*Features advance review copies via NetGalley. This post contains affiliate links
April was a good month for books here and it was so hard to pick just a few of my favourites for my April round up! Here are the ones I enjoyed the most!
Pretty Things by Janelle Brown
Soon to be a TV Series starring Nicole Kidman
First up, I know they say you should never judge a book by its cover but wow – this one really is as beautiful as it’s title suggests! After reading the synopsis, I felt that this book would be right up my street.
Pretty Things tells the story of Nina – a grifter, who was raised by her con artist single Mum, forever deceiving rich men out of money at the local casino. She vowed that she wouldn’t end up like her Mother and studied for a fine arts degree in the hope of getting a ‘real’ job and legitimate future, but when her Mum gets Cancer and needs medical bills paid fast, Nina turns to what she’s always known. She teams up with Lachlan, an old friend of her Mother’s and they plan what could be their biggest and most dangerous con yet.
As a child, Nina had a history with Benny – the son of the Leiblings family who own a huge estate. His sister, Vanessa Leibling is now heiress to the estate after both parents tragically died. A successful instagram Influencer, she shares all her many luxuries on her grid for the entire world to see. When Vanessa’s engagement breaks down and she finds herself alone and lonely, she decides to rent out the cottage on the estate. This presents what could be an incredibly lucrative con with Nina hoping to worm her way into Vanessa’s life and luxuries whilst simultaneously getting revenge for her family away all those years before.
Pretty Things is quite a long book, and it’s fair to say the pace builds up slowly but ramps up hugely in the second half. Told through two perspectives, both Nina’s and Vanessa’s, at times the same conversations are repeated. At first I found this a little odd, feeling like I was reading the same content twice, but the subtle differences to their version and recollection of events is actually really important and helps build up a detailed back story.
There are loads of twists and revelations in Pretty Things, with some real jaw dropping moments that I most certainly did not expect. At times some of the plot and decisions require you to suspend belief (it’s clearly amazing what isolation and desperation can make you do!) but overall I really enjoyed seeing the con emerge and the lies, secrets and unexpected turn of events that followed.
I am looking forward to seeing the adaptation of Pretty Things on screen, and can only assume Nicole Kidman would play Nina’s mother. Definitely one to look out for!
4/5
The Good Sister – Sally Hepworth
“Maybe when it comes to sisters, boundaries are always a little blurry. Blurred boundaries, I think are what sisters do best,”
I absolutely loved this book. The perfect blend of thriller and family drama with empathetic characters who draw you in from the outset. Fern has quickly become one of my favourites!
Fern and Rose are fraternal twin sisters and thick as thieves, having grown up with a seemingly unloving mother and her abusive partner. Fern has sensory processing issues and is on the autism spectrum and as such, Rose has always been her protector – whether it’s from shielding her from loud noises, busy places or simply helping her navigate through her very literal understanding of the world. Rose has even protected her from her past – never telling a soul what happened that fateful day when they were 12 when Fern killed Billy. She held him down under the water until he stopped breathing. It’s their little secret.
The Good Sister is told through two perspectives, Rose – via her therapist journal describing the past and Fern, very much describing the present. I instantly felt sympathy for Rose. Due to her sister’s condition her Mother always seemed to love Fern more, Rose always had to cover for her and always got the blame. She was sexually abused by her mother’s boyfriend and even now as a grown up she can’t get the only thing her heart desires – a child of her own.
Fern decides she owes it to her sister to give her the child that she craves so badly. After all how hard can it be? She’s had sex before and it wasn’t so bad. Now she has to just find a willing participant.
What follows is a truly captivating story. I fell in love with Fern and her innocence, her literal understandings and love of routine. I found myself smiling at the thought of her and Wally (Rocco), and her finding ‘her person’.
This book starts of slow, drawing you in, gaining your investment into the characters and then really ramps up in the second half, to the darker, more thrilling and dramatic elements at the end. The ending was full of twists and dramatic reveals with a truly climatic ending.
Sally has written an intelligent and sympathetic coverage of learning disabilities and some hard hitting topics in a way that will stay with you long after you’ve turned the final page.
5 stars from me.
