REVIEW: The Daughter-in-Law by Nina Manning (ARC)

The Daughter In Law by Nina Manning

Genre: Psychological thriller

Read: 31st July 2019

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(release date: 1st August 2019)

★★★★★ 5 stars

Wow! This is such a fantastic psychological thriller that it is hard to believe it is the author's debut. THE DAUGHTER-IN-LAW had me glued to each page and devouring every word that I could not put down until I finished! So full of twists it will leave your mind reeling and your head spinning!

When I first read the premise for the book, I thought it would be something like Kim Slater's "Liar". I was wrong. This was so much more and then-some!

The story begins with Annie who lives in an isolated seaside cottage she inherited from her drunken father many years ago. As a single mother, she thought it was the perfect place to raise her son Ben and always kept him close, loving their life together. It had always been just the two of them - Annie and Ben. They needed no one else.

Until Ben met Daisy.

After a whirlwind affair and discovering she was pregnant, Ben and Daisy married in a quiet ceremony within months of meeting. He adores her and she is utterly in love with him and together they complete each other. They share a flat with Daisy's best friend Eve and are incredibly happy. Life is good within their little bubble...what could possibly go wrong?
Enter Annie, stage door left.

As it had always been just the two of them, Annie seemingly struggles with the concept of Ben finding love beyond his mother. She doesn't believe they need anyone else but each other. The fact that they married in secret without telling anyone - especially Annie - doesn't help nor thrill her one bit. So when Ben brings Daisy to his childhood home to meet his mother, it is not a warm or welcome meeting.

It begins with just little things that Daisy thinks she imagines them. The dismissive look. The accusatory glance. The smile that doesn't reach the eyes. Her hand pressed against the scalding hot teapot. The refusal to acknowledge her pregnancy. And the constant chill in the air of what should be a cosy home. Daisy doesn't know what it is but it's clear that Annie doesn't welcome her. Her appearance is an obvious intrusion into what Annie perceives as her's and Ben's lives. The image she had envisioned of a warm and fluffy woman from the photo Ben had shown her of his mother was merely just wishful thinking. Annie does not want her here.

Ben is caught in the middle of his mother and his wife. A musician whose work comes in fits and spurts, Annie makes it abundantly clear that they would struggle to rely on Ben's income. Daisy is confused - is she proud of her son or not?

Then Ben gets offered a huge gig in Scotland to record an album with a band - but it means leaving Daisy for several months. He is excited at the prospect and Daisy encourages him to take it as it would mean experience for him and money for them and the baby. While he doesn't need to leave until after Christmas, he hopes to be back before the baby is born.

When the flat they share with Eve erupts in a gas explosion, killing her best friend and destroying all their belongings, Ben and Daisy have no choice but to move in with Annie. But grieving the loss of Eve, Daisy is uncomfortable in Annie's house, as Annie obviously doesn't welcome her presence. Still she tries to make the best of it for Ben's sake and soon wonders if this could be a good opportunity for the women to bond.

But Annie has other ideas. She recognises Daisy's face from somewhere and has racked her brain from the moment she met her. Until it came to her. Searching the internet for information, she finds what she needs and prints it out to confront Ben with the truth about his wife.

Ben then confronts Daisy. They have words and Ben storms out the house and disappears to Scotland for this big job he had lined up. Daisy regrets their row and messages Ben constantly her apologies but receives no response. And as the days roll into weeks and months with still no word from Ben, Daisy must resign herself that he may not return.

Tortured with grief at the loss of her best friend Eve and now with the absence of her husband, Daisy spirals into a deep depression and finds that Annie is all she has now and that she must rely on her mother-in-law to care for her. Still she questions why Ben doesn't respond and after weeks of silence from him Daisy finds herself complying with Annie, believing that she probably knows best. But does she really?

From the beginning we know that something about Annie is off. Although the bond between a mother and child is strong, Annie's obsession with Ben and their "secret party of two" is not normal. Does she truly want what's best for her grandchild? Or are her motives more sinister? But then is Daisy all that she appears to be? What is her terrible secret that she feels she is unworthy of motherhood? What does Annie know about her that drove Ben away in anger? And why is Ben different? Why does he have memories that don't correlate with the upbringing he's had? And why does Annie insist that he loves his mum while Ben appears indifferent, reluctant to talk about her? So many questions as we turn the pages at a brisk pace in search of the answers.

Annie and Daisy tell their stories in alternate chapters in the first person, bringing a personal perspective to the plot. Their thoughts draw us into the abyss of their confused minds with their equally complicated narratives. And then there is Grace, who shares her own remarkable story. Who is she? And where does she fit in?

With each chapter the story unfolds delivering new revelations so shocking that make THE DAUGHTER-IN-LAW a compelling and intriguing read you cannot put down. The characters are complex, emotionally damaged in their own ways, but entirely believable. It is easy to feel empathy for Daisy in her predicament from which she cannot escape. She is grieving and she is  missing her husband, added to that her hormones are playing havoc with her emotions making her easy prey for the mother-in-law from hell.

But almost from the start we know Annie is someone we just love to hate. She is a master manipulator determined to get her own way, with an overpowering dominance and a warped idea of love. The way she totally justifies her actions in her narrative just made me devour her chapters even quicker. The woman is a sociopath. She cannot feel love, only a misplaced sense of love, nor is she remorseful for anything she does or has done.

But mark my words, be prepared for Annie to get under your skin and stay there long after you have finished the book. She told us herself - "When I feel unhinged, who knows what I'm capable of?!"

THE DAUGHTER-IN-LAW is twisted with a capital T. Clever, but oh so twisted! The psychological rollercoaster ride we are taken on is fast-paced and thrilling as the story progresses, keeping us guessing who is hiding the biggest secret?

With a Hitchcockian tension that is palpable from the start, THE DAUGHTER-IN-LAW is filled with suspense so compelling that part of you will want to savour the sheer brilliance of such a twisted tale while the other wants to race to the finish just to escape Annie, who will both terrify you and infuriate you.

As the penultimate climax builds so does the tension unfolding to a dramatic conclusion that will keep readers glued to the very last page. My only complaint is that the ending felt a little rushed which could be due to the building tension throughout the entire book. Still, I had hoped for more karma at the end.

While there was plenty of confusion throughout, I did piece some of the puzzle together quite early but that never deters from my enjoyment of a good story. I had my suspicions and at other times I was completely baffled. A brilliant thriller, THE DAUGHTER-IN-LAW - which should really be called THE MOTHER-IN-LAW - was creepy, sinister and completely twisted. The more disturbed, the more delicious!

I cannot believe this is Nina Manning's debut. She excels in this genre so brilliantly and is an author to watch out for. I look forward to seeing what she comes up with next.

Highly, highly recommended, deserving of more than the 5 stars I can only give.

I would like to thank #NinaManning, #NetGalley and #BoldwoodBooks for an ARC of #TheDaugherInLaw in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: The Marriage Trap by Sheryl Browne (ARC)

The Marriage Trap by Sheryl Browne

Genre: Psychological thriller, domestic thriller

Read: 28th July 2019

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(release date: 30th July 2019)

★★★ 3.5 stars

Oh boy! This book did my head in!
No, correction...Jason and Karla did my head in!

But Sheryl Browne was on top form in this twisty, twisted domestic thriller that was even more dysfunctional than the last book I read. Where do I even begin to start?

Jason and Karla were a loving couple who have been happily married for twelve years, with two children, Holly and Josh. An aspiring actress when they met, Karla and Jason married soon after she fell pregnant. Now, Jason had his own eCommerce business that was rapidly failing unless he could find an investor to inject some huge funds to save it from ruin. And this is where it began its downward spiral. Karla's father is a self-made wealthy businessman (with more money than sense) and on top of that, is incredibly obnoxious.

Karla had been practically nagging Jason at every opportunity to ask her wealthy father for a loan, but he had refused every time. He couldn't stand the man and didn't relish being indebted to him for the rest of his life. After all, he'd already bought the house they were living in. But it got to the point that Jason could see no other way...and he relented.

