REVIEW: The Foundling by Stacey Halls (ARC)

The Foundling by Stacey Halls

Genre: Historical fiction

Read: 28th April 2020

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(publication date: 6th February 2020)

★★★★★ 5 stars

*My apologies for the delay in writing this review as I was rushed to hospital two weeks ago and then had surgery last week and now I have clots in my leg and lungs, and I haven't been up to reading or reviewing since.*

I love historical fiction and this is historical fiction at its best! I was swept away into another world from the opening page and I did not want to put it down until the end. And even then I didn't want to. It is engaging, it is engrossing and it is atmospheric.

London, 1747: Set in Georgian London, THE FOUNDLING is the story of Bess Bright, a young woman who found herself in the family way after a brief encounter with a charismatic gentleman in a dark alley. Unable to provide for her baby girl, Clara, Bess is forced to give her up at the Foundling Hospital with the clear intention of going back for her just as soon as she has saved enough money to pay for her keep at the hospital and to support them both.

The Foundling Hospital is a place where many a woman finds herself - whether they are unwed or unable to feed another mouth. They line up and pick a token from a bag to decide their baby's fate. If it is one colour, their baby is taken in, health checks pending; another means they must wait for a place and their babies declared healthy; the final colour means they are turned away. It is devastating to see the desperation of these women, most of whom are of the poorest and cannot support a child. Yet while they are giving up their babies, lining the walls are the beautifully adorned and festooned gentry with theirs fans and masks and wigs piled up high. To them, this is a form of sport they love to spectate on...the utter desperation of the poorer classes giving up their own flesh and blood. It is despicable to think the gentry see themselves far above those who cannot afford to feed or clothe their babies, and therefore must give them up. It most certainly reveals the chasm between the classes.

Bess draws out a token that puts her on a waiting list for another's child to be rejected. When she is called up, baby Clara is taken away for a health check and Bess is asked for her details. Unable to read, she can only leave an 'X' as a signature. Clara is deemed healthy for admission and Bess leaves her with a token - as proof of identity - one half of a whalebone heart with the initials 'B' (for Bess) and 'C' (for Clara) engraved within.

1754: Six years later, Bess has worked hard with her father at the docks selling shrimp, smelling like a fishwife and saving everything she could, that now she finally has enough money equivalent to two years' wages and is ready to reclaim her daughter. However, when she arrives she is shocked to discover that her daughter has already been claimed...by Bess herself! The day after she relinquished her! All these years and Clara was never at the Foundling. Bess is devastated but determined to find out who took her daughter.

In her desperation, Bess meets a young doctor and member of the Foundling Hospital and he takes pity on her story. He invites her to chapel the following Sunday where the other members of the hospital attend in the hope that they can help her in her search for Clara. It is there, Bess sees a young girl who catches her eye and is sure without a doubt that she has found her daughter.

The tables are then turned and we are swept away from the docks to the terraced houses of Bloomsbury affluence. It is here we meet Alexandra Callard, a wealthy widowed recluse who leaves the house once a week only for chapel and her young daughter Charlotte. Through the kindly Dr Mead of the Foundling, Alexandra takes on a nursemaid for Charlotte, despite her worry about allowing another person into the house that she has filled with secrets.

Eliza moves into the Callard household as nursemaid to 6 year old Charlotte, a bright and lively child who yearns for life on the outside. Her mother, Alexandra, has not set foot outside (except for chapel) since her husband Daniel died before Charlotte was born and for reasons known only to Alexandra, has therefore become a recluse and insisting her child be also. Eliza is young but very capable in her position as nursemaid, taking little Charlotte under her wing as they giggle together and become fast friends. For while Charlotte lives a life of privilege and wants for nothing, money may be plentiful but it is soon obvious that love is not.

But unbeknownst to Alexandra, Eliza has an agenda. One of which she did not foresee or ever expect. And when one night, those intentions are made clear, the lives of these two women are changed forever.

Alternating between Bess and Alexandra, THE FOUNDLING is divided into "parts" that are told in the respective narratives of both women. I loved this aspect as the reader becomes privy to each character's thoughts and the complexities of their lives as we watch the two become intertwined to create an even bigger picture.

THE FOUNDLING is an incredibly well-researched tale and, although fiction, the hospital and its history shine within these pages bearing a sad reflection of life in Georgian times. The attention to detail given to the story reflects the chasm between the two main characters and their vastly different lifestyles, of that between the rich and the poor, in 18th century London. The two women couldn't be more different. Bess who, from a world of hawking by the docks for a living, is naturally warm and loving in nature while Alexandra, in her ivory tower of affluence and money, is cold, remote and distant. Bess is on the streets every day selling shrimp while Alexandra sits alone in her withdrawing room talking to the portraits of her dead parents.

I didn't like Alexandra to begin with but as the story unfolds and we find out more about her it soon becomes clearer why she is the way she is, and as the reader we understand her a little better. But having said that, my sympathies were always with Bess and her own heartbreaking situation. Just because you are not born into money shouldn't dictate whether you are able to love and provide for your child just as much as the next person. Life in Georgian London certainly proved to be a cruel time in which to live and having to face the desperate decision of whether to leave your newborn baby to the fate of strangers in a hospital in the hope one would be able to save the money to reclaim them at a later time is heartbreaking. Which just makes Bess' tale even more poignant.

A captivating tale from beginning to end, THE FOUNDLING is atmospheric and well written detailing the social injustices of the time, motherhood and love. But at the heart of the story is the question of what is more important: love and affection amidst a life of poverty, or a life of luxury without love?

While there is no real mystery as to how the two women are linked, there are several puzzling aspects of how and why that are gradually revealed making THE FOUNDLING an engrossing and addictive read that will leave you wanting more. Unlike many others, I loved the ending as no real closure is one of my pet hates in a book.

If you are looking for a dark historical tale fraught with social injustice yet filled with strong characters and a beautifully intricate plot, then look no further. THE FOUNDLING is definitely for you! I loved it from start to finish and it is well worth every star.

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

REVIEW: Perfect Kill by Helen Fields (ARC)

Perfect Kill (Callanach & Turner #6) by Helen Fields

Genre: Crime fiction, police procedural, thriller

Read: 30th April 2020

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(publication date: 6th February 2020

★★★ 2.5 stars (rounded up to 3)

*My apologies for the delay in writing this review as I was rushed to hospital two weeks ago and then had surgery last week and now I have clots in my leg and lumgs, and I haven't been up to reading or reviewing since.*

When I requested this book I didn't realise it was part of a series. In fact upon requesting, I had this author mixed up with another "Helen" and thought it was her latest release, so I was a little confused when I began to find I was in Scotland rather than the Lake District...with totally different characters. The fact this is the sixth book in a series made it a little confusing to connect with the characters because they already have so much history that I was not privy to. But it was an interesting premise, to say the least.

Set between Edinburgh and Paris, PERFECT KILL focuses on two cases that are drawn together, seemingly somehow linked when a DNA test returns a result to a missing Scottish boy. Bart Campbell wakes in a completely dark place with no idea where he is. Bound but not gagged, he has been kidnapped after finishing his shift the night before and when his mother wakes in their flat, she is puzzled to find he hasn't returned home. He is then reported as a missing person when he fails to return.

A young woman escapes her prison, running through back alleys and banging on doors for help. Only to find the door that opens to her is one that is on the payroll of her captors and she finds herself dragged back to the life she had not come to Britain for.

