REVIEW: Triumph of the Shipyard Girls by Nancy Revell (ARC)

Triumph of the Shipyard Girls (The Shipyard Girls #8) by Nancy Revell

Genre: Historical fiction, WW2, Sagas

Read: 29th June 2020

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(publication date: 19th March 2020)

★★★★★ 5 stars

An addictive read from the start, TRIUMPH OF THE SHIPYARD GIRLS by Nancy Revell is the eighth in the series but it is my first. However, I didn't feel as if I had missed anything as readers' memories are refreshed to past events therefore giving me a little more insight. I was all ready to recommend that it could be read as a standalone, because it really did read as one...until I got the end. And then I was like NOOO! You can't end it there! lol So now I am hanging for the next book to see what happens.

The prologue takes readers back to 1936 for a hard-hitting opening that is both shocking and heartbreaking before picking up on Christmas Day 1942 in the wake of Tommy and Polly's wedding. The couple had their honeymoon the week before the wedding as Tommy returned to his job as a mine clearance diver for the war on Boxing Day. When Polly returns home after her wedding night and bidding her new husband goodbye, she is greeted with the sad news that Tommy's grandfather Arthur passed away in his sleep.

Helen is the granddaughter of the owners of the Shipyard and shares a love hate relationship with her mother, Miriam. The woman is hateful, to be honest, as she continues a hold over Helen and the women welders of the the Shipyard, as well as Helen's beloved father who now lives in Glasgow. But secrets make you bitter, as they seem to have done so with her mother, but now Helen has stumbled across one her mother appears to know nothing about. Her main confidante is Dr John Parker. It is obvious from the beginning, even to me who has come into the series partway, that John adores Helen but thanks to her spiteful mother's barbs she doesn't believe that he could love a woman like her. There are two types of women for men - those they choose to marry and those they keep for sleeping with. And according to Miriam Crawford, her daughter is not marrying as a man prefers "unsullied goods" in a wife. Aside from that, it is obvious both Helen and John adore each other but I wish they would get on with it as Helen's indecision drove me mad. John will be dead before Helen declares her feelings for him!

Bel is a relative newcomer to the yard and appears to be enjoying her work there, though her mother Pearl is not so thrilled. The two women have a secret that could rock another's world as the past is about to come to light for them all. Having being married to Teddy who was lost to the war, Bel is now married to his twin Joe with toddler LuLu (Lucille) from her first marriage, but yearns for a child of their own. After a year with no joy, Bel is both thrilled and jealous when another in their fold falls pregnant.

Rosie Miller and her younger sister Charlotte are the at the forefront of this story as Charlotte grows older and begins to question anomalies she has noticed with regard to her schooling, Rosie's work and friendship with Lily. Charlotte appears to have an obsession with Lily, who she has come to see as a mother figure of sorts, bombarding Rosie with endless questions she isn't sure how to answer. Rosie has worked hard to shelter her sister from the truth...but is she doing the right thing? Or are some secrets best left untold?

Then throughout the story there are flashback chapters following on from the opening prologue, revealing a little more about Rosie's troubled past, her decision to place Charlotte in a boarding school in the middle of nowhere, her early days as an apprentice welder as well as working in Lily's bordello.

The strength of the women welders against the backdrop of the shadow of war and relentless bombing of the Luftwaffe continues to shine through despite the troubles they are faced with. Life amidst air raids where homes are destroyed, lives are lost, production is delayed in the shipyard but the girls maintain their dignity and their courage throughout it all. I may not have read the first seven books of this series, but I was immediately drawn to each and every character and I found myself invested in their stories.

Then just when you think you have it all worked out and know what it coming next...readers are given a shock twist at the very end that no one will see coming! It's not like it's a thriller where you expect it to end with a twist! But that final page left me wanting more and I look forward to the next book "A Christmas Wish for the Shipyard Girls" coming in October 2020 to see how that pans out and how it will affect a key character.

TRIUMPH OF THE SHIPYARD GIRLS is a wonderfully lighthearted read that is addictive from start to finish. Once I started, I did not want to put it down. The stories within the pages are both heartwarming and heartbreaking and through it all the women continue to shine with dignity and strength in the face of war.

After reading TRIUMPH OF THE SHIPYARD GIRLS, I have added the rest of the series to my ever-growing TBR list and hope to slot them in when I can. I know I will enjoy them just as much as I have this one.

Recommended for fans of historical fiction, particularly WW2 era and sagas.

I would like to thank #NancyRevell, #NetGalley and #RandomHouseUK and #CornerstoneDigital for an ARC of #TriumphOfTheShipyardGirls in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: Keeper by Jessica Moor (ARC)

Keeper by Jessica Moor

Genre: Domestic thriller, Literary fiction

Read: 27th June 2020

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(publication date: 19th March 2020)

★★ 2 stars

The premise for KEEPER drew my attention and I was thoroughly engrossed for about the first 30%. After that...my interest waned. The concept was promising, as the light on domestic violence really needs to shine a little brighter sometimes and the twist at the end was brilliant, but everything in between was just a little bleh.