The whole convoluted mess then began when her father, in turn, revealed a secret so vile enough to churn any stomach at the mere possibility. It is so dark and so shocking, it never even entered my mind. Jason was left reeling at the revelation, repulsed that her father would stoop so low...but with no choice but to do as Robert wanted. Leave Karla.

But Jason cannot reveal the truth to his wife, knowing that it would surely destroy her. So he says nothing...except to tell her it was over. Remaining in the marital home, he slept in the spare bed and kept things together for the children, while Karla systematically lost the plot.

Then one night by pure chance, Jason struck up a conversation online with Jessie, a nurse in Ireland...and they soon became friends. Jason found himself confiding in Jessie about the situation with Karla without revealing the terrible secret his father-in-law had imparted on him. Their conversations soon morphed into phone conversations, as they exchanged mobile numbers. I thought Jason was treading on dangerous ground here. But little did I know where it would lead...and the twist that it would deliver.

Added to what was already a convoluted mess, Karla continued to battle with the memory of her twin sister's death, wreaking havoc on her sanity. She hated her father, aware that he was at the centre of her pain and that his lecherous womanising contributed to her self-destruction. Now Jason had withdrawn from her and prompted by seeds of doubt planted by her father, Karla discovered her loving husband had been "playing away". So she, in her own twisted form of retaliation, set out to destroy herself in a way I simply failed to understand, given that she had been - up till that point - a loving and devoted mother. I could not understand Karla's unraveling - why she began destroying herself and what she thought it would achieve.

The tale just keeps on unraveling as Karla continues to spiral into a black hole and Jason still keeps quiet. Her mother, Diana, knew the truth but failed to say anything. The family is so dysfunctional with so many secrets and lies I'm surprised they haven't imploded before now. No one in this whole sorry tale, except the children, was particularly likable. Everyone was hell bent on destroying themselves and each other that they never gave a single thought to the children. Although Jason was the only one who did his best to keep it together for Holly and Josh, who clearly didn't understand what was going on with their parents, particularly their mother.

I really didn't see where else this story could possibly go given the destruction everyone was meting out on one another. I already had a suspicion regarding Karla and her father, which proved to be correct, and funnily enough cancelled out the awful secret that kept Jason and Karla apart in the first place! But none of this would amount to anything since no one was talking to each other, except to hurl insults and accusations. It wasn't until Karla had the truth thrust in her face by way of the paper that she decided to confront her parents. Oh, what a tangled web these people weaved...

THE MARRIAGE TRAP is a powerful and emotive read but a very destructive tale of secrets filled with such pain and anguish that I just wanted to knock their heads together. You will find yourself going through a range of emotions just reading it! Part of me wanted to keep reading and the other part wanted to hurry and get it over with because these people were doing my head in!

I will add that THE MARRIAGE TRAP was a slow burn to begin with, as it needed to be to build up to the point where Jason and Karla ultimately found themselves...but hang in there for the fireworks because what a show!

A dark and disturbing plot that is so twisted, THE MARRIAGE TRAP is not for everybody. But don't let that deter you from the author's other brilliant works. In this book, Sheryl Browne pushed the boundaries and tested the limits at writing something so different and much bolder than ever before. It was so dark that its twists were even more delicious.

Again, not a book for everybody. But should you dare to take a chance, check it out. I do recommend it for fans who like the darker and more twisted side of psychological domestic thrillers.

I give it 3.5 stars mainly because the characters all did my head in! lol

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

REVIEW: The Silent Ones by K.L. Slater (ARC)

The Silent Ones by K.L. Slater

Genre: Psychological thriller, domestic thriller

Read: 24th July 2019

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(release date: 24th July 2019)

★★★★★ 5 stars

I am a huge fan of Kim Slater and I love her books, though I have yet to read them all. I had eagerly been awaiting it to land NetGalley and as soon as I did I requested it. The premise sounded interesting and I couldn't wait to dive into it. I've read "Blink", "Liar" and "Finding Grace" previously but this one was different. And I was not disappointed. For those who may remember, it had a hint of the Jamie Bulger murder case which occurred in the UK in the 90s. But in true Kim Slater fashion, it was so much more than that.

Two sisters - Juliet and Chloe - run their own kids clothing business and have a daughter each, Maddy and Brianna, both aged 10. The girls are best friends, having practically grown up together, as the family is a close-knit one. But as we delve further in, we discover that this family is not like other families. They are incredibly dysfunctional, taking the concept to a whole new level.

The story begins with Maddy and Brianna making their way to elderly Bessie Wilford's place, after stealthily leaving the safety of their grandparents' place, and letting themselves in through the back door. When they arrive Bessie is sound asleep in her chair and so the girls decide to have "some fun with Bessie". One of them leans forward with her lips close to Bessie's ear and yells "WAKE UP BESSIE!!" after which Bessie is jolted awake and falls backwards from her chair. At this stage, it isn't revealed which girl is which.

As the girls leave Bessie's house, they are picked up by authorities and taken to the police station. We, as readers, are left wondering what really took place and why the girls refuse to utter a single word.

Juliet and Chloe are in the midst of accounts and orders at the warehouse they have rented for their business when the police arrive. They are told simply that their girls are at the police station and they need to come. The sisters are worried something has happened to their girls and fire off questions to the officers who accompany them. But they are assured their girls are fine. So why are they at the police station?

When they are ushered into an interview room, Detective Inspector Conor Neary - SIO on the case - informs them that the girls have been arrested for the vicious assault of elderly victim Bessie Wilford. Juliet and Chloe cannot believe this of their girls. They are sweet, kind and gentle...and are only 10 years old!

But there is one major problem. Both Maddy and Brianna refuse to utter a single word. Even to each other.

Then they receive word that Bessie has died of her injuries and it is now a murder inquiry.

The girls' grandparents arrive, along with Juliet's husband Tom. All are at a loss as to the magnitude of the situation that the girls have found themselves in. If only they would talk... So it becomes Juliet and Chloe's job to try and encourage Maddy and Brianna to speak.

What ensues is a frantic 36 hours from start to finish as the truth of what really happened at Bessie's place eludes the police. Tensions rise, secrets unravel and the truth behind the seemingly loving family comes to light. There are sooo many secrets, deceptions and lies to be uncovered it will make your head reel.

The characters are all those you love to hate. Juliet is probably the exception - although she had her issues as well, as she tried to run from a past she could not escape. I found her sister Chloe to be entitled and bitchy. Their mother, Joan, is positively awful who takes to her bed with migraines whenever the mood took her, and didn't seem to care one iota for Juliet but doted on Chloe. That would probably explain Chloe's air of entitlement. Their father seemed to be ruled by their mother's moods and her every whim. And the girls? Maddy and Brianna? I found them to be horrible precocious entitled little brats. I did feel a little sorry for them in parts but their actions toward Bessie, just as a laugh, was cruel. But then having come from such a dysfunctional family, what hope was there for them?

Despite the unlikable characters, THE SILENT ONES was a compelling, intriguing and untputdownable thriller that I devoured. The twists and turns throughout which led to false conclusions were both tense and breathtaking. I had an inkling that fluttered at the edge of my brain as the story unraveled which, though I suspected, still shocked me upon revelation. The "how" was devious but the "why" was shocking!

A cleverly crafted psychological thriller, THE SILENT ONES analyses friendship, betrayal, family, deception, secrets and lies all wrapped up in a fast paced tale of enthralling domestic suspense.

I love every minute of THE SILENT ONES. Every page, every secret, every reveal.

I highly recommend you check this book out. I think you will love it as much as I did. In fact, I'd be surprised if you didn't.

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

REVIEW: The Secret Letter by Debbie Rix (ARC)

The Secret Letter by Debbie Rix

Genre: Historical fiction

Read: 22nd July 2019

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon
(release date: 2nd July 2019)

✡ ✡ ✡ ✡ ✡  5 stars

Inspired by the true story of the author's own parents, THE SECRET LETTER is a beautiful tale about bravery, kindness and hope in a time of war and devastation from the perspective of two very different - and yet somewhat comparable - girls. This touching tale is also incredibly heart wrenching, highlighting the horrors of World War 2 from both sides in a unique way. Imogen and Magda, both extremely affected by the war, may be separated by hundreds of miles but they are united by similar convictions...though it was hardly likely they would ever meet. Their stories intertwine as they come of age and grow into strong young women who each play their own important part in the war...and beyond.

