REVIEW: The Argument by Victoria Jenkins (ARC)

The Argument by Victoria Jenkins

Genre: Domestic thriller, psychological thriller

Read: 31st January 2020

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(publication date: 10th December 2019)

★★★★ 4 stars

After enjoying Victoria Jenkins' King and Lane series I was disappointed with her last book, "The Divorce", which was her first in the thriller genre. With THE ARGUMENT I was hoping for something a little more intriguing...and I must say I was pleasantly surprised. A book that is surrounded by a single argument sounded fascinating.

The story surrounds Hannah Walters, a stay at home mum, with two beautiful but equally different daughters - Olivia and Rosie. With a loving husband, Michael and a beautiful home, what more could Hannah want? How about a bit more respect and appreciation from her defiant and rebellious teenage daughter? Why couldn't she be more like Rosie, her golden child?

And so it starts with...well...an argument.

Fifteen year old Olivia Walters is told by her mum Hannah that she cannot go to a party. But being 15, does she listen? Of course not! She's 15! So she sneaks out of the house and attends the party anyway. Her mother is fraught with worry, suspecting that Olivia defied her and went anyway, so she waits up. When she does finally get home she's a little tipsy and she shouldn't be surprised to find her mother waiting up for her.

And so the argument begins...

...and it ends with the words every parent has heard from their teenager at some time or another. "I hate you! I am never going to speak to you again!"

But Olivia is determined. She doesn't speak for a day, two days...and soon it turns into a week. Hannah continues to engage with her daughter despite her silence until she decides that two can play that game. She even begins to enjoy the peace and quiet. Until...the nightmare begins...

Late one night, Hannah hears a crash from downstairs. Someone is in their house. But when she and Michael go to investigate, they find Olivia on the stairs. Michael orders her to her room as they continue downstairs. They find the back door windows smashed and a frightening message scrawled on the cupboard doors. Just one word. LIAR.

Did Olivia do this? Was she coming upstairs or going down? Hannah knows her daughter doesn't understand the lengths to which she goes to protect them, believing her mother to be a tyrant. But if she did do this, what exactly does Olivia know?

The nightmare doesn't end there. Keys going missing, phone calls from the school, a stranger on her doorstep. What does it all mean? Is Olivia trying to destroy them? Her own daughter? But then, Hannah holds a secret far greater than anyone knows. And she is sure that it is the reason behind Olivia's defiant and disturbing behaviour.

What starts as a family drama soon turns into something far more deadly. To say that this family is somewhat dysfunctional is an understatement. No one is who they appear to be and all of them are completely screwed up in so many ways. The parents, seemingly protective and loving, don't have any redeeming qualities to them. Michael is distant and never there. Hannah seems to be in a bubble of her own with a narrative that is sometimes as chaotic and confused as she is. Olivia got up my goat from the beginning, blaming everything and her whole life on the way her parents treat her.  But then, what teenager doesn't? In her eyes, her behaviour was a reflection on their treatment of her. I found her to be self-entitled, selfish and a bit of a brat. Rosie, despite her age, seemed to be the most mature of them all...and far wiser than her 10 years.

Told from the alternating perspectives of Hannah and Olivia, as well as the odd diary entry, THE ARGUMENT is more than just an argument. It's more than just a family drama. It takes family drama to a whole new level. Only one of these narratives is truthful...and nothing is as it seems.

I normally don't like slow burns but this one was different. There was something about the narratives that just drew me in and I couldn't put it down. The suspense built slowly and the tension was palpable. 70% of the book was family drama so when the twist came and turned everything on its head, I wasn't expecting it! It seriously blew me away...and that doesn't happen often. While I was beginning to put the pieces together I never really expected them to fall into place...

A very different but well-crafted plot, THE ARGUMENT is a psychological thriller that pushes the boundaries. A seriously twisted domestic drama that shatters the illusion brilliantly.

An intriguing and twisted thriller where nothing is as it seems! I enjoyed this book far more than I thought I would. Definitely recommend.

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

REVIEW: The Girls in the Lake by Helen Phifer (ARC)

The Girls in the Lake (Dr Beth Adams #2) by Helen Phifer

Genre: Crime fiction, thriller

Read: 29th January 2020

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(publiation date: 9th December 2019)

★★★★ 4 stars

The second in what is promising to be an exciting new series, THE GIRLS IN THE LAKE is an intriguing continuation set just a month after the end of the first book "The Girl in the Grave". I like the easy flow of this series which doesn't bog the reader down in an overwhelming wealth of information which has us Googling for answers at the same time. And the short snappy chapters keep the story moving along at a steady yet increasing pace throughout.

Dr Beth Adams is a forensic pathologist who, after a working as an A&E doctor until her boyfriend tried to kill her seven years ago, moved to the Lakes District and retrained for her current position. Now her ex is behind bars, despite trying to kill her again from beyond his gaol cell, and Beth is attempting to move on with her life.

DS Josh Walker was first on scene and saved Beth from her murderous ex and since then they have been good friends...the only one Beth had come to trust. He was married until he came home early one morning to find his wife Jodie in bed with one of his colleagues. He packed his bags and left, never looking back.

Now Beth and Josh live together in her beautiful secluded home by Lake Windemere. Although their relationship is still new, they have found a  companionship in each other that is safe and comfortable both personally and professionally. Due to the nature of their jobs, both are used to early morning calls. So when the naked body of a young woman is found floating face down in the cold waters of Lake Windemere, Beth and Josh are on the case.

Ethan Scales wakes after a drunken night on his friend James Marshall's boat, hearing something banging against the hull. He climbs to the deck and finds the lifeless and naked body of Leah Burton floating face down in the water. He jumps into the freezing depths, pulls her to safety and tries in vain to save her.

Later that same day, a young boy going fishing sees what he thought to be a discarded sleeping bag in the lake. He wades in to pull the offending article out only to discover it is the bloated face of a dead body starting lifelessly up at him. His scream can be heard around the lake.

At the post mortem, Beth peels back the outer layer of skin from the hand and places it over her own in an attempt to retrieve the fingerprints of their "Jane Doe". The body is then identified as Polish national Julia Bach last seen working for Marcus Johnson in his pub, friend of Ethan Scales and James Marshall.

James owns the boat upon which the first victim, Leah Burton, had been aboard the previous night. Julia worked for Marcus. Coincidence? Beth thinks not.

Tensions rise when the daughter of Josh's partner DC Sally Thomas attends a party aboard the same boat, The Tequila Sunrise, as an unofficial obbo is undertaken by lake wardens. Although Grace appears to be in safe hands, another young woman suddenly falls overboard. She is pulled to safety still clinging to life and reveals that she was pushed. Then against advice, the young woman refuses an ambulance in favour of going home.

Meanwhile, Beth must also deal with the death of her ex who tried to kill her seven years ago as well and Josh's recent questionable behaviour which leads her to his ex-wife Jodie's door. What exactly is he keeping from her?

While THE GIRLS IN THE LAKE doesn't have a complex or intricate plot it is certainly an exciting read with a solid narrative throughout. Told from various perspectives, mostly Beth and Josh's, it is compelling, fast paced with a wealth of information to keep you intrigued.

I really enjoy the format of this series. It is incredibly easy to follow and enjoyable to read and the recurring characters, alongside Beth and Josh, are all extremely likable. I am not a fan of procedurals that must throw in all that constant angst, overly strong female leads and alpha male crap. I want a mystery, a thriller, something to sink my teeth into and not get my blood pressure boiling because of station politics or who's better than who.

I wasn't surprised by the villain as it seemed the most logical of all that was on offer. I think the downfall of this book is that there weren't enough red herrings to throw us off the scent, making the villain extremely easy to pick out. And the ending wasn't the best as I didn't see a lot of reason why. And as a reader, it is always preferable to know the why instead of just the who and the how.

But having said that, I still really enjoyed THE GIRLS IN THE LAKE and eagerly await Beth and Josh's next case together.

