Book Review: Hokey Pokey - Kate Mascarenhas


Book cover in an art deco style. Two women face each other.

OK. What the actual fuck? This starts off as a rather charming period piece - 1920s hotel will all the guests snowed in - and then gradually descends into horrifying madness. I'm used to the bizarre worlds created by Kate Mascarenhas - but this took the creepiness up to an extreme level. There's an almost fetish-like description of the scenery which helps with the world building. At first I thought the creeping around the hotel was a bit "Famous Five", but it builds up the supernatural…

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Book Review: The Thief on the Winged Horse - Kate Mascarenhas


A winged horse carved into a tree.

The Kendrick family have been making world-famous dolls for over 200 years. But their dolls aren't coveted for the craftsmanship alone. Each one has a specific emotion laid on it by its creator. A magic that can make you feel bucolic bliss or consuming paranoia at a single touch. Though founded by sisters, now only men may know the secrets of the workshop. Persephone Kendrick longs to break tradition and learn her ancestors' craft, and when a handsome stranger arrives claiming doll-making …

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Review - The Psychology of Time Travel


Embroidered rabbits and guns frolic on the cover of this book.

In 1967, four female scientists worked together to build the world’s first time machine. But just as they are about to debut their creation, one of them suffers a breakdown, putting the whole project—and future of time travel—in jeopardy. To protect their invention, one member is exiled from the team—erasing her contributions from history. What a delight! This is a classic murder-mystery wrapped up in a perfect sci-fi package. The answer to the "whodunnit" is, obviously, a time-tr…

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