REVIEW: A Face in the Crowd by Kerry Wilkinson (ARC)

A Face in the Crowd by Kerry Wilkinson

Genre: Suspense

Read: 31st May 2019

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(release date: 6th June 2019)

★★★★ 4 stars

A FACE IN THE CROWD is Kerry Wilkinson's newest standalone thriller, and while not his best, it does feature the best character any book could - a gorgeous snuggable staffy! However, I may not have enjoyed it as much as much as I probably could have had I not spent the entire book on tenterhooks waiting for something untoward to happen to Billy. That constant shadow remained with me throughout the whole book and if it hadn't then I am sure I would have enjoyed it more. Having said that, I DID really enjoy it...just probably not as much as I could have.

Lucy's Life hasn't turned out the way she thought it would. Five years ago she was engaged to charismatic Ben Peterson and they seemed like the perfect couple. They were happy, they had plans, they had a future. Then it all came crashing down when Ben was killed in an horrific train crash. Suddenly she found herself in debt. Now she lives day to day, pay cheque to pay cheque, working as a cashier at a supermarket struggling to make ends meet while the new love of her life - her dog, a staffy - waits for her at home in their small one bedroom flat.

One day however, everything changes. Lucy is on her usual way home one Friday evening on the bus - standing room only - trying to keep her head down while armpits are shoved in her face and elbows in her back. Just waiting to get back home to Billy. She has the sense that someone is watching her and when she reaches her stop something feels different...but she doesn't know what. When she discovers a strange blank envelope in her bag, she is shocked to discover that it is filled with thousands of pounds! Upon finding it she vows to turn it in to the police. But as the hours stretch into the night and then into the next day, Lucy still has the envelope and its contents and can't help but wonder how it got there. That's when strange things start to happen. Coincidence? Or something more sinister?

Then Lucy begins to hear music coming the flat directly opposite her, abandoned by previous tenant Jade, and a shiver runs through her as the melodic sounds of "Rocket Man" by Elton John emanate from behind the closed door. But when she knocks, no one ever answers. There is no sound but the music. Who is her new neighbour and why do they constantly play what was once her favourite song over and over? Is it Harry? The new man she met on a dating app? Has he been stalking her? He is a computer hacker, after all, or is she being ridiculous? But then he is attacked after leaving her apartment one night. Or is it Melanie? Ben's mum. Lucy has seen her everywhere she goes lately. Is SHE stalking her? She knows she blames Lucy for her son's death. But whoever it is, where ever she goes, Lucy has the constant feeling of being watched.

When she discovers her best friend and neighbour Karen also has an envelope of money, Lucy begins to wonder what secrets her friend may be harbouring? Has Karen received an envelope as well? Or is she responsible for her's?

And then Jade's body is found and the police are treating it as murder. Someone they know could be a cold-blooded killer. Could life get any worse?

But when Billy suddenly takes ill, Lucy is beside herself with worry! What is wrong with him? She takes the envelope of cash and hurries to the vet where she awaits tests that reveal he has been poisoned. Who would poison Billy? Why would they poison him?

Lucy may have thought the envelope of money would save her life but nothing could be further from the truth.

A slow burn to begin with, A FACE IN THE CROWD is an intriguing tale of suspense that is woven with an every day story of an every day person in their ever day life. Nothing exciting, nothing extravagant. Just someone like you or me living week to week, struggling to make ends meet...when something extraordinary happens. I like how Kerry Wilkinson has drawn on that. Not someone who has it all.

I think it is because of this that I can relate to Lucy. She could be me. I know what it is to struggle from pay cheque to pay cheque, trying to make ends meet. And yes, much of that goes on rent and bills with not a lot left over for groceries. I could relate to trying to balance the cost of a meal and opting for the cheapest option. Lucy could be me. But thankfully, in this case, she wasn't. But I could relate to her. And the fact that she has a completely lovable and snuggable staffy only cements that fact. I have two staffies of my own and am familiar with their love, loyalty and devotion to their master. I could relate to the dead weight of them when they decide to sprawl across your lap your legs. Or anywhere that is comfortable. Staffies view life as if it is completely for their benefit. And in my world, it is.

I enjoyed the cast of characters in A FACE IN THE CROWD. We've already established I liked Lucy, but I also enjoyed her interactions with Karen, Vicky and Nick. Mark is someone I wouldn't want in my complex either, which is precisely why I don't live in a flat. I even liked Harry, though I was suspicious of him at times. And because Melanie was not a fan of Lucy, I wasn't a fan of her. But I enjoyed their interactions. However, there wasn't a vast array of characters and those that were only had a small part to play because the story highlighted Lucy's isolation. In essence it was about her and Billy. And Billy was, above all, my favourite character. I could sit and snuggle with him all night.

I wouldn't call A FACE IN THE CROWD a thriller as such. It is more of a mystery suspense. It lacked the twists of Wilkinson's other standalones, and I already guessed the "big reveal" about halfway through, but it is still compelling. I was still drawn into the story, losing track of time as read until the early hours. It did not have that huge climatic ending we naturally come to expect but I felt it was a good ending. And Billy was the hero of it all...as it should be.

My only real fault was in Kerry's "note" at the end when he referenced Billy with being a "big arse dog". This is the kind of misconception that gives staffies a bad name. They are not "big arse dogs". They are huge snugglebugs who love people and regardless of their size, believe they are lap dogs. That aside, as it was not part of the story, and Kerry cleverly did not portray Billy as a "big arse dog" in my opinion either. I think he portrayed him rather well, except that at 10, Billy would still be a little more active. Though the fact he is kept indoors would be why he is indeed a lounge lizard, as staffies are quite capable of being.

