Review: It's Always the Husband by C.L.Taylor

Welcome to Lowbridge. Where secrets hide behind every door…

When newly divorced Jude arrives in the small town of Lowbridge, she is soon drawn to widower Will, the father of her young daughter's best friend.

But Will's past is shrouded in tragedy, with questions that no one knows the answer to – and after two tragedies tore his life apart in just a few short years, gossip and rumours abound about what really happened to the women he loved.

As whispers of murder surround Will, Jude becomes determined to uncover the truth – and with her own father's tragic fate haunting her, she refuses to let another innocent man suffer.

Yet in Lowbridge the darkness runs deep, and nothing is as it seems. Can Jude protect Will from a community out for blood? Or will she become the next victim in this web of deceit?

Because whilst one dead wife is tragic, two starts to look like murder…

Review: Starting my year with It’s Always the Husband by C. L. Taylor was an absolute treat-I love a C. L. Taylor novel, and this one did not disappoint. From the very first chapters, I didn’t trust a single character… and honestly, that’s exactly how I like my thrillers. Every conversation felt loaded, every revelation suspicious, and I found myself constantly second-guessing what I thought I knew. It’s the kind of book that makes you suspicious of absolutely everyone.

The whole premise gave me strong Motherhood vibes, but it also felt very reminiscent of Big Little Lies with its undercurrents of secrets, domestic tension and simmering distrust. I loved getting to know the main characters, even though I was side-eyeing all of them the entire time. Taylor has such a knack for creating layered, believable women-flawed, relatable and yet completely capable of shocking you. The relationships felt real, which made the stakes feel even higher as the tension built.

What I particularly enjoyed was how the book blends classic thriller elements with modern-day realities. Yes, we still get those delicious traditional clues-hidden boxes, old diaries, buried secrets-but they sit alongside phone tracking, home camera systems and the very current ways we monitor (and sometimes manipulate) each other. It makes the story feel incredibly relevant and up to date without losing that classic twisty thriller feel. Full of turns I genuinely didn’t see coming, this was a gripping, addictive read that I highly recommend.

To order your copy now, just click here!

Review: None of This is True by Lisa Jewell

 Celebrating her 45th birthday at her local pub, podcaster Alix Summers crosses paths with an unassuming woman called Josie Fair. Josie is also celebrating her 45th.

A few days later, they bump into each other again, this time outside Alix's children's school. Josie says she thinks she would be an interesting subject for Alix's podcast. She is, she tells Alix, on the cusp of great changes in her life.

Alix agrees to a trial interview and indeed, Josie's life appears to be strange and complicated. Aix finds her unsettling but can't quite resist the temptation to keep digging.

Slowly Alix starts to realise that Josie has been hiding some very dark secrets, and before she knows it Josie has cajoled her way into Alix's life - and into her home.

Soon Alix begins to wonder who is Josie Fair really? And what has she done?

Review: this is one of those Lisa Jewell novels where you just don’t trust anyone! What I love about Lisa Jewell is that she writes characters which are definitely not all likeable, but they are so so intriguing and also just so easy to relate to. This kind of thing could have happened to any of us. The other big takeaway I loved in this novel is that it features the whole podcast situation. There has been a lot of talk recently about true crime podcasters getting sucked into their work and going too deep. This is so the case with this one. Poor Alix didn’t know what was coming for her when she invited Josie into her life. This mixed media format which cracks open the world of podcasting and just what a risk you could be setting yourself up for is just wonderful. 

As already mentioned, I didn't love Josie or Alix, or any of the other characters for that matter but oh my goodness they were intriguing. They stayed with me for a long time. I also really sympathise with both of them. I felt for Josie because of the life she has led, whether she chose to live that way or not and I sympathised with Alix because she just didn’t see what was coming for her. They both have fully formed lives and they’re about to be ripped apart by this story. 

I don’t know why I am surprised but I am always just so amazed at how dark a Lisa Jewell novel can get. This wasn’t dark in the same way that The Family Upstairs and The Family Remains was dark, its not scary in that way but the way Lisa Jewell weaves in the level of deception and the depth of twists, turns and lies that go on over the course of this story-it’s just truly remarkable. I absolutely flew through this, I didn’t see a lot of it coming and I really do feel like this ending was left the way it was for a reason. If this is your first Lisa Jewell novel-you’re in for a treat and if you’re already a fan then rest assured, this is every bit as good as her usual offerings, you won’t be disappointed. 

To order your copy now, just click here!

Review: The Guilty Couple by C.L. Taylor

 What would you do if your husband framed you for murder?