Greenwich Park by Katherine Faulkner
Thanks to NetGalley, Bloomsbury Publishing and Katherine Faulkner for the advance review copy of Greenwich Park.
First up – this is an EPIC debut novel – reading this book you would never guess that this is Katherine’s first book – the plot builds up well and is packed with twists, turns, secrets and gradual reveals. It is well paced and the ending is superb!
At the start of Greenwich Park we meet Helen. She is expecting her first child after a series of losses, and living in her parents old Victorian home with her husband Daniel, life is finally starting to look up. Even better, her brother Rory and his beautiful wife Serena are also expecting their first child, so they plan to complete their antenatal classes together.
At the first class however Daniel is running late from work and Serena and Rory fail to show. Helen is left attending alone when Rachel arrives – a bold brash single mum top be who quickly latches on to Helen and wants to learn everything about her, every, little detail!
Suddenly Rachel is everywhere, turning up at Helen’s house unannounced, bumping into her in restaurants and becoming far to inquisitive into Helen and her friends lives. Helen starts to wonder if there is more to Rachel. Where did she come from? Who is the married father of her child? Why does she always have so much cash?
As time passes, we start to discover that there is far more to Rachel than meets the eye, with deep dark secrets from the past coming back to haunt the present day.
Whilst I did suspect the outcome, it’s fair to say I changed my mind about 100 times and did suspect almost every character at least once before being taken off in another direction., An amazing final clanger at the end bought the book to a really gripping conclusion.
4/5 and a fantastic debut psychological thriller.
The Whole Truth – Cara Hunter
First of all I should point out that at the time of requesting this book, I hadn’t appreciated that this was the 5th book in a series. I was worried at first that this would take away my enjoyment and understanding of the book, however the author Cara Hunter had included a really useful Who’s Who type intro at the beginning which acted as useful background on all the characters or an aide memoir to help refresh people’s memories.
A psychological Crime series feauring Di Adam Fawley, this latest story has two stories running alongside each other.
The first is a call about a sexual assault at an Oxford college. The team think they’ve seen it all before – a student accusing a professor, except this time it’s a male rugby playing student who is accusing a female highly regarded professor of sexual assault.
At the same time, Adam Fawley’s heavily pregnant wife Alex starts seeing a white van close to their home and is worried that the so called Roadside Rapist is back. Alex is one of the rapists’ victims and thanks to her now husband Adam, they secured the evidence to get him convicted. He’s now our of prison and Alex is convinced hes coming back to get them – just like he threatened when he went to the cells.
Adam finds himself thrust into the limelight when evidence arises that links HIM to a serious crime. Is he being framed and what can he do to prove his innocence?
The story lines both have DI Fawley as the common denominator and as a newbie to the series I almost expected them to merge. The story was well paced with lots of twists and reveals and I really enjoyed the inclusion of podcasts, newspapers and text messages to add another dynamic to the story. That said, the handdrawn note images didnt work well at all on a kindle – sadly there was no way of zooming in to fully read the text!
Overall I enjoyed The Whole Truth but I do wonder if I would be more invested with the characters if I had read the whole collection.
3/5
The Therapist – BA Paris
With the exception of the title which I felt was totally wrong for the general story line of this book – I really enjoyed this one.
Alice moves to a new house with her previously long distance boyfriend. A secure estate called The Circle, the intimate setting where everyone knows everyone, but the welcome is far from warm. She later learns that someone called Nina (the same name as her later sister) was murdered in this house – and worst of all, her partner knew and hadn’t told her! Nina’s husband was accused of her murder and later committed suicide protesting his innocence.
When a private investigator knocks on Alice’s door saying he is trying to prove the husbands innocence on behalf of his sister, Alice becomes more invested in trying to find out the truth about what happened to Alice. When things start moving inside her home and she wakes feeling like someone is in the house… her mission to find out the truth becomes scarily close to home!
This was fast paced, gripping and had lots of unexpected twists, but the title for me is just wrong and based on a very minor detail of the plot!
4/5
I hope these reviews give you some book inspiration! We’ve read LOADS of exciting books released in May so far so May may be a bumper issue!
These books were received as advanced review copies. This post contains affiliate links.
