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

The Secrets He Kept by Jackie Walsh

Genre: Psychological thriller, Domestic Thriller, Suspense

Read: 29 November 2019

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(publication date: 6th November 2019)

★★★★★ 5 stars

WOW! This was one intriguing read!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

REVIEW: The Other Daughter by Shalini Boland (ARC)

The Other Daughter by Shalini Boland

Genre: Domestic thriller, psychological thriller

Read: 28th November 2019

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(publication date: 5th November 2019)

★★★★ 4 stars

Shalini Boland is always one of my go-to authors. I love her style, her brilliant imagination and no one quite writes domestic or psychological thrillers like she does. Except maybe Kim Slater...lol But Shalini is the queen of killer twists and this book was no different. All throughout I kept thinking "how is she going to throw us a twist in this?" and without fail, she still manages to do it and shock us all at once!

Nine years ago, Rachel's daughter Holly was abducted whilst in the children's play area of a busy shopping centre. Rachel was enjoying coffee with a friend with their two sleeping babies, whilst two and a half year old Holly played her imaginative games inside a pink playhouse. Distracted in her conversation and some adult time, Rachel doesn't notice the hooded figure leading her daughter away with a cookie and the promise petting a real live bunny rabbit. Rachel's husband blames her for Holly's abduction and as the cracks in their marriage begin to crumble, Andrew leaves her and their baby daughter and sets up home in Spain where he soon has a new family.

London held too many memories for Rachel and so she packs up and moves herself and baby Jess to Dorset, where she meets Matt. Nine years later, Rachel and Matt are living happily together with the now 10 year old Jess and 6 year old Charlie. Life is good for Rachel now.

Then she meets Kate Morris outside the school gates one afternoon, who also has two children - Amy and Keiran - the same ages as Jess and Charlie. It's their first day at the school but Rachel is quick to ease Kate's nerves as they await for their respective children. But it is Kate's eldest daughter that captures Rachel's interest. Tween-aged Bella leans nonchalantly against her mother's car, tapping at her phone and wondering what is taking her mother so long. As soon as Rachel sees her, she is sure that Bella is her missing daughter Holly. Her emotional reaction is so visceral that she has no doubt at all. She could not mistake those green eyes, that heart shaped face and those long dark locks. Added to that, she is also the same age as her missing daughter would be now. Bella IS Holly. And it is this that sets everything that follows in motion...

Rachel becomes obsessed as she endeavours to find out more about Bella and what lead Kate and her family to move from London to their sleepy corner of Dorset. She invites them to dinner on the pretext of seeing Bella again, but is dismayed when Bella goes to a friend's house instead. So Rachel begins to drunkenly quiz her new friends at the dinner table about why they moved here and why does Bella not resemble them at all. Needless to say, Kate and her husband Shaun felt incredibly uncomfortable at her probing and citing not feeling well, left early taking their two youngest children with them despite the promised sleepover. But Rachel will not be swayed. She vows to collect evidence - enough to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that Bella is her missing daughter. There is just one problem...she has never told Matt about Holly...ever.

Rachel's obsession leads her to make some really REALLY stupid decisions. But she is on a mission to prove what she feels so deep within her soul...that Bella is Holly. And that Kate, or Shaun, stole her and have raised her as their own. Honestly, she borders on deranged. But then, having your child abducted when they were a toddler and never found is probably enough to make any mother a little unbalanced.

Told in two timelines - NOW and THEN - we also meet Catriona in the THEN chapters of nine years previous. It doesn't take long to discover how she fits into the story. And what a tale she tells! In fact, THE OTHER DAUGHTER opens, not with Rachel, but with Catriona...which I feel is a clever touch. Because as the reader we are drawn into Catriona's story and we feel her pain from the start that we almost identify with her and sympathise with her, that we don't even really blame her when she does the unthinkable. But as we watch her story unfold, our hearts breaks for Catriona. And all the while, in the NOW chapters, we are trying to work out what happened to Catriona and how she fits into the present day.

Then...just when you think you know where this is going...BAM! Shalini throws in one of her killer twists to turn everything on its head - and you are left wondering "what the...??" I honestly was trying to work out how this was going to play out as it really didn't seem to have anywhere else to go. But no, this is Shalini we're talking about. She does nothing normal that does not border on irrational or illogical. She takes a normal family...and throws them under, not just a bus, but a roaring train! She uproots everything you know and twists it beyond recognition. That by the end you are left breathless...

I have to say, I enjoyed the THEN chapters the most. I love finding out the who and the why of events leading up to the NOW. I found myself feeling for Catriona more than I did for Rachel, probably because Rachel did some incredibly dumb things that really seemed totally irrational. Her thought process annoyed me at times and I found myself thinking "you cannot be serious, woman?" Whereas with Catriona, she made one mistake - albeit a big one - but out of the best intentions...and spent the rest of her life making it up.

As my fourth thriller I've read by Shalini, I would have to be honest and say THE OTHER DAUGHTER is not her best but it is still one hell of a ride all the same! It will keep you guessing throughout and no matter how much you try and puzzle it together, you will never make the pieces fit. Shalini will have you twisted trying...believe me. And that's what makes her thrillers sooooo damn good! While the bounds of believability might need to be stretched just a tad with this one, it's still a compelling read that will have you up all night trying to figure it out.

You know that when you pick up a Shalini book, you are going to get one hell of a thrill ride and THE OTHER DAUGHTER was no different. And although I personally didn't think it was her best, I still enjoyed it just the same. I just felt the chapter after the "big reveal" was a little rushed with tying up loose ends. I wondered if a little more depth could have been put into them, considering how much we had invested into the whole story. The Epilogue was a fitting conclusion to the whole "debacle" though I'm not sure I even liked the narrator of that chapter as she didn't feel "real", if that makes any sense.

Either way, THE OTHER DAUGHTER is an intriguing, compelling, unputdownable tale that will have you reading long into the night until the finish.

I have no hesitation in recommending this book because as with any Shalini book, without a doubt, you will be in for thrill ride like no other!

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

REVIEW: These Little Lies by Gretta Mulrooney (ARC)

These Little Lies (DI Siv Drummond #1) by Gretta Mulrooney

Genre: Crime fiction, Police procedural

Read: 26th November 2019

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(publication date: 5th November 2019)

★★ 2.5 stars

In THESE LITTLE LIES we are introduced to DI Siv Drummond who has left the Met after the death of her husband and moved to the slower pace of the seaside town of Berminster. Siv and her sister grew up here, having been raised by their father after their mother ran out on them to take up with another lover, so it's with mixed emotions that Siv returns to her old home town.

But she has no time to ponder on the past as she is thrust deep into a murder investigation on her first day on the job with the discovery of two bodies found by the River Bere. The first is of Lauren Visser, a nursery worker who had a fascination for "wild swimming", while the second turns out to be a young Lithuanian, Matis Rimas who was fishing illegally and got a little more than he bargained for. Both have been stabbed viciously with a photo of a young girl left on one of the bodies.

Having identified the victims, Siv and her team struggle to find a link between the two who appear to be of very different backgrounds. Any witnesses are being less than truthful it appears so the team have to dig deeper to find any hidden skeletons.