DCI Ava Turner wakes next to a colleague she had taken to her bed on a whim, regretting it instantly, while still pining for Luc Callanach. She receives a call to attend the scene of a very gruesome murder, shortly followed by a call from Luc. DI Luc Callanach was seconded to Interpol in France as part of an ongoing investigation into human trafficking and black market organ transplants.

Luc and Ava soon discover that their cases are linked, bringing Luc back to Scotland where the two are faced not only with their respective cases, but their feelings for each other.

I think I would have best appreciated PERFECT KILL had I read the previous books in the series, although the crime is a standalone story, the backstory to the characters are not.

In all, PERFECT KILL is a gritty thriller that is gruesome and graphic and suited best to those who like their crimes on a more distubring scale.

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

REVIEW: The Burning Men by Will Shindler (ARC)

The Burning Men (DI Alex Finn #1) by Will Shindler

Genre: Crime fiction, thriller

Read: 26th April 2020

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(publication: 6th February 2020)

★★★ 3 stars

The story begins five years before when a fire consumes the construction site of a prestige development in Pacific Square, London. A team of five firefighters are first on the scene when they see a man waving from a third floor window. They rush inside to his rescue, emerging soon after with the body of a man who is then identified as well known money launderer, Erik Whitlock. Within 18 months, all five members of the team have taken early retirement.

Five years later, these same men are now being targeted after one of them is set alight at his own wedding reception. The remaining four fear they are being singled out for a decision they made five years previous...a fear that soon becomes a reality when yet another of them is found dead, burned alive. Who is doing this?

DI Alex Finn is assigned to the case after recently returning to work after the death of his wife Karin from an aggressive brain tumour. He is partnered with DC Mattie Paulson, as some kind of mentor to the young DC, who has her own demons to battle after a recent investigation into a paedophile.

The remaining three ex-firies are tight-lipped, saying nothing, even if it could help pinpoint who is singling them out and killing them all one by one. Whilst in the background corruption runs deep as tabs are being keps on Finn and Paulson's investigation.

A solid police procedural with some gruesome scenes but with an intriguing plot that keeps you guessing, THE BURNING MEN is a chilling, gritty and well written debut with twists, tension and plenty of suspense.

Recommended for fans of this genre.

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

REVIEW: Saving Missy by Beth Morrey (ARC)

Saving Missy by Beth Morrey

Genre: Contemporary, Chick Lit

Read: 26th April 2020

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(publication: 6th February 2020)

★★★ 3 stars

I'm not sure why I requested this book, but obviously something in the premise prompted me to do so. It is not my usual genre and even upon re-reading the premise, I'm still at a loss as to why I did.

Missy Carmichael is 78 years old and living alone in the great big house she once shared with her husband Leo and their children Melanie and Alistair. Her children are now grown - with Alistair and her grandson Arthur now living in Australia, and her estranged daughter Melanie about to marry her long time love of some 30 years, Octavia. I could feel Missy's loneliness as it bounced off the empty walls and it was indeed a sad state of affairs. But she was a spiky old woman who was incredibly endearing.

Despite her loneliness, Missy is a very proud woman and refuses to be pitied. So when one morning she collapses at the park and awakes to the smiling face of Sylvie, she bats away the invitation for a coffee...despite secretly longing for the company. When Missy then has a chance encounter at a cafe with the loud and brash Irish woman Angela from the park, she could only sit there and listen to Angela prattle away. Missy took an instant dislike to Angela when she first saw her in the park and she still wasn't particularly fond of her but it gave her something to do. Little did Missy know, these chance encounters would change the course of her life as she knew it.

The most poignant time in Missy's life was also the beginning. It was her 79th birthday, which she sadly celebrated alone. Angela had knocked on her door that evening with a scruffy mongrel named Bob asking if she would take the dog for a while for a friend of hers who is in the transitional stage of leaving her abusive husband and is currently in a refuge, where dogs are not permitted. Missy was affronted that Angela would even suggest such a thing and firmly put her in place. But the following day, Missy made her way over to where Angela had pointed out where she lived in her little flat and she apologised then agreeing to look after Bob.

Missy knew nothing about dogs and had never really liked them but as time went on she soon grew fond of the scruffy beast. And despite firmly telling Bob that she was to remain downstairs on the little rug at night, Missy always woke the next morning to find Bob curled up at the end of her bed, snoring happily. It was endearing and Missy grew to enjoy her warm presence. But Bob? For a female dog? Missy decided to adopt the slightly more feminine variation of Bobby which she thought far more appropriate.

Over the course of this somewhat poignant story, Missy finds friendship where she least expects it - in Sylvie, Angela, Otis and of course Bobby - as well as the many others peppered throughout. As events unfold, we see Missy reminisce over her past and what made her who she is today as she discovers the secrets that make her life worthwhile.

But...the thing I knew would happen, that I spent most of the book hoping beyond hope wouldn't, did...and I bawled like a baby as Missy mourned the love she lost where she least expected to find it. After that, I was so devastated I could only skim to the end. Although I am relieved to say the story did end on a happy note...despite the sadness I am still feeling long after I've put it down.

I still don't know why I requested SAVING MISSY. It is a contemporary/chick lit type of book that I don't generally go for but it is also somewhat heartwarming despite the heartbreaks in between. I really liked the prickly and spiky Missy and her little quips had me chuckling at times. It is an endearing book for those who enjoy these types of stories. And although it is not really my cup of tea, I do not hesitate in recommending it.

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

REVIEW: The Wreckage by Robin Morgan-Bentley (ARC)

The Wreckage by Robin Morgan-Bentley

Genre: Thriller

Read: 25th April 2020

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(publication: 6th February 2020)

★★ 2 stars

When I read the premise for this book, I was immediately intrigued. A tragic event in which the driver of the car involved and the grieving family of the man he hit are drawn together as they each try to piece together their shattered lives.

Sounds intriguing, right? Wrong.

What I got was five hours of depressing monologue from both narratives that I cannot get back. I can't believe I stayed up into the night in the hope it would get better. The reason I did stick at it was that it was a short read (thank God!) and the promise of a twist at the end that I was eager to discover. And even that was somewhat anti-climatic.

But to be fair, THE WRECKAGE is about more than just a car accident. It is a story of dangerous love and obsession and the lives of those that are thrown together by this tragic event. And then the twist that is thrown in towards the end reveals that nothing is as it seems. A clever concept...but sadly the two characters were so unlikable that more than once I felt like stuffing them both in a bin bag, tying it off and tossing it in the river!

We meet Ben Anderson, primary school teacher, on his way to work at 6.40am one morning on the motorway in a deluge of rain and mist that you could hardly see the road in front of you. His windscreen was fogging up quicker than he could wipe it with the sleeve of his jacket as the heater was busted. The rain was falling faster than his wipers could go when suddenly he saw a flash of white in front of him...and then it was gone. Pulling over to the shoulder, he got out to find the crumpled body of a man about his age. What the hell just happened? Did he hit this man? Has he killed him? But where on earth did he come from?  Beside himself with worry, Ben is taken to the police station to give a statement of events.

Alice Selby awakes on the same morning around 7.15am. She feels the cold and empty space beside her where her husband Adam should be. Donning a satin dressing gown, Alice descends the stairs and upon seeing no sign of Adam in the kitchen of living room, realises Adam must be in his "study", a shed at the bottom of the garden. But when she opens the door, the sight that greets her is one of disarray with papers strewn everywhere and his mother's porcelain lamp laying broken on the floor. As she steps inside, Alice sees the brown envelope on the seat in Adam's neat calligraphy writing with the words "Tell Maxy I'm sorry" on the front.