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

REVIEW: Orphans of War by Leah Fleming (ARC)

Orphans of War by Leah Fleming

(2020 edition)

Genre: Historical fiction

Read: 27th January 2020

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(publication date: 19th May 2016)

★★★★ 4 stars

As anyone who knows me KNOWS I am a sucker for historical fiction, particularly those set in WW2. There is just something about the era...something innocent almost...and of course the setting. The rolling hills and Dales of Yorkshire which just add to the beauty of this story making ORPHANS OF WAR a must read. This is my second Leah Fleming book and it won't be my last.

While it is a dual timeline story, only the the prologue and epilogue take place at the turn of the millennium, with the rest of the story set between 1940 and 1957.

1940: Madeline Belfield lives with her maternal family, uncle George and Granny Mills, in Chadley on the outskirts of Liverpool and loves nothing more than running through the fields with her dog Bertie. But when an air raid blitzes the city whilst she is out grabbing fish and chips for supper, Maddy finds herself pushed into the public shelter by the AR warden...but all she can think about is Bertie and that he is safe. When the all-clear sounds the next morning, Maddy exits the shelter to be greeted by mass devastation. She runs home to the Feathers Inn, where she lives with her uncle and Granny, but it is gone...decimated by the German's bombs. Frantic for Bertie she spends the next few days calling for him amongst the rubble, but she must resign herself to the fact that her only friend has gone.

Maddy now finds herself alone with no one to care for her. Her parents are the famous "Bellaires" duo - Arthur and Dolly Belfield - travelling and performing for troops so Maddy was left in the care of her mother's brother and mother. She knows nothing of her father's family, believing there to be no one. But whens she receives a telegram from who appears to be her father's mother, Maddy is sent off to West Yorkshire to live with them. Her parents will set sail from Cape Town as soon as possible to arrive back by Christmas and be reunited with their daughter.

Along the way she meets Gloria and Sid Conley, who are shoved rather unceremoniously on the train by their mother...with a letter in Gloria's coat pocket for whoever is to take charge of the two children. The children are frightened by this turn of events and crowded train of strangers, and they cling to Maddy for dear life, refusing to let go even when they reach Leeds, where Maddy is to meet her aunt.

Prunella Belfield (Plum) is Maddy's aunt and is at the station to meet the evacuees along with Maddy to take back to Sotherthwaite. The evacuees are her new charges to reside in the Old Vic, a hostel on the edge of the Belfield estate. Maddy is to reside in Brooklyn Hall. Plum sends Greg, the oldest of her charges off to find Maddy and he returns with not one but three children. Maddy explains the situation in which Gloria and Sid came to be in her company and how she has promised that they will take care of them.

And so begins the adventures of the "vaccies".

Throughout the years, we see them grow and follow their various adventures through life...until the end of the war sees only a couple remain. Whilst the premise billed the story of the evacuees, it is really only follows two of them alongside Maddy. We are taken through the war and their coming of age, as we watch Maddy and Gloria grow as forever friends and Greg become a young man, a far cry from the troublesome lad he had always been seen as. But adulthood brings a whole new set of challenges which will fill us with a range of emotions - from grief to anger to love to heartbreak - as the story moves into a new decade.

Although titled ORPHANS OF WAR, I felt it would have been more aptly named as THE VICTORY TREE. The war plays just a small part of the story but "the  Victory tree", named for a previous war and for its V shaped trunk, which stands behind the old hostel on the edge of the Belfield estate plays a far greater part. It is the headquarters of their childhood games and later the home of a dark secret. For Maddy, it is also a place of solace. The story begins with the tree, grows with the tree and ends with the tree. So I believe THE VICTORY TREE would have been a far more significant title.

The story had a wonderful array of characters that were both irritating and interesting. I really liked Maddy and identified with her, if only for her "Panda" as I had one I grew up with also and still have to this day. She is the predominantly the main character with Plum, Granny Belfield, Greg, Gloria, the Battys and the like all supporting characters. A really disliked Gloria, even as a child, and as she grew I disliked her even more. She is a selfish, jealous, self-centred cow and Maddy was better off with an enemy than Gloria as a friend. She coveted everything Maddy had and she still wasn't happy. Yet through it all, she failed to see just what Maddy had lost. I found it hard to be sad for her even in the end as she had brought it all on herself. I enjoyed the scenes with Granny Belfield, a rather cantankerous and stubborn old woman but with a heart somewhere deep within. I also enjoyed watching Greg grow from a troubled lad to a prosperous man with ambition.

I really enjoyed ORPHANS OF WAR but I felt there was a lot that could have been left out as well as a lot of repetition and other parts that could possibly have been expanded on. For example, there was a point in the story as children Greg had done something which deeply upset and offended Maddy after-which she said she would never speak to him again...and then in the next chapter, they were bosom buddies again. There was nothing to explain how she got past that and moved on with their friendship. And what happened to the other evacuees? They just sort of petered out and maybe mentioned in passing once or if that. I felt some parts of the story was skimmed over and others we were given way too much information on, drawing it out even further.

The chapters were unnecessarily long in parts. I mean, 55 minutes to a chapter? I think 20 minutes to 30 minutes is sufficient in historical fiction. But again, I feel this is due to the rehashing and repetition of events that didn't need re-going over. Along with Maddy's constant self-loathing, believing she was not deserving of happiness. I can understand that but to keep rehashing it? It did draw each chapter out that little bit longer.

Overall, ORPHANS OF WAR is a wonderful escape from reality, an easy read even if it is a tad long. I still thoroughly enjoyed it and the adventures surrounding the longstanding Victory tree.

A beautiful tale with a satisfying end, ORPHANS OF WAR is at times heartbreaking as we follow Maddy, Gloria, Greg and Plum through love, loss, tragedy, grief, deceit, betrayal, secrets and, ultimately, redemption.

Recommended for fans of historical fiction.

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

REVIEW: The Fallout by Rebecca Thornton (ARC)

The Fallout by Rebecca Thornton

Genre: Domestic drama

Read: 24th January 2020

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(publication date: 5th December 2019)

★★ 2 stars

I came across THE FALLOUT through reading a friend's review on Goodreads and thought it sounded interesting. I was wrong.

This domestic drama (I wouldn't go so far as to call it a thriller) revolves around the friendship between Sarah and Liza and their group of affluent yummy mummies. All are members of a posh club in West London called The Vale Club, which is where the story begins...

Sarah and Liza had been at The Vale Club enjoying a coffee and a catch-up. When Sarah offered to go to the cafe for another, Liza asked her to check on Jack who was in the outdoor play area. However, on her way back she was distracted by a woman from their past - another parent - and therefore failed to check on Jack properly. By the time Sarah arrived back at their table with Ella now in tow the women heard screams coming from the play area. It was Jack. He had fallen from the pole Sarah had seen him climbing, and now Sarah is scared to tell her best friend the truth. So when Ella tells Liza that Sarah had checked on him, Sarah just went along with the lie.

Tell the truth, lose a friend. Tell a lie, keep her close.

What ensues is Sarah's growing guilt over the lie. She had seen Jack climbing the pole, had waved to him. But had he seen her? She should have called him down. But then seeing Ella had distracted her, and the juicy gossip that would surely follow in her path.

Whilst Liza is at the hospital with Jack, Sarah goes around to her friend's house, tidies up, does a shop and organises a meal for them. But then Ella swoops in and takes over with her high-paid nanny (maternity nurse), leaving Sarah's efforts redundant. Added to that, when Liza and Ella seem be getting on even better than they do, Sarah begins to feel jealous. What is Ella doing? What is she up to?

But that's not the only area in which Ella appears to be taking over. Liza had been heading up the Christmas Fair for the local primary school but in the wake of Jack's accident Sarah thought it was the least she could do for her friend. But then she hears that Ella has taken over that role as well, securing the entire amount of funds needed from out of think air. Ella seems to be everybody's new best friend - except Sarah's - so when she types out a furious WhatsApp message to send to her friend Camilla to let off steam and make her laugh, Sarah mistakenly sends it to Ella instead. And before long, the entire school is privy to the message and Sarah is ostracised.