The Edge of your seat Thriller…
Trust Me – T. M Logan
Have you ever been so excited to read a book that you are nervous to start in case it doesn’t live up to your expectations?! This was me with Trust Me! I am a HUGE fan of T.M Logan – having read and really enjoyed his other books The Holiday and most recently The Catch. When I read the blurb for Trust Me, I couldn’t wait to see what his latest thriller had in store. The good news is – it most DEFINITELY did not disappoint!
The story starts with a bang. Ellen is on the train when a flustered young woman with a baby descends in a flurry into the seat opposite her. When the woman’s phone doesn’t stop ringing, she asks Ellen if she would mind holding the baby (Mia) whilst she takes an urgent call. Despite this being a heart aching reminder of the role she will most likely never have; Ellen agrees. 5 minutes pass, then 10 and Ellen begins to feel uneasy. Just as she’s about to go and look for the woman, she is horrified to spot her fleeing on the platform – leaving the train – and baby Mia – behind.
In amongst the baby’s possessions she finds a note that makes her heart stop. “Please protect Mia. Don’t trust the Police. Don’t trust anyone”
The moments that follow and the decisions Ellen has to make will change both her and baby Mia’s lives forever. How far is Ellen willing to go to save a stranger? Can she trust anyone and is everything as it seems?
I read this book from cover to cover in one sitting, and if I am honest, I think I forgot to breathe for most of the second half. There are lots of twists, revelations and reveals that it leaves you guessing page after page, and even when I did figure out the truth I still found myself gasping and manically flicking the pages in those final moments,
A cleverly weaved storyline with a super satisfying conclusion – another fab edge of your seat thriller from T.M.Logan – order it now– you wont be disappointed!
The Domestic Thriller
Not My Mother – Miranda Smith (released 30th March 2021)
Marion is having a party at her home to celebrate her daughter’s first birthday when the police knock at her door and place her mother under arrest. They claim her Mother Eileen isn’t who she says she is – but is in fact a woman named Sarah Paxton – accused of murdering a man and kidnapping Baby Caroline over 30 years ago. Marion’s world is turned upside down as she is faced with the prospect of her whole life being a lie – is she in fact Baby Caroline?? When Eileen is injured in prison and ends up in hospital, even more lies are revealed that show her Mum was also hiding more secrets beneath her calm exterior.
Whilst Marion’s solicitor friend takes on her Eileen’s case, Marion starts to do some digging herself, determined to find out the truth about both her Mums, and her own identity.
This is a fast paced book full of secrets, lies and big reveals and with lots of twists throughout. You will find yourself questioning everyone and trying to second guess throughout. Whilst I did feel a tad frustrated at how quickly Marion lost her faith in her Mum, I guess you never truly know how you will react in the face of such an extreme revelation.
Whilst I was able to predict some of the reveals, I still found myself taking a sharp intake of breath at a twist I did not see coming- the sign of a strong thriller!
A really enjoyable edge of your seat read!
The ‘All the feels’ beauty…
One Hundred Years of Lenni & Margot by Marianne Cronin
Every so often I stumble across a book which stays with me long after I have turned the last page– and this, with absolute certainty, will be one of them. A book so bloody beautiful that I have to have a little breather before picking up another. A literary hangover if you will!
From the very first chapter I became completely immersed in this book – with Lenni’s sharp wit and interesting outlook on her inevitable fate drawing me in, almost instantly, from the outset.
On paper, a book about two terminally ill patients in hospital shouldn’t make an uplifting read but it really, truly is. When 17 year old Lenni meets 83 year old Margot they strike up an unexpected friendship, despite coming from completely different generations. They bond over their sessions in the hospital art room, challenging themselves to create 100 paintings – one for each of their 100 combined years.
In reliving these 100 years; we are taken down memory lane; flicking between past and present and the experiences that have shaped Lenni & Margot during their short (and long) lives to date.
The One Hundred Years of Lenni & Margot is a beautiful story of friendships and the concept of ‘if you love someone let them go’. Yes, you will need your tissues (in fact I’m pretty sure during the second half of the book I couldn’t see the text all that well through my tears) but One Hundred Years of Lenni & Margot made me laugh, smile and cry in perfectly equal measure.