Five years ago, Olivia Sutherland was convicted of plotting to murder her husband.

Now she’s finally free, Olivia has three goals. Repair her relationship with her daughter. Clear her name. And bring down her husband – the man who framed her.

Just how far is she willing to go to get what she wants? And how far will her husband go to stop her?

Because his lies run deeper than Olivia could ever have imagined – and this time it’s not her freedom that’s in jeopardy, but her life…

Review: I think this is possibly CL Taylor’s twistiest novel yet. You don’t know who is telling the truth, what will happen next and you start believing nothing you hear because someone could be double crossing someone else. All set around a marriage that broke down, several affairs and someone out for revenge. It is juicy and stressful and fabulous all at the same time!

Olivia is such an interesting character to spend this novel with because when we meet her she has just got out of prison, we know she is not above underhand moves and we know she wants revenge. She is also a mother who has been separated from her child and we know the power that can have over someone so you start off with some sympathy for her but mainly there’s just some suspsician and sense of ‘how much can we really trust’ about her. Then add in her friends on the inside and the outside and the long list of people who scorned her and you have a melting out that is just waiting to bubble over. It is quite literally the perfect storm!

The host of other characters in this thriller is phenomenal. We have a police officer who just seems to lie her way around everything that she does. I feel like I never really got to know who’s side she was on or whether anything she said or did ever was in fact the truth or what actually happened, she needs her own spin-off book that’s for sure. And then we have the husband. I don’t know what happened in his past to make him the way that he was but he is a complex fellow and someone else I’m not likely to ever be able to work out. Just like the other main players in this book, I never felt like I could trust him but again I know that some of what he did came out of love for his child and some of what he did came out of lust and thinking with his pants so I can sympathies to some extent with the position he was in.

The child in this novel just adds to the messiness. She is a teen by the time her mum gets out of prison and she therefore has some autonomy in the whole situation and so often the choices that she makes as the plot thickens really do add to the twists and turns along the way. She plays such an important role in the whole situation and yet sometimes she does hinder things going smoothly and definitely stops anything being resolved most of the time. I like that she was involved in the story but I worried about her so much for the majority of the book and I was glad for her when I was turning those final few pages!

I listened to this book on audio. I haven’t listened to a CL Taylor book all the way through before and so it was interesting and I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to keep up with the plot and the characters but I think it added to the thrill. The narration was great and I was just as dgripped as when I have read paperback, hardback or ebooks from this writer. This book was excellent. It filled me with adrenaline and I think it is the perfect book to escape with this summer!

 

To order your copy now, just click the link: UK or US

Guest Review: Trick of the Dark By Val McDermid

When Charlie Flint is sent a mysterious package of cuttings about a brutal murder, it instantly grabs her attention. The murder occurred in the grounds of her old Oxford college - a groom battered to death just hours after his wedding. As his bride and wedding guests sipped champagne, his alleged killers were slipping his bloodstained body into the river.

Charlie doesn't know who sent the package, or why, yet she can't get the crime out of her head. But as she delves deeper, and steps back into the mysterious world of Oxford colleges, she realises that there is much more to this crime than meets the eye...

Review: This is a stand-alone murder mystery, first published in 2010, by the Scottish crime writer Val McDermid. The main protagonist is Dr Charlotte (Charlie) Flint, a forensic psychiatrist who, with time on her hands, is persuaded to dig deeper into a murder case which may, or may not, be linked to other deaths.

The story opens with what appears to be a relatively straightforward murder case, but as readers of crime fiction should know, there are many twists and turns in the narrative. Most of the action is centred around a fictitious Oxford college, which appears to be the author paying homage to her alma mater of St Hilda’s College. Same sex relationships also play a prominent role in the book, although it is the crime investigation that takes precedence. The story moves along at a fast pace, and I found myself wanting to go on to the next chapter to discover what happens next. I thought that this was helped by the narrative sometimes switching from flashback to the present day.

As in a previous crime thriller of hers that I read, the author had researched the various procedures of the criminal justice system very well. I also thought that the different locations were well described, such that I could readily imagine myself being there. I listened to the audio version of the book. If you have a keen ear for different accents, you may be disappointed by the ones attempted by the two narrators, which were adequate without being wholly convincing. I also thought that the ending came quite suddenly, being slightly contrived and with only enough explanation to tie off the most important, but not all, the loose ends. However, these are minor criticisms and should not detract from the enjoyment of a fast paced and intriguing crime thriller.