Honestly, these yummy mummies and their little brats were anything but my cup of tea. Jealous bitchfights, snide remarks, whispers on WhatsApp...it felt like a million dollar playground. I really just wanted to get to the end to find out the many "secrets" that weren't all that exciting after all...so I kind of felt robbed by the end.

I didn't like Sarah much. I could understand her predicament but why wouldn't she just admit it from the start? Things would have been far better had she done and certainly not gone as far as they did. I didn't like Ella. She came across as aloof, and looking down her nose at people as if her s*** don't stink. I did like Liza, but even she was screwed up. I couldn't stand the other yummy mummies. They had no respect for their so-called friends, gossiping about them at the drop of a hat.

THE FALLOUT is filled with plenty of guilt, secrets, lies, angst and a load of drama. The premise sounded intriguing but the actual playout was not. I found it long and drawn out and half of it could have been editted down. I did shed a few tears at the end when the full impact of the bigger picture is clear. It was sad it had come to that and ended the way it did...but really, how else could it have gone?

Filled with characters who were annoying, childish and way too materialistic, THE FALLOUT really wasn't my thing.

I would like to thank #RebeccaThornton, #NetGalley and #HarperCollinsUK for an ARC of #TheFallout in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: The Lies We Hide by S.E. Lynes (ARC)

The Lies We Hide by S.E. Lynes

Genre: Suspense, Domestic drama, Chick Lit

Read: 20th January 2020

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(publication date: 4th December 2019)

★★★ 3.5 stars

I really should have paid more attention to the genre when requesting this book. But to be honest, all I saw was the name S.E. Lynes and quickly (and incorrectly) assumed it was another psychological thriller, that the author is synonymous for. Instead THE LIES WE HIDE is a somewhat dark family drama more in line with chick lit genre. But don't be fooled - it is not a "feel good" fiction story. It is dark, evocative and even a little gritty.

1968: The story opens with a young teenage couple, Carol and Ted, at fairground in Blackpool. It soon becomes clear that Carol is pregnant, judging from her refusal to accompany Ted on one of the more adrenaline-fueled rides, where Ted then dramatically yells out a proposal to her. And so Carol's story begins.

1984: Carol returns home from a friend's wedding to find her brother sleeping on the couch and her husband Ted in a drunken stupor on the bed. Her two children, Graham and Nicola (Nicky), are thankfully asleep. Carol takes the opportunity to enjoy a nice long soak in the bath after what turned out to be a rather eventful night. Then...

"A creak on the landing. She curls up. The water swishes loud in the tub; she cringes at the noise. Ted. He's woken up. He's woken up and he's-

The bathroom door flies open. Ted. Eyes bloodshot and wild, blind but seeing, a look full of hate aimed only at her. His nose wrinkles, his hand shoots out in front of him, a starfish of fingers. She shrieks, folds herself smaller still, arms over her head, eyes closed. The smell of whisky goes up her nose, whisky and smoke, sweat and pubs. This is it. She has not got away with it. The punishment is now."

Carol made herself a promise to herself as Ted shoved her face underwater, holding here there until she was barely conscious. She has just enough strength to gather the thought - "If I survive tonight, this is it. We're leaving." When it was all over, trembling and in pain, Carol crawled out of the bath. Gathering her remaining strength, she then woke her sleeping children, packed up their lives and left Ted and his violent drunken abuse behind.

2019: Nicola is now a successful London barrister returning to her family home in Merseyside to attend her mother's funeral. In the ensuing days, she reflects back on the life she shared with her mother and older brother Graham. She remembers the sacrifices her mother made for them, ensuring her daughter received a good education even while her son had fallen through the cracks to become a stranger to them both.

The night they fled  their father changed everything for them...but especially Graham. He became withdrawn, silent and moody...no longer stuttering because he hardly ever spoke to them. Nicola recalled how she missed her older brother in those dark days as he continued to withdraw from them. More and more he snuck out at night, taking up with a rough crowd, smoking weed until eventually even that wasn't enough and he needed the harder drugs to escape the guilt and the shadows that followed him. Even her mother sacrificing her own happiness with someone who truly loved her and wanted to take care of her, in the hope her son would somehow find his way back to them wasn't enough.

Jim Mackay, a lovable gentle giant of a man, first set eyes on Carol at that wedding decked out in full Scottish regalia. Carol immediately felt something deep within as she danced in Jim's arms...and felt a frisson of excitement at his touch. She knew he was different. But she also knew that what he wanted, what she wanted, was forbidden. Ted would kill her. As it happens, he very nearly did when she returned home that night...and in the days, weeks and months she wondered if Jim ever thought of her as she did him. So when he turned up a year later at their new home, Graham was furious at the intrusion and somehow perceived Jim as a threat. Jim stayed a week before Carol asked him to leave, in an attempt to reach out to her son.

Then one night shortly after Jim's departure, the police knocked at Carol's door. A body had been found beaten to death outside a pub frequented by her estranged husband. It was Ted. Torn in her grief for the man he used to be, Carol was relieved at no longer fearing he would find her and carry out his threat to kill her. Shortly after, Carol, Nicky and Graham moved back to the house that had been their home for so long.

But this is not the end. Carol's story, and Nicola's and Graham's - their stories were only just beginning.

Told from three different perspectives in the past and the present, we see into the very hidden depths of our three narrators' souls - Nicola in the present, with the earlier narratives by Carol and Richard, the prison chaplain who helped Graham find his wings so he could truly fly upon release. Each of them reveal secrets about themselves privy only to the reader, their guilt, their shame, their heartache, their grief. Parts of their narratives are incredibly raw and so emotional it is hard not to shed a tear. Each of them are flawed but that is what makes them so real.

Complex and evocative, THE LIES WE HIDE is about a family and their secrets, their suffering, their heartache and their pain. It is about the scars that domestic abuse leaves behind, long after the threat has gone. The story is riddled with guilt and shame which is at the forefront of much of this incredibly sad tale. Whilst also woven into the tapestry is grief. Reading Nicola's raw and heartbreaking grief at the loss of her mother, her guilt at not being there at the end, is so powerful so heartbreaking I was in tears. Her pain is so evident I could reach out and touch it myself.

A well-written heartbreaking tale, THE LIES WE HIDE is not a fast paced read but it is a good one. It evoked a wealth of emotions as the story progressed that it was so easy to relate to each of the characters. You sympathised and yet you felt anger amidst heartbreak and grief. By the end, I had suspected one of the twists all along and had an inkling about the other. But the biggest shock were the secrets (ok, so I suspected one) they each kept to themselves at the end in the lies that they hid from each other...that left me with a feeling of sadness interwoven with understanding.

I have to mention Graham's poem to Richard. Whilst it was a lighthearted attempt at deep heartfelt gratitude, I found myself in tears reading the depth of emotion within those few lines.

THE LIES WE HIDE is not just about abuse and despair, but about a mother's unconditional love for her children and her determination to give them a better life free of fear and dread. It's about love, redemption, forgiveness and moving on.

While I may have begun this book anticipating a psychological thriller, I was glad I read it. It certainly wasn't what I expected.

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

REVIEW: The Penmaker's Wife by Steve Robinson (ARC)

The Penmaker's Wife by Steve Robinson

Genre: Historical fiction, thriller

Read: 17th January 2020

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(publication date: 1st December 2019)

★★★★★ 5 stars

Despite reading the premise for this book, I went in completely oblivious to the tale that lay ahead. I must have skimmed the description, took it as historical fiction and added it to my TBR list. Never in a million years did I foresee what was to come.

I have not come across Steve Robinson before but this, THE PENMAKER'S WIFE, is a standalone tale of a different kind. How far would a mother go to give her child the best possible life?