It's 1939 and we begin with 15 year old Imogen growing up in Newcastle in the north east of England. As an only child of somewhat affluent parents, she is not spoilt but rather wise, even if a little mischievous. When war breaks out, her school is evacuated to the Lakes District and the girls billeted to various families in the Keswick area. She passes her time writing letters home to her parents and rambling up gorgeous mountains like Skiddaw with her best friend Joy and fellow evacuee Helen, whilst harbouring a secret love for neighbour Freddie who was away at university before joining the RAF.

Even at 15, Imogen displays a strength of character in her stubbornness and determination. Her letters home are filled with a contrariness as she describes her thoughts on the war and then asking for money for new shoes in the next line. It was quite amusing but also a reflection of the times from the perspective of a young girl still coming to terms with her own journey through adolescence. She meets young Dougie who amuses her as they spend a lot of time together, growing closer, and yet while she is drawn to him she still finds herself carrying a torch for Freddie back home.

The girls go back home to Newcastle during the holidays which begs the question - why is it safe to return home for the holidays but not during the school term? Imogen said it best when she stated "I think the idea was for our schooling not to be disturbed. If we die in the holidays that’s not so important." I thought that an amusing line. A little bit of humour amidst a troubling time, one needs to keep their sense of humour.

Imogen completes her schooling in the Lakes and returns home to Newcastle a couple of years later to attend university where she wanted to study engineering but her gender deems her unable. So she turns to architecture and completes her first year before she is required to join the national service upon turning 19. She joins the Wrens, along with best friend Joy, and she serves as a plotter whilst Joy is a typist having been to secretarial school. Her time as a plotter leads her to London, then later Portsmouth and even Paris where she thrives as a Wren, serving under some important military powers of the time. She comes into fleeting contact with Prime Minister Churchill, King George VI and General Eisenhower as the war begins to culminate. During this time, she is fortunate to have Joy alongside her as they both find love and heartbreak in equal measure  before the war is over.

It is during this time she meets American Ben who falls in love with her and asks her to marry him. Imogen enjoys his company and despite being wary, graciously accepts. However, she is moved to Portsmouth under the cover of secrecy leading up to D-Day and she hears nothing from him again until her station in Paris. But the giddiness she felt in his presence has been replaced by discontent and irritation. Does she really love him or was it just a fascination? She realised that she knew nothing about him such was the secrecy of his involvement. Her mother says when you marry someone you will love them forever, with all their foibles and their faults as well as for their gifts and advantages. The problem is the secrecy surrounding Ben's involvement in the war was promising to continue afterwards, and Imogen wasn't sure she wanted that. She was enjoying her new-found independence and she was unwilling to give that up.

Then there is Magda, who is just 13 years old and living amidst the growing unrest of Germany. She is devastated by the loss of her best friend Lotte who was cruelly snatched along with her family and sent to a concentration camp - the Star of David sewn into their coats. Magda didn't understand why she could no longer be friends with Lotte. The fact that she was Jewish was not important; she was her best friend. When Magda receives a letter from her brother Karl, who is studying in England and a staunch objector of his country's new ways, she is shocked by the contents unable to comprehend much of what he was alluding to. At the end of the letter, Karl urged her to show no one and to burn after reading it. But Magda could not. What if it was the last letter from her beloved brother? She desperately wanted to show her mother so she could shed some light on what he was saying...but to do so would be a betrayal to her brother. Instead, she secreted it away in her Bible.

As the Nazi's power takes hold, Magda begins to see a new Germany - one that she does not like nor agree with and the one Karl had alluded to in his secret letter. The fanatical new rules of the Hitler Youth, a group a boys who instill fear in villagers if they do not conform to the new way of the Fuhrer, makes her seethe with anger and yet she cannot escape. On her next birthday she must join the Young Maidens, a group of young, ripe girls who must strive to become the epitome of the perfect German woman/wife - blonde, blue-eyed and submissive - as broodmares for perfect Aryan children. But Magda secretly refuses to conform and joins the White Rose movement, a German resistance who rebel against the oppressive frightening world around them.

But what Magda does not count on is Otto. He is one of the Hitler Youth - a bully - aspiring to the Fuhrer and exclaiming his proclamations. Otto claims Magda as his own (whether she likes it or not) and unfortunately, to save herself and her family from death, she must agree to be Otto's girlfriend - as much as the idea repulses her. When he rises to the rank of an SS officer, Magda is relieved to be reprieved from Otto's wandering hands and ever-watchful eye.

Then an enemy plane - a Lancaster bomber - crashes just beyond the boundary of their farm, and Magda and her father find six dead airmen and one barely alive. Magda insists on helping him and hides him in the secret attic of their farmhouse. By now, Magda is 16 and is incredibly resourceful for her age but she is also determined not to let the abhorrent new rules of her country quash the basic laws of humanity nor dictate her ability to help someone in need. She didn't ask for this war, she didn't want it and she doesn't agree with anything the new regime stands for. And so, over the course of the next few weeks Magda becomes friends with the British airman, Michael. She has never met anyone like him nor he her. Locked away in the small dark attic room, Michael sees no one but Magda and her kindness towards him - the enemy - touches him. Inevitably, they fall in love. But when Otto returns suddenly, Magda must keep Michael safe as the unthinkable happens, tearing her world apart. She must help Michael escape before Otto returns, lest they all be killed. Their parting words for him to return after the war so they could marry, and it is these words, and the promise of brighter days, that keep Magda soldiering on.

So how do Imogen and Magda's worlds intersect? Hundreds of miles apart and even worlds away from one another, these two women's stories tells of life in such a frightening time. The sheer horror of hearing bombs dropping, of having them fall in your path, the panic each time an air raid siren sounds - a sound which now reduces my own dad to tears at the memory of being a child during the war - all of this and more is just mind-blowing that the strength of mankind can live through such a horrific and turbulent time.

Most of us only hear about the war from the British side but what was it like for the Germans who rebelled against Hitler's regime? What makes this story so unique is that we not only hear the British aspect but we also hear a German's perspective. Back in the day, all Germans were seen as the enemy but not all Germans WERE the enemy. This story shows us just that. The abhorrent rules inflicted on the German people under Hitler's despicable and repulsive dictatorship were abominable, to say the least. I would not have liked to have lived under those conditions, against everything I believed in, under a dictator as repugnant as him. Christmas was even taken away from them. No longer could you decorate your trees with stars as it was seen too similar the Star of David and that was assigned to the Jewish people who were banished from their country. Instead they had to decorate with gold swastikas. They even began to pray to the Fuhrer. All schools had to teach the ways of the Fuhrer and not historical fact or even fact, for that matter. It was eye-opening to read just how these new rules were forced upon the Germans and if they dared to go against them, they faced imprisonment or even death.

THE SECRET LETTER is so beautifully written I was completely captivated by every aspect that I didn't want it to end. It was emotional, it was heartbreaking, it was touching, it was eye-opening, it was compelling but most of all it was just simply beautiful. What people of the time had to live through at the hands of a dictator wreaking havoc on a world he wanted to make perfect for himself, it was an horrific reminder of what mankind could do to fellow human beings.

The narrative between the two perspectives of Imogen and Magda is both intriguing and heartbreaking. Both young woman experience first loves, new emotions, heartbreak and disappointment. I loved reading their stories, noting how different their childhoods and journeys into womanhood were, but appreciating them just the same. Each girl/woman had a story to tell and each played an important part to that tale. The beautifully intricate way in which their stories entwine made THE SECRET LETTER a compelling read.

The fact that Imogen's story was based on the author's own parents added to the book's believability. Her mother was a WREN and her father was an RAF pilot who was shot down over Germany. Using her mother's letters, her father's logbook and diaries, she was able to draw a picture of Imogen based on her mother. Some of Imogen's letters were even her mother's written verbatim. It gave a whole new element of realism to the story that made for compelling reading.