The Debut Thriller
The Guilty Husband – Stephanie DeCarolis
This is a debut novel and having read more than my fair share of thrillers, I was really impressed!
The Guilty Husband tells the story of Vince Taylor – CEO of successful software company and social media giant KitzTech. Having built a successful business empire, he is happily married to yoga instructor Nicole and they are trying for a baby. His life appears perfect – except it’s all about to come crashing down.
Vince has been having an affair with one of the KitzTech interns – a 23 year old woman named Layla. When Layla is found dead, presumed murdered just days after he had called it off their ‘mistake’ of a relationship- he knows it doesn’t look good. He has a motive to kill her after all. When the detectives come knocking on his office door – he lies, claiming that he didn’t know Layla well at all – hoping to hide the details of their affair from the world. After all; no one knew about their affair… or so he thought.
When the media get hold of the story, pages from Layla’s diary start being shared with the tabloid press by an anonymous contact and Vince’s perfect life starts to crumble around him. Detective Alison will stop at nothing to find out what really happened between Vince & Layla; digging up other secrets from Vince’s past as she goes.
What really happened to Layla that night? Is Vince as innocent as he makes out? After all, he lied about where he was on the night of her murder – what else has he lied about?
The Guilty Husband is told through the perspectives of Vince and Detective Alison both Before and After the murder, giving you get a build up of the history between Layla and Vince and the events that occurred on the run up to present day.. You find yourself suspecting a number of the characters along the way, with the plot raising questions and lots of potential red herrings along the way.
The characters are relatable making this an easy read – my only constructive criticism was that the business idea for KitzTech has been done (and a long time ago) which made it a little less authentic and unique than it could have been. Otherwise a really enjoyable thriller which leaves you guessing and questioning till it’s tidy conclusion!
The one that HAS to be made into a movie…
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
Ah what an awesome book this was. As a Richard and Judy bookclub pick I was hopeful that this would be a good choice and wasn’t disappointed. If this book doesn’t get made into a movie at some point then I will eat my proverbial hat – it’s so imaginative that it lends itself perfectly to the big screen!
Nora’s life is falling apart. Her brother barely speaks to her, she’s depressed, she’s lost her job and to top it off, her beloved cat has died. She feels like she’s made a mess of her life and that its time she calls it quits. When she attempts to take her own life, rather than experiencing the death she expected, she finds herself in a library – with a librarian representative of the one from her childhood who supported her when her mother died.
A holding place between life and death, Nora is given the opportunity to see how her life would have panned out if she had made different decisions along the way, picking a book from the shelf and going straight to that moment, knowing that the moment she feels disapointment she would return straight back to the library. Wait to long however, or make a rash decision, and the library itself could crumble beneath her and take her to her inevitable fate of death.
With time against her Nora has to figure out if she can really find the life that she wants to lead – with an exciting journey as a ‘shifter’ ahead of her.
I loved every minute of The Midnight Library and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it. Trigger warning a little due to the topic of suicide and depression, however please don’t let this put you off – the story is just magical. Get your copy here!
*I received advanced review copies of these books via NetGalley. This post contains affiliate links*
Those of you who follow my blog regularly will know that reading has been my saviour throughout lockdown and 2020. I am reading every single night without fail. It helps me sleep, it helps distract me from aimlessly scrolling through social media and it keeps my mind away from breaking news updates and scaremongering headlines.
I have read a HUGE 10 books in the last month alone – here are some new releases that you might want to check out this February!
For some much needed romantic escapism…
Mr Right Across the Street – by Kathryn Freeman
Well this was a lovely bit of an escapism at a time when the world feels like a very scary place.
Mr Right Across the Street is about Mia – the moves to Manchester from Somerset for a fresh start, escaping memories of yet another disastrous relationship. – this time a controlling and stalling ex boyfriend named Pete. She always seems to fall for the wrong men, so felt it was time to mix things up a bit. She doesn’t know anyone in Manchester but very quickly forms a friendship with her neighbour Stan – a 67 year old grumpy and overweight man with a heart of gold.
Other than that, the only people she sees whilst working from home are the Hot Guy opposite (who works out every day at 10 in his window) and Immaculate Woman, who sits at her desk every day looking absolutely perfect. Her sister reminds her that in order to meet new people, she actually has to step away from her desk.