Set in the Victorian era of the late 19th century, the story begins in 1880 with beautiful young mother Angelica throwing herself into the Thames with her 5 year old son William in her arms in order to escape her past and thus begin a new life. A rail journey booked for Birmingham will see them on their way, but not before a face from the past she is fleeing from catches up with her and blackmails her into submission. Seeing no other way out, Angelica acquiesces...and then there were three.

Tom Blanchard was not someone to be messed with. He was a low life degenerate making his living off the immoral earnings of women, and children, which is exactly what he had in mind for Angelica...and William, when he was old enough. Worse still, Blanchard knew just what she was running from so from him there was no escape...yet. But Angelica endeavoured to find a way, before he put her to work to earn his keep, and until then she would bide her time. When it came, it was not a minute too soon...fleeing to the streets that felt far safer than in Blanchard's care.

A chance meeting whilst walking in the park one day sees opportunity knock when William began playing with another young lad his age whilst Angelica befriended his young mother, Georgina Hampton. After an invitation to tea the following day, Angelica manages to secure herself a position as governess to Georgina's son Alexander...as well as the expected arrival of another in a few short months.

As soon as Angelica set eyes on Priory House, she knew that's what she wanted for herself and William. But as governess that freedom was not hers to claim although, upon moving in, it had become their home too...still Angelica wanted more. But to what length?

The Hamptons are clearly fond of William and the boys became inseparable, so it isn't long before Georgina informed Angelica that the same privileges that afforded Alexander would be William's also. She would tutor them both until they were old enough to be sent away to school, afterwhich Angelica would have a new charge in light of Georgina's pregnancy.

Despite being a governess, Angelica and Georgina became good friends which also extends to her small circle of close companions, Effie and Violet. So when tragedy strikes one afternoon while the two women are out walking with their boys, the path of Angelica's life changed irrevocably.

Devastated at the loss of her close friend and companion, Angelica, fearing her dismissal, once again saw an opportunity. The boys were now away at school, there would no longer be a child so her services were no longer required. Using her charm, beauty and wit she catches the eye of her friend's widower Stanley, fresh from his grief, and head over heels in love with her. Three years after Georgina's tragic demise, Stanley and Angelica marry...and she becomes the penmaker's wife.

But not everyone is please with the union. Violet, the former Mrs Hampton's closest friend, doesn't like Angelica and suspects she is up to something nefarious. Whilst Effie, a young woman two years her junior, is in love with Angelica. And so begins the secret relationship between the two women with stolen moments and discreet afternoons. But is the feeling mutual or just another opportunity to exploit and manipulate?

However when her past comes knocking and threatens all that Angelica has built up, she will do whatever it takes and stop at nothing to keep her secrets from being exposed.

Told in a progressive timeline from 1880 to 1896, in retrospect and in the present, THE PENMAKER'S WIFE is the story of Angelica Chastain, a woman with whom we sympathise and even admire as she rises from the gutter to become a woman of substance. But that sympathy soon wanes as her ulterior motives become obvious and we realise that she is nothing more than a manipulative conniving opportunist who will allow nothing and nobody to get in the way of her ambitions for her son. And as the story progresses, it soon becomes clear that Angelica is even more devious and wicked than she at first appeared.

With a remarkably high body count, THE PENMAKER'S WIFE combines historical fiction with dark thriller noir in the Victorian era that does not fail to keep the reader engaged. There is just enough information about penmaking to keep it plausible without getting too much into intricacies as well as the lesbian affair between Angelica and Effie which is more of a subplot that does not detract from the main story.

Compelling and effective in setting and atmosphere, it is easy to lose yourself to the life and times of the characters. Each setting was described so well that I felt I was there watching Angelica stealthily move by gaslight along the dirty streets to the exquisite rooms and halls of Priory House. The strength in each character is also well developed that you either want to love them or loathe them and added to the dark atmosphere of the Victorian era where I half expected to see Jack the Ripper in the shadows makes THE PENMAKER'S WIFE a hugely enjoyable tale that is unputdownable from start to finish.

I'm so glad I came across THE PENMAKER'S WIFE because it most certainly did not disappoint. I thoroughly enjoyed watching the story unfold with no idea where it was going in this deliciously dark historical thriller filled with deceit, manipulation, secrets and murder.

Tense, intriguing and very atmospheric, THE PENMAKER'S WIFE is a brilliant and well told tale that is completely unique in concept with an ending that is quite delicious. When I opened this book, I had no idea where the journey would take me but I enjoyed every minute of it!

If you love historical mysteries, particularly those of a different kind, then don't go past THE PENMAKER'S WIFE. Trust me, you will NOT be disappointed.

I would like to thank #SteveRobinson, #NetGalley and #AmazonPublishingUK for an ARC of #ThePenmakersWife in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: The Assistant by S.K. Tremayne (ARC)

The Assistant by S.K. Tremayne

Genre: Psychological thriller

Read: 16th January 2020

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(publication date: 29th November 2019)

★★ 2 stars

I read and loved S.K. Tremayne's first thriller "The Ice Twins" so I was excited to read THE ASSISTANT. But while the premise promised a disturbing tale at the hands of a Home Assistant, I found it slow and drawn out and relatively unexciting. I was disappointed because the concept of such a thing happening was unique to this type of book despite the very real danger of it occurring through cyber attacks.

I guess I must be in the minority as many people have enjoyed it, so maybe I will come back to it at a later time when my TBR list is reduced.

In this new age of technology where homes are now becoming "smart homes" hooked up to wireless smart technology that can turn the lights on, the heating, the cooling as well as give you any information you request just by simply asking it a question, THE ASSISTANT takes this to a whole new level.

The story begins with Jo, recently divorced from Simon, who now shares her best friend's flat in an exclusive area of London practically rent-free. The flat has been set up as a smart home with various devices known as Home Assistants to maintain the various appliances and ambiance of the home. Jo thought that when she moved in that she would get to spend more time with Tabitha but her friend is very rarely home - either travelling for her job or staying over at her fiance's place in another exclusive London suburb. Leaving Jo home alone and feeling rather lonely.

Jo begins to chat with "Electra", the Home Assistant, just to hear another voice and for some company. When Electra begins to randomly speak without being prompted, Jo begins to wonder if the system is malfunctioning. But when the Assistant reveals "I know what you did", going on to detail a secret buried so deep from her past, Jo fears that her past has back to haunt her. Only two people in the world know what happened - Tabitha and Simon - and neither of them would break her confidence. Would they?

Simon was incredibly hurt when she had her affair and ended their marriage but he is now living happily with Paula and a new baby. There would be no need for him to expose her secret...would there? Tabitha's fiance works in IT so it would be easy enough for him to hack the system...but would Tabitha really betray her?

The book is incredibly slow to start with that I honestly could not finish it. The first three chapters are spent with Jo monologuing pathetically about her life, missing sex, the doom of her career and setting up an internet dating profile. She spends two chapters filling out the first details before deciding to go for a walk, where she continues her monologue of depressing perspectives before returning home to continue with her profile. By the end of the third chapter she's only got as far as adding a profile picture whilst dissecting the message she may or may not be conveying in it, and how desperate she must sound. Who spends two hours to ponder three basic questions?? Bleh! By this point, I am screaming "OMG woman! Get a life!"...and not an internet one.

But one thing is for sure. Jo is bored. Talking to Electra provides her with company as well as something to do...so when Electra started with her random revelation of secrets I though "now it gets interesting!" But no. It just went back to Jo's incessant monologuing while I felt like gouging my eyes out. That was the perfect opportunity to up the ante and make it interesting!

Maybe I gave up too early as others have said it picks up about a third of the way through - which to me is far too long for a book to become intriguing. I was so disappointed. This concept is a thrilling one that I would have loved to explore but Jo just drove me barmy! She isn't the only person to get divorced or be lonely. I felt like yelling "Grab a book and lose yourelf to fiction!" It's what I would do. You're never alone when you have a good book for company.