To order your copy now, just click the link: UK or US

Blog Tour: Review Of The Heights by Louise Candlish

Today is my stop on the blog tour for The Heights by Louise Candlish. The book is already out there and (spoiler alert) I loved it. You can order your copy here. Don't forget to check out the other stops on the tour for more exclusive content and reviews. 

Here's what it's all about... 

He thinks he’s safe up there. But he’ll never be safe from you. 

 

The Heights is a tall, slender apartment building among the warehouses of Tower Bridge, its roof terrace so discreet you wouldn’t know it existed if you weren't standing at the window of the flat directly opposite. But you are. And that’s when you see a man up there – a man you’d recognize anywhere. He’s older now and his appearance has subtly changed, but it’s definitely him. 

Which makes no sense at all since you know he has been dead for over two years.  You know this for a fact.  

Because you’re the one who killed him.  It’s time to confess what we did up there.

 

‘Kieran Watts has been dead for over two years when I see him standing on the roof of a building in Shad Thames…’

#CloseToTheEdge

Review: I'm just in awe of how Louise Candlish crafts her novels. The writing style is just addictive and so so clever. I can't begin to image what the process of creating such tightly woven plot points is like. This novel just blew me away and I loved the different nature of the subject matter. 

This book explores in depth the overwhelming love and sense of protection a mother feels for her children. The intensity of feelings that Ellen has for her children Freya and Lucas comes off every page. The pressure she feels is portrayed to the reader and so a sense of urgency and an intense pressure came over me whenever I picked the book back up. I love the idea of the thrill of this novel coming from a mother's love for her son and her despair when he veers from his planned path and away from his potential in life. 

This book had so many twists and turns, I immediately read the first few chapters again after finishing the book because there were revelations along the way that I just didn't see coming and I wanted to know how they might have been hinted at right at the beginning. We also hav the trope of the unreliable narrator being turned on its head slightly. I haven't read anything else that makes use of that trope in quite as unconventional a way as this book and I was here for every minute of it. 

I had so many theories about what was going to happen throughout the course of this novel that I had to talk to someone about my ideas and my thoughts as I was reading it. It is a unique books and I know you will also find yourself thinking about Ellen and her story when you're away from it. I loved the structure, I loved the pressure it put on me as a reader and I loved the way Ellen's story is portrayed in this book. I really loved it and highly recommend The Heights by Louise Candlish. 

To order your copy now, just click the link: UK or US

Review: The Disappearing Act by Catherine Steadman

 Once a year, actors from across the globe descend on the smog and sunshine of Los Angeles for pilot season. Every cable network and studio is looking to fill the rosters of their new shows, enticing a fresh batch of young hopefuls—anxious, desperate, and willing to do whatever it takes to make it. Careers will be made, dreams will be realized, stars will be born. And some will be snuffed out.

British star Mia Eliot has landed leading roles in costume dramas in her native country, but now it’s time for Hollywood to take her to the next level. Mia flies across the Atlantic to join the horde of talent scrambling for their big breaks. She’s a fish out of water in the ruthlessly competitive arena of back-to-back auditioning. Then one day she meets Emily, another actress from out of town and a kindred spirit. Emily stands out in a conveyor-belt world of fellow auditionees. But a simple favor takes a dark twist when Emily disappears and Mia realizes she was the last person to see her. 

All Mia has to go on is the memory of a girl she met only once . . . and the suffocating feeling that something terrible has happened. Worse still, the police don’t believe her when she claims the real Emily has gone missing. So Mia is forced to risk the role of a lifetime to try to uncover the truth about Emily, a gamble that will force her to question her own sanity.

Actress and author Catherine Steadman has written a gripping thriller set in a world close to home that asks the question: In a city where dreams really do come true, how far would you go to make the unreal real?

Review: Wow this was such a clever idea for a story. When I started reading this I was dropped right into this glamorous setting with some not so glamorous auditions with a protagonist who is battered and bruised emotionally, what a way to start a book. I loved the Hollywood setting, I loved the idea that there are a lot of people from out of town or out of the country in one place and I loved the idea of the mystery behind the Hollywood sign itself. Such a great premise for a book. 

Mia was a really interesting character to get to spend the book with. She is a strong woman who has been hurt and needs to build herself back up again. Everyone seems to think that her interest in Emily and the situation she finds herself in is just because she needs to get over her heartbreak and focus on something else. What we have to remember though, is that Mia is an intelligent person, she has a lot about her, she has won awards for her talents after all. I really liked getting to know Mia. She is not someone I would ever come across in real life and so it was great to get to spend time with her over the course of the book. 