It doesn't take long before the detectives begin to find a few secrets hidden beneath the surface. But are they enough reason for murder? The deeper they dig, the more they probe, the more it seems that many people are harbouring secrets and being somewhat economical with the truth.

Can Siv and her team sift out the lies and eliminate the suspects down to uncover the truth before it's too late?

THESE LITTLE LIES is a slow moving procedural that I felt almost glacial at times, but once you get into the story it does begin to move at a more even pace. I'm not sure about Siv just yet...I guess we have to learn more about her to get to know her better. But this does have all the makings of a promising new series.

Recommended to those who love their crime fiction and police procedurals.

I would like to thank #GrettaMulrooney, #NetGalley and #JoffeBooks for an ARC of #TheseLittleLies in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: The Great Divide by L.J.M. Owen (ARC)

The Great Divide by L.J.M. Owen

Genre: Crime Fiction, Noir

Read: 24th November 2019

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(publication date: 4th November 2019)

★★★★★ 5 stars

What a jewel this read turned out to be!

When I read a friend's review of this book I just knew I had to read it. I mean, it's not often I come across an Australian crime thriller - new or old - but when I do, I am eager to check it out. And boy, am I glad I did! I certainly hope that THE GREAT DIVIDE is the beginning of what promises to be fantastic new series.

When Detective Jake Hunter transferred from the hustle and bustle of Melbourne to the remote town of Dunton in rural Tasmania, he expects it to be a quiet secondment for his duration. After all, not much happens in a small town, does it? But within the week, what begins as a missing boy ends up being a full blown murder investigation.

It is early morning when 10 year old Jamie Taylor quietly unzips the family tent and deftly makes his way through the bush and the fog to an old vineyard, where he can run and run and run. But all of a sudden he sees something big and black looming in front of him, growling. In blind panic, he tries to escape the "monster" chasing him but he can't find his way back through the fog. And then he trips. When he turns for a closer look at the obstruction that caused him to fall, he sees a bloodied hand...and he screams.

When Jake finds Jamie huddled beneath the bushes on the outskirts of the derelict vineyard, the boy is so frightened Jake wonders why. It isn't long before he is standing over a mutilated body amidst the gnarled old grape vines. The victim is Ava O'Brien who ran a local "bad" girls' home for several years before it shut down a decade earlier.

Jake and his constable, Murphy, begin to dig into the secrets that surround the home as well as those of Ava O'Brien herself. The only family Ava had was her brother Liam who also lived in the town, both of whom had moved from the mainland some thirty years ago. Liam is a quiet man who keeps himself to himself, but is there a more sinister reason why?

And what of the home? What happened to the girls that lived there? Apparently wards of the state, the children were to be cared for until adoption, but Jake can find no records of the children or their adoptions. So what happened to them? Two of the girls were adopted locally but the others are proving difficult to track down. The deeper Jake digs, the more he suspects that something strange and disturbing had been at play within the home. Secrets long since buried that were only now hovering beneath the surface.

And then there is his Senior Sergeant - Aiden Kelly - who seems more intent on keeping the locals happy by indulging their sensitivities than actually solving the crime. After watching Jake and his interview techniques, he decides to sit in on most of the other interviews, cutting them short before Jake could ask the hard questions. And what about Constable Patrick Murphy? His reports indicate he is barely literate, that Jake seems to spend more time re-doing than Murphy spends on writing them, not to mention his loose interpretation of the law. How did he even pass training to become a police officer in the beginning? And why, if he has such a blatant disregard for the law? Then there is the added complication of Evelyn Kelly, his boss' daughter and local Victims of Crime services counsellor, who appears to show up at every crime scene and every interview to sit in on. And yet Jake is shocked by her unprofessional behaviour on more than one occasion that he finds himself questioning her qualifications. What is it that Ms Kelly is hiding?

Despite the haphazardness of the police in Dunton, Jake is grateful to find at least one ally in forensic pathologist, Dr Meena Gill. She too is what the locals call "a blow-in" and isn't swayed by the sensitivities of the local's proclivities.

Over the days that follow, Jake continues to dig deeper with the investigation leading him back to Melbourne. And with it, some shocking revelations. As the secrets surrounding the home and Ava's murder come to light, the horror of what really went on within those walls are ultimately exposed as the suspects and bodycount rises. Who is behind these abhorrent atrocities? And how far will they go to keep the enormity of their barbaric actions secret?

The twist is the gruesome trophy that Jake uncovers at the end has to be one of the most sinister and twisted things I have come across throughout this genre. But it is well-played.

THE GREAT DIVIDE is a complex tale of secrets, duplicity and murder offering a sense of bleak and dismal foreboding that is so claustrophobic it is almost chilling. It is hard not to use the word "atmospheric" when writing about it because that is exactly what it is - in both plot and setting.

An exciting addition to the genre of crime fiction noir, THE GREAT DIVIDE is well-paced and intriguing that I devoured it within one evening. I loved everything about it, even those I loved to hate, in this remote town shrouded in fog and lies. I hope it is just the beginning and would love to see a sequel as Jake finds his feet in the small isolated town.

I would like to thank #LJMOwen, #NetGalley and #BonnierBooksUK for an ARC of #TheGreatDivide in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: The Man on the Street by Trevor Wood (ARC)

The Man on the Street by Trevor Wood

Genre: Crime fiction

Read: November 2019

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(publication date: 31st October 2019)

★★★ 3 stars

If you like gritty crime fiction, in the vein of Val McDermid, Stuart MacBride and Ian Rankin, then you will love this Newcastle-set debut by Trevor Wood.

Jimmy Mullen is a veteran of the Falkland's War suffering with untreated PTSD and is homeless. His time in the war saw him see some of the most terrible atrocities that have haunted him ever since. Now he drinks to escape, unable to cope with his life at home, but in reality it has become a life sentence. His wife could no longer cope with his moods, concerned for her own safety and that of their little daughter. His escalating erratic behaviour saw him land in prison.

Now he's on parole and hoping to sort his life out. But life on the streets in is tough, and while suffering PTSD he is still in denial. He hooks up with some other homeless lads and together they become their own dysfunctional family of sorts, looking out for each other.

Then late one night Jimmy witnesses something untoward - raised voices in argument, followed by a splash and then silence. Not wanting to draw attention to himself being on parole, Jimmy resolves to let it go - it's not his fight. But in the weeks following, he sees an appeal for a missing person...and his conscience intervenes. But Jimmy doesn't want to get involved; it isn't his fight. But the missing man's daughter, Carrie, needs the truth. And so Jimmy steps up and resolves to stop hiding from his past in order to help Carrie. While police fail to take the word of a "vagrant", Jimmy puts himself at risk and soon finds himself swept away by dangerous events. Has he bitten off more than he can chew?

Narrated in the past and present, THE MAN ON THE STREET is a crime novel with a difference. It's about a crime but it is also about Jimmy and his daily struggle with PTSD, a debilitating condition resulting in nightmares, flashbacks, erratic behaviour, uncontrollable rages and more.

While somewhat implausible to think that a homeless veteran suffering severe untreated PTSD could investigate the disappearance of someone he may or may not have witnessed fall into the Tyne late one night, THE MAN ON THE STREET is a gritty addictive read none-the-less.