While Jo begins to question her sanity (which I had done long ago), she recalls her father's suicide after a diagnosis of schizophrenia. Her mother assured her is wasn't genetic, but that's crap, because schizophrenia has a very significant genetic component of around 80%, usually manifesting itself in mid to late 20s or early 30s. Just about Jo's age. Her own recollections of her father from that dark time was a combination of a the loving father she remembered and a frightening version of himself after the TV had begun talking to him. The similarities are not lost on Jo. It wasn't a TV this time, but a Home Assistant. Was she showing signs of schizophrenia just as her father had? Or is being alone so much playing with her mind? Or is someone playing a cruel game and trying to scare her?

Despite my misgivings, THE ASSISTANT has a sinister and creepy atmosphere set during one of the coldest winters London has seen. It has that claustrophobic feel that traps you because there is no escape outdoors in the cold and there's none inside from Electra either. It is almost suffocating...had I already not died of boredom with Jo's depressing monologue.

THE ASSISTANT does provide an element of tension throughout, no doubt culminating towards the end. Sadly I didn't make it that far. I would have loved to see how it all ended up and while I did flick through to the end to see who or what was behind it, I did discover that piece of truth...but it didn't make much sense to me having not read the rest of the book. As I said...I just may well come back to it.

I have to say that short snappy chapters may well have been the saviour for this book to make it far more intriguing, rather than long drawn out ones with incessant monologuing and pondering on three basic questions on an internet dating site!

A dark and thought-provoking story, THE ASSISTANT is a very real reminder of the place smart technology has in our lives and our dependency on it.  Smart TVs, Home Assistants - we've all been told that they can listen to your conversations and we've also been warned not to disclose any private information in front of these devices. THE ASSISTANT does reveal and explore this very modern fear in the form of the creepy Electra, a character in her own right.

Despite my issues with the book, THE ASSISTANT is unsettling and creepy and perfect for those who enjoy psychological thrillers. Just be sure to unplug your Google Home or Alexa first...

I would like to thank #SKTremayne, #NetGalley and #HarperCollinsUK for an ARC of #TheAssistant in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: I Dare You by Sam Carrington (ARC)

I Dare You by Sam Carrington

Genre: Psychological thriller

Read: 15th January 2020

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(publication date: 29th November 2019)

★★★★★ 5 stars

Sam Carrington's style is not necessarily one that I would usually relish in other authors and while her previous one "The Missing Wife" was rather slow burning but it packed a punch by the end, I was still a little dubious going in with this one. I need not have feared...I DARE YOU was five star brilliant!!

I generally do not enjoy slow burn thrillers. I would rather they reel me in from the first page and get to the point to keep that ride going. However, despite being a slow build in her writing style, Carrington still manages to do all that - reel me in from the beginning, dropping little snippets through to keep me interested whilst building up to the inevitable climax. And what a climax it was!!!

1989: Two 10 year old girls, Jonie and Bella, are playing the childhood game "Knock Knock Ginger" (which here in Australia we call "Knock and Run") on the local weirdo of Mapledon village they cruelly call "Creepy Cawley". They aren't the only ones to play. In fact, the entire village children at one time or another are playing the same game, knocking on the same door, playing their childish pranks on the same man over and over again.

Until one day...the prank goes horribly wrong. The two girls go out to play and only one returns. She was last seen getting into Creepy Cawley's truck and never seen again. Her body was never found and the village was never the same again.

Billy Cawley, the subject of these games and pranks, was never going to fit in with the "Stepford wives" village of Mapledon and when his wife died, it only got worse. He became a recluse, seen as the local misfit. The local kids tormented him relentlessly. Even his young daughter Eliza was deemed weird with her perverse pleasure of dismembering her dolls.

The local village women banded together to rid Mapledon of the Cawleys. So sure were they that Billy was abusing his 8 year old daughter Eliza, that they called in social services and had her removed from his care. And then Jonie went missing. And all eyes turned to Creepy Cawley... He pleaded guilty to abducting and murdering Jonie Hayes and was given a 30 year prison sentence.

2019: In the thirty years since the tragedy that shook the village, Mapledon hasn't changed. There are secrets that have been buried for far too long, simmering beneath the surface, whispered behind closed doors...if at all. But now people are on edge. Because Billy Cawley is out on licence and the village of Mapledon awaits to see if he has the audacity to return to his home that has sat empty since his arrest 30 years ago.

The gossip that had tongues a-wagging 30 years ago is once again alive and well as villagers question what's to come. Will Billy Cawley return and exact revenge on those he deemed responsible for putting him away? Will he disclose the whereabouts of Jonie's body so her mother Tina can at last have some closure? The village is filled with anxiety, fear and even guilt.

It's been twenty years since Anna left the toxic atmosphere that was Mapledon. But now, at the request of her mother Muriel, she returns home. Someone has been tormenting Muriel, leaving dismembered doll parts nailed to her door with frightening messages alluding to the fact that Muriel knows something. Within a couple of days, her mother's erratic behaviour leads Anna to believe that she is in fact keeping secrets. So Anna endeavours to search for the truth.

Lizzie is a journalist married to Dom. Upon receiving a letter notifying her of Billy Cawley's release, she decides to return to Mapledon to seek out answers to her childhood. Although she knows she had lived in the village a long time ago, she has no real memories of that time but hopes upon her return they will begin to come back to her. But her journey is also one of truth. And it isn't long before she discovers that Mapledon isn't keen on sharing the truth with outsiders.

Anna and Lizzie team up in their search for answers, each wary of the other and wondering whether they can really trust the other. When each woman's true identity is revealed, both women are shocked while at the same time realisation dawning as to the sense it all actually makes. They both begin to question each other's motives while at the same time Anna questions her mother's role in it all.

One thing is abundantly clear...Mapledon has a toxic undercurrent simmering below its surface, reminding Anna why she escape the clutches of the poisonous village two decades ago.

But Mapledon is also a village that will stop at nothing to protect its own. Anything to protect its children. So many secrets, so many lies, so much manipulation and deceit. The truth is somewhere in between.

And Anna and Lizzie will stop at nothing to reveal it...whatever the cost.

WOW! If I had one word to describe I DARE YOU, it would be that. It starts out as one thing and ends as something not too far removed while at the same time being completely different. The toxicity in that village was so noxious I'm surprised anyone could breathe!

Told from several perspectives back and forth from 1989 to the present day, I DARE YOU is very easy to follow. The dual timelines are woven together seamlessly with a tension that is palpable throughout. Anna and Lizzie are the main narrators that bring us to the penultimate climax...and what a climax it is!! It just keeps on giving...and just when you think you have all the answers there is still even more to come. Normally the tension builds to a climax that is over within a chapter...this one kept going and going and going with many more reveals.

A slow burner initially, I DARE YOU does pull you in from the beginning and I think it's the short snappy chapters that keep the story moving at a steady pace despite its slow build. Sam Carrington has a way of weaving her stories like that in such a way it doesn't feel as if you are reading a slow burner. The twists are misleading, enlightening and confusing all at once as the pressure builds.

While the overall theme appears to be how far will you go to protect your children and yourselves, I DARE YOU is rife with manipulation, lies and secrets that would suffocate any normal person should they happen upon Mapledon. How can a village steeped in so much poison find peace? And when the truth is revealed, what then? Can all those involved move on and find their own peace? Will justice be served? I'm not sure justice was served in the end, but it left you pondering what may or may not happen. As well as the mystery of who? I have my suspicions...but who knows? It was a bit of a loose end leading us to an unknown conclusion. I guess it was subjective to the reader.

The question that remains...was Billy Cawley guilty or innocent? You will need to read the book to find out! I dare you...you won't be sorry!

