I realise it's entirely unfair to compare an author's book to their previous work. But when you've loved a book like 'The Lamplighters' as much as I did, it's remarkably hard not to have certain expectations. Unfortunately, it became clear quite early on that 'The Sunshine Man' and I wouldn't get along as well as I'd hoped.

Birdie is on a mission. After eighteen years of waiting, Jimmy Maguire, the man who killed her sister is getting out of prison. Birdie intends to find Jimmy and mete out her own kind of justice. But Birdie and Jimmy have history. A rather murky one, as it turns out.

The story unfolds in two ways. There is the present day, where Birdie is stalking Jimmy like a bird of prey. And both Birdie and Jimmy take the reader back to the past to unravel mysteries and family secrets. Very little of it is pretty. Jimmy, in particular, comes from a bad background. He and his siblings were known in the community, and it wasn't because they were innocent choir boys. Birdie, on the other hand, drew the lottery with her grandmother. But she has problems of her own. Not knowing who her father was, and having a mother who shows zero interest is taking its toll on her. Until, a little sister appears on the doorstep. Things will never be the same again.

There are always two sides to every story. For certain things, it was quite difficult to figure out what was what, and who was telling the truth. Both these characters felt like accomplished liars to me, and neither came across as a reliable narrator. There is mention of a mysterious figure with yellow socks and odd teeth, but to be fair, by the end of the story I still didn't see how they fitted in. Unless I was supposed to think people make it a habit of talking to themselves in a cafe and nobody pays attention? It left me with unanswered questions and I don't like those.

I must admit that the first part of 'The Sunshine Man' was a struggle for me. There were many moments where I contemplated throwing in the towel but my stubborn streak won out. The slow pace didn't help but more than that, Jimmy's chapters threw me off entirely and broke the flow of the story. There are diary entries that are full of "__g" because apparently using the actual cuss wasn't appropriate? I don't know. All I know is it was ridiculously annoying.

However, I'm glad I stuck it out. The second half of the story was much better, as the pieces start to come together and the truth unfolds. In hindsight, a lot of it is rather sad. Things could have been so much different. But once events were set in motion there was just no going back.

'The Sunshine' man is a story of love, grief, revenge, and redemption. It is a complex, character driven tale with great psychological insight. Yet, for me also a mixed bag where some parts worked better than others.

3.5 stars rounded down...
I really wanted to love this book. I tried, I really did. Well, I actually half loved it. The birdie bits were excellent. Jimmy's part however was not so good for me. I struggled with the phonetic spelling of his accent, which is something that I never usually find hard. Maybe this was hand in hand with the fact that all his swearing was blanked out. This kept jarring me, taking me out of the story I was so desperate to really get into. His parts were also a bit all over the place and I struggled to really get to grips with the different timelines. There was the now, the then, and the prison. All of which I do accept were needed but I did struggle to follow the whole narrative when you also added in Birdie's timelines. I guess it's a case of too many small niggles in addition to the big sweary one all added up to, just too much.
That said, the main story, and I did get through it eventually, did interest and intrigue me. We follow Birdie as she is following Jimmy on his release from prison after serving his time for killing her sister. We then go back in time to the aforementioned timelines to find out how we got to where we are today as well as following the action as it unfolds in the present. There was a bit of repetition in the past bits but as they were narrated from different perspectives they did have different things to offer the narrative as a whole.
Characterisation was on the whole good apart from the issues I had with the way Jimmy was presented. I don't get the reason for sanitising the dialogue. He swears, it is in character, so let him be... all the --ing about really did irk me. Hence the half star being rounded down. I'd be very interested to hear how a narrator tackles this!
Anyway, I got there in the end, and it was kinda worth the pain. It's just a shame the journey was a bit hit and miss.
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Twenty years ago Jimmy killed Birdie’s sister. Now he’s out on remand and Birdie puts her plans to seek justice for Providence into effect: she leaves her husband and children to pursue Jimmy with a gun.

From this revenge thriller template Emma Stonex explores the nature of retribution, atonement and revenge in a story that spans almost thirty years. Jimmy has steadfastly refused to take responsibility for the crime while in prison, only saying he was at the scene. Birdie has built a life based on a promise to her dead sister. The present day narrative is based on Jimmy’s attempt to re-establish life on the outside, and Birdie’s pursuit of him. From this we go back in time, chiefly from Birdie’s viewpoint, to their life in a Devon village and the circumstances that brought Jimmy and Providence fatally together.

Both Birdie and Jimmy are well-drawn and complex characters, and on the whole Stonex brings off her multiple timeline and perspective narrative. Almost every individual element has its weakness when taken in isolation: the prison diaries of Jimmy can feel a little forced at times, and the believability of Birdie’s pursuit of Jimmy at times wavers. But the impact of this novel comes from how all these narratives work together and how actions or comments in one are picked up in another. Stonex is not afraid of plotting, and the narrative drive that will bring Birdie and Jimmy together again overcomes these individual moments.