Katie Straw worked at a domestic violence refuge for women. But when her body is pulled from the river, at first glance it appears to be suicide. Or is it? Detectives Whitworth and Brookes must piece together Katie's life to work out if she did in fact kill herself or if she was murdered. But the question is, who would want to kill Katie?

As they delve into her background, detectives discover that there is no trace of anyone named Katie Straw. No birth certificate, no tax records, no nothing. The only real reason to change one's name is to hide in plain sight. So who exactly was Katie? And what, or who, was she running from?

Detectives question her boyfriend Noah and the women at the refuge, much to the chagrin of the woman who runs it, to try and get a lead on exactly who Katie was and what secrets she kept. The women, all of whom are a mixed bunch, aren't convinced Katie killed herself. Yes, she seemed sad at times but that wasn't who she was. The reader is slowly let into the confines of both the refuge and the minds of the women who shelter there.

KEEPER is Katie's story told in the past and present - THEN and NOW. As her story unfolds in the past chapters, we soon learn that her boyfriend Jamie is incredibly controlling and abusive. He doesn't hit her but then abuse comes in all shapes and sizes. He uses coercive control, he manipulates her, slowly chipping away at her and breaking her down...ultimately leading to threats. It is obvious from early on that Katie isn't happy. She stops eating and begins to lose weight. Jamie's pointed remarks about her being skin and bone only add to her growing loss of self confidence. It isn't until she finds herself in hospital that she finds the strength to leave.

I found myself more drawn to Katie's past story than the current one which was just so boring. Detective Whitworth was a wet blanket with a somewhat complacent view on abused women. He had no backbone and I kind of felt what was the point of him even being there. The women in the refuge, as sad as their stories were, all seemed to bleat on endlessly and Val, the woman who ran the place, wore a permanent cat's arse expression with tired lipstick. No one was very likable at all. As a domestic violence survivor myself, I found I couldn't relate to any of these women...except Katie, because she's the one we got to know the most.

It was unfortunate that this was such a disappointing read for me as it certainly had the potential to be a fantastic thriller. But it is not a thriller at all. It's not even a crime thriller. But it is a mystery. However, having said that, the best part of KEEPER is the ending. It was a shocking twist that I didn't see coming and it was a clever one at that...which is probably why I am so disappointed in the rest of the book.

So even if you don't like this book, I do recommend you read till the end...that twist may change the entire book for you. It didn't for me, but I still thought it was such a clever ending.

I would like to thank #JessicaMoor, #NetGalley and #PenguinUK for an ARC of #Keeper in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: When Shadows Fall by Alex Gray (ARC)

When Shadows Fall (Lorimer & Brightman #17) by Alex Gray

Genre: Crime fiction, police procedural

Read: 24th June 2020

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(publication date: 19th March 2020)

★★★★★ 5 stars

While only having read the first book in the Glasgow-based Lorimer series by Alex Gray, I was happy to dive into this seventeenth installment anyway. Despite this, WHEN SHADOWS FALL works well as a standalone crime thriller that is no nonsense and makes a pleasant change from all the angst in everyone's lives found in other series.

When gardener, Joseph Flynn, uncovers human remains in the grounds of the estate in which he is working, he immediately calls up his old pal Detective Superintendent Lorimer. Scenes of crime are called as are uniform to cordon off the area and when the remains appear to be decades old with a bullet hole through the skull, Lorimer pays a vist to the scene. The skeletal remains predate the new owners moving in but the question remains why are they buried here and more importantly, whose remains are they?

Meanwhile, Lorimer receives the devastating news that his former boss and and close friend , ex-DSI George Phillips, has been shot dead in his own garden. A clean silent kill, it appears to be a professional hit but Phillips was a well respected officer now enjoying retirement - who would want him dead? With no forensics and no clear motive, Lorimer leaves the local police to investigate.

But when other retired police officers are killed in apparent professional hits, as the head of Police Scotland's MIT Lorimer is forced to take over the investigations. Then when ballistics return a match for all murders, including the decades old remains found buried in an affluent garden, Lorimer faces his toughest case yet in trying to track down the gun and the killer or killers responsible.

Then current serving DC Sharon Carson, a member of Lorimer's team, is shot on her doorstep on Halloween, changing the patterns of the murders. Is this the same gunman or an entirely different crime by someone else?

Throughout the story we also meet John Ramsay, who is currently coming to the end of his 15 year stretch in Glasgow's Barlinnie prison. He has lead a long life of crime, his last resulting in the death of someone during an armed robbery. Whilst in prison he has been questioning whether there is redemption for someone like him, having been diagnosed with lung cancer with just a few more months left. He has struck up an unlikely friendship with the prison chaplain Douglas Petrie, whom he calls the Padre. Their conversations show the Padre that Ramsay is facing an inner struggle he doesn't know what to do with. And knowing that he is soon to be released, the padre gives him the name of a church and priest where he can seek comfort on the outside. But Ramsay faces an even bigger challenge...he has been singled out to make one last hit upon his release.