She finally braves heading to the local pub and gets quite a shock when she sees the Hot Guy from opposite behind the bar. The manager of The Bar Beneath – Luke – finds Mia fascinating. Her not trying too hard, geeky and make up free persona is like no woman he’s ever met before and he finds himself really drawn to her. Mia however very quickly learns that Luke is extremely popular with the ladies, seeming to have history with a fair few of the women that come to the bar. Mia’s been hurt by bad choices before, so she declines his request for a date.
Then however, when Luke realises that Mia lives opposite and starts leaving notes for her in his window. Despite her attempts to push him away, Mia eventually agrees to go on a Non Date with Luke – after all she could certainly do with some more friends in a strange big city.
The characters are built up really well in Mr Right Across the Street, and I found myself really liking Mia and her intelligent, geeky, and stubborn ways (although I at times did want to slap her for some of the self sabotage and found myself willing her to take a risk!). I loved the adorable nature of her relationship with neighbour Stan, and the more I got to know about Luke the more I liked him, especially as some of his history and past was slowly revealed.
This book whilst a tad predictable in parts (again fairly standard for a rom com I feel), had a few unexpected reveals and challenges along the way and was well paced with lots of humour and smile inducing moments throughout,. The path to true love never did run smooth but that’s what kept my attention.
As with any rom com, there is a fair bit of cheese and I am yet to meet a man in real life who would be so free with his emotions and speak quite like Luke however, that’s what rom coms are all about. – a lighthearted, humorous and heart warming escape from breaking news and a great book to read before bed. If the reference to ‘Moby’ doesn’t make you laugh, then nothing will.
Mr Right Across the Street is out now at Amazon – get yours here.
My score – 4/5
The Psychological Thriller
The Dare by Lesley Kara (released on 18th February 2021)
This is my second book from this author, having previously read and enjoyed The Rumour so I was looking forward to what Lesley Kara had in store for her next book.
I absolutely loved The Dare.. A psychological thriller with lots of twists, turns and tension that leaves you compelled to keep on reading, I read the entire book in 12 hours with a sleep in the middle lol!
Lizzie and her best friend Alice and inseparable teenage girls. When Alice dies after being struck by a train on one of their regular walks, Lizzie’s memories of the day are hazy. An epileptic, Lizzie had a seizure and when she came to her best friend was dead.
After Alice’s death, Lizzie is alienated from her friends and Alice’s family, particularly her sister Catherine, are convinced that Lizzie had something to do with Alice’s death. Lizzie’s family move away and the traumas of her childhood are left behind.
Now 20, Lizzie is living with her GP husband (something which is a huge reassurance to Lizzie’s parents) wher epilepsy is under control. Life looks like it’s starting to settle down, when suddenly the crank calls begin, a little train is left outside their house and the nightmares return. But are they really nightmares, or are they memories!?
The past starts to catch up with Lizzie and brings into question what really happened that day on the tracks.
A great read, I enjoyed the narrative changes and The Dare kept me guessing throughout.
Told between NOW and THEN perspectives, (with THEN being both before and after the incident), the story flicks between past and present to build up a back story of what happened on the run up to that fateful day.
My only slight critique is that the title of the book doesn’t really fit the main storyline of the book in my opinion – the Dare element is a very minor part of the plot. That said, I have no idea what I would call it instead and that doesn’t detract from the fact that I would recommend this book whole heartedly.
The Dare is released on the 18th February but you can pre order yours now on Amazon.
My rating – 5/5!
For a spooky read with a difference…
Shadow of a Doubt by Michelle Davies
As a 9 year old girl, Cara Belling was sent to a psychiatric ward and began a life in foster care, accused of murdering her younger brother Matty, who was suffocated by a curtain in the living room of their family home, To this day, Cara protests her innocence; stating that Matty was actually killed by a ghost called Limey Stan who had been haunting their house for years.
26 years later, Cara receives a text from her Aunt to say her biological Mother has died. With no contact all this time, she is shocked to discover that whilst she is not welcome at the funeral, her Mother has requested her presence at the will reading. When her Mum surprises everyone by leaving Cara the family home in her will, Cara is determined to find out why, returning to Heldean for the first time since that day.