I would like to thank #TrevorWood, #NetGalley and #Quercus for an ARC of #TheManOnTheStreet in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: The Verdict by Olivia Isaac-Henry (ARC)

The Verdict by Olivia Isaac-Henry

Genre: Psychological thriller, Crime fiction

Read: November 2019

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(publication date: 31st October 2019)

★★★ 3 stars

When I read the premise for THE VERDICT, it sounded so intriguing I couldn't wait to sink my teeth into it. But the characters and the slow burn story did nothing to engage me that I felt as if I was just flipping pages to reach the end. While there was a surprising twist, I'm not sure if it was enough to save the story as a whole.

A body is found on the North Downs and Julia Winter is living her somewhat average life oblivious to the discovery...until she receives a text with a link to a news report warning her. Who is it from? Who knows her secret? Suddenly, Julia is awash with the knowledge that somebody must know the secret she's kept buried for so long. When the body is soon identified as one of the housemates she had shared a house with over 20 years ago, Julia realises she is caught in a web of lies and deception from which she can find no escape.

Julia was 23 when she fled London to quiet Guildford after her long-time boyfriend passed her over for another woman. Devastated, distraught and looking for an escape, she ends up sharing a grand house with the owner, Genevieve, and four other tenants - Lucy, Gideon, Brandon and Alan. Tensions ran high in the household and not everyone got along. When their house-sharing comes to and end, they all go their separate ways. Or do they?

Twenty three years later and Julia and two of her former housemates are on trial for murder.

Now 48, Julia is living in a bedsit after an affair resulted in the collapse of her marriage. She is insecure and at times rather irritating. And now she finds her character is under scrutiny after cheating on her husband and being estranged with her son. But is she a killer? Will this paint a darker picture of her and cloud the jury's judgement? There is such overwhelming evidence against her, will they believe her story?

None of the characters are particularly likable but they were interesting. Genevieve claimed to be a classically trained actress but rumoured to have been a "hostess". Mourning the loss of her son she refuses to acknowledge his death and latches onto Brandon, making him a sort of pet. She's mysterious, inventing dramas for the sole purpose of attracting attention. Of all of them, she was the most entertaining. Brandon is thoroughly unlikable who uses people for his own gain, Alan is a nasty backstabber, jealous of everyone else while Gideon is one of those slimy people who fit in anywhere, anytime...blending in and making friends. But is that just an act? Is he just a wolf in sheep's clothing?  And Julia? She's a woman with a loose relationship with the truth, cheating on her husband more concerned with her climbing the corporate ladder than caring for her husband and son, in my opinion. But has she just been swept along by a course of events through which she has had no control? Or is she more calculated?

Set across three timelines, THE VERDICT got a little confusing at times trying to place the sequence of events in order but once you do, it's fairly straight-forward to follow. Though it would have been better had the story been told in a simpler timeline rather than all over the place. It was refreshing to note that events from all three timelines made sense in the end, as there is nothing worse than a confusing conclusion that leaves you up in the air with loose ends.

I found THE VERDICT to be slow moving and difficult to be enthralled by anyone or anything. It completely lacked excitement that by the time it began to get interesting it was too little too late, in my opinion. By that time I didn't really care what happened to Julia - whether she was guilty or not. And for this reason, I hate slow-burns. I like books to keep you engaged from the first page...and unfortunately THE VERDICT failed to do that.

A reasonably good read, if you like slow burns. Just not for me.

I would like to thank #OlivaIsaacHenry, #NetGalley and #HarperImpulse, #KillerReads and #OneMoreChapter for an ARC of #TheVerdict in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: Shamus Dust by Janet Roger (ARC)

Shamus Dust by Janet Roger

Genre: Crime fiction

Read: November 2019

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(publication date: 28th October 2019)

★★★ 3 stars

I've not read a book quite like SHAMUS DUST. It is unique and yet it is very alluring. It is classic noir of the the 1940s murder mysteries once seen on the big screen.

It begins on Christmas Day in the post-war era of London in 1947. It's a cold and bleak morning when a man is found dead at a church, shot twice, causing shockwaves throughout the community. It seems though, that the victim, identified as Raymond Jarrett, was a local pimp and almost certainly up to no good. A search of his flat reveal pictures of young boys in compromising positions with which he used for blackmail. So it wasn't at all surprising that no one seems all that disappointed with his demise.

Jarrett's flat is owned by a local councillor who takes it upon himself to hire private eye, Newman aka "Shamus", to investigate what happened and to hush up any possibly scandal. Suspicions are aroused surrounding the nurse who discovered the body but are soon overshadowed by a missing university professor and his assistant, a male sex worker, an abusive father and his daughter along with plenty of other complications like corruption and greed soon have Newman digging deep into a very sordid aspect of London society.

It seems though that Councillor Drake has underestimated Newman's intelligence and abilities as he uncovers a homosexual ring, blackmail, greed, corruption and bent coppers. He is assisted along the way with a young female doctor who seems somewhat elusive and mysterious.

There are more murders and shocking twists along the way as the more Newman investigates and the deeper he digs, the higher the bodycount. Then throw in an archaeological find below London's Square Mile and you have an even bigger mystery at hand.

But somebody knows more than they're letting on. The question is - who?

SHAMUS DUST is most definitely a classic crime mystery in true noir-style. It's dark, it's sophisticated and it's atmospheric. My biggest flaw with with it would be the long and overt descriptions, some of which I felt could have been cut down but then at the same time does it add to that classic noir style?

I also wasn't fond of the lead being an American in London. I felt this was a classic British mystery needing a British protagonist. The added use of Americanised English only served to irritate me further, as there is nothing I hate more than American English in British books. I prefer spelling, language and terms appropriate to the period and place in which the book is set. To me, it felt out of character with the whole scene and didn't belong. But that is just my personal opinion - others may feel differently.

I note others have compared the writing style to that of Raymond Chandler. But as I've not read any I can't compare it myself. However, if you love dark, atmospheric writing then you are bound to enjoy SHAMUS DUST. This book has a little bit of everything - murder, blackmail, mystery, greed, corruption, lies and suspense.

I would like to thank #JanetRoger, #NetGalley and #Matador for an ARC of #ShamusDust in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: The Empty Nest by Sue Watson (ARC)

The Empty Nest by Sue Watson

Genre: Psychological thriller

Read: 23rd November 2019

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(publication date: 1st November 2019)

★★★ 3.5 stars

THE EMPTY NEST is one of those books that I had high expectations for, particularly after enjoying "The Woman Next Door" so much. I was somewhat disappointed that I didn't find it nearly as enthralling as much as irritating. Having said that, it does get better...somewhat.

Kat Ellis is an over-protective mother whose 18 year old daughter has left for university. Sadly for Kat, Amy chose Aberyswyth in Wales over a hundred miles away which brings a whole new set of worries for her mother.
But then, had Kat been my mother I would have chosen Aberyswyth too...and I'm in Australia! Never a more annoying, irritating, insufferable woman have I ever encountered than Kat! That woman grated on my nerves from the first page, and while I did gain some insight and understanding into why she was like that, she still irritated me no end.

The first ten chapters are basically of Kat constantly staring at her phone and rambling nonsensically on and on, subsequently thinking, talking and analysing Amy's every movement. Why hasn't she called? Why hasn't she text? It's what she ALWAYS does! No, it's what's she always DID. Amy is 18 and has left for Uni...she's a big girl now and doesn't need her mum breathing down her neck every five minutes. But Kat refuses to believe that, saying that "a girl always needs her mum". While that is true...Kat just takes it to a whole new level, choking the life out of her daughter. "Smothering mothering" is the best term to describe her.

