REVIEW: Her Dark Heart by Carla Kovach (ARC)

Her Dark Heart (DI Gina Harte #5) by Carla Kovach

Genre: Crime fiction, police procedural, domestic thriller

Read: 30th December 2019

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(publication date: 19th November 2019)

★★★★★ 5 stars

Although I am still yet to read the first two, I have now enjoyed the last three books in this series by Carla Kovach and DI Gina Harte is fast becoming one of my favourite detectives. I absolutely loved the previous book "The Liar's House" and I wondered how Kovach could better that one but HER DARK HEART was just as brilliant! And while it is the fifth in the series and it's generally preferable to read them in order, I do believe they can still be read as a standalone. Each mystery is enigmatic, each story is unique...but each book is engaging throughout you will not want to put them down.

The story opens with a prologue that sees Susan Wheeler returning from a reunion amongst old friends at the pub to which her husband Ryan had followed her, convinced she was having an affair. After thumping the male friend of the group, Ryan and Susan returned home where he then started in on her. It was obvious from the beginning that Ryan was a controlling and abusive husband and Susan did her best to shelter her children from the violence.

Five months later, Susan is in the process of divorcing Ryan, living in their marital home with their three children while Ryan has moved to a small two bedroom flat. Since kicking her husband out, Susan has let her hair down, started going out with friends and enjoying the freedom to be herself and relax as she was never allowed to married to Ryan. Her mother Mary babysits for her on these occasions which, in her sister Clare's eyes, are becoming more frequent. It seems Susan is returning to her rebellious teenage years.

So when Susan fails to pick up her two year old son Rory from nursery one afternoon, there are mixed reactions. Her mother Mary is concerned while her sister Clare is not. Then they discover that she hadn't collected her daughters, Phoebe and Jasmine, from her Ryan's place either. Mary is adamant that Susan would never leave her children - she loves them and would not have left them voluntarily. Clare is of the opinion that this is another one of Susan's disappearing acts where she will swan back in after a few days as if nothing has happened. After all, she's done it before.

But Mary is worried and insists on calling the police although Clare maintains that her sister is just attention seeking while her husband Howard placates her with endless cups of tea. The soon-to-be ex-husband Ryan thinks Susan has just run off again and isn't particularly concerned...in fact he lays the blame solely at Susan's feet. Clare, it seems, shares his opinion and also blames her sister for everything that's gone wrong in her own life. But Mary is convinced there is something wrong...

Enter DI Gina Harte. For the initial contact with the Hudson family, Gina takes along PC Kapoor who has incredible instincts as well as a certain empathy. But Gina isn't prepared for the shock that is about to befall her when Mary Hudson opens the door. For Mary is the spitting image of her own mother who died many years ago, sharing even the same mannerisms which throws Gina momentarily when questioning her. I found this an interesting side aspect and wondered if it would be explored further, throwing up the revelation of her mother having had a long lost missing twin or something...but it seemed that Mary was just a doppelganger that spooked Gina each time she came into contact with her.

Mary has enough to deal with at the moment what with Clare having moved back home with her two year old son who, with a vast array of behavioural problems, is beyond difficult. But Susan's little Rory is like a breath of fresh air and is a sweet content little boy. Another bone of contention with Clare - it seems Susan can never do any wrong, and even has the perfect child. This sees a jealous and exasperated Clare continually dumping her often screaming son in her mother's arms and leaving the house to destinations unknown. She may have been the older sibling but Clare often behaved like a spoilt teenager, in my opinion.

From the beginning Gina believes that Mary and her family are keeping secrets and she endeavours to find out what they are and get to the bottom of them. Requesting permission to search Susan's house, Gina and her team are only allowed a cursory look before Mary ushers them out and then sets about cleaning the house from top to bottom. But Mary comes across a notebook that appears to be Susan's diary of sorts and in it, two appointments for the day she disappeared and a post code. Handing them over to the police, Gina then calls on the appointments - both of whom weren't home - and discovers the post code was for a general area nearby...but apparently none of Susan's clients were from that postal code area. And where was her car? Wouldn't it have been parked outside her last appointment?

Then a body is found by a man and his two boys out walking their dog and immediately she fears it to be Susan. However, it turns out the body is male. One Dale Blair - who turned out to be Susan's last appointment. Upon searching his house, Gina's team find a photo of a teenage Dale with an obvious teenage Susan and another teenage girl. It seems Susan and Dale knew each other before the day she disappeared. And then they discover he was the man Ryan had punched in the face for having an affair with his wife some 5 months before. But that was not possible for Dale was openly gay. The mystery deepens as Gina wonders what the hell it means and where it all leads.

Was Susan kidnapped? Or is she guilty of murder?

Gina doesn't know what to believe anymore as she battles with her own guilt and grief over losing her mother and her deepest darkest secret she has carried for more than 20 years.

And then Susan's daughter Phoebe disappears...

A complicated case and a complex thriller, HER DARK HEART is a well-written page turner that will have you reading long into the night - just one more chapter! I love how it's not just a police procedural but a crime thriller as well as we are privy to all aspects of the story - from the police to the victim's family to the villain - with clues given at just the right time.

As for the characters themselves - I found Clare and her son irritating and obnoxious, Ryan was ignorant and arrogant, Howard was indifferent while Mary was so completely guilt ridden and yet she continued to make the same mistakes again and again.

As the story shifts between perspectives in the search for Susan and Phoebe while at the same time given a glimpse from the villain's viewpoint, HER DARK HEART unfolds at an even pace that soon accelerates gaining momentum as it nears its climax. And even as it did so, I was completely surprised at the revelation, only guessing just moments before.

While HER DARK HEART is the fifth in this series, it is my third having only read the last three. Despite this I am thoroughly enjoying all that I have read so far and Gina Harte is fast becoming a favourite. I know that I will not be disappointed with these books. I do, however, have a slight misgiving I feel I ought to mention.

While I don't like my protagonists to be too perfect, too damaged, too bossy and bitchy or too flaky and irritating, I do feel that Gina does often frustrate me. She has spent the past five books torturing herself about killing her abusive husband in self defense some 20 years ago and ambivalence about her feelings for her boss DCI Chris Briggs, and their non-starter affair. Not to mention the complicated relationship she has with her daughter Hannah. Without fail by the end of each book, she seems to have sorted herself out with promises and placations but by the next one she is back to where she was previously. This oscillating is like watching a ceiling fan as she continues her annoying cycle of self pity and self loathing. I just want to see her sort herself out once and for all and move on. We know what happened, none of us can change the past, so there is nothing to gain by harping on it. I just wish she would move past it and either get together with Briggs or move on. I did like the part near the end where she made a confession to her mother's grave, unburdening herself at last. Maybe now she CAN move on.

I'd also like to know a little more about her team, as all we seem to know about them are their names. And even those are seemingly insignificant at times because none of them has as much depth as Gina herself does in the books. These characters are recurring but without any real development.

Despite those two misgivings, they are but small elements that do not deter my enjoyment of this book or the series. I will happily continue to follow Gina and her team as it really is one of my favourite series.

The plot was dark, the twists were skillful making HER DARK HEART a clever complex and brilliant thriller that kept me intrigued throughout. I have no hesitation in recommending it!

I look forward to seeing what happens next...

I would like to thank #CarlaKovach, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #HerDarkHeart in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: A Fight in Silence by Melanie Metzenthin (ARC)

A Fight in Silence by Melanie Metzenthin

(translated by Deborah Rachel Langton)

Genre: Historical fiction

Read: 18th December 2019

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(publication date: 11th November 2019)

★★★★★ 5 stars

I have to say that if it weren't for Netgalley, I wouldn't be introduced to so many different authors that I would probably never read otherwise. And this is one of those cases where I am so grateful to have done so!

A FIGHT IN SILENCE by Melanie Metzenthin (and translated by Deborah Rachel Langton) is a truly remarkable story that, to me, loses nothing in translation. I don't even know where to begin, it was that amazing!! It provides us with a very different perspective of WW2 of not only being in Germany but centering around medicine, the aslyums and of those who had been sent there. But it is so much more than that. To experience it, you really have to read it yourself.