The twists and turns in this book are just brilliant. By the time you get to the second act, you have no idea who is who and what is what the web is tabled so intricately and the story line woven so tight. I did find myself looking at others with suspicion and starting to question what I thought to be true in my own life whilst reading-I love when a book does that to me. I don't often listen to a thriller/mystery on audio because I often find myself missing out on details but this one was an exception. The book is narrated by the author herself and she does a great job in emphasizing the right words and phrases to make sure you know what is sure to be vital information later down the road. 

Catherine Steadman has done it again, had me on the edge of my seat and desperate to read more to find out what is going on with the famous Emily in Hollywoodland. I really loved this and highly recommend. 

To order your copy now, just click the link: UK or US

Review: The First Day of Spring by Nancy Tucker

 Chrissie knows how to steal sweets from the shop without getting caught, the best hiding place for hide-and-seek, the perfect wall for handstands. 

Now she has a new secret. It gives her a fizzing, sherbet feeling in her belly. She doesn't get to feel power like this at home, where food is scarce and attention scarcer. 

Fifteen years later, Julia is working in a fish and chip shop and trying to mother her five-year-old daughter, Molly. She is always worried - about affording food and school shoes, about what the other mothers think of her. Most of all she worries that the social services are about to take Molly away. 

That's when the phone calls begin which Julia is too afraid to answer, because it's clear the caller knows the truth about what happened 15 years ago. 

And it's time to face the truth: is forgiveness and redemption ever possible for someone who has killed?

Review: This book was not at all what I was expecting it to be. It was pitched to me because I love Lisa Jewell and CL Taylor but this is a very different thriller. Do make sure you read the synopsis thoroughly because this book comes with a lot of care warnings for neglect, abuse and infant death.

I think I probably accessed this book on quite a different level because I have always worked with children and I am a teacher and so I found this book really tough to listen to at times. I think that the narrator did a great job although this book takes place in the north east of England and the narration reflects that. Being a northerner myself I thought the narration was great but I know its not always the most popular accent. This book really exposes what can happen when a child is not shown love and care early on in life. Although the synopsis mentions lack of money really it is the lack of care that is at the centre of this book and I think it was a really brave thing for the author to tackle. 

The book also tackles issues surrounding mental health particularly when you don't have the privilege of disposable income to help with the care that your mental health requires. I love that this is shown to be an issue in this book. We always highlight the importance of taking care of your mental health and seeking help when appropriate but we don't always have the time or the money to put towards that and that is fully explored in this novel.

The way this book is structured does make for a very compelling read. We meet Chrissie and we meet Julia and we pretty quickly learn of their connection but we jump back and forth between their two worlds and this is very much a dual narrative and dual time line novel. I love that structure in a book because it does make you keep listening to find out what will happen to each character next and what impact that might have on the other. 

This was definitely a tough read and I did feel an almost physical pain for Chrissie at many moments throughout this book but I love what this author has done in terms of taking risks to tackle subjects that not a lot of people talk about. Definitely read through the synopsis before picking this one up but if you are OK with the care warnings then I definitely recommend giving this a read. 

To order your copy now, just click the link: UK or US

Guest Review: Still Life By Val McDermid

On a freezing winter morning, fishermen pull a body from the sea. It is quickly discovered that the dead man was the prime suspect in a decade-old investigation, when a prominent civil servant disappeared without trace. DCI Karen Pirie was the last detective to review the file and is drawn into a sinister world of betrayal and dark secrets.

But Karen is already grappling with another case, one with even more questions and fewer answers. A skeleton has been discovered in an abandoned campervan and all clues point to a killer who never faced justice - a killer who is still out there.

In her search for the truth, Karen uncovers a network of lies that has gone unchallenged for years. But lies and secrets can turn deadly when someone is determined to keep them hidden for good . . .

Review: This is the sixth book in the DCI Karen Pirie crime thriller series by the author, but this was the first one that I had come across, and it can be read as a standalone. The story begins in early 2020 when lobster fishermen recover a body from the Firth of Forth. It turns out that the dead person had been linked to an historic case involving the disappearance of a high ranking civil servant who had been working in the Scotland Office in London. Since DCI Pirie of Police Scotland’s Historic Cases Unit had been the last person to review the case-file relating to the disappearance, she becomes involved in this latest case. She is already working on a case involving the discovery of human remains in the garage of a woman in Perth who had been killed in a road accident. The story follows Karen and her team as they juggle the two cases.