The plotting throughout is clever and intricate with readers aware of "the Big Man" orchestrating events with no idea who he is or how he is doing it. There is honestly never a dull moment as the narrative switches perspectives throwing in multiple twists to throw us off the scent.

I love Lorimer and I really don't know why I haven't read more of the series...probably the fact I have so many on my TBR list as it is...but I love how there is no angst between the ranks or drunken detectives seeing life through the bottom of a pint glass. I love how Lorimer is happily married to Maggie who has been by his side throughout the series, playing her own important role as not just a housewife but a teacher and children's author. I also like Professor Solomon Brightman's (Solly) input into the case throughout, while small in part, is paramount to the story. I also notice that Solly has married pathologist Rosie and they now have two children. While I haven't read the other fifteen books in between and have missed Lorimer's transition from DCI to DSI, the thing about this series is that each book can be read as a standalone.

A brilliant tale from start to finish, WHEN SHADOWS FALL is fiendishly plotted with plenty of twists to keep the reader guessing while at the same time whetting our appetites for more.

Cleverly constructed, WHEN SHADOWS FALL is an atmospheric read that will make readers seek out the rest of the series, if they haven't already done so. It is one that all Scottish crime thriller fans will love and I thoroughly recommend not just this book...but the entire series!

I thoroughly enjoyed WHEN SHADOWS FALL, just as much as the first, and look forward to reading more of Lorimer in the future.

I would like to thank #AlexGray, #NetGalley and #Sphere for an ARC of #WhenShadowsFall in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: You Never Told Me by Sarah Jasmon (ARC)

You Never Told Me by Sarah Jasmon

Genre: Women's fiction, chick lit

Read: 25th June 2020

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(publication date: 19th March 2020)

★★ 2 stars

I'm not sure how to review this book because I didn't really enjoy it. The premise promised so much more but by the end there were so many questions and loose ends.

A year ago, Charlie had it all - a beautiful house, a lovable dog and an upcoming wedding. But feeling trapped and ignoring all warnings from her family, she left it all and fled to the other side of the world. A year later in Thailand, Charlie has nothing to show for it but a restlessness for home and an empty bank account. Logging into her email at an internet cafe, she sees an email from her sister and calls her. Their mother has taken ill and is in hospital. Charlie needs to get home now. But with no money for her ticket, she panics...until a friend talks her housemates into repaying her for their share of the rent.

Now she is back in dreary England. Stepping off the train and no money left for a taxi, she walks the remaining distance to the hospital...in the rain. She arrives to find she is too late. Her mother has gone. Why couldn't she get here earlier to have just one more moment with her?

The reception from her father and sister is somewhat distant as they return to the family home. The house needs to be sold and their father is moving in with her sister Eleanor and her family. But what is Charlie to do? This was her home once upon a time. She had less than a month to find a job and somewhere to live...because she didn't suppose her boyfriend Max would take her back. She's not sure she would want to go back. But she did want Bella. She missed Bella, her scruffy lovable dog.

But then Eleanor hands her an envelope. Inside are some documents relating to a bank account in Eleanor's name and a key. What's the key for, Charlie asked. Oh, it's for her boat, says Eleanor. Their mother had a boat? A narrowboat or canal boat. So Charlie took herself down to the canal and so began her journey of discovery, I guess you could call it. She met a few people along the way - Bob and Lydia, Dave, Margereta - and even reconnected with Max in a way. But as Charlie steered through the locks, canals and junctions...she discovers her mother had secrets. And she travelled the canal looking for the answers to her questions about the mother she never really knew.

From the premise I had expected YOU NEVER TOLD ME to so much more exciting with the layers of secrets their mother kept hidden but instead it was more a journey of Charlie's own self discovery. Sure she uncovered some of her mother's secrets but we still don't get all the answers at the end. It left everything up in the air with an unsatisfactory end. I even questioned some characters' roles in the story because they didn't appear to go anywhere either.

The only part that had me in tears was the picture painted of poor Bella looking all forlorn on the back step, with just a plastic bed and thin blanket for comfort...chained up in the rain, cold and alone. No dog deserves to be treated like that. I cried buckets for the poor thing and whooped for joy when Charlie rescued her.

I loved the canal boat setting. These narrowboats have delighted me and I would love to travel one should I ever find myself in the UK. There is something peaceful and so tranquil about being on the water. But that is where my interest ended.

I really can't say much else about this book because I honestly felt it was a waste of my time reading it, sadly. I didn't enjoy it and found the ending unsatisfactory.

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

REVIEW: The Traitor by V.S. Alexander (ARC)

The Traitor by V.S. Alexander

Genre: Historical fiction, WW2

Read: 21st June 2020

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(publication date: 12th March 2020)

(paperback: 2nd September 2020)

★★★★ 4 stars

"Not all Germans were Nazis."

No truer words than these. However, even long after the war, Germany was synonymous with Hitler and the Nazi regime but interestingly enough, most Germans did not agree with his politics but because of his power they dare not defy him. So therefore it was easier to "Heil Hitler!" than it was to go against him. To do so was treason, and for treason the sentence was death.