So when Amy fails to return home one weekend this of course sends Kat over the edge, causing her to imagine all sorts of horrors. Of course, she was just home two weeks before and mother and daughter have exchanged possibly around 100 phone calls and texts in that time. They speak daily without fail...until now. It has been two days and Kat has not heard from her daughter. She has not called...not answered her phone...not sent any text messages...she hasn't even been on social media!

Alarm bells start ringing for Kat, whilst her husband and best friend think she is just overreacting. The assure her that Amy is fine; she's probably just having a good time with her new friends, enjoying her new-found independence and just forgot to call. Forgot? Kat screeches. Amy never forgets to call or text, as she would know her mum would worry. The first ten chapters are honestly spent with this over-wrought, over-anaylitical, over-reacting mum obsessing over the sudden absence of her daughter's communication. No one is listening to Kat and her worries. Amy wouldn't just disappear and not call.

When husband Richard finally agrees that the police need to be contacted, Kat is relieved that he is finally listening to her. He calls the police in Wales and then they both make the two hour drive to Amy's uni in Aberyswyth. Upon arrival, it is soon apparent that Amy's room has not been slept in...and some of her clothes are missing. Has she any reason to run away, the police ask. Of course not, Kat responds. Is she an at-risk or vulnerable person, they ask. Kat wants to scream that of course she is at risk and vulnerable...she is not at home safe with me! But as the hours go by, just about everyone who knew Amy becomes a suspect.

Despite the fact that it is now clear that something has indeed happened to Amy, for the most part we are subjected to yet more agonising and analysing from Kat and some woeful conversations between her, her best friend Zoe and daughter Jodie. But then gradually, a different picture begins to emerge. No one, it appears, is who they seem. Kat has secrets of her own, relating back to her ex-husband and Amy's father. She has not even disclosed to Richard everything from her past. And what is Richard hiding? Who can she turn to when those closest to her around her keep telling her that this is normal behaviour for a teenager? Then when Tony, Amy's father, turns up Kat begins to wonder if her decision to cut him from their lives all those years ago was the right one. Does Tony know where Amy is?

As the story picks up pace, secrets begin to unravel and Kat questions just who she can truly trust as we accelerate towards a surprising conclusion.

I must admit that it was impossible for me to identify with Kat as I am not a mother myself, but even I could see the "smothering mothering" was bordering on unhealthy to dysfunctional. Yes, she had her reasons for her behaviour but I still can't quite grasp her need to be constantly tied to her daughter. And to be honest, I think the closeness Kat envisioned she and Amy shared was pretty much all in her mind. They were close, yes, but not in the way she thought. I think, as much as Amy loved her mum, she craved for the independence she would never have at home which is probably why she chose a uni over a hundred miles away in another country.

Despite my intense dislike of Kat, I gave her my full attention...whilst questioning my own sanity...and I stuck with it. I am glad I did because I was happy to note that the story came alive in the second half. And not because everyone finally started listening to Kat...because goodness knows, I wouldn't have. But because there were secrets to unravel and I love nothing more than some juicy secrets to pick through - the darker, the better.

I have to say that there there is not one likable character in THE EMPTY NEST, except Richard who I thought deserved a medal for putting up with Kat. But I thoroughly disliked Kat most of all. I'm not surprised Amy had disappeared...I think I would have too. And yet, the story is still engaging enough to keep you interested until it gets better... and it does.

Again, despite my intense dislike for Kat (that never changed throughout the book), THE EMPTY NEST is an addictive page turner once you get past the first several chapters of Kat's constant rambling, which inevitably slowed the pace dramatically to start with.

The one thing that saved this story were the twists at the end - albeit a little over the top maybe - but satisfying all the same. I must admit to feeling a kind of perverse pleasure as it unfolded.

Overall, THE EMPTY NEST is a slow burn thriller that will have you tearing your hair out. It will aggravate and irritate you but stick with it as the ending is bound to satisfy in some small perverse way.

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

REVIEW: See Them Run by Marion Rodd (ARC)

See Them Run (DI Clare McKay #1) by Marion Todd

Genre: Crime fiction, Police procedural

Read: 22nd November 2019

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(publication date: 31st October 2019)

★★★★ 4 stars

As a fan of police procedurals, I was excited to discover a new series to sink my teeth into. SEE THEM RUN is the first in a new series by Marion Todd, featuring DI Clare McKay, and set in the Scottish seaside town of St Andrews.

After shooting dead a 15 year old boy who was brandishing what turned out to be a toy gun in an armed robbery, Clare McKay left the grit of Glasgow behind and transferred to the picturesque St Andrews, more famous for its golf course and historic university than crime. Having established a rapport with her new team, Clare was quickly thrown into a suspicious hit and run in the drive of a hotel where a wedding reception is underway. The victim was crushed, having been run over not once but twice. A white card with the number 5 is found on the body. When a second victim is found with the number 4, Clare suspects a serial killer is in their midst.

With this knowledge, and her rank only being a DI, Clare and her team know that a DCI will be tasked to oversee the investigation and soon enough DCI Alistair Gibson arrives from Edinburgh to assist. But it seems Clare's reputation precedes her. That is, her involvement in the shooting in Glasgow as an Armed Response Officer, and it seems he doubts her ability to lead the inquiry into these suspicious deaths, questioning both her fitness and her treatment of the second victim's wife who turns out to be a personal friend of his. But Clare is methodical and determined to solved this case, as she looks to settle and made a home for herself in this town.

It soon becomes clear someone is targeting these men when an attack on a third man is witness by a dog walker, resulting in the victim being found alive and rushed to hospital. A rain sodden white card with the number 3 was found at the scene, along with the green paint of the vehicle involved. The witness was able to provide a general description of the vehicle as being an old style Land Rover, a partial registration and with the surprising supposition that the driver was a woman.

Clare and her partner, DS Chris West, delve into the lives of each of the victims and catch a lucky break in the home of the third victim, Nat Dryden. His laptop was open, no password protection and no security installed, with an address to somewhere on the dark net called the "Playroom". Analyses of the first two victims - Andy Robb and Bruce Gilmartin - link all three men to TOR, an internet browser that guarantees anonymity by hiding and deleting your internet history. That in itself is nothing...but it's what they find on Nat's laptop that leads them to believe that something far more disturbing is at play.

The first victim, Andy Robb, it seems, couldn't keep it in his pants and was out at his club on Thursday nights, withdrawing £100 each week. The second victim, Bruce Gilmartin, was the CEO of a well-established brewery in St Andrews and Thursday nights was spent at one of his many charities. But Clare and her team could not find which one he bestowed upon each week. And then it seemed that the third victim, Nat Dryden, also had a mysterious committment every Thursday. So just what was it about Thursdays that linked these men?

Of course it doesn't help that DCI Gibson is close friends with the Gilmartins and warns Clare off upsetting Mrs Gilmartin any further. But Clare is fairly sure the wife knows a little more than she is letting on, despite being in Amsterdam when her husband was killed.