The book is set mainly on the Fife coast of Scotland and in Edinburgh, although there are some overseas aspects. There is a connection to the world of art, hence the title, but to say any more would be to reveal too much. I listened to the audiobook version and found the plot to be very exciting, with many twists and turns to keep the listener, or reader, guessing. I liked the way that little clues were drip fed as the story developed. Having read a non-fiction book on forensics by the same author, it came as no surprise that the forensic science aspects of the book were well researched. Throughout, there are many references to contemporary issues, such as Brexit, the possibility of a second Scottish independence referendum and the start of the coronavirus epidemic in the UK. I particularly liked the descriptions of the various locations, some of which are familiar to me, so it was possible to feel that I was actually present at the scene.

Overall, I found this to be a fast-paced and thrilling book, and I thought that the narrator added to the enjoyment of the audio book, using different voices and accents for the various characters.

To order your copy now, just click the link: UK or US

Guest Review: The Shadow Man By Helen Fields

The brand new crime thriller from the bestselling author of the Perfect series – Helen Fields is back with her first stand-alone novel!

He collects his victims. But he doesn’t keep them safe.

Elspeth, Meggy and Xavier are locked in a flat. They don’t know where they are, and they don’t know why they’re there. They only know that the shadow man has taken them, and he won’t let them go.

 

Desperate to escape, the three of them must find a way out of their living hell, even if it means uncovering a very dark truth.

 

Because the shadow man isn’t a nightmare. He’s all too real.

 

And he’s watching.

Review: Helen Fields is the author of the series of D.I. Luc Callanach detective novels. Having read a number of the books in the series, I was keen to read this latest book by the author. Like the Luc Callanach series, this book is set in Edinburgh and follows an investigation by Police Scotland's Major Investigation Team (MIT). Some of the MIT’s minor characters from previous books feature in this story, but two new characters are the main protagonists in this book, which therefore can be read as a standalone. Detective Inspector Brodie Baarda, an Eton-educated detective from London has been drafted into Edinburgh’s MIT due to staff shortages. Also seconded to the investigation is Dr Connie Woolwine, a forensic psychologist from Massachusetts in the USA. The story revolves around these two main characters, both outsiders to Edinburgh.

At the outset of the book, a woman has been abducted. Connie Woolwine has been brought in to provide a profile of the offender. Later on, another woman’s dead body is discovered and more abductions occur. There develops a race against time as Connie Woolwine and D.I. Baarda attempt to track down the missing persons. As in the author’s previous books, the tension is maintained throughout and there was plenty of action and drama, resulted in my wanting to keep reading and find out what happened next. I should add a care warning that some of the descriptions in the book are very graphic.

As a fan of the the D.I. Callanach series, I enjoyed this book and found it to be to be an interesting spinoff. Indeed, the premise bears some similarities to “Perfect Remains”, one of the early D.I. Callanach books. I found the main characters well drawn, both of them coming to the investigation with personal issues. It was also an interesting, and different, perspective to have a story featuring a criminal profiler, and I enjoyed reading about some of the unconventional methods she employed. The city of Edinburgh also features strongly in the narrative and it was fun to track the movements of the various characters around the city. Overall, I found the book to be a thrilling and interesting account of a major police investigation into a bizarre series of crimes.

To order your copy now, just click the link: UK or US

Review: The Island by C.L. Taylor

 Welcome to The Island.

Where your worst fears are about to come true…

It was supposed to be the perfect holiday: a week-long trip for six teenage friends on a remote tropical island.

But when their guide dies of a stroke leaving them stranded, the trip of a lifetime turns into a nightmare.

Because someone on the island knows each of the group’s worst fears. And one by one, they’re becoming a reality.

Seven days in paradise. A deadly secret.

Who will make it off the island alive?

Review: I love a CL Taylor novel and I really love a CL Taylor YA novel. I really love the fact that we have a claustrophobic environment in this book a little like her previous young adult novel The Treatment, it really makes for a heart stopping read. You feel the pressure that the characters are under and it rally adds to the thrill. This novel also tackles some mental health issues and how trauma can affect people differently and I thought that was a really great move on this writer's part. 

It took me a few moments to work out who everyone in this book was and how they were connected, you're stopped right into the action on a holiday with a group of young people who meet up every year because their Mums were in the same NCT group. I love this concept because I had friends growing up who were in my life for that same reason. You have to work out the dynamic of the group which the friends also have to do each year as they grow and change. Each character is unique but they all have fears which are exposed on this trip. 

The structure of this novel is great because it is essentially a dual narrative. We get to hear from Jessie and Danny but Jessie's story is told in the first person whereas Danny's is told in the third person. I loved this distinction and the fact that we had both view points. I felt I was drawn most towards Jefferson because he seems to be the most different from the others in the group. We have 2 characters who are in a relationship and two who are related and so I felt like Jefferson was a kindred spirit in being an outsider. He also came out to the group a few years ago and I liked that this detail was included as part of the storyline. 