Springing into action, Alice pulls Max out of bed and leaving him with their neighbour, takes herself off frantically to the police station. All the while thinking "Not again". Suffering clinical depression and anxiety for most of his life and having a mother who suffered Bipolar before taking her own life, Adam has attempted suicide several times before. But this time is different. This time, when Alice gets to the police station to report her concerns, she is informed that her husband had stepped in front of a car on the motorway and was on his way to the hospital. He's alive? But that hope is short-lived when five weeks later she gives permission to switch off his life support. Adam was brain dead. There was no coming back from it this time.

Ben and Alice's lives first intersect when Ben, feeling so traumatised by the event, visits Adam in the hospital. Alice was shocked at first but then finds a kind of comfort in the kind man who so obviously blamed himself for making her a widow. But Alice knew it wasn't his fault. Adam chose to step in front of his car and end his life. Ben was just the unfortunate person to have hit him.

Then it starts to get a little weird and go downhill.

Ben starts to show a concerning amount of interest in Alice and her 7 year old son Max. He begins to follow her on Facebook, Googling her address to view her house on street view and turning up at the same mindfulness class. Then out of misplaced guilt, he starts to spend a little too much time with them. At first, Alice took pity on him and invited him to a small dinner party with friends. Then an impromptu breakfast of pastries for Max. In a flurry of WhatsApp messages, the two of them share a weird relationship as they try to navigate their way through their grief and feelings of guilt.

Then after a mindfulness class one evening Ben invites Alice for dinner. She thinks "why not?" and Ben takes her to a favourite Italian restaurant for what he sees as their "first date". Then as the evening comes to a close, Alice invites him back for a nightcap and the two end up tearing each other's clothes off and...well, you get the picture. But almost as soon as it happens, Alice is filled with regret while Ben is walking on cloud nine, believing that this is the beginning of a beautiful relationship. The narrative between the two of them at this point shows a complete difference in perspectives and expectations.

What has Alice got herself into? Who is Ben really? She hardly knows him and though she tries to let him down gently, Ben either doesn't take the hint or he has a more sinister agenda. He begins to stalk Alice, turning up where she least expects him leaving her wondering what the hell he is doing there.

Then something happens and all bets are off. What is Ben doing? What is he after? Was it misplaced guilt he's trying to assuage or has he actually been playing a longer, darker and far more twisted game all along?

Plunged right into the story from the first page, THE WRECKAGE is a twisted tale of obsessive love, loss and grief and certainly not what I was expecting. I did have a sense of deja-vu reading it with similarities of a kind to Gillian Jackson's "The Accident" which I have also recently read...although in the end, the two are completely different.

While it did start off promising, it soon tapered off to the point I was getting bored as the story didn't seem to progress and nothing was really happening...but most of all, the two main players were appalling unlikable people. Ben has this whole creepy stalkerish vibe going while Alice is just mean and foul-mouthed.

The twist, when it came, didn't really shock...more like had me raising my eyebrows and thinking "Seriously?" it was pretty unbelievable. But at the same time, it did reveal just how unstable Adam really was. Though he wasn't diagnosed as such, but given his mother had the condition, I had to wonder whether Adam suffered Bipolar as well with the addition of paranoid delusions.

With the exception of one chapter from Adam's POV, THE WRECKAGE is primarily told in alternating narratives by Ben and Alice, as the reader is given a glimpse into each of their perspectives with somewhat startling revelations...but no major shocks.

An average thriller, THE WRECKAGE showed promise to begin with but ended up as nothing wonderful. It was indeed disturbing, with a little twisted twist at the very end that left me thinking "What the...?"

**I feel I must include a trigger warning as the book does contain suicide, depression, anxiety, mental illness and domestic abuse.**

I would like to thank #RobinMorganBentley, #NetGalley and #OrionPublishingGroup for an ARC of #TheWreckage in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: The Orphan's Daughter by Sandy Taylor

The Orphan's Daughter (sequel to The Little Orphan Girl) by Sandy Taylor

Genre: Historical fiction

Read: 24th April 2020

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(publication: 5th February 2020)

★★★★ 4 stars

My first book by Sandy Taylor, THE ORPHAN'S DAUGHTER is a truly a wonderful story. I love the way historical fiction transports you back in time to another place, another era and a completely different way of life. It seems, as a reader, I have found something of a kindred spirit in Nora and her love of books...although she seems to enjoy any book and any story. I'm a little pickier than that.

Set in Ballybun, County Cork in Ireland, THE ORPHAN'S DAUGHTER is the story of Nora Doyle and her coming of age. It's 1924 and she and her best friend Kitty Quinn are thirteen years old. Just one more year of schooling before they become adults and leave to find work. We meet Nora and Kitty sitting upon a wall outside the church graveyard, marking funerals out of 10 by how much wailing and crying is done and if mourners are wearing their Sunday best. Despite their young age, the girls are like little old women both in their chatter and their seemingly wise ways beyond their years.

One day, the girls sneak through a hole in a fence leading them to Bretton Hall, a grand house that sits upon a hill in which "the Honourables" live. But it is also a place that has always been forbidden to Nora, for reasons she does not know. It is there they meet young Eddie who claims to be the son of the groom but is soon revealed to be the young Master Edward Bretton, a lonely young boy with no siblings who longs for a friend. Nora and Eddie feel an instant connection and become firm friends although Kitty isn't as enamoured by him as her friend is. But for Nora, there is a familiarity to Eddie that feels comfortable, as if she has known him all her life.

Eddie introduces Nora to a beautiful secret garden which he himself tends, and it is there he teaches Nora about the different plants and flowers, and the seasons in which they bloom. Both Eddie and Nora share a love of books, with their favourite being "The Secret Garden", just as this garden is to them. But despite her mother's explicit's instructions that Bretton Hall is forbidden, Nora finds she cannot stay away.

When the girls turn 14, they decide that it is time to put away childish things as they leave school to find work - Kitty up at the Hall and Nora at Minnie's cafe in town. Nora finds she doesn't have as much time to meet Eddie in their secret garden but she gets there when she can...and yet still, she is defying her mother by doing so. So when one day Nora bounds into the garden expecting to find Eddie, she is shocked to discover his Aunt Caroline instead, who banishes her from the grounds and from seeing "Master Edward" ever again. Nora is devastated.

It is then that Nora and her mother take a special journey to England, where Nora learns the truth to a secret her mother has kept from her for fourteen years. With this knowledge, when Nora finds the courage to return to the garden it is only to find that the fence through which she'd stole has been replaced with a huge brick wall. The rejection she feels is palpable.

Nora soon realises that as circumstances change so does life, and she makes the decision to leave Ballybun. With the opportunity to work in a bookshop in Dublin, Nora grabs at the chance to live her dream and move away to where a new life awaits her. But even as she makes new friends in Josie, Ellis and Molly, Nora never forgets her best friend Kitty, exchanging letters often. Then Nora meets Joe and before long the two are walking out together. Could this be love?

Then one day, Nora receives some tragic news and before long she is on the next train home, unsure what she is going to find upon her arrival.

The secrets of the past become one with the present as two women from different worlds overcome their aversions and discover a mutual respect, quiet friendship and a strength in each other. But the question that Nora has been putting to the back of her mind soon comes to the forefront - is her life here in Ballybun or back in Dublin?

THE ORPHAN'S DAUGHTER is a heartwarming coming of age story about love, loss, friendship, loyalty and resilience. Throughout the years we watch Nora and Kitty grow from idealistic girls scoring funerals into beautiful young women finding love where they least expect it. In a place where people have so little by way of material possessions when it comes to love and friendship the people of Ballybun want for nothing.