The clock is ticking for Clare and her team, knowing the killer is on some kind of countdown which will inevitably end with Number 1. Under pressure from her DCI, Clare must quickly identify the remaining victims but in doing so takes her on an unsettling journey within the dark net.

Unlike many other crime fiction stories, SEE THEM RUN is wholly a police procedural where you see the investigation unravel from the viewpoint of the police. The only insight into the victims' lives and any suspects is again from the police perspective. I'm not sure yet if that is preferable or not - in my own opinion - though it still made for compelling reading.

I enjoyed Clare's camaraderie she had with her team, with the exception of DCI Gibson, however even he was won over in the end. I look forward to getting to know Clare and DS West a bit more in future books, and this was an interesting introduction to them. It is obvious that Clare is feeling her way after the debacle in Glasgow and although she is still somewhat unsettled and lonely - particularly with the threat of the criminal suit by the boy's family - I hope that will soon be remedied by her putting down roots in purchasing the cottage that took her eye and the warm addition of Benjy.

Who is Benjy? Read the book to find out! I'm in love with him already and hope to see more of him (with no harm coming to him, of course) both in Clare's life and in future books.

I am thrilled to see the new onslaught of British crime fiction being set in Scotland now, and this one is a great addition. It is a refreshing change being set in picturesque St Andrews, as opposed to gritty Glasgow, Aberbeen and Edinburgh. If you love detective fiction and police procedurals...particularly British crime fiction, you will love SEE THEM RUN and this new series featuring DI Clare McKay.

I would like to thank #MarionTodd, #NetGalley and #Canelo for an ARC of #SeeThemRun in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: Traces of Her by Amanda Brittany (ARC)

Traces of Her by Amanda Brittany

Genre: Psychological thriller

Read: 19th November 2019

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(publication date: 25th October 2019)

★★★★★ 5 stars

WOW!! WOW!! WOW!! Where do I even start? This book was, simply put, mind blowing!

I was hooked from the beginning and simply could not stop reading, devouring TRACES OF HER in two sittings! I loved the alternating narratives and timelines between Rose and Ava and just had to keep turning pages to find out what truly happened 18 years before.

The story opens with a Prologue that sets the tone instantly with a chilling sense of foreboding that is so haunting it will give you goosebumps. From this point on, I was completely drawn in...and couldn't turn those pages quick enough! I would have devoured it in one sitting had I not required sleep...lol

When Rose doesn't hear from her stepsister Willow for a month, she wasn't particularly worried as Willow has always been unreliable and has often taken off on a whim in the past. But this time is different. When she suddenly receives a call from Willow, she is surprised to hear that she is in Cornwall and begs Rose to join her, pleading with her in desperation. Rose has always been soft where her stepsister is concerned and knew she would concede in the end so promises to make the five hour drive down on the weekend.

A couple of days later, Rose receives a mysterious package from Willow with photos of four suspects relating to a cold case in which two sisters died 18 years before. One of them was Willow's birth mother, Ava. And now she is obsessed with uncovering the truth about what really happened to Ava and her sister, Gail.

The news comes as a shock to Rose, who didn't even know Willow was adopted. She confronted her stepmother Eleanor who confirmed that Willow's mother had been murdered by her sister Gail, who then committed suicide. Eleanor was a case worker for the family and after the deaths, the girls' mother was incapable of looking after her granddaughter and relinquished custody, afterwhich Eleanor adopted her.

Armed with this new information, Rose and her 14 year old daughter Becky made the long journey to Cornwall but upon arrival find the cottage in which Willow is supposedly staying to be empty. Her luggage, clothes and any sign that she was ever hear has gone. All that remains is her jacket laying in one of the bedrooms...the only sign that Willow had even been here. Rose knows that she wouldn't have just upped and left, knowing that Rose was on her way to her. So where was she?

Rose then begins by asking locals at the pub and in the shop about the men in the photographs, hoping it will lead her to Willow, and to gauge their reactions. Asking if they remembered the Ava Millar murder, she soon learns that Ava was full of secrets with a history of numerous relationships with different men...or rather, boys. Justin (Willow's father), Peter and Maxen - making all them appear suspects. She hopes that the more she can find out about Ava and her murder, the closer she will get to finding Willow.

But someone doesn't want her digging up the past. On more than one occasion, Rose receives messages to LEAVE, and becomes fearful when she has the sense of being watched. Who is trying to drive her out of town? Who doesn't want the truth uncovered? And what really happened on the beach that night? The night of Ava's sister's wedding.

There are plenty of characters you will love to hate and others that is easy to sympathise with. I am unsure how I feel about Rose because she seemed to defer to her daughter an awful lot, and given that she is just 14, I thought that was a little unrealistic. Considering Becky had Rose slightly wrapped around her finger, she didn't seem to be completely ruined...which was a surprise. But I did find myself questioning just who was the adult in this relationship at times. We didn't see much of Willow as an adult but more as a precocious 2 year old when Ava was still alive, so it was hard to really have much of an opinion of her. Rory, Gail, Jeanette, Justin...could not stand any of them. As for the many other characters...most I didn't like all that much, basically because I didn't trust them.

Told through the alternating chapters between Rose in the present and Ava in the past, as well as the addition of a unknown narrative titled YOU, TRACES OF HER is a well-plotted, intriguing tale of two sisters across two timelines - Rose and Willow, and Ava and Gail - and the fate that awaits them. There are suspects aplenty as the mystery deepens. What really happened to Ava? And why was she so brutally killed? And where is Willow now?

Despite the triple narrative over dual timelines, TRACES OF HER is very easy to follow and will have you enthralled throughout. With many twists and turns, you may figure out the killer or you may not. I had my suspicions throughout most of the story of two major factors which turned out to be correct...which I only questioned when something occurred in the past to make me wonder "what if?" To me, it was so out of left field I thought that it would be mind-blowing twist that readers (except me) would never guess and it seems I was on the same wavelength as the author. And it never detracts from my enjoyment of the book if my suspicions prove to be correct. I find it a kind of challenge...to see if I can work it out.

There are many secrets and lies in this deftly crafted thriller with plenty of twists to keep you guessing. Its fast pace did not let up throughout and by the time it ended, I was left breathless.

Overall, a brilliant read from a new author to me. I have not read Amanda Brittany before and, if this book is anything to go by, it won't be my last.  I do have to question if the author is a fan of the Australian soap "Home and Away" with the characters such as Justin, Willow and Ava...with the female characters roles reversed? lol

TRACES OF HER is just brilliant. Just mind-blowing. I cannot express just how much I loved this book, despite some of its loathsome characters. I just hope I was able to do such a brilliant book justice with my review.

If you love a good psychological thriller with a twist you won't see coming at the end (although now you will...lol), then grab yourself a copy of TRACES OF HER! You will love it, I'm sure!

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

REVIEW: Safe House by Jo Jakeman (ARC)

Safe House by Jo Jakeman

Genre: Psychological thriller, Suspense

Read: 20th November 2019

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(publication date: 31st October 2019)

★★★ 3.5 stars

I've not read Jo Jakeman before so I wasn't sure what to expect from SAFE HOUSE. I wasn't disappointed but I wasn't wowed either. I think the story had great potential to be better, though it was still reasonably enjoyable.