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

REVIEW: The Honeymoon by Rona Halsall (ARC)

The Honeymoon by Rona Halsall

Genre: Psychological thrillers

Read: 27th May 2019

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(release date: 7th June 2019)

★★★★★ 5 stars

When I first saw the cover of THE HONEYMOON and then the plot description, I knew I had to read this book! And that tagline just grabbed me - marry in haste, repent at leisure. I knew I was in for an emotionally thrilling ride. I was not wrong!

Honeymoons are meant to be beautiful romantic getaways from reality in the post-wedded bliss of getting to know each other. But for Chloe it was anything but. She had met Dan just two months ago when he brought his mother in for physiotherapy and theirs was a whirlwind romance. A month after meeting, he proposed. Another month after that, they were married. A bit too soon? Chloe didn't think so...at the time.

Chloe is a physiotherapist working and living in Brighton. She is a part time carer for her gran, who was prone to chest infections, and Chloe stopped by twice a day - before and after work - for physiotherapy and to make her tea.  After the death of her mother almost a decade before, Chloe has been racked with guilt that it was her fault. Her brother and sister also blame her for their mother's death and have not spoken in years. So in an attempt to relieve some of that guilt she looks after her gran, whose barbed comments seem to reflect that she too blames Chloe for her mother's death. She was, after all, her gran's daughter. It only reiterates Chloe's guilt.

Then Chloe meets Dan. It isn't long before she is besotted with him. And after a whirlwind romance, they marry. While she organises the wedding, she leaves the honeymoon in Dan's capable hands. He is, after all, paying for it so it only seemed fair. But Chloe had one stipulation. She had always dreamed of a honeymoon in the Maldives (I don't blame her - I would too) and white sandy beaches with huts on stilts, being waited on in paradise. So when they arrive at the airport and she discovers at the boarding gate their destination is Menorca, she is confused. But Dan reassures her it was a last minute change and they will have a great time at the secluded villa he has rented in Menorca.

But things begin to happen that makes Chloe question how well does she really know Dan? Not long after their arrival, she discovers she has lost her phone. Despite looking everywhere, even where she knew she kept it, she can't find it. And Dan seems to have morphed into another persona. Since their arrival at the villa, he keeps Chloe a virtual prisoner but tells her he is doing so to keep her safe. And then he announces they are not returning to the UK but are staying in Menorca. End of discussion. What is going on? Does she even know Dan at all?

Chloe begins to plan her escape. When Dan is asleep one night, she stealthily tosses a few things into her rucksack, ensuring she has her passport and money, climbs out an open window (because the door is locked) and hurries to the village where she has a taxi waiting. She doesn't relax until she is on-board the plane and in the air bound for home.

But once she gets there, things only get more puzzling. Her key won't fit in the lock of her apartment. When she calls the estate agent they inform her that they received notification that she was vacating and the locks were changed, which was normal procedure. But what about all her belongings? But the place was empty when they took possession, so where is her stuff? She tries to make a purchase; card declined. She goes to the cash-point (ATM) to withdraw cash; it takes her card. She calls the bank; that account was closed and all funds were transferred to another account. What the? And then when she calls her work, she discovers they had received an email from her last Monday to say she would not be returning to work. Is this Dan's doing? She knows he wants them to move to Menorca, but would he go this far?

Then when she calls Dan's number she is informed that the number is no longer available. Her social media accounts have all disappeared, as has Dan's. All her online accounts, her emails - everything. GONE! It seems she no longer exists. And when her gran informs her doesn't want her living there Chloe realises she is homeless with no money, no job - nothing. What is going on?

Her gran says there is only one thing to do. She must go back and stand up to him. Find out what's going on. Chloe can stay the night and her gran will pay for her return with a little extra money the next morning. All the alarm bells started going off in my head and I was screaming at her - DON'T GO!!

But when she married him after only two months, it was never going to end well, was it?

I liked Chloe. She reminds me a bit of me. She is not a strong person, but she has strong ethics and moral code. Her questioning of Dan's motives did niggle at me a bit because I didn't trust the man, but I guess in her position we'd probably think and feel the same...wanting to believe the best in people. Dan, I didn't like. I didn't trust him the moment he started exerting control. I don't like someone who thinks they know best by cutting off all their means, despite protests. He claimed they were now married and a partnership, yet he showed no signs of a partnership but rather a dominant over a subordinate. And that alone rings alarms bells for me. But then...it wouldn't be a very interesting psychological thriller if he didn't exert some of "the bad guy". Even if to throw us off scent...or not.

THE HONEYMOON may be one honeymoon you don't want to take, but you won't be able to put the book down! It is thrilling, engaging and utterly intriguing. Filled with secrets and lies, it shows you how little you can know someone and that no matter how much you think you know them, it makes you question how well you really do.

I was 60% through THE HONEYMOON before I called it a night at 3am then picked it up the next day to finish...and what a race to the end it was! The style was easy to read, despite the excessive description (which I don't normally favour) rather than dialogue, but I still surprisingly found it an easy read. And by the time the big reveal came, I admit I was a little disappointed by the reality of it (as I was hoping for another outcome), but it soon made up for it as the shocks and the twists kept coming long after that. And that ending!! WOW! Way to go, girlfriend!!

THE HONEYMOON is the first book by Rona Halsall I've read but if this book is anything to go by, I will paying a lot closer attention to her in the future.  Definitely recommend!