I loved this journey through time that Sandy Taylor takes us on in this wonderful tale that is filled with a simplicity that is truly heartwarming. Sprinkled with love and laughter throughout, THE ORPHAN'S DAUGHTER is a gentle tender read that is instantly compelling.

I did have one really irritating niggle that was peppered throughout the pages. Whenever Nora used big grand words that people of their class weren't accustomed to using, Kitty would then pose the question "Grandad Doyle?" in response to which Nora had the most annoying and repetitive habit of saying "The very man" just about every time. And just when I thought they had outgrown the habit, there it was again. It irritated me no end and gave an almost patronising feel to her character.

There was also a few parts in the book where I felt the outcome was never fully explained. For example, when Nora's mother was telling Nora about what happened with Mrs Grainger...all that was said was that she had seen her maid on the Titanic and knew Mrs Grainger would be there too. So...without mentioning any spoilers...how did her mother "get" her outcome? All we know is that she did.

As much as I enjoyed THE ORPHAN'S DAUGHTER, I understand it is the sequel to "The Little Orphan Girl", although I saw no reference to it being so, and I was therefore left wondering if this book's title (which had apparently previously been "The Girl from Paradise Alley") was a follow-on from that one. Since discovering that it is indeed the sequel I really wish I had known as I would have read that first. It is a pet peeve of mine that it is not stated as being a sequel or part of a series, particularly on Netgalley when requesting, as I like to know the story from the beginning.

I always feel that if a book has me in tears by the end, then it's a wonderful read...and THE ORPHAN'S DAUGHTER did just that. A heartwarming tale I highly recommend to historical fiction fans such as Pam Howes, Nadine Dorries and Dilly Court.

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

REVIEW: Mr Nobody by Catherine Steadman (ARC)

Mr Nobody by Catherine Steadman

Genre: Psychological thriller

Read: 22nd April 2020

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(publication date: 1st February 2020)

★★★★ 4 stars

I was also interested to discover that the author Catherine Steadman was none other than Mabel Lane Fox on everyone's favourite period drama "Downton Abbey". MR NOBODY is her second thriller and its premise was so intriguing and unique in its concept I couldn't wait to read it. And I wasn't disappointed.

A man is found on a Norfolk beach on a cold winters day, soaked through to the bone and wearing no shoes. He has no memory of who he is or how he got there. His only clue is a name he had written on his hand and his mantra to "find her" and to "don't f*** it up this time"!

Dr Emma Lewis is a neuropsychiatrist and a leader in her field surrounding memory loss in a busy London hospital. She is chosen by a well-respected and more experienced specialist to take on the case of the man the media are calling "Mr Nobody" to determine whether he is suffering from retrograde amnesia, fugue and is malingering (faking it). There is only one small issue - it will require her to return to her hometown in Norfolk where she and her family escaped under a cloud of suspicion, before being given new identities, 14 years ago. But for Emma, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity as fugue cases are incredibly rare and she may never come across another one.

Early testing suggests the patient is suffering from retrograde amnesia or dissociative fugue. The onset is generally caused by severe trauma to the head, resulting either temporary or even permanent memory loss...or the patient could simply be malingering/faking it.

After careful consideration and talking things over with brother Joe, Emma decided to throw caution to the wind and take the job. After all, what is the likelihood she will be recognised now? 14 years later?

The man the hospital is calling "Matthew", while the media refer to him as Mr Nobody, hasn't spoken a word since he was admitted a week ago. He has latched onto a Jamaican nurse called Rhoda and between them they have formed a type of silent communication. But as soon as Emma walks into Matthew's room, he recognises her. He knows she's the one he's been looking for...only he can't remember why. He just knows it is her.

Then he speaks...just one word..."Marn?"...and Emma feels her past rushing back to haunt her. How could he know that name?

Further testing reveals Matthew genuinely has no recall of anything beyond the week in which he was first discovered on Holkham beach. But there do appear to be some emotional responses even if the memories are not there...he definitely feels something about them. What does this mean?

I found the medical testing under fMRI to be intriguing as Emma seeks to gauge Matthew's responses to memory and his emotional reactions. It was all rather interesting. All throughout, even those the tests revealed he could not faking, the reader is still wondering if he is. Things don't seem to add up and you wonder just how reliable Matthew's narrative is.

The story unfolds primarily through Emma and Matthew's (The Man) perspective with the odd narrative by PC Chris Poole and his irritating parasitic journalist wife Zara. Everyone in the book has issues, they all have a backstory, which is slowly woven throughout.

My biggest niggle with the book was the author's inaccurate portrayal of staffies in the attack on Rhoda. It really irks me that people are so influenced by the media and society's opinion of this wonderfully loving, loyal and affectionate breed, resulting in an inaccurate portrayal. It would be more believable of a smaller more aggressive dog than of a staffy who love people and live to please us. And the way the attack happened - suddenly and unprovoked. That does not happen. And it saddens me greatly to see staffies misunderstood and misrepresented in such a way.

Anyway, that aside, whilst the ending may have been a little far-fetched, MR NOBODY is still a compelling read and had me hooked from the first page right up to the end.

With plenty of twists to keep you entertained, MR NOBODY is definitely an original concept to say the least that weaves two tales from the past and the present, leaving the reader pondering are they in some way related?

It's clever, it's original, it's an enjoyable read. Recommended!

I would like to thank #CatherineSteadman, #NetGalley and #SimonAndSchuster for an ARC of #MrNobody in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: Watch Over Me by Jane Renshaw (ARC)

Watch Over Me by Jane Renshaw

Genre: Crime fiction

Read: 2nd April, 2020

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(publication date: 3rd February 2020)

★ 1 star

F*** f*** f***ing! Honestly? I was barely into WATCH OVER ME when I was assaulted by the overuse of this f***ing expletive. Sure, plenty of books use the f-bomb but NOT to this extreme and I found it totally unnecessary. It was disappointing because the premise sounded interesting.

As my first read by Jane Renshaw I was so looking forward to reading this. The premise was intriguing, the story compelling, right up my alley. I was wrong. The story was slow moving, the characters detestable, the language overused and unnecessary...even if the Scottish vernacular can be difficult to understand, this was nothing compared the constant use of the f-bomb!

Whilst the vernacular takes a bit of getting used to, I do think the glossary of Scottish slag should have been supplied at the beginning for readers to refer back to. I can understand more than most, and if I don't I have a Scottish friend who enlightens me to their meaning...but not everyone does or can understand Scottish slang. It may have been overused in this as well.

I can't even begin to give you and insight what it's about because I never got far enough into it to tell you. I gave up very early on and no amount of "stick with it, it gets better" will change my mind. I felt like I was on a council estate with bars on my window and living in fear of the burly grandmother with a sewer mouth on her! I'm all for being transported to the scene of the story but this was too much.

Despite the loads of time everyone has for reading right now (due to the self isolation and lockdown across the world) I still did not have the time to waste on WATCH OVER ME. There are so many other books out there to read and enjoy...I wasn't going to waste it on something as sadly as deplorable as this.

428 f***ing pages of f***, f***ed, f***ing would do my head in. I reckon the f-bomb was probably on 300 of those pages at least. Too f***ing much!!

For a book I barely started, this review is longer than I would have thought it'd be. I, for one, would no recommend this book to everyone. It's not in everybody's taste, and certainly not in mine. But again, the language just spoilt what promised to be an intriguing tale...maybe.

If I could give less than 1 star, I would.