But to live under that kind of rule, that kind of dictatorship, to be told what you can and can't do, what books you can or can't read, who to talk to and not to...would be a sentence in itself. Despite a world war going on, there was another kind of war being fought within Germany. To be living in Germany during that time would have been insufferable. Anyone who did would be incredibly brave to have withstood it (I don't know if I could have)...and those of the neighbouring countries that were affected by Hitler's rule.

But then there were those whose bravery lives long after they did. Founded by university students Hans and Sophie Scholl and their professor, The White Rose was a peaceful resistance movement that began in 1942 and, though shortlived, operated under great risk to bring truth to German citizens about the fascist Nazi regime and the Third Reich. They spoke out against the Nazi propaganda and what it stood for for the good of Germany.

So incorporating true life with fictional, we meet Natalya Petrovich who joins the movement and helps spread words of resistance and hope to the German people.

So no, not all German's were Nazis.

Munich, Kristallnacht 1938: Sixteen year old Natalya Petrovich watches from her bedroom window the orange skies on the horizon, as the synagogues and homes of Jews are set alight rendering them homeless. Her best friend Lisa Kobl bangs her floor on the ceiling below to let her know she sees it too.

1942: As a Russian born German, Natalya's family moved to Munich when she was four years old for a better life. But life under Hitler's rising regime has been harsh and now with the cruelties of war, Natalya feels a powerlessness that can only be quashed by helping those afflicted by those horrors. Now she is 20 and, instead of finding herself a husband and producing a child every year for the Reich as the Fuhrer demands, she is on her way to the Russian front as a volunteer nurse for the German Red Cross.

There she meets and makes friends with Alex Schmorell, Hans Scholl and Willi Graf who, upon their return to Munich, introduce her to the White Rose movement. After witnessing such horrors at the Russian front, Natalya joins the movement with her friend Lisa. Together they are involved in writing literature leaflets, expressing the oppressive government, the fascist regime and the death of the soul of the German people - "the spirit of Germany has been crushed under a foul dictator's iron boot!" Natalya does not hesitate in helping to spread these words to as many German citizens as possible, travelling in subterfuge as far as Vienna to post the leaflets to random addresses from the phone book.

Despite all attempts to remain unnoticed, she does draw the attention of one such man - Garrick Adler. Garrick frequents the gatherings of Hans, Sophie and their friends, trying to ingratiate himself into the movement and becoming increasingly frustrated by their rejection of him. He claims to share their views and wants to stand up against Nazi fascism...but the Scholls don't trust him. And Natalya isn't sure if she should either. But Garrick is charming. He continues to call on her, bringing her gifts and even a kitten in an attempt to woo her. But in a world where you trust no one for it could get you killed, Natalya remains staunch and playing ignorant to his claims. But there is something about Garrick. Can she trust him?

As history goes, the White Rose movement lasted just a year, when in 1943 Hans and Sophie Scholl were arrested in the university distributing what would be their final leaflets. What did this mean for the others involved in the underground resistance? Were they now in danger? It would take a betrayal to put them in the firing line...and no one in the White Rose would betray another.

But then Natalya is arrested and soon finds herself on trial, alongside Lisa, in one of the most pompous rooms decorated in Nazi regalia she has ever seen. The charge - treason. The penalty - death. But when Natalya's life is saved at the eleventh hour, she finds she must sell her soul to the devil to remain alive. As a traitor she must now become a traitor to her own people...but can she betray those whose beliefs she also shares?

A well-researched novel, THE TRAITOR is compelling tale set during a dark period of Germany's history. It vividly portrays the oppressive atmosphere of the time and the constant fear of the brutal punishment given to those who dared to defy the Reich that even I felt I couldn't breathe.

Having read many historical fiction novels set during WW2 and being familiar with the White Rose resistance movement, I was immediately drawn to THE TRAITOR. It is always interesting to read "the other side of the story" rather than just those on British soil. Because not all Germans were Nazis.

The first part of the book was a little slow moving though it soon picked up. However, it's not until Natalya's journey after the White Rose that the story became interesting. The book is divided into two parts which tell the two aspects of Natalya's journey - Part 1: The White Rose and Part 2: Traitors. It is the second part that I couldn't put down. Even to the final pages where I read through tear-filled eyes right up to the very end.

A beautiful tale that is both captivating and heartbreaking, THE TRAITOR is a compelling and thought-provoking read recommended to all fans of WW2 historical fiction

I would like to thank #VSAlexander, #NetGalley and #HarperCollinsUK and #OneMoreChapter for an ARC of #TheTraitor in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: The Man I Loved Before by Anna Mansell (ARC)

The Man I Loved Before by Anna Mansell

Genre: Chick lit, Women's fiction, Contemporary fiction

Read: 20th June 2020

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(publication date: 10th March 2020)

★ 1 star

I honestly have no idea why I requested this book because I am not a fan of women's fiction. I can only assume it was the premise that attracted me because it did sound appealing however, the actual delivery did not. I'm not saying the book failed...just that it did for me.

