Blog Tour (Review): When Love Lies Bleeding by Candy Denman

The timeliness of this book is uncanny, as it was published at the end of February. You can see from the blurb what the plot is, but reading it is like reliving the last three months, although in noir form.

I’m a big fan of film noir, so as I was reading, I could hear Humphrey Bogart doing the voice over in my head. The author did a fantastic job of creating that type of atmosphere. It made for an interesting juxtaposition, because the plot itself is all modern.

I actually think this happened to work in favor of the book. It softened the reality of the topic. If the book had been written straightforward, I don’t think it would have been nearly as enjoyable, because it would have felt too real, too much like reading a post on Facebook or a news article turned into a story. For me, the sense of noir made it more palatable.

I did also like the setting, because I’m a born and raised San Francisco Bay Area gal. I grew up just south of Oakland, so the locations were all familiar. Plus, where better to set a foggy noir story than in Fog City, right? I only wish that the author had been a little more detailed, though, as there are a lot of buildings and businesses that could have added to the mood.

And back to that noir style; I’m glad that it was a novella. Because even though I loved it, I think that a full-length novel in that tone might have been a tad much. I would have needed to give Humphrey a break somewhere along the way.

As it was, it was a timely topic written into a story that was told in a unique way and it was the perfect length. I would definitely recommend this quick read. Maybe I’ll start listening to the news and imagining it in Humphrey’s voice as well. It’s a thought.

About Candy Denman:

Candy Denman spent most of her life as an NHS nurse but now concentrates on writing full time. She has written extensively for television programmes such as The Bill, Doctors and Heartbeat but now writes novels. She lives in Hertfordshire with her large extended family and a football crazy Cockapoo called Dennis.