I aways love the fact that this authors feeds us information in a slow drip drip drip. It means that you have to keep turning the pages to find out more about and event or a character and I think that bonds you to the characters even more. I love that sense of being intrigued and the thrill of new events or new people. Because this is a YA novel it does read a little quicker than CL Taylor's adult novels which are also pacey but a little longer and so I flew through this book in an afternoon/evening. I really enjoyed it even though it got a little scary at times. It was a great break from the real world and I highly recommend reading this sooner rather than later!

To order your copy now, just click the link: UK or US

Review: People Like Her by Ellery Lloyd

 People like Emmy Jackson. They always have. Especially online, where she is Instagram sensation Mamabare, famous for always telling the unvarnished truth about modern parenthood.

But Emmy isn’t as honest as she’d like the fans to believe. She may think she has her followers fooled, but someone out there knows the truth and plans to make her pay. Because people like her have no idea what pain careless words can cause. Because people like her need to learn what it feels like to lose everything.

A smart and thrilling debut that delves into the darkest aspects of influencer culture, Ellery Lloyd’s People Like Her is about what you risk losing when you don’t know who’s watching . . .

Review: I really loved the way this was a thriller but had a much slower pace and shallower incline than a lot of thrillers I've read. This novel lets you get to know the characters and their world fully before you jump to any sinister goings on and what a world that is. I love that we are getting more and more books about the dark side of social media and the dark side of the people behind those accounts now because you just don't realise how this world is until you are in it. 

Emmy and her family are intern et sensations. She is a queen mum influencer and her little pod on Instagram is equally big in the world of mum's online. She looks like she has it all on the surface because of the following, the merch and the everts she hosts and attends. She knows the world inside out and her manager makes sure that she maintains her spot at the top. But what about how her husband feels about ti all, what about the people she is influencing and what happens if all that world starts to crumble. 

Emmy really is just like any other mummy you know aside from the fact that she turned her experience in the magazine world around to help her build her online platform and her own personal brand. I think that is what is so compelling about this book, she could be just like you and me. I really loved getting to know Dan as well. He is in a really unique position of having his own life and career but being better known for being Emmy's husband and Coco and Bear's dad. Its a really unique position and I am glad that his perspective was included in the narrative. 

This book is structured in such a way that you really can't put it down, you have to keep turning the pages. We get to hear from Emmy, Dan and the follower. You never know who this follower is but you know their words are written in malice and so its just so easy to keep turning those pages because you have to find out what is going to happen next. 

This book really does get quite dark and definitely comes with care warnings for baby loss. At the same time though if you are a fan of contemporary novels that get a little bit darker I think this is a great transition book because it has the action and pace of a thriller but you aren't thrown in at the deep end and there is still plenty of characters and situations that are easy to relate to. I would compare this to The Wives or The Girls in The Garden by Lisa Jewell. I read this in 2 sittings and I loved it, I'm sure you will too!

To order your copy now, just click the link: UK or US

 

Review: Invisible Girl by Lisa Jewell

YOU DON'T SEE HER. BUT SHE SEES YOU.

MIDNIGHT: In an area of urban wasteland where cats hunt and foxes shriek, a girl is watching ...

When Saffyre Maddox was ten, something terrible happened, and she's carried the pain of it ever since. The man who she thought was going to heal her didn't, and now she hides, learning his secrets, invisible in the shadows.

Owen Pick is invisible too. He's never had a girlfriend; he's never even had a friend.

Nobody sees him. Nobody cares.

But when Saffyre goes missing from opposite his house on Valentine's night, suddenly the whole world is looking at Owen.

Accusing him, holding him responsible for Saffyre's disappearance ...

INVISIBLE GIRL: an engrossing, twisty story of how we look in the wrong places for bad people while the real predators walk among us in plain sight.

Review: Another fabulous twisty thriller from Lisa Jewell. This one had my head going in every direction. I thought I knew things and then something happened and I did not know anything, I had even more questions than I started with. This book does come with care warnings for rape and sexual assault but these subjects are dealt with incredibly well. 

The way this writer structures their novels is just a sight to be believed. I am so in awe of the way Lisa Jewell constructs the plot or her books. They make me turn the pages because I just have to keep reading, This book is structured into before, now and after and then within that structure there are 3 different points of view that we get to hear from. This points of view are written in very different ways, even in different tenses and so you just have to keep reading because you need to know what the next person thinks about what you've just read!