I honestly did not like Jem. The woman is a walking nightmare. The probable new man in her life got it right when he christened her "Calamity Jem"...because that is indeed what she is. She spends the entire time second guessing herself in all shapes and sizes, over-analysing just about every choice she has made, will make or didn't make.

To make matters worse, she writes a letter to her ex, Ben, detailing every bad thing she has ever done knowing that he will never read it. That is, until her ever helpful and wonderful mother posts it. So what does Jem do? Stakes out the wrong post box to try and grab the letter when the post van comes to empty the box. But mum was going uptown and posted it elsewhere so that by the time Jem arrives, it's too late. Then what does she do? Goes to the post office to try and get it back. Of course they aren't going to just give her a letter addressed to someone else!

So what else is there left for Calamity Jem to do? I know! Let's jump in a barely reliable twenty year old car and drive 6 hours from Derbyshire to Cornwall and intercept it before it reaches Ben! Great idea!!

So here's Jem, making her way down to Cornwall, when she realises this may not be a great idea after all. I mean, Ben did state when he left her a year ago that he never wanted to see her again...so why was she driving hundreds of miles to where he moved to - a place "they" had dreamed of settling together - to try and intercept a letter she still has no legal right to? Does she think the postie is just going to hand it over to her? Er...no.

Then Jem arrives in Cornwall. And what does she do? It's late, the mail won't be delivered till the morning, she goes to the pub. And gets herself three sheets to the wind and ends up sleeping in her car. Why? Because it's the height of the holiday season and there are no accommodation vacancies anywhere in St Ives...and probably all of Cornwall, for that matter.

So the next morning she stakes out Ben's place and is so shocked to see the front door open and a woman with the baby walk out calling "I love you, babe" and Ben appearing in the doorway for the said woman to give him a parting kiss, that she slinks into an alleyway...and misses the post being delivered. Well, that was a giant waste of time and a shedload of money spent on fuel for a 12 hour round trip that produced precisely nothing! So Jem jumps back in her car and drives back to Derbyshire, which seems to take a lot less longer than it did to get there.

Meanwhile, her best friend Leanne had set Jem up on Tinder, declaring it was time she moved on and got on with her life. Leanne was surprised to see someone they knew from school over twenty years ago on there and when Jem wasn't looking, she swiped right. Next thing she knew, Jem was getting a message from this Mitch Black from school. Coincidentally, after leaving Leanne's in an attempt to get back the letter that should never have been posted, she bumped into Mitch at the post office that afternoon. They exchanged numbers and a promise to catch up for coffee when she returned from her mysterious trip...ie. Cornwall.

Jem was so focused on her own problems that she failed to see anything else. And her obsession over self-analyising and over thinking irritated me. This is a grown woman of 38 whose life is an apparent train wreck. She should know better. She should be married with two point four kids. I did, however, enjoy her banter with Mitch. It was entertaining and at least took the focus off Jem herself.

I'm not sure what THE MAN I LOVED BEFORE was meant to be about or address, but as I'm not a fan of chick lit/women's fiction it completely missed its mark with me. And honestly I didn't have the patience to stick with the book to find out Jem's backstory of why Ben left her, why she lost her job and why she ended up bankrupt. In the end, I didn't care enough to stick around to find out.

Having said that, THE MAN I LOVED BEFORE will appeal to plenty of other readers. Just not me. I wish I could get into it but after over a quarter of the book and still I'd rather gouge my eyes out than put up with any more. The pace of the book was as slow as the traffic on the A30 on Bodmin. So slow that Jem had to turn her engine off. That slow. I didn't see it going anywhere after 30%, so I gave up and left it there.

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

REVIEW: Follow Me, Like Me by Charlotte Seager (ARC)

Follow Me, Like Me by Charlotte Seager

Genre: Mystery, thriller, Young Adult

Read: 19th June 2020

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(publication date: 10th March 2020)

★★★★ 4 stars

An interesting yet cautionary tale, FOLLOW ME LIKE ME by Charlotte Seager is a gripping and thought-provoking tale of the effect of social media in teenagers' lives. Having said that, I feel young people should truly read this book to help them recognise the dangers of living their lives so completely online. They need to understand - really understand - that you never truly know who you are talking to online. That, and the fact that the internet is forever. It is something we never dealt with when we were their age but we, as adults, can see its dangers even if young people today don't.

The story follows two girls who go to the same school and are in the same year but are from two totally different social circles. Chloe is vivacious and popular whereas Amber is invisible and a loner. These girls live on social media but in two completely different ways.

Chloe has just broken up with her boyfriend Tom and in her devastation thinking "two can play that game" attempts to make him jealous by chatting with one of her most ardent followers, a guy named Sven. The conversations then lead to WhatsApp where the two chat more privately. Sven seems sweet and fun to start with as the two chat on the phone till 2am one morning.

Then one night she attends a party at her ex's place and makes a bit of a show of herself, in another attempt to make Tom jealous, and ends up being drunkenly escorted home by some boy whose name begins with J...she can't remember. The boy makes advances on her and Chloe fights him off, but not before groping her breasts and pressing her up against the wall to prevent escape. But escape, she does. She is so shaken by the incident, she doesn't know who to confide in. Her best friend Louise was busy with Jerome. Tom didn't want to know her. And then she remembered Sven.