Stepping back into the four walls of where she grew up brings back a lot of memories regarding the lead up to her brothers death and soon the strange encounters start again. Is Cara still delusional, or is Limey Stan back to finish what he started?
I LOVED Shadow of a Doubt – fast paced with lots of tension and suspense, I felt willed to carry on reading and discover the truth about Limey Stan and what really happened to Matty that night. The story, whilst in parts a little far fetched, really held my attention and left me constantly guessing people’s behaviours and motives. There were a fair few twists and turns along the way some of which I predicted, but even when I thought I had it all figured out, another unexpected turn led me down a very different path!
Shadow of a Doubt was my first experience of a book by Michelle Davies, but definitely won’t be my last! Out now at Amazon on kindle, hardback or paperback. Get yours here.
My score - 4/5
And for the Kids…
Love by Corrinne Averiss
This book is just gorgeous. With beautiful illustrations throughout, this story is an ideal read for younger children who are experiencing being separated from the ones they love – whether that’s due to Covid times in 2021, starting a new school or nursery, or who’s parents may live in separate houses.
The story reminds children that love is like a piece of string that can stretch and stretch – although you may not always be able to see who is on the other end – they are always there. Sometimes the string may get frayed or tangled. but true love never breaks.
Using the visual metaphor of string to represent love, it shows how new strings can form and old strings can last the test of time, even when challenges get in the way.
Adorable and the perfect Valentine’s read.
Love by Corrinne Averiss is available as a beautifully illustrated hard back book – get yours here. (Image courtesy of Corrine Averiss on Twitter)
This post will be updated during the month with my reads as I read them! 🙂 If you are looking for inspiration on your next book and enjoy thrillers / mystery – these might be right up your street!
Double Deceit by Julienne Brouwers
Set in Amsterdam, Jennifer Smits and her lawyer husband have gone for a weekend away to try and rekindle their relationship. He accidentally loses sight of their young son and a manic search for him begins. Despite them finding him safe and well they have a blazing row and he storms off out of the hotel.
When he doesn’t return that evening Jennifer starts to worry. Their car is still there and he’s never been gone this long before. A knock on the doorstep reveals her worst fears – her husband has been found dead in a ditch – presumed the result of a terrible accident.
When sorting through his possessions Jennifer finds a card that rips her world apart – its from a lady called Sandra and implies that they were having an affair. Determined to find out the truth, Jennifer calls her, and they agree to meet.
After grilling her husbands mistress, she learns that her husband may have been involved in some complex cases at the law firm, and Jennifer begins to feel that his death may not have been an accident after all.
The more she learns about the scenario surrounding her husband’s death – the more harm follows – putting peoples lives, and relationships at risk.
Overall, Double Deceit is fast paced, page turner of a thriller and I found myself questioning lots of the characters and their potential involvement in the back story.
That said, there were quite a lot of plot holes for me, and some parts I just didn’t find realistic, particularly in relation to police investigations, data protection and medical practice. Jennifer (as a highly qualified general practitioner) makes some quite naive decisions and fails at times to see what is right in front of her (I can only assume this was the grief and excess alcohol that was clouding her decision making / risk taking)
If you can see past these elements however, this was a great read and I finished it quickly, willed on to discover the truth about what really happened to Jennifer’s husband.
3/5
The Perfect Father – Charlotte Duckworth
After previously reading (and loving) Unfollow Meby the same author, I was really looking forward to reading The Perfect Father and seeing what Charlotte Duckworth had in store for us next!
The Perfect Father tells the story of couple Robin and Esther. After a difficult pregnancy with Hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) Robin offers to become a stay at home Dad so that Esther can return to the job and career that she loves.
One day Esther receives a text message from Robin with just one word – Sorry. She rushes home to find her husband and their little girl Riley are missing.
Told in two perspectives (both Robin and Esther) and switching between the past and present, a back story is built up that helps us learn everything that led up to present events. It soon becomes clear that Esther and Robin’s relationship isn’t the perfect life we were initially led to believe.