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

REVIEW: The Child Before by Michael Scanlon (ARC)

The Child Before (DI Finnegan Beck #2) by Michael Scanlon

Genre: Crime Fiction

Read: 25th May 2019

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon
(release date: 5th June 2019)

★★ 2 stars

THE CHILD BEFORE is the second in the DI Finnegan Beck series by Michael Scanlon and I held out high hopes for this book after enjoying the first one. Sadly, it didn't live up to my expectations. The description made it sound for interesting reading and, having enjoyed the first one, I was looking forward to this book.

I was really interested to see where Beck would go after being redeemed and restored to his former rank of Detective Inspector but the only positive I could find remotely interesting in him this time round was his giving up the drink. Having said that, he did get himself completely blotto towards the end of the book and I thought "Why?"

THE CHILD BEFORE opens with alternating chapters between the present and some 60 years prior in 1954 in narrative. The historical narrative is of a young boy who witnesses the traumatic removal of his mother by the local police following the disappearance of his baby sister, Bernadette. The mother is covered in blood so naturally the police believe she has killed the baby. I thought "this sounds promising" but then after half a dozen or so chapters, they stopped. Presumably because we learnt the identity of the boy in the historical narrative. But what of THAT mystery?

The present narrative features the return of Detective Inspector Finnegan Beck, who had been demoted and relocated from Dublin to Cross Beg after a questionable shooting. He was cleared in the previous book and restored to his former rank of Detective Inspector. As in the first book, he continues his struggle with alcohol but I was pleased to see he had embraced sobriety and attended AA meetings. His so-called friend, Dr Gumball, also the State Pathologist, spent his free time drinking himself to oblivion and seemed rather put out that Beck now chooses not to. I could have throttled the selfishness out of Gumball for belittling a man who was taking sobriety seriously.

Beck's latest case involves the murder of Samantha Power, who was discovered in the wood of desolate village Kellys Forge with her throat slashed open, and the disappearance of her baby daughter Roisin. The team work simultaneously investigating Samantha's horrific murder and in the search for Roisin, in the hope the baby is still alive. Whilst this is the central story arc in the book, there are other sub plots going on beneath the surface as characters deal with issues in their own lives as we try to figure out who may be responsible.

When a second body is discovered the case hits much closer to home making it personal for the team as they endeavour to solve both murders.  As the investigation builds it becomes apparent everyone has secrets of their own and those woven into the storyline slowly begin to surface.

THE CHILD BEFORE is peppered with some colourful characters who are woven neatly into the story. Claire Somers, Beck's partner whose own relationship issues surface, has recently married her journalist partner Lucy Grimes and the couple have unsuccessfully been trying for a baby. Lucy doesn't feature in this story as much as she did in the previous book, except through mention. Inspector O'Reilly, who has been a thorn in Beck's side since his arrival in Cross Beg. He doesn't rally like Beck and made it known when he was of a senior rank before Beck's rank was restored, making them now of the same rank. Superintendent Wilde - not sure about him. He was pretty chummy with O'Reilly in the first book and they appeared to be "against" Beck at the time. In this book, he is more on the side of his officers. Vicky, a journalist also in AA with Beck though I'm confused as to where she first popped up or how she really fit in. She just seemed to be there with no real purpose. And then there are potential suspects. Maurice Crabby, who runs the local supermarket and appears to be somewhat strange. Billy Hamilton, Roisin's father and Samantha's violent ex. Edward Roche, her current partner who seemed to be a bit of a bully himself. Mikey Power, Samantha's brother who scarpered to Australia ten year before but was back on holiday. He annoyed me with his constant use of Aussie slang calling everyone "mate" and using terms no real Aussie actually uses. I should know - I'm Australian and when a writer from lands afar portrays an Aussie, it just seems ts false. It was irritating, to say the least.

I enjoy most crime thrillers and mysteries but I can't say I enjoyed this one much. I found it somewhat disjointed which is a shame considering I loved "Where She Lies" (the first one) and was looking forward to this one. However, I found THE CHILD BEFORE lacking in depth and believability. Unlike most books where everything is tied up neatly, this book fails to do so. I was left with unanswered questions as to what happened to the child that disappeared in 1954 and its mother now in a sanatorium, amongst other things. If you are going to introduce a mystery from half a century ago, the least you can do is bring some form of closure to it in solving it! The only answer we got for it was a "monster". Instead, it's just filed away as something or other one can't be bothered to deal with. I was most disappointed and felt cheated.

While the book does move at a decent pace, I found it a disappointing follow-up to the first Beck novel and I hope the third one is an improvement.

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

REVIEW: Come Back for Me by Heidi Perks (ARC)

Come Back For Me by Heidi Perks

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Read: 20th May 2019

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(release date: 1st June 2019)

★★★★ 4 stars

Heidi Perks is yet another new author for me and I was excited at the prospect of reading such an intriguing mystery in an unusual setting. COME BACK FOR ME is both complex and compelling, and while I struggled to begin with, the story certainly picked up pace and made up for its slow start.

1993:
Born and bred on the remote and sheltered community of Evergreen Island, eleven year old Stella loves her island home and never wants to leave. She has her little circle of friends - her best friend being Jill Taylor. She simply cannot imagine a life beyond Evergreen and is happy there. But she is not silly. She notices things. Her parents; neighbours; other people's strange behaviours - including those of her siblings.

Bonnie is Stella's 17 year old sister and she hated Evergreen. With no friends she felt as though she never fit in...until Iona came to the island as part of her university study. Together they were inseparable. At last Bonnie had someone who understood her. But did Iona have an ulterior motive? Was there a specific reason she befriended Bonnie?

