moving, strange and will stay with me. In its way it covers men's mental health, dementia, family expectations and relationships. #netgalley #smallhours

The story:
We meet Jack Penwick as he finds out the company he’s poured all his time and effort into is being sold — and he was not as indispensable as he thought.

On his way home from the office, Jack surprises himself by rescuing an injured fox. He’s even more surprised when the fox thanks him…

To add to his confusion, Jack is alarmed to receive a sudden plea to return to his childhood home (a home he has avoided for years) from his younger sister — his mother has gone, and no one knows where she is.

A return home will mean confronting some uncomfortable truths and Jack’s difficult relationship with his father. But might it also spark an unlikely connection?

My thoughts:
Although I was very excited to read Bobby Palmer’s second novel “Small Hours”, I was also a little worried as I’d enjoyed his debut “Isaac and the Egg” so much… But thank goodness I wasn’t disappointed!

Whereas the author’s first novel was a poignant examination of grief following the loss of a spouse, Palmer’s latest book is an equally thoughtful tale of the relationships within families, and in particular between a father and a son.

Jack is someone who has always played by the rules (from work experience, to university, to graduate scheme, to a career in the city), and to find himself suddenly and unceremoniously unemployed just doesn’t add up — and Jack is the ultimate numbers man. His father Gerry is a man who would always choose to be outside rather than under a roof. The idea of the city rat race is incomprehensible to him.

Gerry is distant and Jack is angry. But there is also a wonderful thread of whimsy throughout this story, with Jack’s relationship with the fox he rescues and finds he can, quite unexpectedly, talk to! This sounds a strange concept, but it really works to illuminate what is going unsaid between father and son.

Like the author’s first novel, this is an emotional journey, with heartbreak along the way, but with an ultimately uplifting message. Highly recommended for those looking for a beautifully written and thoughtful read, and a bit of peace amongst the noise.

Small Hours is a beautiful, heart-breaking and emotional story that had me reaching for the tissues. This was my first Bobby Palmer book but he has already solidified himself as an amazing writer whose words are just pure perfection. This book takes you on an incredibly journey that just punches you in the gut but has you wanting and needing more.

Told in multiple point of views it's impossible not to fall in love with these characters and want the absolute best for them. Each character is so realistic and in many cases relatable. Bobby has done a fantastic job at writing these characters with care, especially when it comes to the complexity of a few of the relationships in this story.

Honestly this was such an amazing and gripping read that I will always recommend reading. I now need to pick up Bobby's debut because I know I'm going to love it just as much as I loved this one!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Small Hours is a unique exploration of family, self-discovery, and small things that shape lives, with a narrative that weaves together the complexities of these things.

A father, a son, and a fox stand at the heart of a tale. Palmer explores the father son relationship with nuance as the narrative navigates the balance between familial expectation and the need to step out. Palmer's prose draws readers into a world charged by emotion and the suspension of disbelief. The struggles of the characters and their evolution are well throughout and poignant. The topic of memory and the fact that even the characters struggle to recognise each other opens up a puzzle for the reader.

Small Hours is not a novel for everyone, and I'm not entirely sure it's the novel for me, but I can definitely appreciate the skill the author has. Palmer's ability to craft a narrative that explores human intricacies with such emotion and intelligence emphasises the power of storytelling.

Thank you to Headline and Netgalley for the ARC