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

REVIEW: A Sister's Courage by Molly Green (ARC)

A Sister's Courage (The Victory Sisters #1) by Molly Green

Genre: Historical fiction, WW2

Read: 12th Janury 2020

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(publication date: 28th November 2019)

★★★★★ 5 stars

It's 1939 and the threat of war hangs over Britain. And all Lorraine "Raine" Linfoot wanted to do since her father took her to the flying circus when she was 14 was to be a pilot. But it's a man's world and the general consensus is that women can't fly planes...a view shared by her highly strung French mother.

In the first of what promises to be a heartwarming, feel-good series, A SISTER'S COURAGE is Raine's story...her journey from a young idealistic 14 year old to the woman who defies the odds to follow her dream.

From the moment her father took her to see the Flying Circus in 1936, Raine knew she wanted to be a pilot. To feel the freedom up in the skies, the wind beneath her wings. When at 17, she ventures to Biggins Hill airfield to watch the planes, it's there she meets Doug White and she persuades him to teach her to fly whilst arranging a job for her at the airfield to pay for her lessons. She knew her mother would never agree to her flying and therefore would never pay for the lessons.

When Raine has her first solo flight she can hardly contain the thrill of her emotions. Upon her return home she excitedly shares her news with her family who are all thrilled for her...except her mother. She is mortified and angered that Raine would choose to defy her regardless of her thoughts on the matter.

It isn't long before Raine takes her final test flight and and becomes a fully fledged pilot. However, before she can get her hours up, war is declared and the airfield is closed to civilian use. Biggins Hill now comes under the RAF and her mentor Doug is sent to Fighter Command in the war against Germany.

But before he leaves, he recommends she join the newly formed Air Transport Auxilliary (ATA) who deliver planes throughout the country for the RAF. And they are taking women pilots. But in the meantime, she must bide her time at the airfield as a typist and clerk where she now falls under the command of Flight Lieutenant Fox, a despicable man who sees women as objects for his own amusement. From the start, he rubbed Raine up the wrong way and she refused to let him bully her. So when he calls her into his office citing a letter from the ATA asking for pilots, Raine is thrilled to see her chance to fly. But she is quickly brought back to earth with a resounding thump when Fox tells her that they are looking for "experienced" pilots with an excess of 250 hours. Raine only had 20...and with a war on, no chance to increase her hours in any way.

But Fox had other plans for Raine...and when she refuses his advances and swiftly puts him in his place, he terminates her employment. Fearing the new girl Linda's chances with the sleazy Fox, the two women hatch a plan...which sees Linda obtaining the address for the ATA from the letter asking for pilots.

Raine writes to Pauline Gower who is in charge of the ATA pilots at Hatfield, citing her flying hours and her desire to do her bit for the war effort as a pilot. She hears back with the news that she is not immediately successful as the positions have all been filled, but it isn't long before she receives the news she has been waiting for. After an interview with Ms Gower and a flight test that proved to be somewhat hair-raising, Raine at last obtains her dream job as a pilot for the ATA. And not for want of trying either...for it seems the required minimum of 250 hours for the position was the cruel work of Flight Lieutenant Fox. There had been no minimum flying hours. The ATA were desperate for pilots.

Meanwhile back home, Raine's mother is as furious as expected. To think that her daughter was flying dangerous machines in the air during a war. Her sisters, Suzanne and Ronnie, were thrilled for her as was her father Robert. Even Doug was elated in their exchange of letters. Everyone was happy for her, except her mother. On a visit home, she went to a dance with her sister Suzanne, where she met the most infuriating cocky fly-boy with the greenest eyes she had ever seen. He introduced himself as Alec Marshall. She had seen him once before when she started at Biggins Hill before the war and while he was attractive, he was even more infuriating. Even moreso when he laughed at her.

Back in Hatfield, Raine was living her dream as a pilot ferrying fighter planes to the men on the front line. And although she had only ever flown a Tiger Moth, she was soon flying other planes such as Hurricanes, Spitfires and Typhoons. It was the general consensus amongst the female pilots that the Spitfire was a "woman's plane". It was light and comfortable and truly a dream to fly. And when Raine got her chance to fly her first Spit, she understood exactly what the other women meant. It WAS a woman's plane.

Then Raine receives the devastating news that Doug's plane had been shot down in France and, unless he bailed out before it crashed, he was missing presumed dead. It wasn't long after that she received her last letter from Doug which appeared to be unfinished, and in it he stated his true feelings for her and hoped they could marry upon his return. But suddenly Raine wasn't sure. This man who had seemed so much older than her, more experienced, she'd always looked on as an older brother. She didn't think she loved him in that way.

But when she laid eyes on Alec Marshall again, she knew where her heart lay. But being the stubborn woman that she was, Raine never admitted her true feelings to anyone...for fear of her heart being broken. This war was a cruel war and it was taking so many lives. She didn't know if she could give her heart to another...only to lose it should he be killed.

A SISTER'S COURAGE is a heartwarming story that sees Raine breaking with convention learning to fly and then going on to do a man's job during the toughest of conditions. Wartime was not an easy time. Women were left at home to keep the home fires burning, but many were also given roles they had never had before...in place of the men who were out there fighting. They had to deal with prejudice, convention, family and relationships.

I love historical fiction, with WW2 fiction often a favourite. A SISTER'S COURAGE is no different. It is well written and well portrayed with characters that are relatable and well developed as far as this part of the story goes. As we know, this is the first installment in "The Victory Sisters" series and is Raine's story. The second book I note will be focusing on Raine's sister Suzanne in the appropriately titled "A Sister's Song".

This is my first book my Molly Green and it won't be my last. I thoroughly enjoyed A SISTER'S COURAGE and look forward to "A Sister's Song".

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

REVIEW: The Orphan Thief by Glynis Peters (ARC)

The Orphan Thief by Glynis Peters

Genre: Historical fiction, WW2 era

Read: 8th January 2020

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(publication date: 28th November 2019)

★★★★ 4.5 stars

Glynis Peters is a new author to me and despite my ever-growing TBR list, I decided to take a chance on her because I'm a sucker for historical fiction. And I wasn't disappointed. THE ORPHAN THIEF was a delight to read from start to finish.

Set in Coventry between Christmas 1938 and May 1945, THE ORPHAN THIEF begins during the Blitz - a terrifying time for England when the Germans attacked large populated cities with constant air raids day and night. Coventry did not escape unscathed. And when 16 year old Ruby Shadwell returns to the crater where once her home had stood, she knew without a doubt that she had lost her entire family in one fell swoop. Even her grandmother who lived on another street was found amidst the rubble that had once been her home.

Shocked and devastated, Ruby was surprised to find someone she knew had escaped the German's wrath. Fred, who lived across the street from her gran, stood shell shocked in the midst of the rubble surrounding him until a medic lead him away to an awaiting ambulance. Fred's house still partially stood so Ruby made her way through the remnants and put aside some mementos for Fred to keep. But as she had nowhere to stay and she was essentially underage, Ruby made herself something to eat and a bed for the night in the corner of Fred's kitchen. It wasn't until she heard voices outside the next day, she was certain the enemy were coming back to finish the job, so she grabbed Fred's mementos and hurried away without being seen.

When Ruby found herself on the street of her father's accountant, she decided to go to him for help, knowing Stephen would be more than happy to oblige. However, when she got there she discovered Stephen slumped over his desk. He had been dead some time, possibly his heart gave out. Upon writing to Stephen's sister to inform her of his death, Ruby received the news that his sister had passed a couple of years before. However, the sister's husband wrote a letter stating permission for Ruby to stay at the flat whilst clearing out Stephen's office and belongings, selling everything to pay off any debts and to keep anything left for her trouble. Ruby had no idea who Stephen's landlord was and had no way of contacting him to pay any rent that may have been in arrears.

After sorting through his paperwork into piles and matters of importance, and with some help from her friend Helen, she was shocked to discover that her father had in fact been Stephen's landlord - which explained why no one was around to collect the rent - and that as his only surviving relative, she inherited the property. Not only that, but Helen discovered that Ruby's father had a tidy sum stashed away in a bank account of which would no pass to Ruby...although she had to get her papers in order first since they would have all been destroyed in the bombing.