Danny is 15 and Stella's brother. As a middle child, he is quiet, reserved and happy in his own company. He is not comfortable amongst people and whenever he is they only seem to laugh and make fun of him. So he prefers to be on his own with his drawings often hiding in the treehouse that their dad built for them. But then Danny notices Iona. He can't stop watching her, following her with his sketch pad. It irritates Bonnie that he is always there, watching. Why? He may be her brother but he is seriously weird.

Then suddenly one night, Stella and her family left Evergreen amid a raging storm one night in 1993. She'd always been so happy there and could never understand why they had to leave so suddenly...and she was never given an adequate explanation as to why.

2018:
Stella is now in her late thirties and her family has completely fallen apart. Her parents divorced soon after their move from Evergreen. Six years later their brother Danny left without a word and was never seen or heard from again and her 40-something sister Bonnie is an alcoholic. Their mother died some years back and their father had since remarried and now is in the early stages of dementia. What happened on Evergreen all those years ago to destroy the loving family she once had?

Now a body has been found on the island - almost in the backyard of their old house - spurring Stella to return to the island for the first time in 25 years. She is determined to discover answers to the long since buried past and uncover the truth of what really happened to make her family flee their happy home so suddenly. But when she arrives, things have changed and the villagers are not as friendly as she had remembered. There appear to be many secrets hiding beneath the surface of the island and villagers will stop at nothing to keep them hidden.

But secrets have a way of sneaking to the surface as Stella begins to delve into those that have long been buried. But are the island's secrets the same secrets she is trying to uncover? Are they best left unknown? And how will Stella react to learning the truth about these secrets that have been buried for 25 years? Whose body was buried in the garden of her old home? And who killed them?

A dual timeline book (again, my favourite kind), COME BACK FOR ME is a complex, twisted tale that will engage the reader almost from the start right up to its riveting end. It is a slow burner to begin with and often these types have me struggling at the start but usually end up picking up pace with a race to the finish! Which it did. It most certainly did.

There is so much more to COME BACK FOR ME than I have mentioned (which is but a small part) which will keep you engrossed within Stella's world from start to finish. So much about it is riveting, compelling, intriguing and even a little twisted. You won't want to put it down.

I would like to thank #HeidiPerks, #NetGalley and #RandomHouseUK and #Cornerstone for an ARC of #ComeBackForMe in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: Our Last Goodbye by Shirley Dickson (ARC)

Our Last Goodbye by Shirley Dickson

Genre: Historical fiction

Read: 17th May 2019

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(release date: 29th May 2019)

★★★★★ 5 stars

I read Shirley Dickson's debut novel "The Orphan Sisters" earlier this year and I absolutely loved it! So I was thrilled when I began OUR LAST GOODBYE to discover it picked up with familiar characters such as May, Etty, Derek and the Newmans as well as the introduction of some new faces. But this time, rather than Etty's story, we follow May and her journey. 

From the first pages, OUR LAST GOODBYE is an emotional, heart-wrenching story of love and loss amidst the horror of war during WW2, set in the northeast of England in 1943 and 1944.

At 24, May Robinson didn't have much to show for her life except her son Derek, being brought up as her younger brother by her Mam. She worked in a factory making munitions and went home to frosty reception from her father who had practically disowned her after "shaming the family" with her indiscretions. The only light she had was her loving Mam and Derek, who was now billeted to a farm in the country, out of harm's way from the attack of air raids, and her friendship with Etty. Without them, May doesn't know what she would do.

One foggy night, May and her Mam are walking home in the blackout after a night out at the pictures. Unable to find her torch in her bag, her Mam sees a trolley bus approaching and in an attempt to hail it in the fog, falls into its path...and is tragically killed. May is devastated. Worse still, she must break the news to Derek who adored their Mam.

One night after work, May opens the door to the place she has called home since she was a bairn, where she had given birth to Derek, to find a strange woman ordering her to find somewhere else to live as they have tenants moving in. THEY, being her father and his new woman. Suddenly, May finds herself homeless. Where now can she go? Etty.

Etty and May go way back when Etty and her sister Dorothy came to Shields from the orphanage in which they grew up. Dorothy had befriended May and soon after Etty joined her sister and became friends with May also, despite a little jealousy between the two as Etty was not used to sharing her sister with anyone. But when Dorothy was tragically killed in an air raid just 6 months ago, Etty and May were there for each other throughout their grief. Now Etty was there for May in her's.

Finding it had to difficult to deal with her mother's death, May made a decision. To train as a nurse with the thought that if only she'd known what to do when Mam had her accident she might have saved her. So at Etty's suggestion, May applied to become a probationary nurse at Edgemoor General Hospital and much to her surprise she passes the entry exam and begins her training.

Now living in the nurse's quarters, the arrangement suits May after being kicked out of her only home and falling out with Etty after discovering the truth about Etty's daughter's parentage. She swore she would never forgive Etty and buried herself in her training and becoming a nurse without another thought. But soon she found herself missing Etty. Still after her transgression she couldn't forgive her...not yet.

Whilst in training, May meets Maureen another probationary nurse. She reminds May of Etty with her gentle ways and her wise words. She found in Maureen a confidant that she missed in Etty.  When May met young Alec on the road one evening he began to pursue May and was persistent in his intentions, despite May's misgivings about getting involved with anyone. She was still mourning Billy to whom she was engaged (a term Billy used "loosely") and had become another casualty of the war. But Alec was persistent. May, being the gentle soul that she is and not wanting to hurt anyone's feelings, always gave in and went out with him. 