I truly appreciated THE SECRET LETTER so much more than I ever expected - I think for being so unique in its perspective. Unlike many others, I don't care how much is actually based on historical fact or how much has been embellished because I am not reading a reference book - I am reading a story. And what a beautiful story it was! Basically, I adored this book from start to finish.

THE SECRET LETTER is a book I wouldn't hesitate to recommend to any fans of WW2 era historical fiction. In fact, I can't recommend it highly enough. If I could give it 10 stars, I would!

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

REVIEW: The Perfect Betrayal by Lauren North

The Perfect Betrayal by Lauren North

also published as "The Perfect Son" (in North America)

Genre: Psychological thriller, domestic thriller

Read: 19th July 2019

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(release dates 14th March 2019 - Transworld Digital)

★★★★★ 5 stars

If I could just say READ THIS BOOK and leave it there, I would. Because that is really what it comes down to. You just have to READ IT!

This book is just so bloody brilliant I have no words! The twist and that ending. No way did I see that coming! The shock left me reeling as it culminated to the last page. And then all the pieces finally fell into place and everything made perfect sense now. By the time I finished I wondered how on earth I was going to review it.

As the story begins, Tess is in ICU after being stabbed. How she was stabbed or by who was a mystery at this stage. She is incoherent from the strong painkillers they have her on but of one thing she is clear - her son Jamie is missing.

Of course the police are investigating, taking statements and asking questions...but why aren't they out there looking for Jamie? Tess points them in the direction of Shelley. She must have Jamie. Her and Ian, her brother-in-law. They are working together. Please, she whispers...find Jamie.

This may be where the book starts off, but it's not where the story begins...There is so much more that culminates to this point that will leave you tingling, breathless and yes, even crying. This book is so emotive I cannot even begin to tell you the range of emotions you feel reading it. So let's start at the beginning...

After the untimely death of her husband Mark in a plane crash, Tess is devastated. She struggles to come to terms with losing him, her grief and how to go on living without him. But at least she has Jamie, their 7 year old son. Without him, she would have nothing. Together, they would get through this. But neither of them know how to express their grief without anger, each drowning in their anguish.

Then one day Shelley Lange breezes in, filling the dark house with her bright cheeriness where there had only been sorrow. As a grief counsellor, Shelley was enlisted by her concerned mum to help Tess through her bereavement. But as Tess soon discovered, unlike anyone else, Shelley understood her pain, her anguish, her sorrow and her complete heartbreak. And unlike anyone else, Tess let Shelley into her world. She came to look forward to her visits and Jamie adored her. His face lit up each time Shelley was around, and Tess' heart broke a little each time wishing she had that same effect on her son.

As the days turn into weeks, Tess finds herself depending on Shelley more and more, cutting herself off from everyone as Shelley fends off calls from family and friends on Tess' behalf.

But then strange things begins to happen. Tess gets the feeling she is being watched. Someone is following her. She starts getting threatening calls from an unknown number along with hang ups. Cars tailing her in the lane. Items are missing from her house and papers have been rifled through. Someone has been in her house. But who? She can only think of one person who has a key - her brother-in-law Ian.

Ian began bothering her about money Mark had supposedly lent him. But she can find no record of the loan and still Ian is adamant, claiming he told her all this at the funeral. The funeral?? For pity's sake, she was burying the love of her life and Ian was worried about some money??!! Why talk to her about it at the funeral? She could barely remember it, such was her grief. But he keeps pestering her, to the point Shelley stepped in and blocked his moves. In the end he leaves her with a form to sign to renounce herself as executor of Mark's will and leaving Ian as sole executor. Does he have an ulterior motive?

But between the calls from the man with the gravelly voice about Mark and Ian's claim that he'd had borrowed £100,000, Tess begins to wonder just what had her husband done? And why hadn't he told her?

Then Jamie begins to act out. He starts screaming at her and saying he wishes Shelley was his mummy! What has Shelley been saying to her son? Then one night, Tess wakes to find Shelley in Jamie's room sitting on the bed and singing him a lullaby, just as a mother would. When Shelley turns, the hate in her eyes pierces Tess to her core.

With the series of unsettling events, Tess begins to wonder just who can she trust? She begins to suspect Shelley as well as Ian, and more than once Tess heard Shelley and Ian angrily exchanging words in hushed tones. Was Shelley protecting her? Or was there something else going on? She begins begins to write things down, making note of all the unsettling occurrences, her fear that someone was out to get her and Jamie, the phone calls, the man in the garden...and then the hushed tones between Shelley and Ian. Was she going mad with grief or should she feel afraid? Tess didn't know anymore.

Which leaves us with the question - just who was betraying who?

Narrated primarily by Tess, there are snippets from Ian and Shelley sprinkled throughout as well as the questioning of Tess in the aftermath of her stabbing. These chapters are layered perfectly as the main story gradually unfolds through Tess' eyes. Her one line responses to conversations with Mark are heartbreaking, as she relives moments in time of the life they had shared together. An emotionally charged book, it is also an absorbing, riveting and massively addictive thriller I could not put down!

THE PERFECT BETRAYAL is exactly what a good psychological thriller should be. It was well written with deftly woven layers of emotion and suspense creating the type of thriller that makes you question everything everyone says and does - even Tess. And yet I never thought such a twisty thriller like this could have me crying by the end...but it did. The wealth of grief is so immense that your heart just breaks for Tess by the end of this book.

Honestly, I thought THE PERFECT BETRAYAL was going to be just another domestic thriller. And that's OK - as long as the story is compelling and intriguing I don't care as I would enjoy it anyways. But I was so wrong! This book is NOTHING like that. It is so much more. The immense depression, grief and emotions are completely heartbreaking. Everyone's motivations remain hidden throughout. Nothing is as it seems as you question everything. But it's the ending that will have you shocked and in tears. The twist that changed everything and yet it changed nothing. One thing is for sure, that ending will remain with me for a long time to come...and not every book does that to me.

THE PERFECT BETRAYAL is a title you really have the think about to make sense of. And by the end, you will. I cannot recommend this book highly enough. If I could give it TEN STARS I would!

I would like to thank #LaurenNorth, #NetGalley and #RandomHouseUK #TransworldPublishers for an ARC of #ThePerfectBetrayal in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: The Girl in the Grave by Helen Phifer (ARC)

The Girl in the Grave (Beth Adams #1) by Helen Phifer

Genre: Crime fiction, police procedural, thriller

Read: 18th July 2019

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(release date: 16th July, 2019)

★★★★ 4 stars

Dr Beth Adams is a forensic pathologist with a past. She was once a doctor in a busy Accident and Emergency Department but a tragic event in her life caused her to rethink her life and she changed career paths to become a pathologist. Throughout the book, pieces of Beth's past are gradually revealed as it becomes entwined with the present and the latest case she'd been tasked to work on.

It began when a exhumation under somewhat odd circumstances revealed a body under the coffin. The girl in the grave had lain there in the months undetected since the funeral. Who was she? How did she get there? And who put her there?

Police were already on scene for the exhumation, but work was suddenly halted as reinforcements were called. Enter Dr Beth Adams. One look at the body and she concluded that the girl was most certainly dead, but a forensic archaeologist was needed to retrieve it without disturbing any trace evidence that may have been left behind. And so the investigation begins...

Beth begins the post mortem on the body of Florence, the 93 year old woman who was said to have died from pneumonia. But information received from a relative of the deceased alleged that she had died in "suspicious circumstances" and requested an exhumation to investigate further. As it turns out, Beth deduces that Florence DID in indeed die of pneumonia and nothing untoward to warrant an exhumation. So who requested it? And why?

It soon becomes clear to Beth and DS Josh Walker, the SIO on the case, that the request was made to lead to the discover of the the girl in the grave...beneath the coffin.

Then another young woman goes missing. And the race is on to find her in time before she too suffers the same fate as the girl in the grave. But with no real leads as to where the killer is keeping his victims time is running out. Are they even any closer to catching the killer?