Spanning two decades, the story begins in Hamburg in 1926 with Paula Engelhardt and her friend Leonie, as medical students, attending a lecture about mental illness and the state of mind of sufferers, when Paula meets Richard Hellmer, also studying medicine. The two find themselves sitting in a cafe after the lecture debating the prospective nature of life and suffering, with both expressing their desire to specalise in psychiatry. Paula's own father is a psychiatrist, leading her to follow in his footsteps. Richard's father is a carpenter, something in which Richard became fully qualified before studying medicine. Paula is an only child, whereas Richard is one of three children. Both families are close and continue to be so with the engagement and marriage of Paula and Richard.

In the wake of the Great war, Germany is experiencing unrest as the National Socialist Party (Nazis) begin to make their presence felt in smaller circles. With each election they gain more votes and a greater movement throughout the country. But the propaganda which they are flouting leaves Germans in serious doubt as to where their country is headed...and what it means for them. Rumours begin to surface and soon life becomes harder for those less fortunate than the healthy blonde, blue eyed Aryan.

Paula continues to study while Richard moves into the area of psychiatry, taking up a position some miles away at a reputable asylum. Paula then discovers her difficulty in following in her father's footsteps when it appears men are favoured for positions ahead of her. She decides to enter pediatrics alongside Leonie working in the children's hospital in Hamburg. All the while, their growing concern for what is happening in Germany continues to build...even moreso when Leonie is suddenly without a job. It is now illegal for Jews to hold such positions as doctors or to study, as they face the political unrest and turmoil that continues to grow. Soon Leonie flees with her father to Switzerland, who is neutral, before things get worse for them and Paula finds herself missing her best friend.

When Paula discovers she is pregnant, both are shocked to discover they are expecting twins. Paula continues to work at the hospital throughout her pregnancy, despite some older colleagues misgivings. After 18 long hours of labour, Paula gives birth to a baby girl but the boy has some difficulties delivering. But he soon arrives and the new parents are elated. They name their daughter Emilia and their son Georg, after Richard's older brother. But it isn't long before Richard notices that something isn't right with Georg. He is a happy child, certainly, but he fails to respond to noise or his name being called. Paula refuses to believe this, stating that she would have noticed. After a brief barrage of tests, Richard's fears are confirmed - their son is deaf. Paula berates herself for not noticing. But both parents are fearful for what this could mean for their son should his deafness be made known. The Nazis have been known to eradicate anyone being of "life unworthy of life", that being a disability.

So beginning with early intervention, Paula and Richard work tirelessly with Georg as he grows, teaching him both sign language and lip reading, and how to speak smoothly. Emilia is incredibly protective of her brother and George is saddened when he must attend a different school to that of his sister. Despite attening the deaf and dumb school, he speaks effortlessly like that of a hearing child. The story is that he is "hard of hearing" as a result of complications during birth, which everyone accepts without question.

As the unrest in Germany continues to grow, the depression hit people hard and many struggle to find work and feed their families. All the while the socialist movement in Germany found this easy to exploit as Hitler gained popularity and the Nazis ultimately seized power. Once war is declared, life for Germany as they know it changes. However, Richard and Paula are doctors - their occupations are reserved, although as Paula is a mother, her working life is over. But for Richard, the changes that he finds himself faced with are both horrific and barbaric. When his superior retires, a colleague with socialist ties is promoted and the once reputable asylum becomes a living nightmare.

New legislation has been passed stating that anyone with a disability, suffering a mental condition, a hereditary illness or classed as imperfect is considered a liability and they are either forced to be sterilised or, even worse, euthanised. This becomes even more important to the Hellmers to keep Georg's deafness secret and ensure that his "hearing problem" isn't classed as and inherited condition, such as hereditary deafness. Some doctors went along with the forced sterilsation and euthanising of their disabled patients, some - like Richard - fought to save their lives, though it was incredibly risky and very very dangerous. To be caught would mean death.

Richard began by falsifying the medical records of his patients, deeming them fit to work, otherwise they were driven to the forest in sealed lorries and gassed. But the fact that he deemed every patient fit, drew the attention of the Gestapo, and he was instantly dismissed from his position of twelve years. But before they could send him off to a punishment regiment, he enlisted alongside his best friend Fritz, a notable surgeon, in the medical corp as a doctor. He's sent to Italy, Africa and Egypt as he and Fritz work in the miedical hospital far from the frontlines.

While the war rages, Paula is left with her children, their extended family and Fritz's wife Dora and their children as they survive the nightly air raids and attempt to keep Georg's deafness a secret. But when Georg comes down with hepatitis and is sent to Richard's former workplace that now doubles as a children's hospital, Paula fears for her son's safety as Richard's nemesis will stop at nothing to oust their son's condition just for the sheer spite of it.

A FIGHT IN SILENCE is like nothing I have ever read... and I have read many WW2 books set in England, Germany and even Austria. But this one is very different to any of those. Building slowly, the story unfolds at a pleasant pace as we learn about each of the characters and their facets, as we become invested in them and their lives. I was very quickly hooked and was completely immersed in the story that I found myself not wanting it to end...while at the same time wanting the horror for those involved to end.

A truly remarkable story, A FIGHT IN SILENCE is unique in its subject matter of psychiatry at the time as well as being a beautiful tale of love, friendship, family and courage.

I have to make mention of the fantastic work of Deborah Rachel Langton in her impeccable translation of this beautiful and remarkable book. In reading it, one would think that it had been written in English, the translation is that flawless.

I simply loved A FIGHT IN SILENCE and cannot give it a high enough rating in my opinion. I would love to give it 10 stars! I hope the second novel featuring Paula and Richard is translated so I can continue their journey with them post-war.

I cannot recommend A FIGHT IN SILENCE highly enough! To experience the beauty of this unique and remarkable story (I know I keep saying it, but it's true), you really MUST read it for yourself. You won't regret it.

I would like to thank #MelanieMetzenthin, #DeborahRachelLangton, #NetGalley and #AmazonPublishingUK for an ARC of #AFightInSilence in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: Man at the Window by Robert Jeffreys (ARC)

Man at the Window ( Detective Cardilini #1) by Robert Jeffreys

Genre: Crime fiction, police procedural

Read: 29th December 2019

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(publication date: 14th November 2019)

★★ 2 stars

I must be in the minority that found MAN AT THE WINDOW by Robery Jeffreys to be slow and drawn out. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the first half of the book but it just seemed to lose tangent and just be odiously long and drawn out. Which was a shame, because I was thoroughly enjoying the mystery before it went all nonsensical that by the end I was left wondering who actually pulled the trigger. To me, that is a loose end...and I hate loose ends.

Perth, Western Australia, 1965: The opening prologue sees a master of all-boys school St Nicholas, perusing over what he obviously see as his dominion. Before he knows what hits him, he is hot with half his brain over the wall behind him and he falls to the floor. Then enters an anonymous young boy of indeterminate age, who I took to be around 12 or 13, knock hesitantly on the master's door. The master, Captain Edmunds, does not answer and upon hearing no response the boy quietly moves into the dark room, inadvertently stepping on a bullet. He picks up the bullet and silently places it in his pocket before leaving the room, leaving bloodied footsteps in his wake.

Enter Detective Sergeant Cardilini. Before his wife Betty died a year ago, Cardilini was a good detective. But now, he is a lazy drunken slob that even his 18 year old son is disgusted by him. So when his boss sends him off to write up a report of accidental shooting, it was meant to be a mere formality. But from the moment he stepped into St Nicholas' College things just didn't sit right with Cardilini. And for once, against all expectations, he actually makes an effort.

What begins as an apparent accidental shooting, with a rather implausible theory in my opinion, turns into a complex case that continues to darken as the story deepens. And admittedly, I was bored and frustrated with yet another drunk cop with a chip on his shoulder - how many times have I read something like this? However, the case is an interesting one and the investigation is both raw and invasive, and under Cardilini's eye, relentless. But...he was not meant to investigate it, but to simply write up a report and file it. Against his Superintendent's wishes he continues to probe, uncovering secrets that the prestigious school would have preferred remain buried. And then it becomes clear - his super and the deputy commissioner are old boys of the school. The brass have spoken and Cardilini is hauled over the coals on more than one occasion for stepping out of line.

So herein lies his dilemma - do his job to the letter of the law who has sworn to uphold in pursuing a murderer and possibily losing his job, or allow the old boys' network to hold his balls in a vice and keep his job and his son's prospects of joining the academy.