At Christmas Alec took her to his nan's, who appeared on edge and always fussing and making sure everything was perfect. When Alec spoke abruptly to his nan, May thought it strange that the woman was so compliant and apologetic toward him. Then Alec saw her talking to a young naval officer at a dance and becoming angered he accused her of flirting with him. He later apologised and said it was because he cared for her so much that he got so jealous. May confided in Maureen who said that caring for someone means you love and respect them and you don't hurt them. She urged her to be careful.

Then Alec began surprising her on her days off by turning up at the nurse's quarters. May was uncomfortable with this and began to feel a little suffocated. When Alec displayed his jealousy in the form of violence when he saw her talking to the son of a patient at the hospital, he grabbed her and began accusing her of having all these men on the go and stringing him along. She knew then she must escape him, and ran for the approaching trolley bus yelling "I don't ever want to see you again!" Then just as May thought she was safe, he followed her back to her quarters and told her she was his now and he decided how things were to be. But as he drew his arm back to throw May a punch to the face, he was grabbed from behind and told in no uncertain terms not to return. May was ever grateful, and turned to her rescuer - Richard Bentley, a porter at the hospital and a known "conchie", a conscientious objector.

It was common knowledge around the hospital that Richard was a "conchie" and that put him in a bad light as far as most people were concerned. May, on the one hand, couldn't understand how he could just stand by while others put their lives on the line for their country, while on the other, admired him for standing up for his beliefs and convictions. Unfortunately, it didn't always come out of her mouth that way and she usually ended up insulting him. Richard, however, was used to such talk. But May found herself drawn to Richard, often thinking about him but telling herself there would be no future for them. Maureen advised her to be careful because feelings about "conchies" was rife.

Then Maureen decided to follow her heart and do what she set out to do before training as a nurse. After speaking to the chaplain at the hospital she entered the convent to become a nun. But she was put her nurse's training to good use and move to London to work in convent hospital there. May felt Maureen's absence bitterly when she left, particularly as she still missed Etty. Although May knew she had forgiven Etty she wasn't ready to speak to her yet.

May and Richard become friends, but to have a relationship would be difficult due to Richard being a "conchie". Can they ever have a chance at a life together? As May holds the secret of her past close, would Richard still love her if he knew the truth? But then the unexpected happens and May's life is thrown into turmoil. How could she deal with everything? Find a home for her and Derek and give up her nursing career? Can May and Etty's friendship survive? Will Richard and May ever have the chance at a future together?

Life in England is not easy in the midst of war with the constant threat of invasion, food shortages and rationing, air raids and bombing almost nightly. It would a terrifying time in which to live.

A heart-wrenching novel OUR LAST GOODBYE will have you reaching for the tissues throughout. With a twist to the story near its end, your heart will just ache for May and all she has endured in her short life. A wonderful saga about love and friendship, May's story will just tug at your heartstrings. From the time I picked up the book, I didn't want to leave as I was so wrapped up and invested in the the people and the era I had been transported to.

My only complaint was how it ended. I would have liked to have seen it go a little further than it did and see May get a little more of her happy ending. Don't get me wrong, May DOES have a happy ending...but I just would have liked it to go a little further than it did. Having said that, I hope a third installment will pick up from here so we can see May and Etty in the next stages of their lives.

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

REVIEW: All Her Secrets by Sue Watson (ARC)

All Her Secrets by Sue Watson

Genre: Psychological thriller, domestic thriller

Read: 11th May 2019

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(release date: 29th May 2019)

★★★★★ 5 stars

I've not read Sue Watson before, probably because her best known genre is romantic comedies and I'm a mystery thriller girl, but this was something else. ALL HER SECRETS is Watson's second offering in this genre and I have to say she does it well.

ALL HER SECRETS is a darkly woven story that has it all - a stalker, deceit, betrayal, paranoia, friendship, infertility and lots and lots of secrets. With characters you will love to hate as well as mysterious perspective thrown in every few chapters, this book has so many twists and delectable conclusion that will leave you breathless.

Lucy and Matt are happily married living on Mulberry Lane in the Treetops Estate (which kind of had a whole "Desperate Housewives" Wisteria Lane feel to it) when minor celebrity Amber breezes into the neighbourhood, moving in a few doors down in the most beautiful house on the Lane.

Amber Young is a weather girl on the local TV network who'd had a promising career at one stage until life took an unexpected turn with the death of her husband so, grieving her loss, Amber took time out. But showbiz doesn't wait around and upon her return she had become yesterday's news and was no longer looking at the career she had been aiming for. But for the women of Mulberry Lane, she was still a celebrity, one of which they had never met before.

Lucy is immediately taken with the beautiful Amber and wastes no time in baking a cake (which I just knew was going to backfire) to welcome her to Mulberry Lane. I, on the other hand, hated Amber on sight. First, she ignored Lucy's knocking and upon her second attempt was completely rude, saying "I don't eat cake" without even a smile or a thank you. She didn't even have the good grace to be grateful or even nice about it. I felt for poor Lucy as she took her cake back home for the second time. At least her and Matt could enjoy it together, as they had the first one she'd baked.

So it came as a complete surprise when Amber turns up a the local book club Lucy had mentioned to her and which she'd shown no interest in at the time. And instead of discussing books, the entire evening revolved around Amber regaling them with extravagant stories of trips to Cannes and millionaire's yachts. The women were awestruck. It was on the way home that evening that Amber befriended Lucy, though I'm sure Lucy had thought it was the other way around, apologising for "the other day" but she didn't sound the least bit sorry to me.

