Firstly, I have taken my eye of the ball, AKA my diary and COMPLETELY messed up. So, with sincere apologies to all – here’s my EMBARRASSINGLY late blog post for the fabulously dark and addictive THE BERESFORD. Please do keep scrolling for some bookish chat…

The Blurb

Just outside the city – any city, every city – is a grand, spacious but affordable apartment building called The Beresford.

There’s a routine at The Beresford.

For Mrs May, every day’s the same: a cup of cold, black coffee in the morning, pruning roses, checking on her tenants, wine, prayer and an afternoon nap. She never leaves the building. Abe Schwartz also lives at The Beresford. His housemate Smythe no longer does. Because Abe just killed him. In exactly sixty seconds, Blair Conroy will ring the doorbell to her new home and Abe will answer the door. They will become friends. Perhaps lovers.

And, when the time comes for one of them to die, as is always the case at The Beresford, there will be sixty seconds to move the body before the next unknowing soul arrives at the door. Because nothing changes at The Beresford, until the doorbell rings…

My thoughts…

When you open a Will Carver book anything can happen. This is my third read from Carver, previous reads being, Nothing Important Happened Today and Hinton Hollow Death Trip (I loved the vibe and message this particular book delivered) – review here: https://booksteaandme.blog/2020/07/21/blogtour-for-hintonhollowdeathtrip-by-will_carver-dspace-orendabooks-annecater/

I loved the concept behind this novel after receiving the blurb – leaving your soul at the door? I’m in! The Beresford title has a tantalising pull to it too, so I jumped at the chance to join the blog tour.

Oh, Oh Oh Mrs May, you old devil you! A key player in THE BERESFORD is its caretaker, Mrs May. Seemingly fragile, a woman of routine, taking afternoon naps (ah, bless her) and taking care of her roses. She is also responsible for the tenants who reside at The Beresford, and believe me, there’s going to be quite a few to keep track of. However, firstly we must consider Abe, the first resident we are hooked onto – unfortunately we don’t get to meet Sythe, his housemate; he’s just killed him as the novel opens and so the tone of the novel is set… and the doorbell comes alive to mark the changing of residents. Carver again subverts form and structure, who we believe to be a central character is challenged and squashed throwing our expectations into disorientation until a pattern emerges. I did worry this formula would become a little benign and predictable as new characters emerged and the doorbell kept ringing – there are elements of this – but I think that’s the point; Carver’s capable authorial crafting controls and builds the narrative into a horror-fuelled climax.

Carver’s Beresford is without doubt a compelling concept. The reader is always thrust off-kilter by the narrative jumps and twists, although a seemingly expected pattern emerges, but as soon as you adjust, Carver promptly sends another swing ball your way. There’s no doubt this book is dark; the horror tone is played with through injected humour and character development. It’s a question of wants, needs, desires, escapism and society. It’s also a question of how far we can go to obtain what we want and feel we have the right to. It’s bold, direct and dark. It’s also an unabashed and crafted comment on humanity.

If you get a moment, do take a walk to The Beresford and just ring the doorbell… I’m sure you’ll be fine.

The Author

Will Carver is the international bestselling author of the January David series. He spent his early years in Germany, but returned to the UK at age eleven, when his sporting career took off. He turned down a professional rugby contract to
study theatre and television at King Alfred’s, Winchester, where he set up a successful theatre company. He currently runs his own fitness and nutrition company, and lives in Reading with his two children.

Will’s latest title published by Orenda Books, Hinton Hollow Death Trip was longlisted for the Not the Booker Prize, while Nothing Important Happened Today was longlisted for the Theakston’s Old Peculiar Crime Novel of the Year and for the Goldsboro Books Glass Bell. Good Samaritans was a book of the year in Guardian, Telegraph and Daily Express, and hit number one on the eBook charts.

Please check out https://orendabooks.co.uk/ and buy from independents if you can XX