But when she tells him all about the party and the incident afterwards, she is shocked by his reaction - "Well, what did you expect?" He then begins slut shaming her, commenting on every single one of her Instagram posts and sending about fifty messages to her in one morning. The constant buzzing of her phone is driving her mad and in the end she blocks him.

Then her best friend Louise starts ghosting her and after being called to the head teacher's office, she is suspended from school for sending indecent photos of Louise in her underwear to everyone. But she didn't; she wouldn't. Louise is her best friend and she would NEVER betray her like that. So who would do this to her? And why?

Meanwhile, invisible Amber has a crush on trainee personal trainer Ren. She becomes obsessed when she learns that he has been fired and she tries to find out why and what he is supposed to have done? Of course it doesn't occur to her that it is none of her business, but after she learns that he has been accused of sexually assaulting multiple women she is so sure that Ren is innocent that she endeavours to clear his name by stalking his social media accounts to find out the truth. Refreshing his Facebook and Instagram near constantly, she also adds him to Snapchat so she can SnapMap him and follow him in real life. Although her obsession comes from an innocent place, it still feels a little too creepy.

The two girls couldn't be more different and while Amber's behaviour borders on creepy, I can relate to her more than I can to Chloe. When I was their age (many moons ago), I was Amber - a loner, invisible who didn't make friends easily. I could relate to her crush on Ren as I often had crushes on unattainable boys (or even those a little older) and, although there was no social media in my day, would often find a way just to be near where ever they were just so I could watch them. Looking back now, it is pretty creepy. lol But as a lonely and invisible teen, such a thing seems to unattainable, it's what they do. It's certainly what Amber did...and had she not, things could have turned out a whole lot different for both her and Chloe.

When I requested FOLLOW ME LIKE ME I didn't know it was a YA read, as I was just drawn in by the premise. I was impressed by the subject matter and thought that it was a topic that really needed highlighting, in a world where just about everyone, particularly teenagers, live their lives through social media. I was eager to discover how it would be tackled as it is so important to have something like this that reminds young people of the dangers. This book highlights the fact that you cannot trust an online persona 100% and how easily online activity can creep into real life.

The twist may have been predictable which I saw coming almost from the start, but in the real world, it is not something we would be able to identify as quickly. Its purpose is to highlight the dangers and just how easy it is to fall into its trap.

I do agree with some other reviewers with the ending - well, Amber's ending. Without giving anything away, I felt it should have been handled a little differently, particularly in a book that could prove to be helpful to young people in the lesson of online safety. Amber's ending was just a little too neat and left the reader somewhat unsatisfied.

A fast paced easy read, FOLLOW ME LIKE ME has short snappy chapters (my favourite kind) in the alternating narratives of Chloe and Amber respectively. It is written in a way that young adults can understand yet without all the confusing text speak they so often use (thankfully). Despite it's subject matter, it was a relatively quick read that took me about 4 hours in total to complete.

An addictive read for young adults, FOLLOW ME LIKE ME is an appropriate read for teens that highlights a social awareness for their personal safety online. The internet is forever and it is full of predatory types that young people may think they are immune to...and are not. The dangers that lurk on the internet are indeed very real.

Well done Charlotte Seager for highlighting awareness on the dangers of the world wide web...and that the image people portray on social media might not be who they really are.

I would like to thank #CharlotteSeager, #NetGalley and #MacmillanKidsUK for an ARC of #FollowMeLikeMe in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: Sole Survivor by Gaynor Torrance (ARC)

Sole Survivor (DI Jemima Huxley #2) by Gaynor Torrance

Genre: Crime fiction, Police procedural, Thriller

Read: 18th June 2020

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(publication date: 6th March 2020)

★★★★ 4 stars

SOLE SURVIVOR is the second in the DI Jemima Huxley series set in the north Cardiff area of South Wales. If you missed the previous book, don't worry as this can be read as a standalone. After a particularly gruesome case in the first book "Revenge", which was one of the most shocking cases of her career, Jemima returns several months later after having to face some of her personal demons that often clouded her judgement.

Jemima is on a rare day off when she receives a call to another particularly gruesome murder scene. Details are sketchy but upon arriving at the scene in the exclusive Briarmarsh Close, she is shocked to learn that the entire Rathbone family has been butchered, leaving four dead. Only the teenage daughter Millie survived but her injuries are so brutal it is uncertain if she will recover and she remains in a critical condition in hospital.

Jemima and her team begin questioning friends and neighbours of the family, revealing some interesting family dynamics. Bradley Rathbone was a psychiatrist at the University Hospital of Wales while his wife Sally was a doctor in private practice. The two teenage children were Jonathan and Lauren and were Bradley's brother's children, their parents having been killed in a boating accident the year before. Millie, the sole survivor, is Bradley's daughter from his first marriage whose mother is currently serving a prison sentence for the murder of her 10 month old baby when Millie was 7 years old.