The three characters that we get to follow are Cate, Owen and Saffyre. All three characters are intriguing but not particularly likable. I could definitely sympathise with all three of them though even though I didn't really like them and definitely didn't trust them. Cate is trying her best but she doesn't seem to be prepared to see what is right in front of her face. I really disliked Owen because he is a teacher who is not really very good at his job but boy did I feel for him over the course of this book. Saffyre was probably the most likable of the bunch. I could really see why she acted the way she did and I wanted her to find herself as the book went on. 

There after definitely some subjects dealt with in this novel that are hard to swallow, some moments are really not very  nice and I think that when you get into the real depths of this novel, it is the darkest Lisa Jewell to date. I had to put my Kindle down a couple of times to digest what was going on and to google a couple of things because I was convinced I was reading a true story. There are just so many things that are true to London life in this book. I would love to read this again to find things I missed because I know there are so many tiny details put in here, that is the beauty of this author's writing. 

Of course I highly recommend this book, just be prepared for the dark topics and be prepared that once you pick it up, you won't be putting it back down.

To order your copy now, just click the link: UK or US

UK publication date August 6th

US publication day October 13th

Review: The Other Passenger by Louise Candlish

It all happens so quickly. One day you're living the dream, commuting to work by riverbus with your charismatic neighbour Kit in the seat beside you. The next, Kit hasn't turned up for the boat and his wife Melia has reported him missing.

When you get off at your stop, the police are waiting. Another passenger saw you and Kit arguing on the boat home the night before and the police say that you had a reason to want him dead. You protest. You and Kit are friends - ask Melia, she'll vouch for you. And who exactly is this other passenger pointing the finger? What do they know about your lives?

No, whatever danger followed you home last night, you are innocent, totally innocent.

Review: Wow this book had so many twists and turns and revelations I felt like I was on a rollercoaster. And you never see any of them coming! I love Louise Candlish's writing and this book just solidified my love for it. I've been reading other, newer writers, and they just can't compete. Every single revelation is so intricately oven within the characters and within the plot that you really do gasp in surprise and what you thought you knew is thrown out the window at the end of every single chapter-so great!

Even main character Jamie is a massive conundrum who you never really get to the bottom of. I started off the book thinking they were one person and then the character development that takes place over the course of the novel is just extra ordinary. Jamie was intriguing but definitely someone you could meet in every day life, perhaps on your commute! The other 'Water Rats' the other passengers who commute with Jamie are also very true to life. I could picture them and their commute chatting, taking in the scenery. I also really liked the two main females in this book. They felt very like calculating villains in a movie and so they really came to life on the page for me. 

This whole setting is so familiar, I've taken the river bus in London, I've commuted on a ferry in a couple of big cities and it is a really great way to travel, but what do we really know about the other people on that boat? Such a great premise for a book and because of this stellar writing, we get to experience it all as the plot progresses. 

I also really loved the structure of this one. The present day plot takes place in those weird days between Christmas and New Year, an excellent time to set a book with as many twists as this because everything is already upside down. And then we jump back in time to the start of 2019 and gradually flash back and forward until the two points meet. This gives the book its intense feeling and that urgent need to keep turning the pages. We also have some bonus time after the new year and that is just inspired. I loved it. 

Whether this is your first Louise Candlish novel or you are already a hardcore fan, you're going to love The Other Passenger. And sorry, not sorry that once you pick it up you won't be able to put it down again!

To order your copy now, just click the link: UK or US

Review: Strangers by CL Taylor

Ursula, Gareth and Alice have never met before.

Ursula thinks she killed the love of her life.

Gareth’s been receiving strange postcards.

And Alice is being stalked.

None of them are used to relying on others – but when the three strangers’ lives unexpectedly collide, there’s only one thing for it: they have to stick together. Otherwise, one of them will die.

Three strangers, two secrets, one terrifying evening.

The million-copy bestseller returns with a gripping new novel that will keep you guessing until the end.

Review: The tagline of 'keep you guessing until the end' is exactly right, I gasped and exclaimed my way through the last 15% of this book and I had so many questions that I asked the air in my apartment for the rest of the book, this is the definition of a page turner. 

This book was so great, CL Taylor just keeps out-doing herself novel after novel. The fact that we have a stalker, some mysterious goings on and some very very dodgy strangers is the basis for this novel and the rest of the plot just can;t be talked about because-spoilers. 