It was sifting through the rubble and remnants that gave Ruby an idea...which she shared with Helen. To find items that could be salvaged or repaired from the rubble, tag them and either return them to their owners or, if there was no one, sell them. Ruby decided she wanted to open a shop to keep the Shadwell name going from her family's grocery store.

Before long, Ruby was reunited with Fred who, with no real home to return to, moved in with Ruby and became an honourary grandfather to her. Along the way, we meet Beatty whose home was also destroyed, and Fred and Ruby welcome her into their home also. And once again, Ruby feels like she has a family surrounding her.

Then she meets street waif Tommy, who couldn't be more than 6 years old. Ruby suspects he is up to no good but she can't resist his boyish charms and his strange cockney accent. And in a way, she reminds him of her little brother, so she decides to take him under her wing. So when Tommy brings her pieces of jewellery he claims belongs to his auntie who needs money for them to pay the rent, Ruby is suspicious but couldn't see the boy out on the street with no food and takes the items in return for £2.

As time goes on, and Tommy keeps bringing more and more items to her to sell, Ruby begins to wonder about hos family. The pieces were exquisite and obviously worth a lot of money so Tommy's family must have come from a wealthy background and fallen on hard times. But whenever she asked to meet his mother, Tommy would either deflect her questions or get angry and storm away.

Throughout the time from when she was rendered homeless to owning and operating Shadwell's Buy and Sell, Ruby meets Canadian Jean-Paul Clayton, a photographer who captures the war through his camera lens for the Canadian RAF. More than once, he has caught Ruby in her private moments of grief for which she is enraged with him. And although THE ORPHAN THIEF is not a romance, Ruby finds herself falling in love with Jean-Paul who is known to her as John, the English derivative of his name. But when John goes missing, Ruby fights to keep herself going with the love of her new family around her.

As Ruby's story unfolds, you see her grow from girl into a young woman - a woman wise before her time. But with Ruby's is also Tommy's story and his life as an orphan thief. Their stories will make you laugh and make you cry.

A moving story with characters so heartwarmingly real, THE ORPHAN THIEF is a different type of tale in the WW2 genre. Whilst it described the terrifying events during wartime England and the horrific conditions the survivors endured, it also portrayed hope where there is none and the strength and endurance of the human spirit.

THE ORPHAN THIEF is engaging from the first page that you won't want to put it down as you feel every emotion as if you were there living the moment alongside Ruby, Fred, Beatty and Tommy.

The only thing keeping THE ORPHAN THIEF from a 5 star rating was the ending. There was a bittersweet end which I won't spoil but I thought could have happened if events had taken place in the correct order. Whilst many women did find themselves unmarried and pregnant, they generally married soon after. And didn't go on to have another two children before walking up the aisle two years later. Ruby had plenty of opportunity to marry in those subsequent two years and didn't so that lacked believability for me. It was a different time and while it is acceptable practice now it certainly wasn't then. So I am dropping half a star because of that...and the bittersweet ending that could have been much happier done the right way around. I'll say no more, but those who have read it will know what I mean.

Compelling, emotional and bittersweet, THE ORPHAN THIEF is definitely worth reading. You will fall in love with everyone (except Earl) and want to take them all home to tuck up safely forever. And despite never having read Glynis Peters before, I would definitely look out for her again. It was a pleasant surprise.

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

REVIEW: Single by K.L. Slater (ARC)

Single by K.L. Slater

Genre: Psychological thriller, domestic thriller

Read: 5th January 2020

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(publication date: 25th November 2019)

★★★★★ 4.5 stars (rounded up)

Kim has done it again with her tenth psychological thriller SINGLE robbing me of yet another night's sleep! But boy, was it worth it! You know that when you pick up a K.L. Slater book you are going to be in for one hell of a ride...and will not be left disappointed. SINGLE was no different.

Darcy Hilton is a single mother with two boys - Harrison (8) and Kane (6) - who discovers a harsh truth about her husband Joel after his death. In the aftermath unable to cope, Darcy has complete breakdown which results in Joel's parents gaining temporary custody of her boys. Three years later, Darcy has her boys back and is well on her way to getting her life back.

Or is she?

Throughout the years since Joel's death, Darcy has come to rely on her in laws a great deal. Her sister-in-law Steph is her best friend and has always been like a sister to her, and Brenda (Joel's mother) has always been on hand to look after the boys when needed. Both women have a spare key to Darcy's Victorian terrace enabling them to come and go freely. In the past, this has always worked well for Darcy, especially when one or the other were bringing the boys back and Darcy was not yet home. But now, Darcy is starting to find her feet again and is beginning to feel a little stifled by the family, and she wonders if she had made a mistake in giving them such a free reign over her life.

Has she made a mistake?

One afternoon Darcy and Steph took the boys to the play park. Whilst they were in a debate about whether Darcy should start dating again, Kane suffers an asthma attack. Darcy panics. Emptying his rucksack, she could not find his inhaler anywhere although she knows she packed it! It seems Kane removed it in place of his toy cars he opted for instead...but Darcy could see that Steph was questioning whether she really did pack it. Feeling helpless, Darcy's cries for help are heard by a passing stranger who swoops in to assist...and who turns out to be a doctor.

George Mortimer is tall, handsome and a Urology surgeon in line for a promotion to head up the urology department at City Hospital. He is also a single father to his 6 year old daughter named Romy. When Darcy sends him a "thank you" note offering to buy him coffee by way of thanks for saving her son's life, the two of them discover they have more in common than they thought...finding themselves comfortable in each other's company.

Darcy falls head over heels for George and as one date leads to another...and another...they soon begin a relationship. But for fear of how her in-laws would react, Darcy keeps their relationship secret until she no longer can.

Then when Darcy gets notice that her Victorian terrace is being sold and Steph confides in her that she knows who is buying it, Darcy realises that the walls are closing in on her new life she has rebuilt. But it all seems to fall into place again when George asks her move in with him and Romy, and Darcy is ecstatic. Her in-laws, less so. In fact, they appear to find fault where ever they can, convinced that Darcy has relapsed and heading for another breakdown.

Are these just some ominous signs of things to come? And who is the mysterious woman with the vacant stare who appears to be following her? Who is sending her sinister messages? Why do Darcy's in-laws get so upset that she is dating again? And why take it so personally? And why is Joel's "other woman" returning to town? Is she the one following her? Leaving her messages?

As Darcy's world begins to crumble, she finds herself wondering - who can she trust?

SINGLE is told in several perspectives - mainly Darcy's but at other times in the third person from her in-laws Brenda and Leonard, Steph's and even George. There is a flashback to 1995 told from the perspective of a young 13 year old boy sent away to boarding school that leaves us pondering how that fits into the bigger picture. When it is revealed it's safe to say it wasn't what I expected.

Needless to say, this is a book where secrets and lies are in abundance. Literally everyone could be good or bad, innocent or guilty. Everyone has a secret and everyone's motives are questionable...and nobody is exactly who they appear to be. There are so many mysteries to solve within this book that will have you questioning just who is unreliable and who isn't. Including Darcy herself!

A story of trust, deception and betrayal, SINGLE is a psychological domestic thriller on a whole new level that will have you turning the pages long into the night. Nothing is as it seems...or rather, no one is who they seem.  With twist after twist, you will be left breathless by the end.

My only real flaw with the book is that the 1995 narrative could have been fleshed out a little more because as it stands, it felt a little lost in the rest of the story...and as it was an important part to one part of the story (you'll know when you read it), I felt it wasn't given as much attention as it should have. To do so would have really thrown another twist in.

But how many twists can you have in one book? SINGLE just about has them all. And with so many twists and turns, I was almost getting whiplash from the ride! But what a ride it was!

Kim most certainly is up there as one of my favourite authors. She never fails to disappoint...even if I haven't yet read all of her work, I certainly intend to.