Despite this, Cardilini is determined to get to the bottom of the matter for the sake of the boys who have been abused...though now no one is coming forward admitting to that fact. And Cardilini looks like a prize idiot.

Added to this, Cardilini then finds out that the constable that was assigned to "work the case" alongside him, Salt, is a former St Nicholas boy himself! It seems the long arm of the old boys' network reaches far and wide. But Cardilini refuses to be swayed. And this puts his job in jeopardy.

But Cardilini eventually works out what is essentially a plausible theory of the shooting...despite the fact allegations of indecent behaviour have been made against him regarding a student of St Nicholas'...but what to do about it? How to prove it? And yet the only way to refute the allegations against him is to drop the investigation and agree on the accidental shooting theory.

And yet he has a theory of who was responsible when he receives a confession from another...

A complex case that showed immense promise in the beginning, MAN AT THE WINDOW sadly ended up a confused and tangled web by its conclusion. I re-read the last part of the final chapter several times wondering what was really written between the lines and who really killed Captain Edmunds.

On the plus side, MAN AT THE WINDOW was cleverly written in its portrayal of the era - when ballistics was pretty basic and DNA, CCTV, GPS and mobile phones are all to come decades later. How notes are written in a notebook and hours can be spent retrieving records from filing cabinets or archives. The use of phone boxes and calls being made from one's desk rather than in the car or at the scene. I remember thinking why Cardilini didn't use his mobile phone before realising it was 1965 and there were no mobile phones. And then there was the social attitudes. A child's word against that of an adult - especially against one who has status and authority - is rarely believed. People turned their backs. These things never happened...until it happened to your child.

Cardilini is quite often abrasive and almost always opens his mouth just to change feet. The way he spoke and interacted with his superiors had me wondering why he hadn't been fired long ago. But his super was an old friend, they went through the academy together, and everyone it seems was giving him some extra leeway after the death of his beloved wife.

MAN AT THE WINDOW is a good debut, despite its long-winded off tangent complexities that left me scratching my head by its end. I enjoyed the first half but struggled with the second. I won't dismiss this series or the author on the basis of one book and look forward to the next one to see where that takes us. But please, no more drunk cop!

I would like to thank #RobertJeffreys, #NetGalley and #EchoPublishing for an ARC of #ManAtTheWindow in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: The Quiet Girls by J.M. Hewitt (ARC)

The Quiet Girls (DS Carrie Flynn #2) by J.M. Hewitt

Genre: Crime fiction, thriller, suspense

Read: 21st December 2019

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(publication date: 13th November 2019)

★★★★ 4 stars

Having enjoyed DS Carrie Flynn's introduction in "The Night Caller" I was looking forward to her second outing in THE QUIET GIRLS, hoping some of the loose ends left in the first book would be on the way to being tied up in the second. One thing I really hate in books, even those in a series, are loose ends. It's like television shows that end the season on a cliffhanger...it's not like you're not coming back so why leave fans hanging? It's a pet peeve of mine and yet so many authors are guilty of it.

THE QUIET GIRLS begins with a taster for fans where the previous one left off regarding DS Carrie Flynn's past of her missing sister, Hattie. When I read the opening chapter I found myself hoping that there would be more of an element regarding this 20 year old mystery, instead of just being a backstory as it was previously.

But we would have to wait and see for the story then takes a turn as we see Carrie and her DC Paul Harper receive and replay a telephone message over and over from a distraught caller stating they had provided information and nothing was done and that now they were going to take matters into their own hands. The voice was disguised but the closer Carrie listened the more she felt the voice was female. Carrie insists the caller is a victim but Paul isn't so sure, given their intention to possibly commit a crime.

11 year old Melanie Wilson is meeting her two friends, Kelly and Tanisha, in the hope the girls will accept her as "one of them". The three girls decide to embark on an adventure, entering what they thought to be an abandoned house. But when one of them is attacked by a man wearing a grotesque mask who is naked from the waist down, Melanie gets her two friends out as they run for their lives, without looking back.

Melanie's mother Alice arrives home at 7pm to find her husband Harry sitting in the dark, no Melanie, and oblivious to the fact their daughter has not returned home. Alice panics and goes in search of Melanie, relieved to find her disembarking a bus at the end of the street. They return home to find a dishevelled Harry, silently cursing himself for not noticing their daughter was missing.

Later that evening, Melanie discloses to her parents what happened at the house. Harry wants to report it, Alice does not. As a lawyer, she points out that the girls entered a house without permission and probably frightened the occupant with everything else nothing more than Melanie's overactive imagination. Unbeknownst to them, Kelly's mother has taken her daughter off to the police station to report what had taken place inside the house without disclosing Melanie's presence. As Kelly refuses to co-operate, the police can do nothing so the matter is shelved. But Kelly's mother refuses to let it go and organises a group of concerned parents to storm the house protesting the presence of paedophiles preying on their children.

When Carrie and Paul receive a complaint from a resident that they have been targeted by a group naming them as paedophiles, Carrie realises the girls' mother took the matter further. But as the man reveals, it couldn't have been him, or his brother, as they were out of the country at the time and with flight details to prove it. So Carrie must now inform the group of his innocence and move them on. But the resident discloses that while they were away, his brother had organised for a decorator to come in and work on their house however his details have been misplaced. So who was the decorator? Was he the man who assaulted young Kelly Prout?

Meanwhile, Harry Wilson decides that he must keep his family safe and after the incident with the suspected paedophile, particularly Melanie. So without consulting his wife, Harry sells up their house and packs up their belongings and moves them to Pomona island, a remote and abandoned island off Manchester. Also making the move with them are the Hadleys, the father whose carpentry skills Harry would find useful for their new life on Pomona. No one is particularly thrilled with the move but go along with it anyway. But once they get there and the boat that brought them across leaves, they are faced with the reality of their isolation as Harry excitedly organises them into groups to explore the island and where to find food, water and wood.

But as days turn into weeks, things are not going the way Harry had planned. Liz Hadley hasn't even set foot outside their cottage let alone made it a home for herself and her family. Their twins, Willow and Lenon, speak only to each other and spend days in the woods away from everyone else. Not only that, Melanie had seen the brother and sister sleeping in the same bed together, huddled together like lovers. And then there is Alice. Admittedly, she has made their cottage into a little home but aside from that she is not engaging with him or even their neighbours. In fact, she seems to disappear for hours at a time on her own. Only Gabe Hadley and Melanie seem to be on board with this new life. Gabe has built sheds from bits of tin and timber to store their wood for the next winter, while he has been showing Melanie how to make snares to capture rabbits for their meals. Harry feels sure that the others will come round to this new and pure way of life. Or will they?

Back on the mainland, Carrie and Paul have received reports of the Hadley twins going missing and that of Melanie Wilson from their respective schools. When they arrive at the Hadley home to investigate, they find it locked up and abandoned, with the entire family leaving early one morning some weeks ago. Where were they going and why leave under the shroud of the pre-dawn? Were they running from something? Carrie tasks Paul with looking into the Hadley's lives in the hope of uncovering any answers.

Before they have a chance to investigate Melanie's disappearance, they receive information that Melanie had been present when Kelly Prout was attacked and endeavour to question the girl's mother as to why she didn't tell them about it at the time? Whether it made a difference or not at the time, who knows, but what they do know NOW is that Melanie is missing. Did it have something to do with the assault on Kelly? And how was it linked to the Hadley twins disappearance?

Interwoven throughout the story, in alternate chapters, are flashbacks of Carrie and her 6 year old sister Hattie on the day of Hattie's disappearance for which Carrie has always blamed herself. Their mother insisting Carrie take her sister, her promises to see the horses, the long walk to the park as well as Hattie constantly asking for ice cream. We see the lead-up to Hattie's disappearance to when suddenly she is gone.

Whilst investigating the case of these missing children and the possibility of a paedophile in the area, Carrie finds herself haunted by the flashbacks and the nightmare of her sister going missing. But it's her darkest secret she must draw on to help her find these children, as they try to locate the Hadley twins and Melanie and her family.

I thoroughly enjoyed THE QUIET GIRLS far more than the first book, probably because we are given more insight into the 20 year mystery of Carrie's little sister's disappearance. In it we have a little bit more closure, though not completely, which again is frustrating though I hope Jeanette ties those loose ends up for us with the next installment.