I would like to thank #JaneRenshaw, #NetGalley and #InkubatorBooks for an ARC of #WatchOverMe in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: The Murder House by Michael Wood (ARC)

The Murder House (DCI Matilda Darke #5) by Michael Wood

Genre: Crime fiction, police procedural

Read: 21st April 2020

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(publication date: 31st January 2020)

★★★★ 3.5 to 4 stars

Sheffield, South Yorkshire. The night after a wedding. Three gruesome murders. Pillars of the community. Seemingly no motive. Enter DCI Matilda Darke and her HMET (Homicide and Major Enquiry Team).

It's the morning after the wedding of Leah Mercer to Oliver Ridgeway in a quiet and rather exclusive area of Sheffield, when the bride's family - Serena and Clive Mercer and brother Jeremy - is found stabbed to death in a disturbing frenzied attack so violent it's the worst that Matilda has ever seen. There are hundreds of fingerprints and blood spattered everywhere with one victim's face mutilated and another about decapitated. It is clearly a blood bath. Even the most seasoned detectives are queasy with the disturbing scene.

And yet in the midst of the carnage is Rachel, the bride's 7 year old niece, who was found in her room tied to a chair with her dog, Pongo. And despite the blood trailed into the room, both were unharmed. But Rachel is in catatonic shock and has not spoken a word...only screamed. Just exactly how much did she see of the violent triple murders?

The Mercers appeared to be the perfect family involved within several charities. Serena was a neurologist, Clive was an anaesthetist and Jeremy was a junior doctor in Liverpool. So who would want them dead?

As Matilda and her team begin their investigations, it is soon clear that all is not as it seems. Despite the bloodbath, the forensics are just a bit too neat, clearly pointing to a suspect who has no history of violence...and no connection to the family whatsoever. Matilda gets the feeling that the murderer is someone much closer to home. But who would want to set up a random innocent person? And why?

Running alongside the investigation is a story of missing boy Carl Meaghan. As Matilda now has her hands full with the triple homicide, she ropes in retired DI Pat Campbell to touch base with mother Sally and look into her new claims that Carl has been spotted in Sweden and the phone calls she has been receiving, seemingly from her missing son. This story arc is an ongoing one and we don't see a resolution to it here, but the ending promises us a possible future investigation.

Whilst trying to keep an eye on her team and investigate a disturbing crime, Matilda has growing concerns for a couple of members of her team. DC Rory Fleming as recently handed in his resignation but as he is one of her best detectives with a promising career, Matilda convinces him to hold off until the investigation is over before making that decision. And then there is DC Scott Andrews who clearly has something worrying him but refuses to talk about it. Matilda has her suspicions but instead of pushing him, she waits for Scott to confide in her. Plus she is still grieving the loss of her beloved husband James who died three years ago from a brain tumour. Added to that is the suicide of a DI (in a previous book) in the home she shared with James, that he lovingly built for them, making it unbearable for her to continue living there. So she bought a remote abandoned farmhouse, had it renovated and now lives out there alone. And with the stress of the case mounting colliding with her haunted memories, Matilda relies on her best friend, forensic pathologist Adele Kean, to keep her from crumbling.

I love the characters in this series and I love how they are not tainted with the stereotypical angst that is found in so many today. I have grown tired of the same old same old bitter detectives who find their solace at the bottom of a bottle or incessant grumpiness with just about everyone they come into contact with. But no so here. Matilda is a strong but sensitive detective who cares about her cases and not just about results, as well as really caring for her team. I love the camaraderie between them all. Not one of them is trying to one-up the other or show another up. They work well together and it's that that makes this a successful series. I'm also a fan of gallows humour, and while it's not used so much here, there is a bit of humour to relieve the moments of tension that is felt throughout. I'd also love DS Sian Mills' treat drawer myself! It seems neverending!

The only negative thing I have to say is I felt the book was a little drawn out in parts. It took me a few days to read it when I generally read a book a day. I felt I couldn't devour it as I can others. But that being said, it is still a compelling read that I really did enjoy. I was saddened by the ultimate outcome of the case. No spoilers.

THE MURDER HOUSE is the fifth installment in the DCI Matilda Darke series and yet it is my first. However, that didn't spoil it in any way as the reader is given enough background information it could well be read as a standalone. I'm not sure the "missing boy" story arc featured in previous books because from what I understand the first book begins after the death of Matilda's husband and Carl went missing before that. However, having not read the other books, I can't really say one way or the other though I don't think the reader misses out on anything either way.

A nailbiter from start to finish, THE MURDER HOUSE is an intriguing read for fans of Stuart MacBride, Val McDermid and Katerina Diamond.

If you like your crime fiction with a bit of blood and gore, then THE MURDER HOUSE is for you.

I would like to thank #MichaelWood, #NetGalley and #OneMoreChapter for an ARC of #TheMurderHouse in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: The Perfect Couple by Jackie Kabler (ARC)

The Perfect Couple by Jackie Kabler

Genre: Domestic thriller, Psychological thriller, Crime Fiction, Police Procedural

Read: 17th April 2020

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(publication date: 17th April 2020)

★★★★ 4 stars

I was invited by the publisher to read this book and judging by its premise, THE PERFECT COUPLE sounded like an intriguing twisty domestic thriller that I could easily devour...and devour I did! Just when you think you have it worked out, the story turns on its head to reveal something completely different!

Gemma O'Connor has the perfect life with a new home in a beautiful city, a loving husband, an adorable dog and an ideal job as a freelance journalist. Everything is just perfect...until it isn't.

Gemma met Danny via dating app Tinder eighteen months prior and after a whirlwind romance, Danny proposed and the two were married on St Patrick's Day. Wanting a change of pace, the couple made the move from London to Bristol the following year, settling in a charming Victorian semi in the leafy suburb of Clifton. Danny worked in IT and after wrapping up one final job, followed Gemma to Bristol a week later to begin work at a new IT firm the following week. As a freelance journalist, Gemma was her own boss and wrote columns and pieces for various magazines. Not as exciting as that of a crime reporter or chasing stories on the frontline, after suffering a breakdown as a result of her work in that field, Gemma changed pace and became freelance instead. The job meant she needed to travel from time to time writing about the places she visited and the food on offer.

One Thursday morning, Gemma left on a short overnight stay in the Cotswolds at a hotel spa, paid for by the magazine for which she was writing the piece. Upon her return, Danny has promised to cook her dinner the following night and she is looking forward to enjoying a quiet evening with her husband.

So when she arrives home to darkness and silence, she finds the house empty. At once, Gemma realises that Danny must be once again working late...and so she doesn't worry. Until she wakes the following morning to find he still hasn't returned. Frustratingly she can't call him as he hasn't yet been supplied with a phone and the two of them have been relying on emails to communicate. So she fires off a quick email expecting that he will soon respond. By Sunday, she decides to report his disappearance to the police.

The police, however, are dealing with a frustrating investigation of their own. Two men have been murdered in The Downs area with nothing whatsoever connecting them except the fact that they bear such a striking resemblance to each other they could be brothers. Then when Gemma walks in to report Danny's disappearance, they are at first quick to dismiss her...until she produces a photo of her missing husband. He looks exactly like the two murdered men. Enquiries are ramped up with the possibility that there could be a third yet undiscovered victim as the police begin to look into Danny and Gemma's lives.

Throughout the course of their enquiries, police can find no trace of Danny having ever been in Bristol and his job at the IT firm, which he was offered, he in fact had turned down. None of their neighbours had ever seen Danny, none of their friends had seen or heard from him since the end of January...when he was to have finished up with his previous job in London. His bank accounts haven't been touched - no withdrawals and no deposits - and by all accounts, there is no trace of him since London. So DS Devon Clarke and a DC make the trip to London to take a look at their old flat, as it hadn't been let since the couple moved out three or so weeks ago. When the pair walk in, nothing prepares them for what they are about to walk into.