For Beth, the case should stop after she has finished the post mortem - but it doesn't. Like a modern day Quincy, Beth finds herself drawn to the mystery of the girl in the grave and is saddened that no one has even missed her. She decides to do some digging of her own and when revealing her findings to Josh, she even likens herself to Kay Scarpetta (of Patricia Cornwell fame).

But Beth is even more involved than she knows...

Who has been sending her letters? And who is leaving little "gifts" at her home?

Unbeknownst to Beth, she is being watched by someone with a disturbing compulsion. But despite locking herself up in a secure fortress, Beth is left vulnerable and exposed as someone she thought she could trust has anything but her best interests at heart. I thought I knew who it was...but I was wrong. To be honest, I narrowed it down to a couple of possible suspects and then picked the wrong one...lol  Still, this person has serious links to her past. A past she is trying to forget but is unable to.

DS Josh Walker knows Beth and was there in the aftermath of her attack seven years before. They have become good friends and work well together with a trust and great rapport between them that is evident. With a common past that unites them together, there are hints of a romance blooming between them. It doesn't overshadow the main story, which is good, but rather lingers in the background.

A definite page-turner, THE GIRL IN THE GRAVE is a tense uncomplicated police procedural/thriller that is well written with short snappy chapters (my favourite kind) that will have you reading into the night. Addictive and intense, there is a mix of forensic pathology, police procedural and a bitter fear that is somewhat poignant. Will Josh be able to save Beth again?

THE GIRL IN THE GRAVE is the first in a new series by Helen Phifer set in the beautiful Lake District in Cumbria. It is also the first I have read by this author though I'm aware she has written a number of police procedural/crime thriller series. However, it is Beth and Josh I am looking forward to getting to know more and eagerly await the second book.

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

REVIEW: The Liar's House by Carla Kovach (ARC)

The Liar's House (DI Gina Harte #4) by Carla Kovach

Genre: Crime fiction, Police procedural,

Read: 15th July 2019

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(release date: 2nd July 2019)

★★★★★ 5 stars

Despite not having read the first two books in this series, I still found myself diving into this fourth outing with DI Gina Harte and her team filled with expectation. I keep meaning to go back and read them but more books keep falling in my way and I never seem to get there...lol However, if THE LIAR'S HOUSE was your introduction to Gina and her team, I can safely say that all the necessary backstory is filled in throughout so that you would not be left in the dark. In this sense, each book could be read as a standalone as with each we are clued up with a little bit more about Gina's past as the series develops.

Set in the English Midlands, in a small fictional town near Birmingham, Gina returns with all her baggage but this time her past catches up with her as it becomes embroiled into the present case. I loved this addition to the story as it made it so much more interesting and compelling, as we are drawn deeper into Gina's dark past.

A man is watching a young woman through his camera and taking pictures of her as she dances at the local social club. Their eyes meet. She knows he is watching her and she is enjoying putting on a show with another man on the dance floor. What she doesn't know is her partner's wife is also watching from the sidelines. But the man with the camera knows. He sees her. He zooms in on her. He focuses on the necklace she wears bearing the initial J. J for Joanne. J for Joan. J for Jade. The woman, fed up with watching her husband gyrate with a younger woman, abruptly leaves the club. The man refocuses his camera on the young woman again. She needs to be taught a lesson.

Samantha Felton was a good time girl who disappeared after a social club disco seven years ago. No one has heard from her since. She had a string of admirers whom she mostly used to make her married lover jealous in the hope he would leave his wife for her. Were any of these men the key to her disappearance?

In the present day, Jade Ashmore is returning from a party when she hears footsteps behind her. She steps aside, hoping they will pass but is instead attacked. In the moments before she loses consciousness, Jade recognises her attacker as she turns to face him. Disturbed by a late night dog walker, her attacker flees the scene but it is too late for Jade. Identified from her photo ID in her purse, Gina now has the grim task of breaking the news to Jade's husband Noah. And yet, she is surprised to discover the house in darkness when she arrives to deliver the news, waking Noah from his sleep. Why has Jade's absence not been noticed? Has she not been missed? Exactly what is going on with this couple?

Diane was Samantha's best friend and she still misses her terribly, wondering what happened to her seven years ago. Now crippled with arthritis, she receives a birthday card addressed to Samantha on what would have been her 33rd birthday with a sinister greeting in cut out letters. Enclosed is a fingernail painted in the same shade that Samantha always wore. Shaken, Diane rings the police and the fingernail is taken to away to be analysed. Diane begins to wonder if Samantha could still be alive but everyone is shocked when results come back that the fingernail belonged to Jade, not Samantha. Could it be that the two cases are linked?

Then Diane finds a photo left on her table. A photo of Samantha dancing with a man with a young Jade Ashmore looking on. J for Jade. How is the photo connected to Samantha's disappearance and Jade's murder?

As Gina and her team delve into the lives of everyone involved, it was clear to me from the outset that the party everyone was so vague about giving details on was a swingers party. The couples met on a forum called Swap Fun where they engage with others via their profiles and organise meet-ups and swap parties. Was one of the attendees the killer? In attempt to foil any of the killer's future plans, Gina delegates one of team to set up a Swap Fun profile to see if they can get themselves invited to one of their "swap parties".

In the midst of everything, Gina's personal life begins to cause problems as she finds herself regretting letting a tinder date into her world when he refuses to leave her alone or take no for an answer. He keeps messaging her, calling her and turning up unannounced. Then to make matters worse, she comes face to face with him whilst staking out a swap party, with him being one of the guests! Then to add to her problems, she is horrified to discover her past and present collide with the reappearance of her former brother-in-law, Steven, who is as misogynistic and as disgusting as his brother was. As Steven becomes a suspect, Gina finds her past entangled with the case and threatening to destroy her credibility and reputation she has spent years building.

Then another woman is attacked and another disappears from her house. Who has been watching Aimee Prowse? Is the same man responsible? And does it have something to do with Samantha's disappearance seven years ago? And then just when she thought she had finally rid herself of him, Rex calls Gina with important information pertaining to the case.

THE LIAR'S HOUSE pulls no punches with its raw storyline. There are elements of domestic abuse and stalking which are handled with brutal honesty throughout. We are privy to the way the men control their partners through fear. I am sure every man in this book, apart from the police, are completely misogynistic in character. Almost all of them are abusive in one way or another. And then there is Gina's own past and experience with domestic abuse. The psychological damage at her ex-husband's hand has surely helped shape the woman and the detective she is today. We are reminded of events in Gina's past once again, as in every book, and then we are given yet a little more as Carla Kovach sprinkles another tidbit our way.

And whilst we are reminded of Gina's past with every installment, sometimes it can be a little too repetitive over the course of the one book. How Terry died was mentioned several times this time round as was one of her more recent memories of him. I feel mentioning these instances just the once for the reader is enough...no need to rehash it. Unless it is in the context of the story but even then just a vague reference would suffice.

As with the last book "Her Pretty Bones" (which I also reviewed) I mentioned then that her constant longing for her boss, DCI Briggs, was annoying. While she made mention of their non-relationship more than once in this book, I didn't feel it was as sickening or as annoying as it was in the last one. But it is still somewhat irritating that she keeps bringing it up. Gina does have a tendency to over-analyse - particular when it comes to Briggs - the smell of him and all that. PULLEAASEE! That aside, I did feel that Briggs and Gina worked well together this time and I would much rather see more of that than her self-pitying thoughts about what she obviously cannot have.

Another thing I would like to see is maybe her team's characters developed further with some backstories of their own. Because really, after four books, all we really hear about is Gina and her longing for Briggs, whilst we know almost nothing about her teams' characters on a more personal level.

A well-written solid police procedural as well as thriller, THE LIAR'S HOUSE has plenty of suspects to keep the reader guessing. Although I did "guess" who the killer was early on through a few clues I picked up on, his motivation wasn't clear till nearer the end. However this never spoils a book for me as long as there is plenty of intrigue, suspense and dark twists to keep me turning the pages through to the end.