Robbery was quickly ruled out as the crime scene was particularly vicious. No burglar would expend so much energy into stabbing one victim thirty five times and seventeen for another. Particularly given that the two teenage victims were suffocated prior to being stabbed. Why even bother to stab them so viciously if they are already dead? This in itself displayed a huge amount of rage towards the victims. And if that was the case, why kill the parents? Is it some kind of personal vendetta? Was someone out for revenge against the family? Was there a prime target? Or was this just a random attack? So many questions left unanswered has Jemima searching for clues that will lead them to the killer.

Then when Jemima learns that Brad's first wife Isobel has been released from prison, she becomes their prime suspect as the team begin to search for her whereabouts and Jemima wonders if Millie, as the sole survivor, is suddenly at risk.

There are a wealth of suspects to consider as the team dig further to uncover the truth.  From a teacher to the next door neighbour to a psychotic patient to an ex-wife who was in prison for murder...everyone seems to have a different version of the family. So who is lying and who is telling the truth?

Meanwhile Jemima has problems on the home front. Ever since her husband Nick outed her self harming to her boss things have been strained between the couple. Not to mention the time she took an innocent walk with her godson Harry at his christening party, leaving everyone frantic with worry that she had kidnapped him, Jemima was shocked to discover that Nick believed she had done just that. Now the couple have Nick's son James living with them after the tragic death of his mother in a car accident, but Jemima appears to be more of a parent to James than Nick, who sits in the kitchen drinking from dawn till dusk...accusing Jemima of caring about her job more than them. But then the couple receive some devastating news that will turn their worlds upside down, as Jemima tries to stay strong for young James.

I have to say I much preferred Jemima in this book than I did in the first one, where she bored on self-absorption to the point of obsession. In SOLE SURVIVOR, she has been to counselling - albeit forced, but incredibly helpful - and while she was unable to have a child of her own, she now finds herself a parent to James who she loves just as much as if he were her own. She has a good camaraderie with her team who are all incredibly likable, making reading the book a pleasant experience. I must also add that I love the pathologist, John Prethero, and his wicked sense of humour.

I really enjoyed SOLE SURVIVOR even though I had worked out who was responsible from very early on. But that never spoils my enjoyment or detracts from the story as it is always a guessing game anyway...I could have been wrong.

Although incredibly well written, I did find SOLE SURVIVOR to be a little slower paced that the previous book which had me on tenterhooks from start to finish. However, Gaynor Torrance has a tendency to shock as both books so far in this promising series lead the reader through tension-filled moments culminating to shocking conclusions. While I did suspect the killer, there were definitely some shocking moments throughout the book.

An excellent addition to what is becoming a promising new series, SOLE SURVIVOR is a a unique mix of thriller and police procedural, though not for the fainthearted. Recommended for fans who like their crime thrillers dark.

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

REVIEW: The Light Within Us by Charlotte Betts (ARC)

The Light Within Us (The Spindrift Trilogy #1) by Charlotte Betts

Genre: Historical fiction, Sagas

Read: 16th June 2020

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(publication date: 5th March 2020)

★★★★★ 5 stars

Historical fiction sagas are one of my favourite genres and Cornwall is one my favourite locales. The first of three books, THE LIGHT WITHIN US by Charlotte Betts has got the trilogy off to a fantastic start and I cannot wait for the next one "The Fading of the Light". The only problem is that I now have to wait till January 2021!

Beginning in 1891, Edith marries her beloved Benedict and the couple honeymoon in the South of France with a group of their artist friends from the Slade. An interesting way to spend one's honeymoon - though not unheard of in Victorian times - they meet Pascal, cousin to one of their friends Wilfred, staying at his beautiful villa in Provence. The group spend their time painting, sketching, eating and drinking and basically having a wonderful time.

Having not long graduated from the Slade, Edith begins sketching in an attempt to find her niche whilst her new husband Benedict spends his time laughing and drinking and pretty much anything but painting. When he does produce something, Edith feels it is lacking and somewhat wooden but when she verbally makes this observation, Benedict is enraged and mortified. He in turn decides to ignore his wife until she apologises, humiliating her at every turn. The honeymoon now over, Edith devotes all her energy to painting with some delightful results.

Then one afternoon, missing the closeness she shared with her husband, Edith goes in search of Benedict to try and put their differences aside and move forward in their marriage. What she didn't expect was to walk in on something so shocking, leaving her both humiliated and ashamed by the discovery that in her distress she finds herself in the comfort of another's arms. By the time the group return to Cornwall, Edith finds herself pregnant with his child.

Too ashamed to reveal her secret, Edith resolves to reconcile with Benedict in the hope he will accept the child as his own. By this time, Benedict has shown that he is not the man Edith had thought him to be and so she makes the best of things by devoting herself to her art and creating a community of artists at Spindrift House.

Soon after the friends arrive, they discover the truth behind Benedict's inheritance of Spindrift House and are soon ostracised by the locals, the source of which coming from the Penroses of Cliff House whose family had once owned Spindrift House. For once, Benedict is not to blame but that doesn't stop vicious gossip being spread about the artists living a depraved and bohemian lifestyle.