What they find turns the investigation on its head as they change course and begin to come after Gemma. Is she lying? A very good actress? Or does she believe everything she is telling them?

Finding the police are of no help, Gemma attempts to find out for herself what happened to Danny...but nothing will prepare her for the truth.

I didn't know what to expect when I walked into THE PERFECT COUPLE, except maybe to discover that they were anything but...as is generally the case of thrillers with "perfect" in the title. But I was drawn in from the very beginning as I began to piece together my own theories as to what may have happened...and I couldn't have been further from the truth. And the truth, when it came, was so far out of left field it did seem a tad far-fetched but still incredibly compelling. My one niggle is that the version given to the police and the version given to Gemma at the end both differed greatly, with only the former giving a satisfactory explanation about "the week in question" between the end of January and the second week in February. I was left wondering what was actually the point.

What did make the story compelling and intriguing throughout was the alternating narratives between Gemma in the first person and the police in the third. You got to see both sides of the coin and how both narratives were woven together. I loved the camaraderie between DCI Helena Dickens and her DS Devon Clarke, and the rest of the team. It was a breath of fresh air to enjoy a police procedural (in part) without all the stereotypical angst that generally goes along with it. I liked the police characters so much I would love to see this become a series featuring them.

What also makes THE PERFECT COUPLE an engaging read is the combination of two genres of thriller and police procedural with well-written characters that are believable and well-rounded, both the likeable and the unlikeable.

A definite page-turner, THE PERFECT COUPLE is a twisty domestic thriller that will keep you guessing to the end. A must for lovers of crime, mystery, thrillers and suspense.

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

REVIEW: The Leaving Party by Lesley Sanderson (ARC)

The Leaving Party by Lesley Sanderson

Genre: Psychological thriller

Read: 15th April 2020

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(publication date: 31st January 2020)

★★★ 3 stars

Having thoroughly enjoyed "The Woman of 46 Heath Street" I was excited to read Lesley Sanderson's new thriller THE LEAVING PARTY, a story about what happens when secrets and toxic obsession collide.

Ava and Lena are best friends who have known each other since high school and share a beautiful Victorian house together. That is, until now. Ava is about to leave London and her past behind to live with her boyfriend Ben in New York. Lena isn't thrilled about it but Ava is her best friend and so she plans the biggest and best leaving party for her.

It is meant to be a surprise but Ava caught on fairly quickly what Lena was planning and played along, whilst secretly hoping for a quiet exit. Then on the day of the party, she receives a familiar package - long, slender and containing a single black rose. Ava is immediately fearful for this is the not the first one. It all goes back to the past...a time Ava would rather forget and one from which she hopes to now escape with this move.

Thirteen years ago, Ava and Lena were teenagers at a party when a tragic accident occurred involving them both and which resulted in a friend's death. Every year since, on the anniversary of that night, Ava has received a single black rose. Someone knows her secret. And they are intent on never letting her forget the part she played.

But this year is different. This is the first year that a rose has arrived out of sequence...and not on the anniversary but rather on the day of Ava's leaving party. Then just as the evening is about to kick off, another rose arrives.  Who is sending them? Is it someone she knows? Someone closer than she thinks? Are they at her party tonight?

But then more strange things begin to happen when a cake decorated in black icing with the number 13 on it is left on the doorstep and a vase of black roses appears. Ava becomes even more fearful that someone at her party is responsible and she is unable to relax. She desperately wants to see Ben, who Lena says will be there tonight but where is he? He should be here by now and she can't even call him because her phone has somehow disappeared. She decides to spend a few quiet moments to collect herself and admire the beautiful engagement ring from Ben - a secret until they can announce it together - when she discovers her passport is also missing.

Downstairs Lena is determined that Ava enjoy her party though the moment is bittersweet for her knowing that she will say goodbye to her best friend in just two days time. But will she? What if she moves to New York with Ava? That would be just perfect! After all, she really has nothing keeping her here.

Then when Ava's estranged sister Martha arrives, Lena resolves not to let her ruin Ava's night. Martha hates Lena and the feeling is mutual as Lena tries to keep Martha from spoiling things. She certainly wouldn't put it past her. And despite resolving NOT to let Martha ruin the party, Lena then begins to feed Ava's fears by planting the seed that her sister is the one behind the roses.

Soon Ava doesn't know what to think anymore. All she knows is that someone is out to torment her, never letting her forget one drunken teenage night and that whoever they are might be out for revenge. She is certain now that moving across the Atlantic and away from her past is the best thing for her. Suddenly her leaving party doesn't seem to be the joyous occasion it was meant to be and Ava can't wait until it is over and she can escape the past once and for all. But can she?

The story is told in the past and the present in alternating perspectives of both Ava and Lena. I did get a little confused as to whose narrative it was at times because both are in the first person. The entire present day story is at the leaving party which I thought dragged on a little. I felt I was stuck in a timewarp that existed only at that party. And then every so often we are given a flashback to another party 13 years before, as events there slowly unfold and the two stories are woven together to suddenly make sense.

A different kind of read, THE LEAVING PARTY is a party I didn't really want to be at. In fact, if anyone wanted to leave it was me. The air was toxic, the people unlikeable and I found I couldn't trust any of them.

Neither Ava or Lena are particularly likeable, in my opinion, which does make being dragged into their drama a bit tiresome in part. Ava just seemed a little detached and I felt somewhat indifferent to her. She droned on about having done something awful for which she was being tormented and alluded to it being some dark secret...but when the reader discovers what that secret is, I was left wondering how she came to that conclusion? I understood she felt a tremendous amount of guilt but what was the big secret? It felt a little anti-climatic to me. Lena was different. I didn't like or trust her almost from the beginning. There was something creepy about her and she was incredibly unnerving. As the story unfolds it is revealed that she has an unhealthy attachment to Ava that is undeniably toxic and yet neither woman could see it that way. She was a far more rounded character than Ava, as unbalanced as she is, and clearly disturbed. And yet, we're never quite sure whether she's the good or bad guy here.

Although I did find the book a bit underwhelming after her previous thriller, THE LEAVING PARTY was still a reasonably enjoyable read. It lacked the thrills and chills, needing more suspense and plot twists. The whole book party concept was original and interesting but it became a little long winded by the end. Again, Lena made my skin crawl and if anything I couldn't wait to be out of her presence.

THE LEAVING PARTY had a lot to live up to after the last thriller, so it could be forgiven that. It was still a good read, if only for the unfolding toxicity being revealed.

I do enjoy Lesley Sanderson's thrillers and I can't wait to see what else she has in store for us. THE LEAVING PARTY was just not her best, in my opinion, though she is still an author to enjoy.

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

REVIEW: The Perfect Sister by Sheryl Browne (ARC)

The Perfect Sister by Sheryl Browne

Genre: Domestic thriller, psychological thriller

Read: 12th April 2020

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(publication date: 29th January 2020)

★★★★ 3.5 to 4 stars

Sheryl Browne certainly wrote one twisted tale with THE PERFECT SISTER (formerly titled THE FAMILY SECRET) and I wasn't sure how I felt about it all, even right up to the end. It's twisted, it's disturbing and yet it is still compelling. It's like a car crash...you just can't look away. Although I would have put this handful of characters down (yes, I would have loved to have put them down!!) and the story to being a train wreck...because honestly? Who would even do such a thing?! But Sheryl Browne has a knack for bringing out the dark side of human nature in her twisted tales.