What I especially love about this series is that the entire focus is not on the police investigation. In fact in some cases, the investigation takes a backseat to the bigger picture but without overshadowing Carrie and her partner Paul. I find a glimpse into each aspect gives the story more depth.

There is one aspect that didn't sit right with me and that was the ages of each of the "potential" victims of the paedophile. The despicable nature of such crimes notwithstanding, there is an age preference to these people, and yet the ages in this book ranged from young child to pre-teen to adolescent which is not how they work and isn't completely accurate. I felt lumping all ages together was like saying all Muslims are terrorists and all dog attacks are by staffies. It's like I like milk chocolate yet my husband likes white chocolate. It's not a technicality, it's a fact.

Although this is the second book in the series, THE QUIET GIRLS can be read as a stand-a-lone quite easily, but I think you'd be missing out if you didn't read "The Night Caller" first.

I look forward to Carrie Flynn's third outing with her DC, and maybe a loose end or two tied up a little neater to give the rest of us a kind of closure. Definitely recommend!

I would like to thank #JMHewitt, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheQuietGirls in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: My Mother's Silence by Lauren Westwood (ARC)

My Mother's Silence by Lauren Westwood

Genre: Mystery, Suspence, Family Drama

Read: 20th December 2019

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(publication date: 11th November 2019)

★★★★ 3.5 stars (rounded up)

I've not come across Lauren Westwood before but that's possibly due to her usual genre being women's fiction. This time she brought us something a little different woven into the mystery genre with MY MOTHER'S SILENCE.

When I requested this book I had initially thought it would be more of a psychological mystery than what it actually was, given that it was actually listed in the Mystery/Thriller genre. And while it certainly does have an element of mystery, with part of the main focus being on the mysterious death of one woman's twin 15 years before, it is a poignant yet tragic tale of guilt and what ifs and ultimately how to rebuild something that was lost to tragedy.

"‘Mum wants to know when you’re coming home.’ They were the only words that could ever make me return; the words that I’d been waiting to hear for all these years."

Following the tragic death of her twin sister Ginny 15 years ago, Skye Turner left Scotland to follow her dream in America. It was the dream she and Ginny shared - to become travel the world together with Skye on guitar and Ginny's hauntingly beautiful voice. But instead Skye left alone...to follow their dreams for the both of them.

But now she's back.

Returning to the remote Eilean Shiel upon learning her mother was ill and asking for her, Skye was not prepared for the memories that would engulf her as she stepped off the coach and looked across the raging waters to the peninsula where she grew up. Or the silence that encompassed her as she stepped into the Fisherman's Arms, suitcase in hand. Or the indifference from her mother when she opened the door to her long lost daughter.

This is why she left. The guilt that ate her up inside, not knowing what happened that night...the night Ginny died...the night a car accident robbed her of her memory of "that night"...her mother's silent accusations...and her need to escape the pain. And now all eyes were on her once again as fingers pointed and whispered rumours began to circulate.

And then there is their bedroom. The one she shared with Ginny. While the rest of the house has enjoyed a makeover, their room has remained a shrine to her sister. This only serves to haunt Skye, adding to her confusing flashes of memories of that night and those of her sister. But Skye wants the past buried and feels it is time to pack away Ginny's life and store them in the attic along with all their other childhood memories. But then she finds Ginny's old journals and, feeling a tug of conflicting emotions, she leaves them not wanting to open that door as well as respecting her sister's privacy.

But then her brother Bill and his family arrive, sending the house into a whirlwind of chaotic activity. But it's not until her niece Emily, who is obsessed with the idea of Ginny, brings down the box of her old journals does Skye secrete them into her room to explore later. And explore, she will. Because Skye has learnt that her sister had secrets from her, secrets that she knew nothing about...and she thought she knew everything about her but she is suddenly discovering that maybe she didn't know Ginny at all.

And then finding a coach ticket to Glasgow for the day of Ginny's death, Skye finds herself questioning what really happened the night her sister died. Everyone in the community accepted it was an accident, but was it really? If only she could remember...

But the deeper Skye digs into the past, the more she realises that she's not the only one haunted by the secrets of that night. Was she really to blame or were people lying? Did they know something about Ginny's death? Did they have something to do with it or were they protecting her from the truth? Was the story of how her sister died all a lie? If only she could remember...

Told in the first person from Skye's perspective, I did find the story slow moving though the pace did pick up the deeper Skye delved. I didn't take much to Skye and her constant monologuing of second guessing kept the pace fom picking up. Whilst reading I felt like I should escape Eilean Shiel myself, the atmosphere was quite chilly...even moreso in her childhood home with her mother's equally chilly reception. Although this is all part of the story to be fleshed out, I was more interested in the mystery aspect and what really happened the night Ginny died and Skye's accident.

Unrestrained and poignant, MY MOTHER'S SILENCE is a moving story about a family torn apart by tragedy and secrets. It tells of unimaginable grief blended with misconceptions, harboured secrets and long buried memories to create an absorbing read of family drama and mystery.

MY MOTHER'S SILENCE is both compelling and suspenseful, despite the slow start, stirring up emotions and questions that have been long since buried. It is part chick lit part mystery with all the family drama thrown in, as well as a touch of romance. It has a little bit of everything.

My favourite part of this book would have to be the picturesque yet rugged Scottish landscape of the western highlands. It truly evokes that feeling of remoteness and isolation mirrored in the book's protagonist. Perfect for the story that unfolds here. And yet, the landscape is utterly stunning.

I would like to thank #LaurenWestwood, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #MyMothersSilence in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: The Vanished Bride by Bella Ellis (ARC)

The Vanished Bride (The Bronte Mysteries #1) by Bella Ellis

Genre: Historical mysteries

Read: 14th December 2019

Goodreads

Purcase: Amazon

(publication date: 7th November 2019)

★★★★ 4 stars

What a charming little mystery THE VANISHED BRIDE turned out to be! Despite the fact I've never read "Jane Eyre", "Wuthering Heights" or any of the other of their books, I was intrigued by this one's premise featuring the three sisters. It isn't a factual account but more of a reimagined story of the Bronte sisters as lady "detectors" on the hunt for...the vanished bride!

Unlike any mystery I've ever encountered, THE VANISHED BRIDE is something different from the norm. It is fun, entertaining and, despite the mystery at hand, a delightufully light read. I rather felt it had an Austenesque feel to it as well but then I put that down to the time period it is set, within that of both Austen and the Brontes.

It's 1851 and the prologue opens with Charlotte, as the last surviving Bronte sister, reflecting on a time before she and her siblings became authors. They each were novellists, poets and even artists in their own rights, and looking back, Charlotte ponders on their lives together at the Haworth parsonage under the care of their widowed father. It also reminds us how tragically short their lives were - with Emily dying in 1848 and Anne in 1849, while Charlotte herself was to pass in 1855. Their brother Branwell, who features peripherally in the story usually intoxicated or under the influence of opioids, also died in 1848 - the same year as Emily.

Yorkshire 1845. Charlotte, Emily and Anne Bronte live a quiet life writing or drawing, trying to find the inspiration to write that novel that would see them published. But in the 19th century, it was very much a man's world and if the sisters were to achieve anything it would have to be under the guise as man. Each of them had been governesses before returning to Haworth after the death of their Aunt, who left the sisters a tidy sum to live comfortably until they were published. But life at the parsonage is somewhat dull after the structure and busyness of governess life, and the sisters at oftentimes find themselves a little bored.

One morning, they hear the news that Elizabeth Chester. a young wife and mother, has disappeared from her home at Chester Grange under mysterious circumstances, leaving behind pools of blood in her bedroom. And with the amount of blood found it is unlikely she would have survived. The sisters are immediately concerned for their friend Mattie, who is governess to the Chester children, and take it upon themselves to visit Chester Grange on the pretext of that concern. While they are worried for Mattie, who incidentally discovered her mistress to be missing and the considerable amount of blood she left behind, the sisters decide that they will create their own inquiries and do some detecting of their own.

Is the bedroom of Elizabeth Chester a crime scene or did she disappear of her accord? Given the amount of blood found that seemed unlikely. And yet the sisters couldn't dismiss it entirely. So had she been murdered and disposed of? Or is there something more sinister at play? And if not, why would she leave the children? According to everyone who knew her, Elizabeth loved her son and step-son and would never just leave them. These are just some of the questions the sisters, assisted by their brother Branwell, ask themselves and set about trying to answer.