Despite the few niggles, I still felt THE LIAR'S HOUSE is a five star read and is everything we've come to expect from this series. Complex characters, gruesome murder scenes, brutal honesty and brilliant writing. Ingenious and cleverly plotted, I eagerly await book five! Hopefully I will have read the first two by then!

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

REVIEW: Fear in the Lakes by Graham Smith (ARC)

Fear in the Lakes (DC Beth Young #3) by Graham Smith

Genre: Crime Fiction, Police Procedural

Read: 12th July 2019

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(release date: 12th July 2019)

★★★★ 4 stars

Beth is back in a new and exciting case! Beginning with a shocking scene, FEAR IN THE LAKES is the third installment in Graham Smith's DC Beth Young series. Set in the beautiful Lakes District in Cumbria in England, Beth is a detective constable with the Force Major Investigation Team (FMIT), a team of four detectives who tackle serious crimes throughout the county. Alongside the standalone mystery with each book there is also the ongoing backstory of Beth's injury and her search for the men responsible. This, and the relationships within the team, make this a good series to read in order.

A case with no leads.
A victim with no enemies.
A killer with no conscience…

The story begins with the discovery of James Sinclair by his wife, found clinging to life with virtually every single bone in his body shattered. A quiet mild-mannered man, James was head chef at the Fox and Hounds who kept to himself and even shied away from photos. The team can find no reason for this senseless attack but are soon suspicious when there appears to be no record of James Sinclair before the age of 18. Does his mysterious past hold the key to his attack?

Then the bodies of two low level crooks are discovered in Lake Ullswater with similar injuries...but this time, they're dead. Injuries, it appears, akin to the damage inflicted on Sinclair which seemingly confirm that both cases were the result of one villain. The one difference - apart from being dead - is that each man had a symbol carved into their skulls. What did this mean? Are the symbols a reference to something?

With the bizarre injuries on the victims, the precise and methodical technique, it is soon realised that the weapon of choice is a chisel - leading the team to discover they are on the hunt of a sadistic killer for hire hailing from London known as "The Sculptor".

It soon becomes clear that Sinclair had secrets when the team delve into his laptop and find a mailbox with encrypted messages between three people. Beth, who thrives on puzzles, is tasked with decoding them to discover what was so important that Sinclair had to keep it secret? Identifying his messages were paramount in determining their importance and once she had done so, Beth then worked her way through decoding the others. Why was Sinclair emailing coded messages to two other people? Who were they? Where did they fit in? And did it have something to do with Sinclair's attack?

Then someone posing as Sinclair begins sending messages to the other two. Still in a medically induced coma in hospital with two amputated legs, the team know full well that it isn't Sinclair. It can only be the killer. Beth decodes the messages. He is arranging a meet. But will the other two agree? And can the team get to them in time to stop what is inevitably a trap?

With a fierce snowstorm closing roads and preventing the team from following leads, Beth must listen to her inner voice and solve the puzzle before someone else gets injured...or killed! But the closer Beth gets, the closer she is to becoming the The Sculptor's next victim!

As FEAR IN THE LAKES is Beth's third outing I have to mention that I really like the way the backstory of her injury has developed. Her sideline investigation into Neck Kisses and learning his identity leads her to a discovery about him that is both surprising and tragic, prompting Beth to realise that some stories are not what they seem. With each book another chapter behind her injury is revealed with the door left open to continue and delve further into the next one.

I was also thrilled to see her pick up her relationship with paramedic Ethan that tentatively began in the last book. And I am even more thrilled that it is not the usual relationship that sees each party with their own agenda and always at loggerheads. I know police and paramedic shift patterns can make for difficulties with relationships, but Beth and Ethan seem to compliment each other. That, and they just seem so cute together.

The relationship of the team members are also an interesting backdrop. While we have yet to delve into O'Dowd and Unthank's private lives (we catch but a glimpse of Unthank's with a new girlfriend), we have seen into DS Frank Thompson's and are witness to his pain and grief, having lost his wife Julie to early onset Alzheimer's in the previous book. As this story unfolds, we see just how Thompson struggles during the early stages of the investigation - particularly when questioning a witness whose own loved one has Alzheimer's. He is soon place on paid leave and another more obnoxious DS is brought in as a temporary replacement. The sensitivity with which Smith deals with Alzheimer's throughout the story is admirable, keeping in mind that some of his readers may be facing their own loved ones with the insidious disease. There is an obvious awareness throughout and the understanding given to DS Thompson during his grief is exceptional. To watch a loved one suffer this disease is heart-wrenching but in someone so young it must be beyond unbearable.

I love the camaraderie between the team members. They all compliment each other and everyone works well together...with the exception of the temporary secondment in DS McKay, who was deserving of the several reprimands he received from O'Dowd as well as Beth's clever counter-blows in quiet retaliation. On the one hand I hope I don't see him return in the next book but on the other I would love to see him further put back in his place.

As for the team, I love how they interact and work together without one trying to outdo the other, as seen in other police procedural series. My only complaint is how often O'Dowd continually refers to Beth's "sideways brain" or similar. It's repetitive and I feel a litle unnecessary as we are all aware of the fact that Beth sees and thinks things a little differently than others.

I love Beth. She is personable and clever, battling her own demons whilst unraveling puzzles both on and off the case. This combination makes FEAR IN THE LAKES an even more riveting read. I do question why Beth is just a lowly DC when she is more obviously suited to the rank of DS. I would love to see her promoted as her talents are wasted, though not unrecognised, they could be under-appreciated at times.

As for the villain, who was truly creepy, it was enlightening to be privy to a killer's mind with a sprinkling of chapters here and there from the Sculptor's perspective. And I totally didn't see that twist coming!!

I have to mention that I love how Cumbria itself becomes such a prominent character with its treacherous roads, changeable weather and the isolation it brings to the story. How its sheer beauty can be transformed into an unforgivable monster. I often chuckle to myself in reading of the vast differences between the Penrith in Cumbria to the Penrith I know here in Australia.

FEAR IN THE LAKES is a riveting read and an enthralling addition to the series. It kept me guessing throughout and, while I had to, I didn't want to put it down. Smith is a superb writer and draws his readers into a web of mystery with a dark and chilling tale that will have you intrigued and then leave you wanting more. Whilst the attacks and killings are graphic in nature, Smith tells the story without any graphic content. I look forward to Beth's next outing and where Smith next takes us.

Another enjoyable read I highly recommend, though in order with other two first to fully appreciate Beth's journey.

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

REVIEW: The Girl from the Corner Shop by Alrene Hughes (ARC)

The Girl from the Corner Shop by Alrene Hughes

Genre: Historical fiction, Women's fiction/Chick Lit

Read: 9th July 2019

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(release date: 11th July 2019)

★★★★★ 5 stars

What a delightful read! I enjoyed THE GIRL FROM THE CORNER SHOP so much I have to add "The Girl in the Pink Raincoat" to my (ever-growing) list! I always enjoy a good WW2 historical fiction tale, though unlike Shirley Dickson in both her books, Alrene Hughes doesn't place a lot of focus on historical fact with the air raids or the war in general. It is more about a story set during that time. And an enjoyable one at that.

Helen Harrison is a young woman in her 20s who lives with her husband Jim, a fireman, above her mother's corner shop where also she works. It is approaching Christmas and Helen is looking forward to moving out of her mother's place and into a two-up two-down place with Jim in the New Year. When an air raid hits just as Helen is expecting her husband home from his shift and dinner about to go on the table, Helen and her mother take their meals down to the basement where they wait out the raid...which lasts 12 hours.

As a fireman with Manchester Fire Brigade, Helen knows that Jim would have gone back on shift as soon as the raid hit. By morning after that raid, Helen emerges from their basement and is shocked to see the city in ruins. She decides to take Jim a sandwich and a flask of coffee as he would be exhausted after the night. But nothing prepares her for what she sees as she approaches the city's centre. Buildings destroyed as fire rages.

A young policeman ushers her away, informing her it isn't safe and that she should return home. But instead, she decides to head to the fire station in case Jim has returned there. Upon arrival she learns the devastating news that will change her life. Jim is dead.