Claire's life is crumbling and she is struggling to keep her head above water. Her father Bernard has Vascular dementia so she, hubby Luke and daughter Ella move into his house to help care for him. But it's getting harder and he is becoming more difficult to look after. Claire and Luke argue over her father going into full time care but, despite the fact that the two men have never really gotten on, Claire feels that Bernard is her responsibility.

Luke isn't happy with their living arrangements. He and Bernard have never liked one another, a fact that is only made worse now that Bernard very often forgets who Luke is leading the two men to butt heads even more. Claire doesn't seem to understand though to be fair he is her father. Still, in Luke's opinion Bernard's behaviour is becoming more volatile and they have to think of, not only their safety, but that of their daughter Ella's who suffers from haemophilia.

After yet another arguement with Claire Luke storms out of the house and ends up at a club where he meets the very attractive Anna. He hardly gives her a second look until he sees her in a tussle with a man who is obviously bothering her. Anna is extremely upset so Luke, being the gentleman that he is, escorts her home. Anna claims the man is her ex-boyfriend who has been stalking her and has been violent with her. After ensuring that she is safe, Luke leaves to stay at his best mate's place to give Claire a chance to calm down.

Meanwhile Claire suspects Luke is cheating on her given that he spends so much time away from home. On the night he'd stormed out, a friend sees Luke with a very attractive woman and snaps a photo of them kissing before sending it to Claire. That is all the evidence Claire needs so when Luke returns the following morning, she throws him out. I could have slapped her then and there - she doesn't even give him a chance to explain or to discuss it like the two adults they are meant to be.

But Luke has other problems now. Anna, it seems, has latched on to him seeing him as some kind of saviour and keeps texting him. Luke doesn't know what to do. Nothing happened between them and yet Anna is alluding to a relationship that doesn't exist. Her texts become more demanding and aggressive that he has realises he has no alternative but to confront her. But when he arrives at her apartment, he discovers blood throughout the place and no sign of Anna. The next thing he knows is he has been arrested for harming her and possibly killing and disposing of her. He pleads with Claire for her help but she doesn't know what to believe anymore.

In the meantime, Claire has been contacted by woman on Facebook claiming to be her half sister. Bernard, it seems, had a long standing affair with this woman's mother resulting in fathering a second daughter. Luke was understandably wary but Claire had always longed for a sister so she was thrilled to discover her existence, dismissing any nagging doubts she may have had. The woman, Sophie, knows things she shouldn't unless what she says is true. And she could really do with a sister right now. Especially with the problems she is facing with Luke, who is becoming increasingly aggressive. She knows he is desperate but can she risk Ella's safety?

Claire is thankful to have someone on her side who is sympathetic to her problems. But how helpful is it to keep telling her that she needs to keep Ella away from her father because he might be dangerous? Why would Sophie want to keep them apart? And now she's bonding with Ella, who adores her new aunty.

But is Sophie really who she claims to be? And is trusting her new sister with her daughter her biggest mistake?

So did he or didn't he? And is she or isn't she? THE PERFECT SISTER is seriously a train wreck not because of writing or the story, but because you just want to slap the main characters throughout the entire thing! Luke for being so trusting and naive falling into a beautiful woman's trap and Claire for believing a total stranger over the man she has shared years together and a daughter with. Who does that? How quickly she was to believe the worst of Luke without even a second thought or even hearing him out. And when she begrudgingly does, she refuses to believe a word...trusting instead a total stranger who claims to be her half sister. What proof does she really have? Her father is now in residential care and his memories are dwindling fast, so she can't rely on whatever answers he gives her. So instead of weighing up all options, she goes with ditching Luke and trusting Sophie. I wanted to slap her!

Secrets, deception, lies, mind games and family drama combine to create a toxicity so poisonous that will have you turning the pages of THE PERFECT SISTER long into the night. And yet I still couldn't decide how I felt about it... In all honesty, the characters were unlikable and clearly stupid. And despite Bernard's role in this huge debacle, I felt a sadness for him as he now is. Dementia is a cruel disease and his story tugged at my heartstrings.

A cleverly woven story, the reader can quickly guess that Anna and Sophie must be one and the same. But the fun part is clearly watching them come to this realisation. I wondered how long it would take them to get there as I figured it out quite early on. But no matter how predictable the story appears, you will not be prepared for the end game.

Another twisted tale from the queen of dysfunctional family plots, THE PERFECT SISTER is an entertaining read for fans of domestic thrillers.

As an aside, the title was changed from THE FAMILY SECRET to THE PERFECT SISTER before publication. I personally think THE FAMILY SECRET works better for this story...but that's just my opinion.

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

REVIEW: The Nowhere Girl by Nicole Trope (ARC)

The Nowhere Girl by Nicole Trope

Genre: Domestic drama, Mystery

Read: 12th April 2020

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(publication date: 28th January 2020)

★★★★★ 5 stars

WOW! I don't know where to begin with this book. Nicole Trope always manages to draw her readers in and deliver a powerful story with elements of mystery woven throughout but upon finishing it, THE NOWHERE GIRL rendered me speechless. I literally bawled for the last few chapters. It was heartbreaking, it was heartwarming, it was powerful. And I loved it!!

Trigger warning: confronting issues and scenes of child sexual abuse depicted. Also featured  is domestic violence, alcoholism, miscarriage and Alzhiemer's.

Alice Stetson has a happy life. Her husband Jack is a doctor, she has three beautiful boys - 14 year old Isaac and twin 9 year olds Gus and Gabe - and lives in the affluent suburb of Greenwich on Sydney's lower north shore. But Alice's life was not always like that. Her mother was an alcoholic, her stepfather abusive and her baby sister Lilly was tragically killed whilst Alice tried saving her. In trying to protect Lilly she had inadvertently caused her death and she has lived with the guilt ever since.

No one knows this secret she carries...not even her husband. But now it seems somebody does, as Alice has been receiving emails claiming "I know what you did." And the horrors of her past come crashing back engulfing her in memories she has spent a lifetime trying to escape. And now Alice would do anything to protect her family and keep them safe.

Molly Khan is a writer researching childhood abuse for her next story. She discovers a website where survivors can share their own experiences and in doing so comes across the story of a woman who calls herself Meredith. Whilst reading the story, Molly feels a shocking sense of recognition - she remembers the cupboard, the mouldy smell, the pink blanket and "Foggy". Molly reaches for her own green stuffed toy frog she's had ever since she could remember that she called "Foggy".

Why is she remembering things referenced in someone else's story of abuse? Molly has had a happy childhood. She has two loving parents and a younger sister Lexie. She knows no one called Meredith...if that is even her real name. But she remembers these things. She can remember looking through the crack in the cupboard door and seeing "the big man" who frightened her. And the whisper of her big sister's voice saying "Go to sleep, little one" as she snuggles into her pink blanket cuddling "Foggy". Molly is also plagued by dreams of being on a long and lonely dark road with stones in her little feet. What does all this mean?

Margaret Henkel is a woman who has given up on herself. She got pregnant at 16, married the love of her life and had a baby daughter Alice whom they both doted on. But when Alice was 6, Margaret's life ended with the death of her husband Adam. And that's when the nightmare began. She started to drink to forget her pain. The vodka gave her back her Adam but took away her dignity. Soon she couldn't even get herself out of bed. Then Vernon moved in. At first he was nice and looked after them. He made sure the fridge was stocked, the bills were paid and that she had plenty of vodka. She didn't even have to do anything, Vernon took care of it all. All she had to do was lose herself to oblivion and stay in bed. But then things changed. She became Vernon's punching bag and Alice asked when was he going to leave? But Margaret was scared of him leaving them - what would she do? How would she cope? She was nothing. She was stupid. She was useless. So Margaret decided they should have a baby together and then there was Lilly.