It's the first day of Charlie Miller's life. That is, as Charlie Miller. For that isn't her real name...just her new one. She used to be Steffi Finn and she has just been released from prison after serving a 10 month sentence for perverting the course of justice when she gave her boyfriend a false alibi for the night a woman was murdered. Undertaking various courses in prison to both keep her busy and enable her to put those new skills to good use, she kept her head down and awaited her release to put it all behind her. And now that time had come.

Leaving "Steffi" behind, Charlie made her way down to a sleepy Cornish village where her solicitor friend had bought a dilapidated cottage on her behalf. The cottage was in such disrepair, those skills she acquired at Her Majesty's pleasure would be put to good use. Charlie was happy to keep to herself but then wouldn't that draw attention to her if she failed to mingle with the community? So when two women walking their dogs came upon her one morning, despite being wary Charlie was grateful for the opportunity to make new friends. She even made an impression on her curmudgeonly neighbour, Aubrey, whose gruffness was just a front.

But someone is watching Charlie. Someone knows who she really is. And they mean to harm her. Or do they?

You see, having her whole life scrutinised by the public where the truth didn't really matter gave credence to Charlie's paranoia. The public just wanted justice for the murders of two women, one of which Steffi/Charlie could have prevented had she been truthful from the beginning. Charlie knows this. She understands this. She has long blamed herself for the death of the second woman she could have prevented. But could she really? Was she really responsible for her boyfriend's actions? Lee Fisher was a killer; she wasn't responsible for that. But Lee made her think she was.

Steffi Finn was a naive young woman who, desperate for love and affection, had fallen head over heels for Lee Fisher. They had only been together a short time before he moved into her house, and it wasn't long until she was completely under his spell. You see, Lee was manipulative charmer. He had a way of making you feel that you were responsible for his actions...after all, he was only reacting to something YOU had done. Hu used coercive control to make subtle demands on Steffi to which she happily complied, knowing that he loved her, and because she loved him.

At Lee's request, Steffi had given up drinking alcohol and yet she came home from a colleague's leaving do, wreaking of wine and stumbling over her own feet. Lee was livid. They'd argued, he stormed out and she went to bed. That night Katy Foster disappeared and when the police came calling, Steffi had said Lee was home all night, assuming he'd slept in the spare room.

And here lies the point in question: upon hearing a woman has provided an alibi for her boyfriend for the time he was in fact murdering women - what would you think? That she was foolish, stupid, naive? Or maybe she knew? The public are fed tidbits by the media who have their own slant on a story, because the fact that she couldn't be oblivious to what he was doing is ludicrous! I mean, how could she not know? But that is what the public are always lead to believe...whether it was true or not. However, it is completely possible to live with someone and share your life with them and be completely unaware of a secret life they may be harbouring. How else do you think some men keep two families for years without detection? Or affairs are kept from partners? And the secret lives as killers some people in real life have maintained until caught out? Everyone has secrets, even from each other. Steffi was just naive and I didn't for one minute believe she was aware of Lee's activities. To say it was hard not to blame her is absurd. People are just too quick to taint others as guilty merely by association. How could she not see?? Simple....he was good at hiding it. Men like that are chameleons.

So now Charlie finds herself living in fear and paranoia in the quaint yet remote little Cornish village of Penderrion with the sinister feeling of being watched. A creak in the floorboards. A broken safety catch on a ladder. A shadow in the window. Nothing can possibly be a coincidence anymore as suspicion clouds her every interaction. What if someone knows who she really is? And what will happen when the rest of the village finds out? Is she in danger?

SAFE HOUSE is told in dual timelines that slowly reveal Steffi and Lee's backstory from Steffi and Charlie's perspective and newspaper articles. There is also the POV from a Ben Jarvis, whose role is exposed in the climatic throes of the penultimate finale, as well as an unknown narrative. Each of these chronicle the transformation from Steffi to Charlie with some very tense moments, and the story surrounding her.

An interesting premise and somewhat thought-provoking, SAFE HOUSE was a fairly enjoyable read. Its slow build promised a final reveal that would crash and devour all other possibilities in one fell swoop, leaving the truth battered and bruised and laying bare by the end. It worked well enough but didn't completely satisfy. I don't know why...I just felt there was more to be said.

However, SAFE HOUSE is a twisty thriller filled with suspense that will have you questioning everything.

I would like to thank #JoJakeman, #NetGalley and #RandomHouseUK and #VintagePublishing for an ARC of #SafeHouse in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: A View Across the Rooftops by Suzanne Kelman (ARC)

A View Across the Rooftops by Suzanne Kelman

Genre: Historical fiction

Read: 17th November 2019

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(publication date: 25th October 2019)

★★★★★ 5 stars

As a fan of WW2 fiction, A VIEW ACROSS THE ROOFTOPS is unlike any other I have read. A touching tale of love, hope, courage and betrayal in Nazi-occupied Amsterdam, it is evocative, emotional, unsettling and yet it is hauntingly beautiful.

It's 1941 and the Nazi's have invaded Amsterdam, taking it over and setting up occupation in the name of the Fuhrer. There are German soldiers at every turn making the Dutch town a dangerous place to live. Radios were confiscated, food, clothes and medicine were in short supply and with their city under complete rule of the Nazis, the people were isolated from the outside world.

Professor Josef Held has never gotten over the loss of his beloved wife Sarah who died 20 years ago whilst giving birth to their first child. He has barely lived in the time since, refusing to forgive himself for letting it happen. By day he teaches advanced mathematics at the university and by night he sits at home alone with his cat, eating a plain and simple meal and listening to his neighbour play her piano. He has no intention of letting anyone else into his world...this existence in which he lives until the day he rejoins his beloved Sarah.

A sympathetic and compassionate man, Josef does not think of himself as brave. He has no intention of involving himself in the war around him. He just wants his life to remain as simple as possible. And yet, one night his life is changed forever when the Nazis come for his neighbour, Mrs Epstein, who both delighted and soothed his soul every evening with her beautiful piano. She begs him to help her but is wretched from his arms by the Nazis and shot. Josef is horrified and speechless. But more than that...he feels an incredible guilt as the Nazis thanked him for his good work. He knew then that he had a hand in his neighbour's demise when he told his niece Ingrid of his Jewish neighbour who played the piano, teaching local children how to play. And now Josef must live with what he has done.

Michael Blum is a young Jewish man and a student of Josef's at the university. He is a dreamer, a romantic, a poet and cares nothing for mathematics...but is following his father's aspirations to study numbers in the belief that he would make something of himself. But Michael comes up against adversity when Jews are banned from attending classes and in a final act of defiance completes his last exam with the writings of Josef's late wife's favourite poets, Rilke.

Michael wants nothing more than to live a quiet life on his girlfriend Elke's houseboat, writing poetry and making love. But when his childhood friend David comes knocking frantically, the Gestapo hot on his heels, Michael then attempts to escape the city...but David is killed. With frantic promises to Elke, Michael flees to the one person he feels he can trust.

When Josef hears the insistent banging on his door he worries that the Nazis have returned after shooting his neighbour in cold blood. But upon opening his door he is surprised to find his former student Michael, terrified and shaking...and a Jew on the run for his life. Without thinking twice, Josef offers Michael safe shelter in his attic for the night. But things become far too dangerous and fearing his house is under watch, Josef concedes that Michael must stay if he is to survive. This is especially true with Ingrid working with the Third Reich and dating a high level SS officer - Major Heinrich von Strauss - putting his life at an even greater risk. But after the death of his neighbour, the Major was of the firm belief that Josef was "one of the good Dutch". Indeed he was...just not in the way the Major thought.