Elizabeth is the second wife of Robert Chester of Chester Grange, and it seems that his first wife, Imogen, died under some rather baffling circumstances. Questions arise leaving some suspicion over what might have, or might not have, happened to Elizabeth.

The sisters decide to split resources with Anne and Branwell investigating around Chester Grange while Charlotte and Emily gather information from the community. But they soon learn that as they are women, the community are reluctant to talk to them so Emily comes up with the guise of working under the instructions of Bell Solicitors, leaving instructions for any messages to be left for Messrs Bell & Co at the local inn under the strictest confidence. The tenants of Arunton trust the governing hand of a man to know what's best as well as having influence when it comes to women. They wouldn't talk to them otherwise.

And it seems the more they uncover, the more complex the mystery becomes as it deepens and stretches into places as far as Scarborough. But what could they possibly find there? And why are Elizabeth's parents being evasive? Exactly what is it that they are hiding? And who is the mystery man a villager had seen with Elizabeth Chester in the woods leading up to her mysterious disappearance?

I loved the re-imagining of the Bronte sisters and their brother Branwell solving mysteries together. It is all rather a novel concept and makes for delightful reading. The alternation between sisters in narration kept it interesting as we are given a glimpse into each sister. I found it amusing to note Charlotte's constant discomfort around her father's curate, Arthur Nicholls, when she herself marries him nearly a decade later prior to her death.

The inclusion of Branwell to the story leant something of a contrast to that of his sisters. He is quite the scandal - a drunkard, a gambler, a womaniser and an addict. However, he has the advantage that his sisters do not in that he is male and therefore it appears far more acceptable. The sisters, on the other hand, are all at the age where they should be focusing on getting married...not gallivanting across the moors and the seaside playing at "detecting"! This is behaviour that would acceptable in Branwell, not the sisters. Hence the guise of the fictitious Bell & Co. This, of course, was a nod to the sisters themselves as their pen names at the time of their publications used the surname "Bell". The other being the author's pseudonym - incorporating the name "Bell" into Bella and "Ellis", which was Emily's pen name at the time.

A truly engaging historical mystery, THE VANISHED BRIDE is enchanting and delightful with the addition of some darker nuances woven throughout making this an intriguing well-written fun read.

If you are a Bronte fan, or you love historical mysteries, then don't go pass THE VANISHED BRIDE. You will thoroughly enjoy it!

I would like to thank #BellaEllis, #NetGalley and #HodderAndStoughton for an ARC of #TheVanishedBride in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: Woman in the Water by Katerina Diamond (ARC)

Woman in the Water (DS Imogen Grey #6) by Katerina Diamond

Genre: Crime fiction, thriller, police procedural

Read: 10th December 2019

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(publication date: 11th November 2019)

★★★★★ 5 stars

I knew when I requested WOMAN IN THE WATER that was the sixth in the DS Imogen Grey series and, although I prefer to read a series in order and having only read the first book "The Teacher", it didn't deter me from reading it in this case. Why? Because Katerina Diamond always knows how to pack a punch! And I knew it would be worth the read regardless...and I wasn't wrong.

TRIGGER WARNING:
Domestic violence and rape.

DS Adrian Miles was on his way home one evening when he was sequestered by a group of women standing by a bridge. Upon investigating he discovered the body of a woman who had been badly beaten partially submerged in the icy water. What is even more surprising is that she is still alive! She is taken directly to hospital where she remains under police guard but when questioned they discover that she has no recollection of who she is, what happened or how she ended up in the river. But the bruises and marks on her body tell the tale of a woman in an abusive relationship. Having been the one to initially pull her to safety, Adrian feels somewhat responsible for the young woman and pledges to find out who she is and what happened to her.

When the badly mutilated body of a dead male is discovered in the river close by to where their "Jane Doe" was found, Adrian and Imogen are then tasked with the investigation into his murder. The similarities of their wounds and the close proximity in which they were both found leads the pair to believe they are related. After questioning Jane Doe in the hospital once again with the photo of the male, she claims no knowledge as to his identity or how he got there. A short time later, Jane Doe absconds from the hospital and, with no idea who she is or where she has run to (or from), Adrian and Imogen have no way of tracking her down.

When the male is soon identified as missing man Simon Glover, investigations lead them to Leon Quick with whom Simon had worked alongside at a construction company in Exeter some six months previously. But when Adrian and Imogen arrive to question Leon, he is so clearly terrified that instead of revealing why, he picks up a knife and stabs himself in the chest, bleeding out in Imogen's arms. What had Leon so terrified that he would much rather die than tell them?

Deeper digging lead them to Corrigan Construction, where both men were previously employed, and initial questioning at the company point them in the direction of their founder and managing director, Reece Corrigan. When Adrian and Imogen knock on his door they didn't expect to recognise the woman coming down the staircase as their Jane Doe. All traces of her battered body covered by expensive designer clothing, Angela Corrigan pretends to have never seen the two police detectives before. Her face is a mask of stony indifference. Picking up her silent pleas, Adrian and Imogen play along with her charade knowing she must have a very good reason for her pretense.

It is clear from the outset that Angela is a battered wife so the pair know to tread carefully in cases such as these. However, it also strikes somewhat closer to home for Adrian with his own family past and this causes him to take the case personally...especially when it comes to Angela's safety. He still feels responsible for her. So watching the house, they wait for Reece to leave before returning to question Angela alone. But they are up against years of conditioning to even come close to breaking down the walls Angela has built up around herself. And no matter how much they question her, or their promises to keep her safe, Angela refuses to help...knowing that there is nothing anyone can do. This is her life. This is her fate. Helping her will only cost other people dearly...just as it had cost Simon his life.

It is clear from this point on that Reece Corrigan is guilty as sin but the question is how do they get him without putting Angela in harm's way? His obvious methods of abuse have kept her in line for years, he knows she won't step out of it now. The man is a narcissistic piece of work who knows no boundaries when it comes to protecting his status, his life and his position. He really believes he is untouchable...and what's more important is that Angela also believes he is untouchable. When deeper investigations reveal that anyone who tried to befriend or help Angela came off second best...by losing a limb, through an accident on site, or even losing their life. Angela knew this and refused to help police for fear of what that would mean for them.

But Adrian refuses to back down. He will not let a bully like Corrigan intimidate him or get away with abusing his wife. He resolves to find a way to get Corrigan one way or another and sets about digging into his financials, his business and his past. But Adrian has underestimated Corrigan's power, just as Angela had feared he would, and one night when walking home from the pub he senses someone following him. Too late, he is beaten and bundled into a van. Who are these people? What do they want with him? When realisation dawns, Adrian knows he must accept his fate if is to get out of this alive.

In the midst of everything is the relationship between Adrian and Imogen. They are partners, they are best friends and now they are lovers. But it is still secret. Or is it? It seems more than one person has cottoned on to thei "not-so-secret" relationship, so what does this mean for their partnership? Even more so, what does this for their relationship? I did get a little irritated with Imogen constantly second guessing and questioning their relationship. It just seemed to go in circles and never go anywhere. It was a little annoying. But on the other hand, I wish Adrian would confide in Imogen. I really don't see why he doesn't. I know I'm not a man and don't think like they do, but doesn't it go without saying? Especially when they resolved to keep no secrets from each other.

One of my favourite aspects with this series, as well as Diamond's writing style, is that she gives us all aspects of the story while still keeping just enough hidden from full view. I love how we get not only the police procedural side of the investigation but also the various other players in the story. I feel it gives the whole story more depth rather than just a wooden procedural that tells readers nothing else but the investigation. And I especially loved the "alternate" chapters from Angela's perspective as we got to catch a glimpse into her world and just how confining it really is.

While I haven't read any of the books in between I still found WOMAN IN THE WATER easy to follow and completely addictive. I may not have all the backstory of each of the characters and I honestly don't remember DS Adrian Miles had he featured in "The Teacher", but even so, this did not deter my enjoyment of this compelling thriller at all. It has prompted me to try to find time to catch up on them.

A hard-hitting police procedural that pulls no punches, WOMAN IN THE WATER is gripping from the very start. It is fast-paced with short snappy chapters that leave you wanting more as you continue to turn pages long into the night.