Twelve months later and Lucy and Amber are firm friends, often going out on the town to wine bars or the cinema for a chick flick. The two women are inseparable and Lucy has never known anyone quite like Amber. I found myself feeling sorry for poor Kirsty, Lucy's best friend before Amber, taking a backseat to "the funnier and more glamorous" Amber. However Kirsty wasn't as blind to Amber as Lucy was and could see right through her from the beginning. But Lucy wouldn't hear a word said against her new friend and in the end stopped seeing Kirsty altogether. 

In Lucy's defence, all her other friends in Mulberry Lane had children - something which Lucy and Matt had never been blessed with despite numerous IVF attempts. So the unattached, single, motherless Amber was all the more attractive to her as conversations with her didn't revolve around toilet training, breast feeding and all the usual mother and baby stories that pained her to listen to with her other friends. It was a club of which she would never be a member and she felt on the outside, and she had to pretend to share in their joy when for her she ached to be a mother. But with Amber she didn't have to pretend. 

Lucy and Amber are so completely different! Lucy is all fluffy and light who thinks baking and eating cakes solves everything - I have to admit, I'm with her on that! Amber has a harder edge and strives for perfection, not worried about who she steps on or over to get there. She knows what she wants in life though I have to wonder that sometimes whilst reading their story, because so much of what Amber did clearly displayed not only a lack of judgement but also one who really doesn't know what she wants. 

When Amber starts receiving threatening texts I must admit I wouldn't have been surprised if it was Amber herself. She was that type of person who thrived on attention and if she wasn't getting it, then she would generate it. The fact that Amber wasn't taking it seriously also rang alarm bells. But Lucy DOES take it seriously and calls the police to report them. Unfortunately, Amber deleted the other texts, so much was her concern. However, "the stalker" gained Amber the attention she craved and it was clear she relished it, although not Lucy's mother hen routine which only served to irritate her.

But the text messages are just the beginning which set off a chain of events resulting in Lucy, wanting to be a good friend, inviting Amber to stay with her and Matt so that she feels safe. The threats only escalate and Amber, blowing hot and cold on the matter, agrees. But things only get worse when first Lucy discovers a positive pregnancy test and shock makes way for practicalities. She feels it would be best that Amber stay with them until the baby is born but once little Mia enters the world, Lucy isn't prepared for what's to come. The house may be feeling a little too crowded but Lucy discovers that she can't imagine life without Mia. Only problem is, she's Amber's daughter...not her's.

The tables have turned. Who is playing who?

ALL HER SECRETS is told primarily from Lucy's POV, particularly in the first part of the story, with a few chapters sprinkled in between by an unnamed narrator. It's not until the second half do we hear Amber's voice, which brings a different perspective to the table. As everything up until this point has been told through Lucy's eyes it's only now that we see the story from Amber's and it does shed a whole new different light on things.

As the story progresses it's obvious that trouble is brewing and you can really feel the trepidation the deeper the story goes. It is completely engrossing, intriguing and compelling - like a car crash you pass on the motorway; you don't want to look but you find yourself drawn in. Lucy is too nice and compliant whilst Amber is just basically a self-centred bitch who messes with your head.

Throughout the book I found myself wondering whose voice it was we were hearing from those anonymous chapters. With three main players in the story, I felt it had to be one of them and I went through stages of thinking it was each of them. Of course this anonymous voice also appeared to be the stalker but that didn't deter me from suspecting it was Amber herself. After all, they all seemed to share the same sorry backgrounds. But the person I settled on being the likeliest candidate in the end turned out to be "that voice". And even though I saw the ending before it happened, it was still packed a punch that left me breathless.

ALL HER SECRETS just goes beyond all my expectations. Just when I thought it would be another average read, particularly when Amber made her entrance, as each woman wove her tangled web I was drawn in and could not escape until the very last page!

From romantic comedies to psychological thrillers? I say Sue Watson has made such a mark in this genre she should leave the romcoms behind for this more dark, twisted but delectable style. She totally nails it!

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

REVIEW: Forget Me Not by Claire Allan (ARC)

Forget Me Not by Claire Allan

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Read: 8th May 2019

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(release date: 30th May 2019)

★★★★ 4.5 stars

A tense psychological thriller that keeps you guessing, FORGET ME NOT by Claire Allan is the first I have read by this author - and it won't be my last. It is tight, it is twisted, it is heart-stopping! I would often fall asleep late into the night reading it, I didn't want to put it down!

Elizabeth O'Loughlin is on a morning walk with her dog Izzy (and throughout the whole book I hoped and prayed nothing untoward would happen to Izzy. Thank you Allan for not taking the story in that direction) when she discovers the lifeless body of a woman, barely alive, the victim of a vicious attack. A nurse in her former life, Elizabeth immediately springs into action, dialling 999 for emergency services, and then cradles the woman urging her to hang on. Her injuries however are too severe and she succumbs to them but not before whispering urgently in Elizabeth's ear the words "Warn them!"

Rachel Walker is a troubled woman. Dissatisfied with her marriage, her husband growing ever more distant, Rachel embarks on an affair of sorts  Michael, a student from her creative writing class. A schoolteacher, Rachel is in a class of students when best friend Julie rings her in tears, claiming "It's her, Rach! Clare's dead!" Best friends since school, now one third of their group/friendship was gone. But instead of going home, Rachel seeks the arms of Michael (her bit on the side) to soothe her pain. When she does venture home and tells her husband Paul, he is shocked but it is her teenage daughter Beth that is devastated by the news. Only their 3 year old is not privy to the news however little Molly is not completely oblivious. Kids know when something isn't right.