Helen runs home in a daze, through the shop door, past her mother and up the stairs where she flings herself on her bed and cries. When her mother appears demanding to know what's to do, Helen only just manages to tell her. And in a rare show of affection, her mother takes her in her arms as she mourns the loss of her beloved Jim.

It is at Jim's funeral that Helen's godmother, Pearl, offers her a friendly shoulder should she ever need it. She discloses that she too knows what it is like to lose the one you love and grieve their loss, having lost her fiance in the battle of the Somme in 1916. She told Helen that you never completely get over it but it does get easier.

In the days that followed Jim's death, life for Helen stifled in that shop with her mother was too much to bear. With never a positive word to say, her mother was overbearing and impossible and after one too many heated arguments, Helen packed her few belongings and moved into the little place she and Jim had planned on moving into in the New Year. With the rent paid two weeks in advance, Helen only had to find herself a job to enable her to continue living there. Remembering her godmother Pearl, Helen seeks her out where she offers her a weeks' work as a model in the Fashion Agency where she worked, followed by an office clerk filling in for the regular girl who was injured in the Christmas blitz - the same one that claimed her Jim.

One day, Helen is the only person on the floor when a woman walks in inspecting the clothing and asking questions, which Helen answered as best she could and she left promising she would return with a large order. A few days later, she arrived at work to discover the place in disarray. The business had been robbed! All the stock from the basement had been taken and the boss was furious! Helen suddenly had a sinking feeling as she recalled the woman who came in that day wanting to place a large order. The police came to question her and Helen was surprised to find it was the kindly young police constable who helped her the day Jim died. Now a detective constable in CID, Ken Kershaw questioned Helen and took her to the police station where she was able to identify the woman from their mug shots.

It was during this time that Ken told her about the Women Auxiliary Police Corps (WAPC) and that with her eye for detail and her courage she would make a great addition. They are always looking for women to join. Helen gave it some thought. But Frank, Jim's best mate and also a fireman, was livid at the prospect. She would be putting herself in harm's way and "Jim wouldn't want that".

However, as she found herself out of a job once again Helen began to ponder the good she could do as a WAPC. She certainly needed a job and feeling sure she could make a positive difference, she found herself at the Police Headquarters signing up to be a WAPC. After a successful interview, Helen then spent two solid weeks training before beginning an undertaking of a variety of duties assisting the police.

During the course of duties as a WAPC, Helen comes across a face she met briefly during her time with the Fashion Group at one of their after hours parties. Laurence Fitzpatrick. A doctor, no less, and a handsome one at that. Believing she would never see him again, when he sees her wedding ring she lets him assume she is married rather than a widow. She didn't want male attention or to marry again, so she didn't see the harm. But she does see Laurence again when she frequently visits a basement that houses women and children who have lost their homes during raids where he gives his free time as a doctor. As a WAPC, she is able to make a difference to these women and children, and help them get back on their feet again.

Then Helen is faced with her toughest challenge yet as a WAPC. But will it also be her last?

THE GIRL FROM THE CORNER SHOP is a tale of the past as it sweeps you up in the story and makes you feel as if you are there, alongside Helen. The setting, the era, the people - it was an accurate portrayal of how life had been during the war. Helen was a sheltered young woman who had been dominated by her mother throughout her early life. Some may not be able to comprehend it but life was so different then by comparison to today. But it was during the war that women found their voices and their strengths to rise to the challenge and make the best of it by not only keeping the home fires burning but keeping life going as well. I found the portrayal of Helen to be an accurate one of a woman finding her wings after years of suppression.

THE GIRL FROM THE CORNER SHOP is the first book I've read by Alrene Hughes but I will be seeking out more by her in the future, adding "The Girl in the Pink Raincoat" and even her Martha Trilogy to my (ever-growing) TBR pile as soon as I am able to get my hands on them!

Beautifully written, THE GIRL FROM THE CORNER SHOP flows easily pulling the reader from the first page right through to the last. A tale about life, love, work and new beginnings, Helen's story unfolds under the clouds of the darkest days during WW2. Over the course of a year, we witness Helen go from being under her mother's stifling hand to growing her wings and learning to fly amidst every obstacle thrown in her path. A beautiful, heartwarming story that I did not want to put down!

I highly recommend this beautiful story for fans of historical fiction.

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

REVIEW: The Unlucky Ones by Kerry Wilkinson (ARC)

The Unlucky Ones (Jessica Daniels 314) by Kerry Wilkinson

Genre: Crime fiction

Read: 8th July 2019

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(release date: 9th July 2019)

★★★ 2.5 to 3 stars

It's no secret - I am a huge fan of Kerry Wilkinson and THE UNLUCKY ONES is the second Jessica Daniels book I have read, though it is the 14th book in the series. I know, I know - out of order and all that. While there are some elements of the book I enjoyed, there are others that I could take or leave. Overall, I think I should stop here and start reading them from the beginning in order to gain a better appreciation for the series.

THE UNLUCKY ONES takes a while to get moving as Jessica and DC Archie Davey make their way back to the station from one of the city's council estates. The Lees estate, known as the city's knife capital, has gone from being a high to low crime area in the last six months and is now unusually and unnaturally quiet. Whilst a new crime initiative has been put in place, Jessica highly doubts that is the reason for its fall in crime. Something is happening on the estate and she intends to find out.

Jessica and Davey are heading back to the station when their car hits a pedestrian who rolls over their car and then under the one behind them. The victim is very much dead and his fiance insists he was pushed but no one else saw what happened. When Jessica comes across another apparent accidental death, she is soon to link the two wondering if there could be a serial killer in their midst. Particularly given the victims had been involved in similar incidents just a few months before to that which killed them.

A suspect comes to light who is given to eccentricities and answering all their questions in riddles leaving them scratching their heads or pulling their hair out. They have nothing to hold her on so she is released. No sooner is she, then another victim is found - falling to their death from a car park just months after being thrown down the stairs by her boyfriend. The similarities cannot be ignored.

While Jessica and her team search for their suspect again, she is drawn back to the Lees estate by a phone call from one of the tenants asking for help. It seems a brick has been thrown through his window and the word GRASS has been painted on his door. The man is clearly frightened but will not make a statement, claiming it was "just kids". But then its kids who are congregating at the flat below, their bikes left outside on the pavement. What is going on behind that door? Who is the mysterious new tenant? And just what is he up to? The newcomer, Jefferson Cass, hails from Leeds but what he is doing in Manchester is anyone's guess. Jessica and DC Rowland attempt to find out but are met with an impasse both at the door and at the station. Jessica is warned to "leave Cass alone" without a reason. Then the penny drops as she realises who he really is. But something is still amiss on the estate.

Aside from Jessica's professional life, her old friend Caroline is lonely because her boyfriend is away in Australia so she has been turning up at Jessica's place and often staying the night. The two have been friends since the early twenties, I get the impression, or maybe longer. They are about to get a whole lot closer when one night Caroline writhes in pain and Jessica calls for an ambulance. When realisation dawned on the two women, Jessica sprang into action finding herself having to do something she never thought she would. With Caroline then in a coma in hospital, Jessica then calls boyfriend Hugo in Australia who then spends the next two days returning home.

I did enjoy THE UNLUCKY ONES to a point but not as much as I have Kerry's standalones. I enjoyed the comical wit that peppered the story - my favourite being about Manchester's transport structure being designed by someone tripping on some serious psychotropic mushrooms (sounds a lot like Sydney!) as well as Jessica and Davey's banter about what did Jesus do on the Saturday. Those two had me chuckling.

As I have read the previous Jessica Daniels book "Silent Suspect" which took place in Blackpool in her search for her missing friend Bex. I actually enjoyed that one more than this one, but funnily enough it was this book that warmed me up to Jessica more. Both books could be read as standalones I guess, but as they are part of a series, I think it would help to read them in order to become more familiar with all players and the references to which Jessica refers that obviously occurred in previous books.