It is incredibly difficult to review this book without giving away any spoilers and even though we know who the bad guy is throughout much of the story, we are still treated to a massive twist at the end with a surprise revelation most will not see coming! Admittedly, I had begun to piece it together...but only towards the end...and only through some weird coincidence in thinking that there had to be something else - something so shocking under normal circumstances that would seem right at home in a Katerina Diamond thriller. And she did not disappoint. That was a twist and it was shocking...but it was brilliant!

If you love your thrillers or police procedurals dark, disturbing and twisted, then you will love WOMAN IN THE WATER! It's Katerina Diamond at her best...even though I've only read one other. I loved this book, aside from the few flaws, as I think the rest of the book far outweighs them anyway. I look forward to seeing where her next book in this series takes us.

Highly recommend!!

I would like to thank #KaterinaDiamond, #NetGalley and #AvonBooksUK for an ARC of #WomanInTheWater in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: The Child of Auschwitz by Lily Graham (ARC)

The Child of Auschwitz by Lily Graham

Genre: Historical fiction

Read: 5th December 2019

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(publication date: 8th November 2019)

★★★★★ 5 stars

"I was born into a world that had forbidden my existence.

The simple fact of me, had any of the authorities known, would have been enough to end my life before it had even begun. Still, I came. Small, and half-starved, yet determined to be alive, on one of the coldest nights in one of the darkest places in human history."

Could a baby been born in Auschwitz and survive? It seems impossible and yet it is true. Generally babies were routinely killed in the camps for they could do no work...in fact they kept their mothers from working. So to both be born and to survive is an incredible tale worth telling. Though fictionalised, THE CHILD OF AUSCHWITZ is a heartbreaking yet brave story based on that of Vera Bein, who gave birth to her daughter Angela on the top bunk in her barracks at Auschwtiz in December 1944.

"I barely made a sound, my underdeveloped lungs unable to allow me to cry. It would make my life hard, a price I would pay for all my years, but it is why I survived.
You see, there were children born in Auschwitz.
And I was one of them."

The story begins in the present day in Prague. An elderly woman is sifting through letters written in another time, another place. Letters her mother had written, telling the story of a story that began long before she was born. It was time. She had put it off for far too long waiting for the right moment to tell this story - her mother's story.

"She put her glasses back on her nose, and turned over a fresh sheet of paper. Then she touched the photograph in its gilt frame that was always on her desk, of a young, thin woman with very short dark hair and a baby in her arms.
She had one last story to tell.
Theirs.
And it began in hell on earth."

Prague, 1938. Eva was a young aspiring artist when she met Michal. She would listen to him play his violin each day and leave him a little something in return. He was a violinist in a symphony orchestra and one day he reciprocated the gift with two tickets to see him play. Michal affectionately called her "peach girl" because of the first gift she had left him was a peach.

It wasn't long before Eva knew she was in love and that they would be married. But there was unrest in Czechoslovakia in light of the Nazi occupation in Austria with Jews being stripped of their basic human rights. But Eva's uncle declared them to be safe and should it come to that they could make their escape.

Amidst all the unrest, Eva and Michal married, taking residence in his little flat, while he played in his symphony and she studied art. But then the Nazis came...and Jews were forbidden to attend school, to own a business, a house - anything.

Prague, 1942. Eva Adami had only been married for twelve months when the Nazis took Michal away. He was sent to Jewish ghetto Terezin, a concentration camp just north of Prague. A few short months later, Eva and her parents followed and she was delighted to be reunited with Michal, and although still separated they were able to see one another frequently. But it wasn't long before Michal was sent to Auschwitz...and Eva was devastated. So when the  opportunity arose Eva volunteered to be sent there also...in order to find her husband.

For two days, Eva endured the long train journey with her new friend Sofie Weis, whom she met in Terezin, being treated like nothing short of an animal. She is tired, hungry, thirsty and in shock. For Eva, Sofie and thousands of Jews, nothing could prepare them for the horrors that await them at Auschwitz. They are sorted into groups - right to work, left to the gas chambers - then are told to remove their clothes, standing naked before the guards, their heads are shaved and numbers are tattooed on their arms. Like starving animals they then scramble through a pile of dirty clothing to cover themselves. The nightmare has begun.

Eva and Sofie find comfort in their friendship as life in Auschwitz begins. They have both been separated from loved ones with plans to find them...and they both came to Auschwitz for that purpose. Eva to find her beloved Michal, and Sofie to find her cousin Lotte who betrayed her when she informed the Germans that she and her family were feeling the country, therefore separating Sofie from her baby son Tomas. Lotte had placed Tomas somewhere safe while she was sent here to Auschwitz. And Sofie was determined to find her.

In Auschwitz, Eva and Sofie meet Helga and Vanda, sharing a bunk together in their awful accommodation, with their days spent being lined up and counted twice daily, standing in the freezing cold rain and snow. The guards are cruel, taking great pleasure in humiliating them, making them stand in the cold for hours. But like any prison, there are favours to be had and currency in the form of anything to gain them that favour. Even for the smallest request. Eva and Sofie soon learn the system and how to best take advantage of it to survive. Sofie has caught the eye of one of the guards, Meier, and she uses that to her advantage. So when Eva discovers Michal is in the camp hospital, after months of searching for him, Sofie makes a choice to succumb to Meier's demands so that Eva can spend half an hour with her husband.

Soon the target of an especially nasty guard, Hinterschloss, who takes enormous pleasure in humiliating her, Eva is forced to into doing hard labour on a railway which is a 3km walk away. She is being worked to death, is thin with starvation and malnutrition, and barely has the strength to remain standing. She is then told the distressing news that Michal has been moved to a factory camp where they build airplanes for the Nazis. While Eva would prefer him to be here with her, she knows he is much safer there. And then, not thinking that it was remotely possible, Eva soon discovers that she is pregnant. Eva knows she must hide her pregnancy from the guards, as killing pregnant women had been known to occur.

Then one night, in January 1945, after receiving the most devastating news, Eva goes into labour...and her baby daughter is born on the top bunk of their barracks, her existence hidden from the guards. But she is small, her lungs are under developed and they are sure she will not survive.

Eva and Sofie know that they cannot last much longer in Auschwitz. The conditions are appalling, the food inedible (what there is of it), and if the war doesn't end soon, the are sure they will die there if they cannot get out alive. The two women make a promise to each other that they WILL survive this together, and in the event that they don't that they look after each other's children - to find baby Tomas and to keep Eva's baby safe.

When I started THE CHILD OF AUSCHWITZ, I thought it was going to be primarily about a child growing up in Auschwitz but it was more about the friendships of the women there. Together, they helped each other survive the harsh conditions, offering comfort and words of encouragement. The friendship between Eva and Sofie is one of loyalty as they continually put their lives on the line for each other again and again. It is a story of love, of friendship, of selflessness, extending beyond the confines of the camp and its horrifying conditions.

Told in varying timelines, THE CHILD OF AUSCHWITZ is a novel, not a memoir. Beginning in the present day, the story then unfolds in the dual time of 1938 and 1942 with heartbreaking realism. The flow between the timelines is seamless and is woven together magnificently with such precise detail.

THE CHILD OF AUCSHWITZ is a beautifully written, harrowing tale of unimaginable horrors and abuse that is both heartwrenching and touching. In the midst of the abhorrent conditions this is also a story of hope.

When I began THE CHILD OF AUSCHWITZ I really wasn't sure what to expect, but it left me in tears as I read the final chapters.

A compelling read that is so beautifully written of a harrowing time, THE CHILD OF AUSCHWITZ is both heartbreaking and uplifting...and unforgettable. The best story of Auschwitz I have read and my first by Lily Graham.

I would like to thank #LilyGraham, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheChildOfAuschwitz in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: Her Perfect Lies by Lana Newton (ARC)

Her Perfect Lies by Lana Newton

Genre: Psychological thriller

Read: 3rd December 2019

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(publication date: 7th November 2019)

★ 1.5 stars

An exciting premise for a promising tale of psychological suspense, HER PERFECT LIES did not live up to my expectations. In fact I had to force myself to keep reading because I wanted to know how it ended...and even then it was far from exciting or gripping.

After a car accident, Claire wakes in hospital with no memory of who she is or how she got there. She doesn't recognise her husband, her friends or family. When she discovers her father is also in the hospital in a coma, she rushes to his bedside to sit with him, despite having no memories of him she just knows she has to be there.

She is soon fit to be discharged and her husband Paul takes her home...which isn't just a house, it's a mansion! Which her very wealthy mother bought for them, Paul informs her.