Highly recommended for fans of psychological and domestic thrillers...basically any fan of Shalini or Kim!

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

REVIEW: The Mother I Could Have Been by Kerry Fisher (ARC)

The Mother I Could Have Been by Kerry Fisher

Genre: Family drama, Literary fiction, Chick Lit

Read: 4th January 2020

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(publication date: 22nd November 2019)

★★★★★ 5 stars

This is the first Kerry Fisher book I have read and I have to say that I am pleasantly surprised. I really and truly enjoyed it. An nice and easy read, the pace was steady, the story emotional and the ending heartwarming. Although I wouldn't classify THE MOTHER I COULD HAVE BEEN in the Mystery/Thriller genre, it does has an element of mystery to it. But I would shelve it with the contemporary, general fiction or even chick lit.

THE MOTHER I COULD HAVE BEEN is Vicky's story. She grew up not knowing her father and when her mother remarried to a man who didn't particularly like his new wife's daughter then went on to have two more children. Whilst her mother played happy families with husband Ian and children Joey and Emily, Vicky felt like the odd one out. Her mother always seemed to have more time for her new family rather than she did for Vicky.

2009. When Vicky graduated university, her mum rang at the last minute with the excuse that Emily had taken a fall and she was at the hospital; that she was sorry but wouldn't be able to make her graduation. Angered that once again her mother proved she didn't really want her, Vicky decided that when it came time for her to have a family she would show them the love and attention she had always wanted but never received. She would give her children what she had missed out on.

Then when her flatmate's family invited her to join them on a trip to Corfu, Vicky jumped at the chance to escape her troubles with her own family. But two weeks into the holiday, she begins to feel her presence really isn't wanted particularly when she overhears her friend Liv tell her mother she "didn't think she would be spending the whole holiday with us"!

So Vicky makes her escape and finds herself at beachside bar run by the charismatic Freddie. On a whim, she asks him for a job in exchange for board and lodging and by the end of the day Vicky had moved herself into the attic room overtop of the bar. The locals loved her, the tourists also loved her and soon Freddie did too. It wasn't long before Vicky left the attic room and moved in with Freddie. Together they enjoyed a free spirited relationship and when Liv's family left Corfu, Vicky found herself not wanting to go back home. So she stayed.

Then one day, Vicky is enjoying the solitude of a secluded beach the locals frequent...but not generally tourists...when she meets William. They spend a glorious day and evening together and he walks her home to the bar, giving her his number should she ever wish to see him again. Despite being with Freddie, Vicky can't stop thinking about William and before long she moves out of the room she shared with Freddie and moves in with William.

Vicky and William fall madly in love and they love their life in Corfu, and aren't looking to return home to the UK in the foreseeable future. That is, until Vicky discovers she is pregnant and everything changes. After a scare in her second trimester, Vicky and William decide to move back to the UK with William's family where she is welcomed by his mother and father.

When Vicky gives birth to baby Theo, she is filled with doubts about her abilities, which are more often than not, highlighted by William's mother Barbara. Vicky trusted Barbara to know best as she hadn't a clue on how to raise a child, but soon those subtleties turn into nastiness and Vicky finds herself at loggerheads with not just Barbara, but William too, who doesn't seem the least bit interested and tired of her constant complaints about his mother. Not only that, Theo didn't seem to like her and would scream whenever she came near...and yet he would calm in Barbara's arms.

But one Christmas, when Theo was 2, was the last straw. Barbara once again asserted her authority over Vicky for little Theo's attention and when he took a tumble with his new gift, Vicky was shocked to hear Theo cry "Don't want Vicky! Want Mamma!" Vicky was incensed and confronted Barbara about teaching him to call her "mamma". But Barbara brushed it off as "Theo's choice...short for grandma". When she tried to talk to William about it, he was more interested in his phone than what was going on and told her to calm down. Furious, Vicky changed into more comfortable clothes, jumped in her car and left...and she never went back.

She had intended to return...but every time she tried she found she just couldn't face William or his mother in what would be another "battle of wills". In the end, she stayed away for about six months before she decided to speak to William face to face. But when she approached the school where Barbara had insisted on Theo going to, she saw William kissing a tall blonde woman...and even worse, Theo seemed to love her too! It seemed their lives had moved on without her...and she wasn't even missed. Not even by her son.

So Vicky turned her car around and drove away.

Devon, 2016. Caro Campbell and her husband Gilbert ran a small holiday business with their son Fergus. Caro had a daughter India who, for all intents and purposes, was a complete pain in the proverbial! That woman would find fault in anything and everything! Caro loved both her children but India could never see it.

On New Year's Eve, India had left her three children - Ivy, Rowan and Hollie - in Caro's charge with strict instructions that she must follow to the letter. However, it was New Years and Caro was entertaining guests whilst the children were watching television in the den. By the time India and her husband returned early, Ivy was drunk and Rowan and Hollie had fallen asleep in the den in front of inappropriate TV programmes. India was livid and accused her mother of being disrespectful to them and their wishes. Some weeks later, Caro received a letter from her daughter cutting off all ties with them since they "could not be bothered to respect their wishes". Caro is gutted. India has always been difficult but she still loves her, though India fails to see that.

However, the business has been suffering recently and Fergus suggests hiring someone to manage it so he can get on with doing the hands-on work of redecorating the cottages. Enter Vicky her and dog Lionel.

Vicky is soon at home at Applefield Cottages, and although she says little, she is good at her job and it isn't long before Caro finds they cannot do without her.

When an investigator knocks at Caro's door one day looking for Vicky, bringing news she does not want to hear, Caro begins to see the cracks in Vicky's demeanour as the young woman breaks down and opens up to her. Soon the two women become fast friends and while both of them are mothers, both find themselves in a situation they can see no way out of.

THE MOTHER I COULD HAVE BEEN begins as Vicky's story but ends up Caro's as well. It is moving, it is tragic, it is heartbreaking, it is emotional. A story about life, love and loss. About motherhood and relationships. It is filled with raw emotion, devastation and heartbreak but by the end it is so heartwarming you will be left with an afterglow.

There were times I could have gladly slapped Vicky, but for the most part, I could understand where she was coming from as for much of my life I have felt like the odd one out or unwanted. So I could relate to how she was feeling...and although I didn't agree with her walking out on her son, I could totally get why she did. Had I been in her situation with a mother-in-law like that I probably would be tempted to do the same thing. Vicky had no self-esteem, no confidence and no real value of herself. Is it no wonder she could easily be manipulated?

The two people I could not stand the most were Barbara and India. Both were filled with a jealously so fierce though they reacted in vastly different ways. Sometimes I wondered how Vicky could not see through Barbara's subtleties...but then she had no self confidence and she trusted Barbara. And William? I could have gladly throttled him for being so indifferent and uncaring to Vicky's emotions. So what if he thought she was being over-the-top? His job was to protect her and Theo. He only served to drive a wedge between himself and Vicky.

I really loved the backdrop of Corfu and found myself wanting to stay there! But the story I really enjoyed was Caro's. I don't know...I think I found Caro an endearing and heartwarming character. I could feel myself enveloped in her arms and the love radiate from her...I don't know why her own daughter couldn't.

THE MOTHER I COULD HAVE BEEN has such heartwarming moments it made this book such a feel-good read, despite the heartbreak at the centre of both stories. Vicky may not have been entirely likable all of the time, she wasn't an emotional person and kept her feelings hidden, but she had a deep love for her son that she truly thought he would be better off without her. She had so much love but didn't know how to show it.

As Vicky's and Caro's stories intertwine, THE MOTHER I COULD HAVE BEEN draws us in from the first pages and keeps up engaged right up until the last, as we journey through tears and joys, regrets and heartbreak, loss and second chances.

I thoroughly enjoyed this journey and will not hesitate to take up another of Kerry Fisher's. I urge you to pick up a copy of THE MOTHER I COULD HAVE BEEN - you will not be disappointed.

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