The loss of Clare is felt deeply by the two friends, Rachel and Julie, though both cope with it differently. When Rachel decides to visit the site of Clare's death, she notices a strange bouquet of flowers - forget me nots - tied with black ribbon and a very cryptic message. Then Julie receives a similar bouquet with an equally cryptic message as does Rachel. What does this mean? Both women are oblivious to the fact that on the gates of her isolated farmhouse, Elizabeth has also received a bouquet with its own message. But unlike the others, Elizabeth knows the significance of the flowers - FORGET ME NOTS. They were her daughter's favourite flower. 

After receiving similar bouquets of forget me nots, it is revealed that Rachel and Julie could now be in danger. Particularly when a photo of the trio is left at Rachel's house with Clare's face angrily scrubbed out and a circle around her own stating "You're next!" Turning the photo over the teenage scrawl identified Julie, Rachel, Clare and me. Me? Rachel turned the photo back over and looked closer. In the background on the periphery was a face from the past. A shadow of a smile on her face. Laura O'Loughlin.

Elizabeth's daughter Laura had taken her own life two years before after a lifetime of never fitting in. Laura grew up with no friends and lived a very lonely existence, belittled and laughed at by her peers. Cruel pranks were played on her - one of which resonated with me deeply as having had similar things happen to me as a teenager. One such occasion saw Laura excited at being asked by one of the popular girls, to accompany them to the school dance. She was over the moon and her family had never seen her so thrilled and bursting with excitement. But when Laura asked this girl should they go shopping together for a dress, she turned and laughed at her and said she must be joking and that they wouldn't be seen with the likes of her! Laura was devastated! As anyone in that situation would be. The girl who had taunted Laura...her name was Clare. 

As the story unfolds, it becomes clear that there is a definite connection between Rachel, Clare and Elizabeth's daughter, Laura. The three best friends were at school with Laura though she wasn't part of their circle of friends, Rachel had vague recollections of a quiet girl on the periphery just listening, waiting and wanting to be a part of their group. We are given snippets of memories from both the perspectives of Rachel and Elizabeth of Laura during their school years. It paints a rather sad picture...one to which I can relate from my own "crool" years.

Throughout the story we are introduced to a cast of characters that aid the plot development. The police investigating Clare's death, DI Bradley and PC King; the media, including the devious Ingrid Devine (I think that was her name) who hounds poor Elizabeth until she gives in; Michael, Rachel's bit on the side, who begins as understanding only to end up giving ultimatums. I didn't like him. And Rachel was a fool to throw her marriage away without even trying to work things out on the selfish need to feel good. What about her children? Her marriage? Maybe I'm old school but I believe in marriage; you don't give up and toss it out just because things gets too hard. As one of the narrators, I guess it was this that made it difficult for me to connect with Rachel. I rather enjoyed Elizabeth's narration more who also had some secrets to hide.

Then someone approaches young Molly at nursery, who she refers to as "the bad man", reducing her to tears with the threat of taking her mammy away because she is bad. And when she can't reach Beth at home the police are dispatched, finding Beth locked in the bathroom in tears because someone had tried breaking in, Rachel knows she has become the killer's next target. A fact highlighted by the photo left on her doorstep stating "You're next!"

When Rachel disappears on a supermarket run, the race is on to find her before she becomes the killer's next victim.

FORGET ME NOT is a tense and twisted thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat throughout. The story did take a little for me to get into (probably due to Rachel to-ing and fro-ing between Paul and Michael) but it soon became addictive as I watched the rest of the story unfold. I did guess who was really behind it all despite being given a misdirection that was incredibly clever, that I had to wonder was I wrong in my suspicions when being lead in that direction? 

I was saddened for Elizabeth who had no one left and had lost so much. Particularly after suffering the stroke on top of everything else. It just made me want to wrap her in a giant hug.

There are the occasional clumsy sentences and wording, with extra words thrown in to make no sense whatsoever. I put this down to being an advanced readers copy and hoping these will all be editted out in the final version.

FORGET ME NOT is clever, compelling and intriguing. An addictive read that I could not put down.

I would like to thank #ClaireAllan, #NetGalley and #AvonUK for an ARC of #ForgetMeNot in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: The Playground Murders by Lesley Thomson (ARC)

The Playground Murders (The Detective's Daughter #7) by Lesley Thomson

Genre: Crime Fiction, Thriller

Date: 4th May 2019

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(release date: 4th April 2019)

★★★ 3.5 stars

I requested this book THE PLAYGROUND MURDERS not aware that it was part of a series, namely The Detective's Daughter. However, it can be read as a standalone in my opinion as it reads quite well as one, and I didn't feel I was missing anything by not starting from the beginning. 

Of course it was the storyline of the original murders forty years prior and the mystery that surrounded them that grabbed me from the off. The fact that it had dual timelines was a mega plus for me, as that is my favourite style. I always love how the story flips between the past and present with the mystery unfolding between the two.

So the story begins forty years ago, in 1980, with the murder of not one but two children. It is no mystery from the beginning who killed the children, and even before the first tragic death, the reader is given a dark and twisted perspective of one of their own. It is more than obvious that something is definitely not normal with this child. No remorse, no conscience, no real emotion. It is clear that has this child been an adult, they would be diagnosed as a psychopath. But the dark and twisted tale of this group of children and the self-imposed glue that held them together was something extraordinary that kept us turning the pages.

At the time of THE PLAYGROUND MURDERS, Stella Darnell had been 14 and living with her mum Susie. Her father DCI Terry Darnell was tasked with investigating the murder of one of the children, 6 year old Sarah Ferris, who soon found himself armed with the help of self-imposed detective Danielle Hindle, the 10 year old daughter of career criminal Eddie Hindle. And everyone knew to steer clear of getting on the wrong side of the Hindles. Terry didn't see much of his daughter during this time as being a teenager Stella was wrapped up in her own world of hormones.