Home is meant to be a sanctuary, but there are so many nooks one can hide in this huge house to gain some privacy. And yet, Claire doesn't feel like it's home. She aches to get back to the hospital to visit her father again...and glean some more information from him about her life.

She is supposed to be happily married and yet Paul is distant with her. He watches her take her meds to ensure she does so...saying he just wants what's best for her. But does he really? Her best friend Gaby tells her that they had "issues" without elaborating, and when Claire discovers divorce papers with their signatures on, she believes that their issues must be pretty big.

And then the nightmares begin...or are they memories? Claire doesn't know but one thing she is sure of is that she is terrified of them. Who is the faceless man in her nightmares? And why is she so afraid of him? Is it Paul? Or someone else? Or is she just imagining it?

Claire begins to realise that the place she feels safest is with her father, so when Paul informs her that the hospital is discharging him, Claire insists he come and live with them. As her father is confined to a wheelchair unable to walk, Paul hires a nurse and a physiotherapist to see to his needs. Despite his willingness to help, Claire finds herself unable to trust Paul. Is it something her subconscious knows about him? Is he the man from her dreams?

And where was Claire's mother? Her father claims she was in the USA tending to a sick relative, but Gaby insists that there was no way on earth that Angela (her mother) would not fly back to be at her daughter's bedside. Her father is vague about when her mother will return - 3 weeks or 3 months, he isn't sure. Then her mother calls from the USA. Claire is ecstatic to hear from her, though she cannot picture her. In a flurry of words, Angela tells her she wishes she could be with her but she will be as soon as she can. At least now she knows where her mother is.

...Until she hears her father sobbing from his room, the police and Paul at his bedside. What's going on, she asks. Her mother's body has just been found, stabbed on her kitchen floor. Claire claims that that isn't possible as she has just gotten off the phone to her mother in the USA. But when Paul and her father return from identifying the remains Claire's world collapses even further. It's her. She is gone. Her mother is dead. But...then who has been calling her?

Claire finds that she must untangle the threads of her life...and discover who she was. Beginning with the car accident. Why does her father tell her she wasn't in the car, yet the police constable remembers vividly pulling her out? And why did he then lie to the police telling them she WAS in the car and they were on the way to go horse riding? Which is the truth?

But the more Claire digs, the more she uncovers that makes little or no sense. She learns that she had a brother she knew nothing about and an aunt, her mother's twin, she hadn't seen since she was 16. The house she thought she had grown up in in North London she had moved to from Windsor at the same age she last saw her mother's twin sister. What secrets was her family trying to cover up? Was it something she did and they were merely protecting her?

Claire realised the truth lay in Windsor...and endeavoured to find out exactly what truth that was.

The concept behind HER PERFECT LIES was an interesting one in where a woman wakes from a coma with no memory of her life whatsoever. Imagine what one could do with that! Her family, friends and even husband could rewrite her history and she would be none the wiser. However, it just didn't work here. I felt the story was just a jumble of one dimensional occurrences involving a handful of characters that were just too implausible.

I didn't warm to anyone in the story and found myself longing for it to end. But at the same time, I had to force myself to continue just so I could find out what really happened...and once I got there, I felt I would have been better off ditching the book for something far more enthralling. The conclusion was predictable in the end because what other explanation was there? There were so many secrets and lies all tangled together I couldn't even make headway with them that I didn't even care who was responsible in the end.

I must be one of the minority with this book because many others rave about it but I honestly could not see why. With a similar concept I believe Steve (S.J.) Watson did it far better in "Before I Go To Sleep" and because of that, I guess it is difficult to surpass its success.

Sadly, I did not enjoy HER PERFECT LIES at all and really struggled to complete it...and that was only because I wanted to find out what happened. But, don't take my word for it...there are plenty of others who have really enjoyed it. I'd recommend you take a look for yourself. Everyone's tastes are different and you may love it or you may not. You never know until you give it a go.

I would like to thank #LanaNewton, #NetGalley and #HQDigital for an ARC of #HerPerfectLies in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: How to Play Dead by Jacqueline Ward (ARC)

How to Play Dead by Jacqueline Ward

Genre: Psychological thriller

Read: 1st December 2019

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(publication date: 7th November 2019)

★★★★ 3.5 to 4 stars

This was a difficult book for me to read in some ways, having been a survivor of domestic abuse, and I found myself overwhelmed with a range of emotions from tear-filled sadness to complete rage. Although my own experience was not like Sheila's or even Tanya's, it was just as horrendous and frightening at the time. So in reading this book, it brought up all the old memories and there were times I questioned whether I could finish it or not.

TRIGGER WARNING
So it goes without saying that this book comes with a trigger warning of domestic violence, psychological abuse, stalking and sexual assault. If you don't think you can cope with it, then I advise to give this one a miss. Having been through domestic abuse myself, I did find it tough going at times.

HOW TO PLAY DEAD is a hard hitting story of abuse in its many forms. It is not an easy read but it is compelling. It's the story of Ria, but more than that, it is also the story of Tanya who we meet in the alternate diary chapters. Both women have their own stories to tell but neither of them could foresee how their parallel tales will meet in the end.

Ria Taylor is married with two children but she also runs SafeMe, a shelter for domestic abuse survivors and their families. She has dedicated her life to helping these women through SafeMe which is in desperate need of council funding to continue its specialist care. I love how the shelter is more than just a shelter - it helps rehome the women and their children to safer communities and provides one on one care with them. This type of service wasn't available to me at the time...just a shelter where I felt completely alone.

SafeMe also provides counselling to the aggressors, which was called perpetrator counselling although I was uncomfortable with the use of the term "perpetrator" in such a service. It is meant to be a non-judgmental service offering help to the men who abuse their wives, partners and children. Calling them perpetrators vilifies this and while they are indeed "perps" I think it could have been named something a little more helpful and appropriate. Even "Offenders Counselling" or "Taking Responsibility Counselling" would have been far more appropriate. The stigma created by labelling them really doesn't provide the proper service, even if it was just for funding purposes.

While there are men who truly believe they are above the law and that it is their right to keep their wives in line with their fists or manipulation, there are also those who simply have no proper outlet for their anger than to lash out at their partners - which is no excuse, I know. But to offer them a service that will enable them to channel that anger in other ways or learn how to take responsibility for their actions is far more helpful than simply discarding them as just "perps". And I have been on the receiving end of those fists, of those threats of harm and death - I know all too well what it is like as a victim/survivor. But I also believe that everyone deserves a second chance.

Ria and her best friend Janice work tirelessly to keep the women and children in the shelter and its adjoining flats safe. But not everyone wants SafeMe to remain open. Council funding is approaching and one person is intent on seeing it fail...just so he could rescue them and pull the strings, and give him access to his own wife. But Ria will not let that happen.

Whilst juggling the responsibilities of SafeMe, her worries for the women who are most at risk as well as the upcoming renewal of funding application, Ria must also contend with her husband Danny working on an international contract for a month. He is what keeps her grounded and waking every day without him there is a painful reminder that he is thousands of miles away. But soon after Danny's departure, Ria begins to receive sinister messages...videos of her, even one of her hair being clipped on the bus. Working in the environment that she does, Ria also knows there is nothing the police can do unless her stalker resorts to violence. She doesn't even know who it is...her only suspicions are one of the husbands of the women housed at SafeMe. But soon, not a day goes by where Ria doesn't feel she is constantly being watched, always on the lookout for someone or something out of place. Paranoia begins to take over that even her loved ones notice a change.

In the alternating chapters, we meet Tanya (of indeterminate age) who lives with her husband Alan in a big spacious house that he inherited from his parents. In the beginning, we see her excuse his behaviour and moods as a reaction to something she has done. But as the days count down over the month, we see her resolve change. She loves him and yet she hates him. He restricts her every movement, her every choice so that everything she does is completely for his benefit...and yet he still criticises it all. She is never given anything sharp unless he is in attendance and she has no access to television. She is permitted to work, but her wages are paid into his bank account (as she doesn't have one, he excuses) so she has no access to any money. When he leaves the house, she is locked in with the shutters made of reinforced steel closed over the windows to prevent her escaping. She is completely dependent on him for everything and knows nothing else but the information he feeds her...and that he had fed her over the years.