These three characters are all incredibly intriguing. I could definitely sympathise with all of them even if I didn't necessarily like them. Alice gives us some lessons in what consent means, but also what it means to open up and trust people. I did actually rally like Ursula, perhaps because, like me, she is a former teacher and I was really championing her throughout the novel. On the outside she is a pretty strong person but on the inside she is oh so broken. And then Gareth is probably the person we find out least about until the very end of the novel. I really felt for him and he made me want to find out more every time I read his chapters. 

This story is told from all of these characters' points of view and so you get a little way into someone story and then you're thrown back to the story of another character and so you literally have to keep turning and turning and reading on and on searching for answers and only uncovering even more questions. This book will make your heart race, leave you holding your breath and ultimately turning the pages until you get some answers into the mysteries of the Strangers. This is a hard recommend from me!

To order your copy now, just click the link: UK or US

Review: The Sun Down Motel by Simone St James

Something hasn’t been right at the roadside Sun Down Motel for a very long time, and Carly Kirk is about to find out why in this chilling new novel from the New York Times bestselling and award-winning author of The Broken Girls.

Upstate New York, 1982. Viv Delaney wants to move to New York City, and to help pay for it she takes a job as the night clerk at the Sun Down Motel in Fell, New York. But something isnʼt right at the motel, something haunting and scary.

Review: Well I expected this to be a straight up thriller but what I got was part murder mystery and part horror and once I had adjusted my expectations for the rest of the book I really enjoyed it.

I love the fact that this was a dual narrative dual timeline, I find that kind of structure so compelling because you need to get back to each timeline to find out the impact of what you just read in the past/present! The fact that the two women are related and are in the same location gives it even more interest and intrigue.

Viv and Carly are interesting as main characters because you don’t necessarily like them but they are just so intriguing and cause so much trouble they really stir up the storyline. I really like the fact that these characters have a connection but aren't so closely related that we feel that that ties them into being the same person. There are a host of other very 'intriguing' characters, none of whom I especially liked but all of whom lend something to the atmosphere of this novel. 

In terms of being scary or thrilling I think this book walks the fine line in having a balance of both. You have to suspend your disbelief a little so that you can take on the idea of ghosts and strange goings on but I think that that is a good thing because not enough books push readers to do this under the guise of a thriller or crime in this way. 

As I say, this was an unexpected genre for me but I really enjoyed this one and it definitely gave me the thrill I was looking for. 

To order your copy now, just click the link: UK or US

Guest Review: Perfect Remains By Helen Fields

On a remote Highland mountain, the body of Elaine Buxton is burning. All that will be left to identify the respected lawyer are her teeth and a fragment of clothing.

In the concealed back room of a house in Edinburgh, the real Elaine Buxton screams into the darkness…

Detective Inspector Luc Callanach has barely set foot in his new office when Elaine’s missing persons case is escalated to a murder investigation. Having left behind a promising career at Interpol, he’s eager to prove himself to his new team. But Edinburgh, he discovers, is a long way from Lyon, and Elaine’s killer has covered his tracks with meticulous care.

It’s not long before another successful woman is abducted from her doorstep, and Callanach finds himself in a race against the clock. Or so he believes … The real fate of the women will prove more twisted than he could have ever imagined.

Review: This is the first of a series of crime novels written by Helen Fields featuring Detective Inspector Luc Callanach. I have read some of the later books in the series, so it was nice to read the beginning of the series. Luc Callanach is the son of a Scots father and a French mother. Following his father's death when Luc was young, he moved with his mother to France, eventually becoming a Police Officer working for Interpol in Lyon. In this book, we find out why, following an incident, Luc is obliged to leave Interpol and return to Scotland, where he joins Police Scotland's Major Investigation Team in Edinburgh. This causes some resentment with certain members of the squad, but he quickly finds an ally in Detective Inspector Ava Turner.

At the outset of the book, Ava is investigating a spate of babies abandoned in Edinburgh. Luc is thrown in at the deep end when a woman goes missing in Edinburgh and, shortly afterwards, a body is discovered in a burnt out bothy in the Cairngorms. As Luc and his team investigate, another woman goes missing. It therefore develops into a race against time before the body count mounts up. I found that the tension was maintained throughout the book and there were plenty of twists to the plot. This resulted in my wanting to keep reading and move on to each subsequent chapter to find out what happened next. I should add a warning that some of the violence was quite gruesome.

I don't know if I was reading too much into it, but there did appear to be a nod to the Ingmar Bergman film "The Seventh Seal" in that a game of chess features in both the film and this book. Like most works of crime fiction, some of the forensic science findings in this book seemed too good to be true. However, this is a minor criticism, and I found the book to be a thrilling, albeit graphic, account of major police investigations into a series of crimes.

To order your copy now, just click the link: UK or US