The premise for THE UNLUCKY ONES sounded interesting which is why I opted for requesting it despite only having read the previous one and none of the others. However, what I found was that Jessica seemed to spend most of her time on the Lees estate than on the deaths outlined in the description. Maybe not, but it seemed that way to me. I am not a fan of stories surrounding council estates. They seemed to be filled with bullies - kids mostly - gangs, drugs and senseless crime. Nothing clever that could be found in other crime novels. It was the same when watching episodes of The Bill that featured one of the many council estates in the show - they were my least favourite and just didn't hold my interest. I guess I found that to be the same here. When I found Jessica heading back to the Lees estate, I thought to myself "not again".

The ending, when it came, I found to be lack lustre in comparison to Kerry's other thrillers. The solving of the serial killer kind of fell flat and the Lees estate outcome wasn't as eventful as it sounded. The twist regarding the missing money I guessed right away when it was discovered. So it wasn't much of a surprise when it was revealed in the end.

Don't get me wrong, I love Kerry Wilkinson's writing, but as a series I think I really need to stop while I'm ahead and start them from the beginning before I read any more. I may find I enjoy the series a lot more when I know what is actually happening.

However having said that, I WILL be looking forward to his next standalones which I love!

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

REVIEW: The Marriage Betrayal by Shalini Boland (ARC)

The Marriage Betrayal by Shalini Boland

Genre: Psychological thriller

Read: 6th July 2019

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(release date: 8th July 2019)

★★★★ 4.5 stars

Shalini Boland is THE Queen of psychological thriller twists! I don't think there has been a book of hers I haven't thoroughly enjoyed. She draws you in right from the very first page and you can't put it down till you've finished. Of course I did take one break to make dinner, but after that I delved straight back into it...and didn't return to the land of the living until I'd finished!

Faye Townsend has planned a surprise trip for her husband Jake's birthday. A week's holiday with their son Dylan, sister Lainy and her husband Tom and their two daughters, Poppy and Annabel in the seaside town of Swanage in Dorset, where Jake and Lainy grew up. The siblings have never returned to the little town since they left when they were teenagers, and their discomfort as soon as they set foot there is apparent.

The old gothic Victorian terraced house they have booked for the week looked a lot more inviting on the website than in reality. Upon opening the door, there is the subtle smell of damp and it looks as if little has been done to maintain the property. Then they are surprised to be greeted by a strange woman descending the stairs upon their arrival. It appears the owner wanted to be there to greet her guests when they arrived...but it left the couples feeling a little spooked. And a bit weird.

While Dylan and the girls raced upstairs to claim their rooms, leaving the adults to settle in theirs, Jake and Lainy showed little excitement. They'd both become quiet and withdrawn and neither appeared to want to talk about it.

Faye and Tom secretly arranged this holiday as a surprise and are disheartened to see their good intentions have fallen flat with their spouses, who look anything but thrilled to be back.

The holiday mood doesn't improve and they decide to return home the following afternoon, after Jake and Dylan return from their planned early morning excursion to see the dolphins. Whilst they are out, Faye and the others decide to head to the beach for a paddle and a picnic, sending Jake a message to let them know where to meet them. By 2pm after reveling in a seaside Punch and Judy show, Faye becomes concerned that the boys haven't returned. By then, they have been gone for 8 hours.

A police search is then underway for both Jake and Dylan - on the clifftop, in the woods and in the water - leaving Faye both frantic and fraught with worry. Tom and Lainy do their best to keep her spirits up but Faye can't help but imagine the worst. And then Dylan's baseball cap and some blood are found on the clifftop...

What happened to her husband and son? Are they injured? Did they fall? Or is this all just a ruse, and they left of their own accord? And if so, how well does Faye truly know her husband?

THE MARRIAGE BETRAYAL is Shalini Boland's eighth thriller, I believe, and her knack of of drawing you in, keeping you in suspense throughout and then throwing in a twist that blindsides you will keep you on the edge-of-your-seat and reading into the night in this compelling thriller. One of my favourite authors, Shalini never disappoints as she delivers another thrill-ride that will have you enjoying every moment.

Told primarily from Faye's perspective in the present day, we are fed pieces of the puzzle in flashbacks to Jake and Lainy in their teens when they lived in the seaside town. It is obvious something happened here, but what? There is also an anonymous narrative that is peppered throughout which leaves us wondering who it is and how it is connected. But true to form, Shalini loves to play with her readers' minds and has us tying ourselves in knots trying to work out where it is all leading.

And then...just when you thought you knew where the story was going...there is yet another twist that takes another huge detour...leaving the reader breathless!

I did not see that final twist coming. At all! Well done, Shalini! You've done it again!

THE MARRIAGE BETRAYAL comes out on 8th July. Put it on your TBR list. You won't be sorry!

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

REVIEW: The Divorce by Victoria Jenkins (ARC)

The Divorce by Victoria Jenkins

Genre: Psychological thriller, domestic thriller

Read: 5th July 2019

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(release date: 4th July 2019)

★★★ 2.5 to 3 stars

Having been a big fan of Victoria Jenkins' King and Lane series, I was excited to discover a psychological thriller by her. THE DIVORCE is a very different book and not what I expected. It is an incredibly slow burn that builds at an almost glacial speed to culminate in a somewhat different climax. By the end, I still wasn't sure what to think of it.

The story opens with Karen Fisher, a marriage guidance counsellor, who has her own demons to battle. When she meets Lydia and Josh Greene to help fix what is wrong in their own marriage, Karen has no idea what a pandora's box that would open. She immediately senses that something is not quite right with the couple and in trying to address their issues, the memories of her own past and her own demons began to surface. The unspoken words between the couple reverberated in Karen's mind as she was thrown into the turmoils of the past.

Karen's first husband was abusive and the pain she has felt at what she was subjected to and lost helps her to counsel couples today.

In Lydia, Karen can see herself. A woman frightened of her controlling husband who belittles her at every turn. Karen sees his anger in their sessions, knowing that if it remains unchecked Lydia could be in danger.

Josh is an angry and confused young man. He displays the signs of narcissism and sociopathy Karen is familiar with and his unchecked rage is a force to be reckoned with. The more time she spends with the couple, the more she believes Lydia to be in danger.

But something is not right. The more time she spends with the couple, the more apprehensive and afraid she becomes. What is it about them and their behaviour that that sets alarm bells ringing?

What are Lydia and Josh hiding?

What is Karen hiding?

Not everything you think about these people are true. Is everything as it seems?

But nothing prepares Karen for what's to come.

As the story unfolds we are privy to each character's perspective in alternate chapters. We gain insight into how they think and feel as we bounce between Karen, Josh and Lydia. It is an appealing idea but to be honest it was very slow and rather tedious in its build-up.

Sprinkled with lies and deception, THE DIVORCE is an original thriller with a very slow build in tension. It is clever, and yet it is tedious and challenging to get through. For a book that isn't overly long, it drags. The first half seems to go in circles, as therapy sessions can, and the chapters were too long.

I admit that I contemplated about abandoning this book after the first few chapters but I'm glad I didn't. Although it is almost boring to begin with, it does pick up a little but unfortunately I don't think it completely delivered. I could see where it was going but did it actually get there?

I think my biggest issue was the long drawn out chapters. I really hate them. Karen's in particular were lengthy. And given that there were really only three main players throughout, the chapters were focused on either the therapy session or Karen's long-winded narrative of thoughts. For me, I found it to be too wordy and lacking in real suspense. The ending was a bit of an anti-climax and I'm not sure where it was meant to be going from there. Or what we, as the reader, could draw from it. I found it to be as complicated as Josh and Lydia.

But I could see the concept of the story was original and it really made you stop and question how people can appear. And how our brain perceives things. Like I said, it was a clever idea...but it just failed to completely deliver. Which is a shame as I was so looking forward to this new direction the author was taking.

Having said that, I hope Jenkins tries her hand at more psychological thrillers and doesn't let the mixed reviews for THE DIVORCE put her off. She is a fantastic writer so I know she has it in her for more. I look forward to her next offering - maybe with shorter, punchier chapters.

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