Then there is Ingrid. As Josef's niece, she was orphaned at a young age when Josef himself was still grieving the loss of his own wife and was unable to take on the care of the little girl. So she was sent to live with relatives and attend boarding school...leaving Josef feeling guilty that he should've been there for Ingrid in her younger years. Now she is an adult and excited about her new job with the Third Reich. Josef is mortified. But Ingrid is naive in her knowledge of the Nazis, believing she is on the path to a better life - a richer life - with Heinrich by her side.

Meanwhile there are elements of romance throughout. While in the shadowy quiet of his secret room, Michael regales Josef with stories of his beautiful fearless girlfriend Elke, with whom he insists that not even the Nazis will come between. But Elke is a non-Jewish Dutch woman and their relationship is strictly forbidden. Furthermore, there is also Hannah Porter who works at the university where Josef teaches. Completely unaware that Hannah is interested in him, Josef surprisingly finds himself also intrigued by her but believes her to be a married woman so refuses to pay any heed to his attraction. But Hannah, who lives with her aging mother Clara, is a widow and tries in vain to capture the attentions of the somewhat aloof and indifferent professor. But given the troubled times in which they live, was it wise to embark on a new relationship?

A VIEW ACROSS THE ROOFTOPS is not a fast paced tale and yet it is so beautifully told that you find yourself so immersed within the story that you devour it all too quickly. I read it in two sittings, staying up till 3.30am until I turned the final page.

A haunting tale, A VIEW ACROSS THE ROOFTOPS is unlike any WW2 historical novel. Every character draws you in as you invest yourself in each of their stories, whether they be good or bad, devouring it all with baited breath. Josef's heroic actions, Michael's strength, Ingrid's naivete, Elke's fearlessness, Hannah's courage, even Heinrich's insidiousness. By the end, I was left both heartbroken and satisfied.

A VIEW ACROSS THE ROOFTOPS is not just another Holocaust or WW2 story. It is something else entirely. Poignant, moving, tragic and heartbreaking but it is also inspiring, beautiful and hopeful. You will need a box of tissues for this one...but you won't regret it.

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

REVIEW: The Other Wife by Claire McGowan (ARC)

The Other Wife by Claire McGowan

Genre: Psychological thriller, domestic thriller

Read: 15th November 2019

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(publication date: 24th October 2019)

★★★★ 4 stars

My first book by Claire McGowan, THE OTHER WIFE is a deeply disturbing domestic thriller of a different kind filled with lots and lots of secrets, lies, infidelity, deception, family drama, coercive control/abuse and some totally unreliable narrators. So if you don't mind spending some time with some really unlikable people, then you are sure to enjoy this twisted yet deceptive ride.

Told from the alternating perspectives of Suzi, Nora and Elle it is immediately clear from the beginning that all is not as it seems in the lives of these three women. And while the three women are seemingly unconnected, it didn't take me long to work out just how their lives did intertwine. The pace is slow to begin with, but stick with it because it all begins to make sense quite soon, pulling you right into their web of lies.

Under the facade of working on their troubled marriage, Suzi's husband Nick moves them to a remote cottage in the country after a drunken indiscretion with a colleague, forcing her to give up her job in London. Nick, of course, could continue to commute by car but Suzi, now 6 months pregnant, is completely isolated with no access to her own money, transport or friends. He is incredibly jealous and while he never laid a hand on her, he controlled Suzi in other ways.

Before moving into their cottage, Nick had it gutted and completely renovated into their dream home...or so Suzi thought. What he actually did was turn it into a complete prison that monitored her via CCTV, controlled via an app on his phone which was linked to a hub at home that would randomly play music, whisper her name and change the codes for the locks on the doors. It was all cleverly designed to make Suzi think she was going mad and ultimately relying on him completely.

But Suzi is harbouring secrets of her own. Finding herself jobless, friendless and completely isolated...until Nora moves into the cottage across the road...she knows she shouldn't share them with anyone, let alone someone she barely knows...but Suzi is desperate. And so she confides in Nora about the married man with whom she'd had an affair, and after discovering she was pregnant, he'd decided to leave his wife to be with her. But now months after that promise, she has heard nothing from her lover despite anxiously trying to contact him, only to discover his number no longer connected. Had she been duped? Had she scared him off? Surely he wouldn't leave her without a word. But Nick knew none of this. He only knew of her one drunken liaison that preceded their move.

In the short time she had known Suzi and her husband, Nora suspected that had Nick known about this affair, Suzi's life would take an even more sinister turn. Nora was fairly sure that Nick was abusing his wife via coercive control and yet while she had no proof, she knew the signs. But what was she to do? She had her own reasons for moving into this musty little cottage. Should she get involved or let Suzi dig her own grave?

At first, Nora seems like a practical sort. She's strong and capable and just the type of person one could trust. But Nora has secrets of her own...some of which that have remained hidden since childhood. So just how credible does that make her? Should Suzi be trusting her with her secrets? There is something a little dark about the recently widowed Nora, almost calculating even, which is somewhat removed from the dowdy middle-aged persona she seemingly and outwardly appears. But there is more to Nora than meets the eye. And then something changes when she probes into the death of her husband...and her target for revenge shifts.

Then there is Elle, a former concert pianist married to a successful doctor. The perfect wife with the ideal husband, Elle tries in vain to keep her faded beauty alive and looking attractive for Patrick on a daily basis. She is obviously clingy where her whole life revolves around him. But does he appreciate her? He is constantly home late without a thought for his wife. Seemingly unconnected to Suzi and Nora, how does Elle factor in to the tale with the other two women? There is so little seen of Elle you don't really grasp her entirely but to do so would have given the game away...although there is just enough to have you questioning her role in it all.

It didn't take me long to form my suspicions regarding the three women which in turn proved to be correct...and yet, there are still so many more twists and turns to keep you guessing right up to the end.

There are a few occasional chapters from the POV of Alison, who is a detective investigating the discovery of a body found nearby, leaving us questioning how that fits into the story. Whose body is it? And how did they get there? There are plenty of possibilities as we journey through the lives of these women, and on this point my mind was constantly changing as to who it could be. Alison's narrative is rather brief and somewhat sporadic that it is difficult to get any real sense of her. It was this and the addition of another police presence in wanting to question Suzi that confused me a little, as I wasn't sure which investigation they were alluding to...despite being months apart. Had Alison featured a little more it may have been easier to follow that line. But not to the point that that it interfered with my overall enjoyment of the book.

My one fault I could find was the phone Nora swiped from Nick. Could she not then use the app installed on there to override the control Nick had over Suzi? It seemed there was no real mention of it after that, except in the briefest of references. And I'm happy to find that nothing untoward happened to Poppet, though I was saddened finding him so frozen cold from the arctic conditions. I don't believe I am spoiling anything here because as an animal lover (especially dogs) I want to know the outcome of their plight prior to reading, for nothing else but to be prepared.