Alice adored Lilly from the first moment she set eyes on her. She became her parent as she took care of Lilly's daily needs such as feeding, changing and protected her from Vernon's wrath. Lilly didn't even recognise Margaret as her mother but rather an occasional visitor who slept most of the time. Alice despised the mother she had once adored. She couldn't even get up and look after her children properly. At 10 years old, Alice was Lilly's parent.

And then one day...Lilly was gone. When Margaret and Vernon asked where she was, Alice just shrugged and said she was gone. Dead.

Now Margaret is in a care home in the late stages of early onset Alzheimer's and lives in a bubble. She constantly tells the staff and Alice that Adam and Vernon have visited but Alice knows that is not possible. Adam, her father, is dead and Vernon is in prison. Alice doesn't know why she visits her mother or cares for her as she clearly didn't care for her when she was a child and needed her. Half the time she doesn't even know who she is. And yet, Alice just wants her mother to apologise...for not loving her enough, for not protecting her.

Told from three perspectives throughout - Alice, Molly and Margaret - THE NOWHERE GIRL features the past and the present that is both captivating and compelling. It is clear from early on the direction this story is going but it's the journey getting there that is the most intriguing. How the ties that bind are woven together to create the tapestry that is the bigger picture is somewhat poignant.

THE NOWHERE GIRL is a complex and very disturbing tale that your heart just aches for those involved. I found myself incredibly sad for Margaret as a young girl who really had no life experience and was left without a life jacket to drown in a sea of grief after the death of her husband who had been her anchor. To be rescued by the likes of Vernon, a predator who seeks out the vulnerable and preys on their weaknesses only to find herself caught within a cycle from which she cannot escape...was just heartbreaking.

I cannot find the words to describe just how moving THE NOWHERE GIRL was. I was literally in tears during the final chapters wondering how it was all going to play out. It was heartbreaking and yet it was also heartwarming. As I reached the final page, I found myself breathing a sigh of relief at the satisfying end.

I have seen some say the story was predictable. Yes, this is true. In fact, I predicted much of it from early on but that didn't spoil it for me. I was intrigued by what the journey would deliver as I uncovered more to the secrets that were as yet unknown. I wanted to see how it would pan out, and what would become of Alice, Molly and Margaret. And discover who was taunting Alice with a message from her past. While some of it is predictable, there are others that aren't. And for me, the entire journey was a moving and powerful one that I could not drag myself from for one minute.

I have only read one other Nicole Trope and I was enamoured by that one as well. The fact that she is a fellow Australian depicting suburbs and areas known to me make her books and even more attractive prospect that I find I have to read. And I am glad I discovered her. She is fast becoming one of my favourite go-to authors and I look forward to what she has in store for us next!

Not a thriller as such, more a domestic drama with elements of mystery, THE NOWHERE GIRL is powerful, captivating, heartbreaking and heartwarming. I definitely recommend it!

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

REVIEW: The Accident by Gillian Jackson (ARC)

The Accident by Gillian Jackson

Genre: Suspense, Drama

Read: 10th April 2020

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(publication date: 27th January 2020)

★★★★ 4 stars

The premise sounded interesting but this book was nothing like I expected. Billed as a thriller, THE ACCIDENT really isn't a thriller. It's more like a suspenseful drama...but definitely NOT a thriller. As it was billed as such, I kept expecting something to jump out of nowhere with a shock surprise...but nothing like that happened. In fact, the story was a little predictable. But it was still a good quick read.

It's February 2018 and the UK is gripped by a deep winter freeze with snow and rain creating icy conditions on the road and making driving a real hazard. Navigating rush hour traffic is even worse with bumper to bumper traffic and snow, rain and black ice...it only takes a moment for an accident to occur.

Hannah Graham is on her way to a meeting and is on the on-ramp to the motorway. Joe Parker, also on his way to work, is driving his wife Alison to her mother's on the way. Alan Jones is driving his 15 year old son Timmy to his orthodontist appointment. All three families are about to have their lives changed forever in the blink of an eye.

Hannah is navigating the icy ramp when her car suddenly loses control and as she tries to correct it, the car turns swiftly into the rear end of a lorry. Facing back the way she came and in a daze, Hannah sees a Range Rover barrelling towards her, the shocked expressions of Joe and Alison Parker a mirror of her own as their car rams into hers. Hannah is knocked unconscious while Joe feels the thump, thump, thump of the cars behind him hitting his and each other.

The result...a multi-car pile up leaving three dead and Hannah in a coma.

Hannah wakes up in hospital three days later, her husband Mike by her side. She has no memory of the accident and her leg so badly damaged it had to be amputated. She is shocked to learn of the devastation of the accident and secretly wonders if she were at fault. After all, she can't remember what happened so who's to say she wasn't to blame? Then when her husband announces he wants a divorce to marry his pregnant girlfriend, Hannah is shocked and their teenage twin children angry at their father. With the help and support of her children and her good friend and neighbour Rosie, Hannah attempts to put the past behind her and move on with her life. But at the back of her mind she still wonders if she was to blame for the accident.

Joe Parker suffered minor injuries and a fracture collarbone but his wife Alison was killed instantly. He is devastated and cannot imagine a life without her. If not for the kindness and care of his neighbours, Phil and Helen, and the love of his dog Liffey, Joe may not have overcome the grief of losing his wife. Then life takes on a more complicated turn when his estranged brother David and his wife Pam turn up at Alison's funeral with a strange request, setting of a sequence of events so far out of his control.

Alan and Cassie Jones's son Timothy was the apple of their eye. Having been unsuccessful at falling pregnant in the past when Timmy came along he was like a gift to them. When early tests revealed he had Downs Syndrome early in her pregnancy, Alan and Cassie refused to terminate and the end result was a beautiful, loving and happy boy. Timmy had such a love for animals that after his death Alan and Cassie chose to honour their son's memory by creating an animal sanctuary for abandoned and abused animals called "Timmy's Farm".

It was at the open day for "Timmy's Farm" that Hannah and Joe meet again for the first time since they were both in hospital. They talk about the accident which changed both their lives dramatically and find an ease with each other as only those involved could understand.

Then comes the inquest which ultimately returns its verdict.

Told from two perspectives, Hannah and Joe's, THE ACCIDENT is a story of the aftermath of a life-changing trauma as the families wrestle with the emotional turmoil of putting their lives back together. There is a lot going on for all involved as the lives of each family come together and intertwine in the wake of their grief.

A short quick read, THE ACCIDENT is an addictive page turner with a steady pace about ordinary people in an extraordinary life changing situation. It is predictable and yet it is still enjoyable. It certainly wasn't what I was expecting!

It is not an action-packed thriller with unreliable narrators and shocking plot twists. It is a story about the lives of three families that are infinitely changed forever in the blink of an eye and its aftermath. There are a few twists but nothing shocking, some predictable and overall enjoyable. I liked pretty much everyone except for Mike and Joe's witch of a mother in law Ethel.

My second book by Gillian Jackson, THE ACCIDENT is definitely not what I expected. It is not a thriller...more of a suspenseful drama. The ending was wrapped up nicely in the Epilogue giving it that satisfying sense of closure.

Enjoyable short read that could be read in one sitting. Recommended.

I would like to thank #GillianJackson, #NetGalley and #SapereBooks for an ARC of #TheAccident in exchange for an honest review.