This week's bookcase includes reviews of Gunther Grass' final piece of writing, Of All That Ends, The Food Of Love by Amanda Prowse and The Christmas Promise by Sue Moorcroft.

Of All That Ends

Gunter Grass

When Grass died in April last year, the Nobel Laureate left behind a diverse and formidable body of work, and with Of All That Ends he has provided its ellipsis: a melancholic anthology of musings, poems and sketches, delicate in both form and content as they trace the edges of ageing, death and the world we live in. Throughout, Grass' writing (and Breon Mitchell's translation) is uncluttered and haunting, characteristically merging dashes of autobiography with more fanciful observation, taking life at face value and then gently but persistently pulling at any loose thread he finds. In their simple depiction of life and decay across nature, his sketches often provide literal illustration, but occasionally an image as savage and surreal as dismembered fingers scattered beside guilty scissors provides an angry counterpoint to the elegiac wanderings and wry humour: Grass is not going quietly. Ultimately, Of All That Ends is both more than, and exactly, the sum of its parts, tiny snapshots of mortality more insightful than most novels could dream of, forming a work of real emotional substance. A fitting requiem for a true great.

The Food Of Love

Amanda Prowse

Great books have the power to make readers stop in their tracks and rethink everything they thought they knew. Prowse's latest novel, The Food Of Love, is one such book. Dealing with the often taboo subject of eating disorders and, in particular, the distressing and harmful realities of those suffering with the disease, Prowse delivers a hard-hitting, vivid portrait of one family's descent into the clutches of illness that will have readers considering their own attitudes to food and body image. The novel focuses on the Braithwaite family: mother Freya, father Lockie, eldest daughter Charlotte, and youngest daughter Lexi. Theirs is a tight and happy family unit that seems unbreakable. But when Lexi develops an eating disorder, it threatens not only Lexi's wellbeing, but the wellbeing of the entire family. Prowse centres the narrative on Freya, and in doing so delivers a nuanced portrayal of a mother's love for her daughter and her struggle to do what is best for her child and her family. It is utterly heart-wrenching to see not only Lexi's decline, but the impact on her parents and sister, and the novel offers a tangible sense of the insidiousness and devastation of such disorders. Prowse treats her subject matter with the gravitas and empathy it deserves, and gives her readers plenty of food for thought.

The Christmas Promise

Sue Moorcroft

Christmas is a time of joy, right? It doesn't quite feel like it for Ava Blissham. Her couture hat stall is too high-end for the London Christmas Markets, leaving her struggling to make ends meet, all the while her ex-boyfriend lurks on every corner threatening to cause trouble. The Christmas Promise tells the story of milliner Ava as she tries to stop her alcoholic ex from releasing revenge porn. At the same time, she struggles towards the lure of a new relationship with marketing guru Sam, which would mean upsetting her best friend. Within a Christmas novel, you might expect the glitz and glam of the season to take over the plot, however Moorcroft manages to keep reality in check and you begin to feel a real connection to Ava's plight, whilst the interlinking storylines, including serious illness, blackmail and relationships, help to create the unexpected twists and turns. Moorcroft has done her research on the topics before penning the book, and that has paid off. From the intricacies of hat making, to the ins-and-outs of a Marketing/PR agency, every detail has been thought of and its these little intricacies that help to make the novel special. This heart-warming book is perfect for cosying up at Christmas, and will leave you thinking about the characters long after the pages have turned.

Saving Sophie

Sam Carrington

Carrington's first thriller was quickly snapped up by Avon and released early for digital customers. Now it's the turn of the paperback. I had heard how gripped people were from the outset, but it took me a bit longer to feel the action. Sophie goes out with her friends for a wild night out, probably a little too wild for a 17-year-old, and she is escorted home by the police. After being attacked two years before, Sophie's mum Karen is a prisoner in her own home, and thinks there is more to what happened that night. Sadly she's not wrong and one of Sophie's best friends is found dead the next morning. As the police dig to discover more about the missing night, questions are raised. Is Sophie telling the truth? Or is she holding back? A great addition to your reading list.