As the story progresses, the gradual emergence of the truth are presented, with some pretty major and unexpected plot twists – one of which was so casually presented that I had to read back to clarify that I had understood it correctly!
The characters are written well – its clear that we aren’t meant to like Robin, and the way he speaks and thinks in a dismissive, jealous and somewhat unpleasant way really works well. That said, I found I didn’t really like Esther that much either, I found some of her decisions unrealistic and as such found it hard to warm to her.
Overall The Perfect Father was a good book and I enjoyed it, however it didn’t quite live up to its predecessor in that I found the ending a little lacklustre and was left hoping for one final twist that didn’t quite materialise.
3/5
New Years Eve – JG Murray
New Years’ Eve introduces us to couple Hayley and Ethan, who feel like they have finally come in to some luck when they move to Palace Gardens- a converted victorian house and a stark difference from their run down flat at the dodgy end of town.
However, when they move in, they quickly learn that the Palace Gardens residents are a tight knit community and don’t offer Hayley and Ethan the welcoming arrival they had expected and hoped for.
A music teacher working from home, Hayley learns about strange things happening as some of the secrets of Palace Gardens start to be exposed, and the more she learns the more vulnernable she starts to feel. Her obsession with the neighbours starts to become a little out of control, causing rifts between her and Ethan, so when they receive an invite to a New Years Eve party, they are hopeful that the neighbours are finally starting to be civil and that they can put this to bed once and for all. However… are they willing to let bygones be bygones and bring in the New Year on a high, or is it quite the opposite?
New Years Eve is quite a slow burner, and at times I did feel like this book wasn’t really for me. There is a lot of scene setting and detail which I felt like I could skim read and it lacked some of the compelling twists and turns that I normally look for in a thriller. Overall a pleasant read with some dark topic areas, but unfortunately didn’t blow me away.
When her marriage breaks up due to her husband’s gambling addiction, Sophy and her daughters are left with nothing. Sophy is then offered a lifeline when she is hired as a live in nurse to an elderly gentleman named Jack who needs 24/7 care, after being severely injured at a fire on the estate. They move to Hyland Hall, an old Manor House in a state of disrepair where Sophy is determined to rebuild their lives without her husband – the girls however are not so keen. They’re scared of Jack – calling him The Recluse and labelling his upstairs dwellings as The Fear Zone.
It soon becomes clear that Hyland Hall holds many secrets and lies and the more Sophy gets to know Jack and his nephew Victor, the more she gets embroiled in the reality of the painful truth.
Told through the eyes of both Sophy, Isobel (the eldest daughter) and Jack himself, this book is a thriller / mystery with an almost gothic twist and I could picture this working really well as a film. The scene setting was great and I loved the relationship between the two sisters; particularly Julie and her ventriloquists dummy – something she uses as a prop for expressing her emotions.
Whilst there was an element of the book that was fairly predictable (I figured it out about 25% of the way through), this was still a really emotional page turner, and built up slowly to a tense finale.
For me – the biggest confusion is the title – it doesn’t feel quite right to me – it was previously called The Tinderbox, and I personally think that works better!
4/5 stars from me 🙂
Trust Me by Sheryl Browne
Emily and Jake work together at his father’s Doctors surgery (he’s a doctor and she is the practice manager) and on the surface have a perfect relationship. Unlike his father – a serial cheat and ladies man, Jake is committed to his family and they have 2 wonderful children together. Emily however is battling her demons after her twin sister died when they fought over the same man and always feels that she doesn’t deserve to be happy.
One day however Emily sees an email meant for Jake, raising her suspicions about him having an affair. What follows is a spiral of events that affect not only her family but many others. As time passes, more and more patients from the surgery receive anonymous letters revealing confidential information that turns their lives upside down, affecting relationships, revealing secrets and highlighting untruths.
It has to be someone from the surgery, but who is doing this – and more importantly why? Suddenly the finger is pointing at her, and whilst she is familiar with keeping secrets, she is desperate to prove that she is innocent.
As the plot thickens this book will leave you questioning almost everyone and just when you think you have it all figured out, you won’t see the ending coming!
4 out of 5 stars.
What my Husband Did by Kerry Wilkinson
(Image to follow)
When young girl named Alice is found left for dead in a lake on the edge of a small village called Leavensfield; it sends huge shockwaves around their small and incredibly close knit community.