The Sunshine Man is a historical mystery, set in several time blocks ranging from the 1950’s to the late 1980’s. The story follows Birdie, a woman who has been deeply affected by the murder of her sister and Jimmy, the man who has just been released from prison after serving his sentence for the killing. The reader gets to explore the background to their lives and find out what truly happened all those years ago.

I really enjoyed this book and kept turning the pages to find out what had happened in the 1970’s and what Birdie would do in 1988. A recommended read for lovers of revenge and redemption.

The sunshine man

Having read the Lamplighters, I was naturally eager to read this latest offering and once again, this author delivers. In The sunshine Man Emma Stonex proves that she is a force to be reckoned with. Here she deals with thought provoking issues of childhood trauma, rape, murder and disassociation.

The story follows three young children who have been emotionally abused and left behind. Birdy and Providence are sisters who have been left with their grandmother. A good woman who also takes in a young, troubled boy called James. James comes from a notorious family of thieves and cons: The Maguires.

Providence and James strike up a close friendship until his annoying and intimidating friend Floyd, decides to enter the relationship, causing Providence to pull away.

At the start of the plot James is being released from an 18-year prison sentence, while his daughter is there to meet him, the pair are unaware that Birdy is too but for a different reason. James was charged with the murder of her fifteen-year-old sister. Leaving her own family behind Birdy follows them as they navigate their way back to where it all began.

This is a real page turner which forces you to see both sides of the story as we gain an insight into James’ psyche and his childhood trauma. I highly recommend this one!

Thank you to NetGalley and Picador for the opportunity to review this ahead of publication.

Apart from the attention grabbing, "I shot a man in the head", I wouldn't exactly describe the novel as a thriller. It was more of an exposé of how decisions can result in outcomes that can hardly be conceived at the time. Furthermore, how inadequate some can be in 'reading the room'. Some interesting and complex characters whose backgrounds are covered in fine detail Very few come away smelling of roses.
I have to say I found the novel somewhat tedious but I am sure there will be others who would challenge that. If you like the minutiae of other's lives and trying to work out why people do the things they do, then this book is for you.

When Birdie’s beloved younger sister Providence is murdered, she determines that one day she will kill the man convicted of her murder. When he is released from prison many years later, she sets off to find him, armed with a gun, and determined to avenge Providence, whatever the cost. A tense but moving thriller, this powerful novel explores the damage done by neglect and abuse in childhood, which affects people differently but always leaves behind scars. James, the youngest of the difficult and frequently criminal Maguire family, has offers of help that might enable him to break the cycle, but events conspire against him almost as in Greek tragedy. Birdie and Providence also have a neglectful mother and have no knowledge of their fathers, but their lives are transformed through the love and care of their kindly grandmother when their mother abandons each of them. The story is told alternatively by Birdie and James and takes place both in the present and in their younger years, allowing both their viewpoints to be understood and filling in the pieces of the events leading up to Providence’s death. It is also a searing indictment of the young offender and prison systems and how they can make things worse instead of better. Deeply sad but also redemptive, this is a book that will make you think and that will linger in the memory.

Birdie lives for her sister, it when Jim Maguire is fostered by her Grandmother everything changes. Providence is drawn to Jim and Birdie feels left out. Jim is like the rest of his family, always getting into trouble, but whilst staying with Birdie and Providence he seems to change.
Then Birdie is attacked in her own bed as Providence sleeps, she blames Jim for letting his brother in. Jim is sent away.
Years later he returns and tries to rekindle his friendship with Providence, she ends up dead with Jim saying it wasn’t him, still no one believes him and he is sent to prison.
When he gets out Birdie follows him.
A very emotional tale, well written with the present and past intertwined.

The Sunshine Man
I read ‘Lamplighters’ and thought it was terrific, so I was on the look out for further offerings from Emma Stonex. I jumped at the chance to read ‘The Sunshine Man’. Was I disappointed? Not in the slightest; it is superbly written and the plot draws you straight in and won’t let you go until the finale. Even after closing the book it stays with you and keeps you thinking about it. To be sure, the subject matter is not pleasant but, in the very capable wordage and style of the author, it is an intriguing, beguiling and fascinating story. Highly recommended if you seek a literary treat wrapped up in a mystery/thriller context. My thanks to NetGalley for leading me to this treasure and, of course, a special thanks to the author for providing such a wonderful read.

Reviewed on Goodreads.

This is such a beautiful and compelling read, it had me feeling so many emotions throughout that kept me gripped.