Well-plotted with short, snappy and alternating chapters, THE OTHER WIFE builds slowly to begin with but soon unravels quickly leaving an intriguing trail of clues to follow through the bleak slightly Gothic atmosphere. The ice cold wintry ambiance of the setting merely adds to the trapped feeling of isolation.

THE OTHER WIFE certainly has a creepy sinister vibe throughout that has you questioning the roles of who is bad and badder? Something is mostly definitely not right and the tension is palpable as the story slowly builds and gains momentum, with pieces of the jigsaw gradually unearthed for the reader to make sense of.

There are a couple more narratives that are added later in the story which will shed even more light as secrets are unravelled. Then the ending is the piece-de-resistance and I felt was the perfect touch, even if slightly unbelievable, bringing the whole sorry tale to a brilliant fitting conclusion.

Suzi may have done a bad thing...but what is it in Nora's past that she is hiding? And who is the father of Suzi's unborn baby? And what is Nora's motive for moving to such a remote locale? Just how much does she know about Suzi...and how? These are just some of the questions you will ask yourself as you journey through the lives of Suzi, Nora and Elle in THE OTHER WIFE.

What began as a domestic thriller ends as a revenge tale, THE OTHER WIFE is a perfect combination of thrills and twists entwined with plenty of secrets, lies and deception you will not be able to put down!

I would like to thank #ClaireMcGowan, #NetGalley and #ThomasAndMercer for an ARC of #TheOtherWife in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: Stealing Roses by Heather Cooper (ARC)

Stealing Roses by Heather Cooper

Genre: Historical fiction, romance

Read: 10th November 2019

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(publication: 24th October 2019)

★★★★ 4.5 stars

I requested STEALING ROSES on a bit of a whim upon reading the premise which sounded like a delightful breath of fresh air. Indeed I was not wrong. An easy read, which I devoured in two sittings lost within the Victorian era of such social considerations of which would be so strange to us today.

A gentle Victorian romance, STEALING ROSES is populated with a delightful (and some not so delightful) cast of characters set upon the Isle of Wight in 1862. It was a time when a woman's sole purpose was to marry and produce children, with a prestigious marriage to a someone of substantial wealth considered most advantageous.

This is the predicament in which Eveline Stanhope finds herself. As the youngest of three girls, Eveline is on the cusp of spinsterhood at the tender age of 19. Her mother, Adelaide Stanhope (but more referred to as Mrs Stanhope throughout), has designs on a marriage between the nephew of one of the more respectable families, Charles Sandham, and her youngest daughter. But Evie is a girl of independent spirit which sets her apart from her older sisters with her forward thinking and modern ideas. She doesn't see marriage as her only option nor does she see spinsterhood a failing, for she believes women should have the power to choose their own destiny...even if that means being happy and alone, tied to a loveless marriage or even working for a living.

But not everyone is as modern in their thinking...her mother nearly fainting from the sheer distress of such an idea (someone pass the smelling salts!) and instead attempting to find a respectable match for her through a volley of dinner parties, garden teas and various other social engagements, where two suitors catch her attention. Charles Sandham and railway engineer, Thomas Armitage. Whilst her mother sees a marriage between the socially acceptable and wealthy Charles an attractive venture, Eveline finds herself somewhat drawn to the rather unaffable Thomas...without even considering the idea of marriage. She has far more important ventures to pursue. And yet she each time she comes across the reserved Thomas, she still catches herself with thoughts of him.

Eveline's older "married" sisters, Louisa and Beatrice, are always on hand to offer advice regarding such important issues as lady's maids, hairstyles, clothing and its various accessories. But Eveline feels the confines of her sheltered life is almost like a prison, particularly when her mother strictly forbids her to visit the "Professor of Photography" shop, where she and her maid Jennie spent hours learning about the art, as well as the swimming lessons Jennie had been giving her. Why should a man have more freedom to do the things she herself would like to do? But as her sisters wisely pointed out, she will have far greater freedom once she is married...as if marriage were the answer to everything!

And yet her mother is secretly hoping for a union between Charles Sandham and her youngest daughter to happen quite soon. When Eveline takes herself off to London on a private family matter, Mrs Stanhope has no qualms in letting slip the hotel in which she is stayed to the charming Charles, who claims to have some business to attend to in the capital and promises to look in on Eveline whilst he is there. Moreso, he gives Mrs Stanhope the assurance that he will accompany Eveline back home, to which she is most agreeable. She is so sure than an engagement will be announced upon their return that she confides in half the town on the intention.

But Eveline is not to be swept off her feet by the charms of Charles Sandham. In fact, whilst she is most polite to him she wishes nothing more than to escape his presence at the earliest opportunity. But while the cat's away the mice will play and Charles has other ideas. Strong in spirit, Eveline puts him in his place but not before she feels the sting of his hand and anger of his rage. The next morning she is at the station for the first train to escape his path but he soon catches up with her and when they disembark the steamer on the Isle, Eveline is disheartened to see the darkness fall across Thomas Armitage's face when he catches a glimpse of her with Charles. By the time she disentangles Charles' hand from her arm, Thomas has already looked away...and Eveline is surprised to find herself distressed by the whole thing.

When Eveline arrives home to find her mother has her already engaged to the unsavoury Charles, she realises she has no alternative but to regale her mother with the events that took place in London. At first, she refuses to accept such a thing and then she assumes that Eveline must have done something to provoke him...but finally, the following day, Mrs Stanhope concludes that her daughter is telling the truth. And then the prospect of having to face such humiliation after already marrying the couple off, Mrs Stanhope concedes to simply ignore it.

But alas, as in all good historical romances, it doesn't end there. It isn't long before we see Eveline giving herself the extra freedom she so longs for, albeit secretly, as she and Jennie's friendship remains steadfast long after the young girl had left the Stanhope's employ. And thereto Evie finds another type of freedom encountering Thomas Armitage once again. But no sooner does she find herself and love at the same time, does she also learn of heartbreak and a sadness she never thought she could feel after her father's death. In the ensuing chapters, we see Evie pining and mope about before anticipating a satisfying ending.

But will Evie find her happily ever after?

A simply delightful read, STEALING ROSES is a leisurely stroll through the Victoria era of romance and etiquette. But if one anticipates this to be an enthralling tale of romance...it is here, but sparingly. STEALING ROSES is more about Evie's journey...where she feels restricted by all that is expected of her class and longs to have the same freedoms afforded to those of lower classes. She may be the youngest of the three Stanhope daughters but in some ways she is far wiser than her older siblings. If she is to marry, and it wouldn't be the end of the world if she didn't, then she desires someone to support her and share in her views as not only a woman but as an equal. Forward thinking for the Victorian age, and not widely accepted. But Evie found a way to make her mark.

I thoroughly enjoyed STEALING ROSES, and the only thing keeping me from rating it 5 stars was the ending...as I felt it a little too abrupt to be in line with the rest of the story. I would have preferred to see a happy ending peter out into a satisfying conclusion. But it is still a delightful read and incredibly enjoyable.

The best way to simply describe STEALING ROSES to other readers, I feel, is that it is a kind of "Jane Austen meets Downton Abbey".

Definitely recommended for fans of historical fiction.

I would like to thank #HeatherCooper, #NetGalley and #AllisonAndBusby for an ARC of #StealingRoses in exchange for an honest review.