Now it's 2019 - Stella is 53 and her father Terry has been dead 8 years. When a young highly strung young woman waltzes into Stella's detective agency claiming her father was innocent of the murder of his mistress in their house, Stella gathers her team to hear Carrie Phillips' story. The woman is emphatic that her father was innocent and yet he was sitting in a prison cell awaiting trial for his mistress' murder. But who does Carrie think killed Rachel Cater? Her answer will surprise you and even moreso, the true identity of that person!

As Stella sifts through the evidence and interviews suspects, she discovers a link between Rachel's murder and that of little Sarah Ferris 40 years ago - a case which her father Terry had investigated and solved. Stella feels uneasy digging up the past of an already solved case, but in doing so she begins to feel a connection to her father once again and with it comes the regrets of not having seen him before he died. 

Terry's DC at the time of the 40 year old investigation, Martin Cashman, has risen in the ranks to Chief Superintendant and is an old flame of Stella's - a fact which continually riles her business partner and love interest Jack Harman. I have to admit, the constant appearance of the green-eyed monster in Jack over Martin drove me crazy. Did he really not trust Stella? Was he that insecure in his relationship with her? I found it annoying and a constant bone of contention throughout the book. As we discover, Jack comes with his own baggage. Having not read the previous books in the series I am unable to comment on the growth of their relationship, but I am not a fan of mixing romance with mystery thrillers. For me, I think it gets a little messy, as it appears to with Jack's jealousy over Martin Cashman and Stella. It is that, I feel, that lets it down. Just investigate crimes. No need to jump into bed with each other!

As Stella pieces together the past with the tragic death of Sarah, she begins to make connections that threaten to bring danger to all Stella holds dear. And it isn't long before she is drawn into tale of jealousy and the end of innocence. As we get to know the killer, we can see the consequences the past can have of all who are involved.

THE PLAYGROUND MURDERS takes off slowly as the story shifts between the past and present, building to a twisted, complex, dark and disturbing tale. With a little twist at the end. It is not a fast-paced thriller but has more of an atmospheric feel to it. Tension is definitely rife throughout.

An enjoyable read as a standalone or in the context of the series. As I've not read the series, I thought it rated well enough to be a standalone.

I would like to thank #LesleyThomson, #NetGalley and #HeadOfZeus for an ARC of #ThePlaygroundMurders in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: The Dare by Carol Wyer (ARC)

The Dare ( DI Natalie Ward #3) by Carol Wyer

Genre: Crime Fiction, Thriller

Read: 27th April 2019

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(release date: 25th April 2019)

★★★★ 4 stars

Carol Wyer has done it again. THE DARE is the third outing for DI Natalie Ward and her team set in Staffordshire, and once again we are drawn into mystery with intrigue and promise.

When Jane Hopkins is late home from work one afternoon, she is surprised to find her 13 year old daughter Savannah is not yet in. Knowing it to be unlike her, she rings around her friends but they haven't seen her since parting ways after school. DI Natalie ward is called in to assist the existing investigation into her disappearance and her team have barely begun when Savannah's body is found the following day, discarded like rubbish in what appears to be refuse behind her house.

Then before their feet can even touch the ground, another teenage girl - Harriet - goes missing. This time the girlfriend of one of the men working on the renovations to Jane Hopkins' house. Is he connected in some way? Then the next day, Harriet too is found dead beside rubbish, not far from her home.

Trawling through CCTV, Natalie's team find that both girls were last seen in the vicinity of the Aldi supermarket car park. And watching them - someone known to police. Worse still, he is a registered sex offender. Is he responsible for the missing girls and their deaths? Was that his MO as a sex offender? Or were they just looking at him BECAUSE he was a sex offender?

Investigations lead them to a phone shop in town where both girls frequented to top up the credit on their phones. There they meet "Duffy" who often chatted to the girls. CCTV, as well as Duffy's admission, revealed both girls had also been in or near the shop on the afternoons of their disappearance. Was he somehow involved? When his alibi doesn't quite check out, Duffy finds himself in the frame again.

A third girl goes missing and the team are racing against time, knowing that they have less than 24 hours to find her before she too befalls the same fate. Amidst the investigations Natalie is faced once again with the troubles in her personal life and that of her husband's gambling. With two dead girls and one missing, she doesn't need this right now.

It was during the search for Harriet that the team learn of some startling new evidence. Someone was challenging teenagers with a dare - to disappear for one, two, even three days..as long as they can. This brings a whole new light on social media and the effect it has on kids today. Harriet was known to rise to a challenge and when a friend of hers discovers a video on the website called Disappear, she is frightened for her friend. The video is simply black but the audio is of Harriet, screaming. Is the person behind "the dare" to disappear also behind the missing girls?

But the game changes for Natalie when her own teenage daughter Leigh goes missing. Has the same person taken her daughter too? The pressure is on for the team to find Leigh before the worst happens.

Tension is constant throughout the story - from the investigation to Natalie's personal life. I found myself on the edge of my seat (or rather, bed, in my case) as I swiftly turned the pages, devouring each chapter. The story is chilling, as is the killer's motivation which comes to light in alternate chapters by an unnamed person.

THE DARE is a thrilling, chilling, compelling read by Carol Wyer, ending in much the same way her previous "Last Lullaby" did. Therefore making her readers eagerly await the fourth installment of this series to see how events will unfold for Natalie in her troubled personal life.

I highly recommend this book. Brilliantly written. Compelling to the end. Get it, read it and enjoy it. I dare you!

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