But even more shocking is that Maddy’s husband is missing and she soon discovers that Alice was last seen getting into his car. Where is her husband and her why would he hurt Alice? When his car is found abandoned in a ditch Maddy starts to question just how well she knows her husband; raising questions about their relationship and his past.
I really enjoyed this book. Kerry uses great character descriptions, so I really felt like I got to know some of the main characters including Harriet – the local stepford wife style village local who has to be the centre of everything, and Kylie, Maddy’s blunt and challenging teenage daughter.
The book flicks between the present day and Maddy’s childhood with her memories of a traumatic time she experienced with her father whilst growing up.
The pace is steady but detailed; with great scene setting and some really funny use of metaphors. I found myself willed to keep on reading, with lots of tension and suspense building up to the climax of each chapter. There were various twists and reveals which left you gradually building a picture of the events with Alice.
I didn’t predict the conclusion where we learn the truth about what happened on that fateful night and I felt it bought the story to a great end, however I did find the very last page a bit abrupt and felt that I already knew this particular element was coming. That said, it didn’t distract from my enjoyment of the book.
Overall – a really gripping and enjoyable thriller! This being my first book from Kerry, I would happily read another.
Well here we go again *sigh*. At the time of writing we are just about to enter a second National Lockdown and it’s hard not to feel a little bit emotional and anxious about what lies in store in the weeks and months ahead. All those feelings I felt in March have come right back to the forefront, and I find myself often reminising about a pre-covid time where everything felt so ‘normal’. We’re all worried about the future for our families and loved ones and quite frankly, we could all do with a reminder to stay positive and simply take one day at a time – things will, eventually, get better.
Thank you Sir Captain Tom Moore
I think everyone remembers that point of lockdown where we first set eyes on Captain Tom Moore. Not only had this man already served his country, but set out on a personal mission to walk 100 laps of his garden before reaching his 100th birthday, whilst raising money for the NHS heroes who were working flat out to seep us safe.
I remember feeling incredibly emotional learning about his story. Sir Tom very quickly became the people’s hero, as we all followed his challenge in awe. The whole nation got behind him, watching somewhat amazed as his fundraising totaliser just kept going higher and higher. The messages of hope, spirit and community this man provided to us all during some of the darkest months of lockdown is something that I think we will remember forever, proving that if you set your heart to something and truly believe its possible, you can achieve almost anything.
One Hunded Steps (available here on Amazon) is the inspirational picture book with positive underlying messages of adventure, helping others and simply never giving up.
A perfect keepsake for these incredibly strange times, it tells the story of the now knighted Sir Captain Tom Moore, who walked 100 laps of his garden, capturing the heart and soul of the nation with his spirit.
The book features Adam Larkum’s glorious illustrations making it a visual delight for younger readers and follows key moments from Sir Captain Tom Moore’s incredible life to date including his childhood spent roaming the Yorkshire Moors, his time serving in the Second World War and his incredible Guinness world Record breaking moments.
The overall message of this book is that anyone can do or be anything they want and that we can achieve so much more when we come together. Community, support and determination can really make tomorrow a better day.
Now more than ever, we all need a bit of positivity in our lives and this book comes with a great message of hope for our children, particularly on the run up to Christmas.
Raising a nod to Sir Captain Tom Moore, the true hero of the people – the book has been published in support of the Captain Tom Foundation.
Want to win a copy of One Hundred Steps?
Thanks to the team at Puffin we have a beautiful hard back copy of One Hundred Steps to giveaway to one lucky reader and help remind them that good things are yet to come. To enter, simply use the gleam app below. Giveaway closes at 11.59 on 15th November 2020. UK entries only. Our standard giveaway terms and conditions apply. GOOD LUCK!
If you can’t wait to see if you’ve won you can pick up your own copy now – One Hundred Steps retails at £12.99 in Puffin Hardback as well as on ebook at Amazon here
Hi, I’m Lucy, a thirty something mum of two from Birmingham. A memory maker, tradition keeper, stationery addict and Mr Men fanatic. HR Advisor by day and sleep deprived Mama by night!
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