Alan is a completely despicable character. He made my skin crawl. And to think he has kept Tanya prisoner in his home through rape, violence, manipulation and invisible walls just made my blood boil. Then when he left Tanya locked in the house for nearly a week with barely enough food to survive, it was obvious he was just waiting for her to die of starvation. In the end, that's what Tanya believed too as she wrote her last entry to be found with her...

Counting down from Day 29 to the return of her husband Danny from Dubai, Ria's life is thrown into turmoil when it becomes apparent that her stalker will not give up. From roses to messages to the feeling of someone watching her...Ria worries for her safety and that of her children's. She has Danny's sister Donelle pick them up from school every day...until Donelle meets a new man. But Ria was too wrapped up in her own worries and the pending funding application to hear the alarm bells going off around Donelle's new man. Added to all this, are Ria's estranged parents and the mystery back home resurfaces of when Ria's best friend Alice disappeared when they were 15.

I do have to question Ria's actions, reactions and often stupidity when it came to the text messages she received. I found it to be completely frustrating particularly for someone with so much direct knowledge of these types of men and what they are capable of...and yet she still didn't continue to lodge it with the police. Even one point she was about to go in, but read the latest message and turned around and left. I was left shaking my head. Why, woman, why? And why did she not just throw the phone away, I wondered. And the knowledge of telling as many people as you can so they know the situation in case something happens...why was she just so vague in it all, dismissing the texts as nothing? For someone who works with these women, she knows what to do as she tells the women often enough. So the hell didn't she take her own advice?

I found Ria to be completely frustrating and not entirely likable at times. Her story didn't excite me, but rather frustrated me more than anything. The story around the women was far more gripping, as was Ria's past. The writing style around Ria was at times somewhat confusing. I found her and her mother to often be talking in riddles. What the hell were they talking about? Did I miss something? It was incredibly frustrating and I felt like slapping Ria on more than one occasion.

I think Tanya's diary was the most effective part of the story...even if the most painful. Through her every entry throughout, the reader wonders if Tanya can escape before it's too late. After all, no one knows she is locked inside a house that appears empty with its shutters in place. And Ria...can she keep herself and her family safe from the person who is stalking her? And can she save Donelle from a potentially abusive situation?

As Ria starts to unlock the truth and Tanya's world comes crashing down, HOW TO PLAY DEAD will shock you and chill you as their stories collide leading up to a somewhat confusing ending...which I felt could have panned out a little better. It felt somewhat rushed with the absence of the main perpetrators in each case. With no big reveal it just sort of flowed into revelation long before the end.

HOW TO PLAY DEAD is an uncomfortable read in parts, with a no holds barred approach. It highlights the growing problem of domestic abuse and how even in the most unsuspecting circumstances it can be rampant. Domestic abuse does not discriminate. It can affect anyone at any time and any place. Sadly no one is immune. Even the strongest of people can fall victim to a charming yet controlling and manipulative partner which by then is too late. It's easy for an outside to ask "why doesn't she just leave?" but until you have been in that situation, until you have been conditioned to know no other way...no one can understand why she doesn't "just leave". For it truly is never as easy as that.

A book that really makes you think, HOW TO PLAY DEAD is a different perspective on the whole domestic abuse theme. It is cleverly plotted and well crafted, though it doesn't always hit the mark at times, it is certainly worth a read.

I would like to thank #JacquelineWard, #NetGalley and #AtlanticBooks for an ARC of #HowToPlayDead in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: The Secrets He Kept by Jackie Walsh (ARC)

The Secrets He Kept by Jackie Walsh

Genre: Psychological thriller, Domestic Thriller, Suspense

Read: 29 November 2019

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(publication date: 6th November 2019)

★★★★★ 5 stars

WOW! This was one intriguing read!

I didn't know what to expect from this book, but THE SECRETS HE KEPT by Jackie Walsh was so fast paced it had me gripped from the beginning till the very end. Believe me, this one will keep you guessing until very final page.

What if your husband had a secret so huge that when you discovered it, you questioned its validity as well as your husband at the same time? This is what happens to Sally Cooper while at work one day. She thought she had a good life, happily married to Tom with three wonderful children - 15 year old Amber and 3 year old twin boys, Cian and Aaron. But Tom has already let her down before...when he invested £16,000 of her hard earned money into a "sure-fire" scheme that not only lost the lot, but left them owing money to the debtor Tom also took loans out with. So Sally, who would rather have been at home with her twin boys, went back out to work as a hairdresser to pay the debts and make ends meet.

Sally is at work one morning when a walk-in requests a shampoo and style for her boyfriend's party that night. The teenager flicking through her phone as Sally works shows her a photo of her boyfriend Kenny. But Sally isn't looking at Kenny. She is staring at the man beside him with his arm around the teenage boy...her husband Tom. The girl tells her it is Kenny's dad. His dad?? But Tom doesn't have a teenage son...does he?

In shock, Sally collapses and wakes in the staffroom to her concerned colleagues. She assures them she's fine and that she must finish Charlie's hair. But Charlie, the teenage girl, has gone...and along with her any answers to Sally's questions.

Suddenly, Sally's life begins to shatter as she begins to question everything about her husband of 16 years and just how well she knows him. The words fall out of her mouth before she can stop them as she asks Tom if he has a son. His answer? Vague in many ways, but the inference was there - no. But then Sally starts to see her husband in a different light. She hears him on the phone in the middle of the night. And then he fails to show for their twin boys' 3rd birthday party, claiming the excuse of helping a friend out whose car broke down. But Sally isn't so sure. How many secrets is Tom keeping from her?

The next day the talk in the salon is about the murder in Sycamore Gardens, an estate close by. Sally pays little attention to it, too busy mulling over the secrets her husband could be keeping. Until one night Tom hits her with a bombshell. He has a son. His mother has just been murdered and as his only living relative and next of kin, Kenny is to come and live with them. That murder in the news...Kenny's mum. No, no, no...Sally screams. He is NOT living there! They know nothing about him and they have a 15 year old daughter to consider. On the one hand Tom agrees with her but then she discovers he also agrees with the social worker - Kenny is to come and live with them. Whose side is Tom on? And what else is he hiding?

As Sally's life begins to implode with the arrival of the polite but guarded Kenny, the moody outbursts from Amber and the realisation that one of her boys is not developing as well as his brother. Not to mention the fact that her husband is being more than economical with the truth. Her one place of solace is work. So when the girls at the salon are all talking about the murder with their thoughts that maybe the boy's father did it, Sally remains tight-lipped. All the while she continues to question Tom's actions, his lies and deceit, and wonders the possibility herself.

As the lies increase, so does the tension making this one intense and unputdownable book. There are surprises with nearly every page as the reader attempts to guess where everything might lead.

I didn't much like Tom, and his loose relationship with the truth, as I didn't see why all the big secrecy around something that could have been properly addressed at the time. And yet, he continued to tell only half-truths...even when caught out. I liked Sally, surprisingly, as female leads tend to annoy me despite my love of this genre. As the reader, you feel almost sorry for the predicament she finds herself in through no fault of her own...but her sorry excuse for a husband. I love how she isn't the strong storming heroine type, but just your regular woman next door, trying to keep her family together through an incredibly difficult situation. I was suitably impressed with Amber...for a 15 year old, she was just the right mix of moody and considerate. The twins? Everyone goes all gooey over children...but I don't. So I could well do without them. As for the many other characters? They were a great mix that added the perfect amount of friendship and tension where needed.

My favourite part of the book was the Epilogue. It was epic. It was so well done and so very clever, it was the best ending I have encountered. The progression of the story left you wondering where it was all going to end that the conclusion, when it came, was suitably shocking to say the least. But the best, by far.

A well-written psychological drama, that is not really a thriller as such, THE SECRETS HE KEPT is filled with tension, suspense and plenty of secrets and lies to keep you guessing and turning the pages.

Prepare to stay up well into the night with this one as THE SECRETS HE KEPT will have your adrenaline going with every twist, every secret, every page, every chapter...that you will be riveted to the very end.

A masterful tale that is incredibly well-crafted, THE SECRETS HE KEPT is a fantastic compelling read that will have you suitably intrigued as every secret is slowly unveiled until that shocking conclusion. Highly recommend!!

I would like to thank #JackieWalsh, #NetGalley and #HeraBooks for an ARC of #TheSecretsHeKept in exchange for an honest review.