‘The week I shot a man clean through the head began like any other.’ says Bridget, or Birdie as she is known, as she looks back on the act that changed her life forever. Jimmy Maguire, her younger sister’s killer has been granted parole and will soon be released from prison. Bridget is going to be waiting for him and not as a Welcome Wagon.
In the build-up to their meeting, Bridget goes through her usual domestic routines; getting everyone up and off to school or work before taking a second-hand gun from her wardrobe. She has waited a long time to avenge her younger sister, Providence’s, murder and it has filled her every waking thought. And now she’s ready; the children at their gran’s and a note left for Tom, her partner. She catches the coach and begins her journey of revenge. Finally she and Jimmy will meet again in a Devon field near where they both grew up. Bridget and Providence dumped on their grandmother or Gamma by their indifferent mother, Mary, never knowing the identity of their respective fathers. Their lives became inextricably linked with Jimmy and the rest of the Maguire family when the latter moved into the area. It leads to tragic consequences for them both.
This is a very different novel to the author’s debut, ‘The Lamplighters’, which I loved for its atmosphere and mystery. Bridget’s all consuming and cherished desire for revenge was well written and believable The multi perspective timelines and point of view worked well but I wondered about the significance of the scarecrow in the field – would it have lasted that long? The reader follows the back stories of their lives as they grow up and the senseless murder of Providence at 15 is revealed just as her life was beginning to open up to wider vistas.
However, one of the major plot devices was a familiar trope although it did explain the significance of HMP Grendon and why it was so integral to Jimmy’s rehabilitation.
I don’t know why the publisher kept printing swear words as -ing. The reader knows what the words are and this wasn’t a Jane Austen novel.
It’s set in 1989 and it was convincedly evoked with references to Walkmans, cassates and payphones.
It was a strong novel of revenge and obsession and the chance to rebuild a life.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC.

A bit disjointed and confusing at times.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book

Wow a real journey in this book . You get the insight into Bridgets current life , there is a alot of setting the scenes and taking you through her upbringing. An emotional ride along the way you can feel the attachment in the characters. There is also our other main character James who has a very different upbringing, his struggles and challenges. There is a twist in this book and i dont want to post any spoilers . Initially i thought the book would be extremely fast paced but i felt it built up over time so you got to know the characters really well. Although this is fiction there are some strong emotions in this writing , family ties and bonds. Attachment and trauma through families. The author has done an excellent job with a very tricky sensitive subject involving prison sentences and crimes involved.

This book is so good! A women waits years to exact her revenge! Will she go through with it in the end and will it ultimately destroy her rather than be the salvation she expects? Great plot!!

A slow paced thriller which drips in the clues and keeps you wondering how it will all end. The unknown elements of what actually happened are entwined in the story which is told from each persons viewpoint. Quite different for Emma’s first book which was a real first class read. The one element in this book I found distracting on the eye were the dashes were the ‘F’ word was abbreviated. Otherwise a story that dug into the past to bring out the truth and an interesting conclusion.

This is definitely gripping but not in a flash bang thriller kind of way, It’s much more subtly done than that - it’s complex and weaving. As much literary fiction as thriller.

I requested "The Sunshine Man" by Emma Stonex as I really liked her other book, "The Lamplighters". This one is a different genre and unfortunately was a bit flat. Birdie's story was told in a very different way to Jimmy's (use of language, perspective etc) and I did want to know what happened to Providence and why Jimmy was covering for Floyd. I guessed the twist about a third of the way through and I feel that this could have been exploited more. Not your straight forward thriller but the ending wasn't really what I was expecting and I was a bit disappointed.

Absolutely loved this new novel from Emma Stonex. I wasn’t sure at first and wondered if it was going to be a straight forward revenge story but as I got into the story I was hooked. The way the novel is written from two points of view made it all the more enjoyable and made me appreciate Jimmy’s frame of mind and even, dare I say it, I rooted for him a bit! An excellent tale of how our past defines us and how one single episode can change a person’s life for ever.

i was already overthinking this book before we even began! i think you can judge what youd do in this situation. i think many a person would say i want justice. do they want revenge. even then i think many of us can say we would. i ultimately think this goes over that line for many people who have indeed faced this kind of loss and then the need for someone to pay. for the perpetrator to pay. because too often they dont. ive been close to this. ive not been in our FMC position but ive been on her side of things. seeing the loss of a someone due to what was done to them, and therefore what was done to everyone that knew them. the ripple effect never stops and sometimes(often) its never ends. its shapes and shifts your whole life from both body and soul, just like it did for our fmc. and i felt for her from the get go. part of me wanted not to read it. would i be ok with the end. as surely she wouldnt go through with her plan as that would mean she might get in trouble. but then also feeling a little guilty because i actually didnt want them to relent and not let her have justice. but as you read the book. and as you go through similar in life you do see that justice or the end doesnt always look how you expect or first thought
Birdie goes out to kill. and throughout the book we learn from past and present of how she came to be here now. with a gun towards the man that took her sister from her. the man that killed her sister. and we also learn of James life and how he came to be there that day. there are a lot of grey areas in cases like this. not always, because sometimes evil is evil. but sometimes there is grey.
i loved Birdie throughout this and all i was bothered about what if she was okay. if she got the ending that meant her peace so i was flicking through as many pages as time would allow to see if this happened. she has me a little emotional at time that only good writing can cause.
this is deeper than a thriller. it felt so much more real. it hits the heart a whole lot harder.

I loved The Lamplighters, so was delighted to read this book, and I wasn't disappointed. The story is engrossing, with unexpected twists. I loved the writing, and the sense of period. I will definitely be recommending this book.