The story revolves primarily around Edith and Benedict and the difficulties in their marriage, along with their friends who live in the remote house just outside of Port Isaac. Each friend has their own unique talent and shine in their own particular way. Clarissa finds her niche in designing jewelery from sea glass, Dora becomes an illustrator of children's stories whilst Pascal, like Benedict and Edith, is a painter. Benedict, however, has always been jealous of his wife's talent as a better artist than he is.

Benedict is a volatile and disagreeable character who is both lazy and envious of Edith's greater talent. He spends more time drinking and cavorting at the local pub than painting and soon funds are fast depleting that the group must find a way to bring more income into Spindrift House. Edith decides to open the house to other artists, renting out rooms and outbuildings, and open a gallery for passing tourists. However life at Spindrift House was never going to be easy as the community of friends and artists find themselves facing eviction and poverty as well as being ostracised by a number of shopkeepers and residents in the village. But Edith is determined to find a way to keep them at Spindrift House and the threat of eviction far from reality.

THE LIGHT WITHIN US is well told tale that spans several years approaching the end of the 19th century. It is meticulously researched with a wonderful backdrop that brings life to both the story and the characters, each of whom are all carefully developed. Pascal, the French artist, is likable from the start who always seems to be there for Edith when her husband clearly is not. Dora, who did not grow up in the social circles of class as her friends, teaches them all to cook and how to keep house and who becomes one of the most dependable characters in the story. Clarissa, I did not like at the beginning, but her story unfolds we discover she is nursing a secret backstory that will break your heart. There are the other artists who also move into their community - Wilfred, Julian, Augustus and spinster sisters Mabel and Maude (I think?) - who band together when Edith needs them most. Tension is supplied by the vindictive neighbours, the Penroses, along with another secret that lingers on the edge of the story.

An absorbing and compelling tale, THE LIGHT WITHIN US is wonderful easy to read book, with the most difficult thing about it is not being able to put it down!

A poignant and engrossing read, THE LIGHT WITHIN US is a fascinating story that I strongly recommend for lovers of historical fiction. As the first in the trilogy, I cannot wait for the next one to see where Edith and her friend's stories lead.

My first read by Charlotte Betts and it won't be my last!

I would like to thank #CharlotteBetts, #NetGalley and #Piatkus for an ARC of #TheLightWithinUs in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: The Second Wife by Rebecca Fleet (ARC)

The Second Wife by Rebecca Fleet

Genre: Psychological thriller, domestic thriller

Read: 15th June 2020

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(publication date: 5th March 2020)

★★★★ 4 stars

Everyone brings baggage to a new relationship...but this is on a whole other level!

After the death of his first wife to cancer, Alex Carmichael finally met the woman of his dreams. Natalie is beautiful, smart and appears to be the perfect wife and stepmother to his daughter Jade. Their life in Brighton is perfect and Alex and Natalie couldn't be happier.

One evening, Alex stays late for drinks with a client and returns to find his house on fire. Natalie is unhurt though dazed but there is no sign of Jade. He bursts into the burning building to rescue his unconscious daughter before carrying her outside to safety, barely alive. When 14 year old Jade wakes from her coma she tells her father that she saw a man in the house that night although Natalie refutes this, denying any knowledge of an intruder.

Alex then finds himself faced with an impossible choice - to believe his wife or his daughter? He returns to the burnt remains of his house, surprised to find that it was as badly damaged as it at first seemed, and rummages through Natalie's wardrobe looking for answers. He comes across a box of items belonging to someone called Rachel and a photo in which the woman closely resembles his wife and the man beside her looking decidedly shifty. Now Alex has even more questions. Who is Rachel? Who are the people in the photo? What has this all have to do with his wife and what secrets is she keeping?

Natalie has always been controlled, keeping things close to her chest. She has a past that Alex doesn't know about and when he approaches her with questions and that wretched photo she should have thrown away, she has no alternative to tell him about her past and who she really is.

1999: Rachel lives in a London flat with her younger and free-spirited sister Sadie. Their parents are both dead and from early on Rachel took it upon herself to look after and look out for Sadie. The sisters had grown up inseparable but upon reaching her teens, Sadie morphed into someone different...staying out late, drinking and taking drugs.

One day, the sisters meet the charismatic Kaspar Kashani, who is promoting his new nightclub, and Sadie is instantly taken with him. Rachel knows there is something off about him but Sadie refuses to listen to her reservations and goes to the new club. There she falls in love with Kas and does everything she can to be with him, despite Rachel's warnings.

When things start to get messy and go incredibly wrong, Rachel is there to pick up the pieces of her sister's life once again. But in the process she alienates her even further when she becomes a witness in a trial that will change the course of her life forever. After which, she is given a new identity and a new home away from London to start her life all over again.

Compelling with plenty of twists, I love the way the story is told from several perspectives, including Alex and Natalie, in dual timelines from 1999 and 2017. It keeps you guessing as to exactly what is going on and just who is, or isn't, telling the truth. Although a did find there was a lull when the 1999 narratives began as I wasn't sure where they fit in, it soon picked up pace as the narratives switched back and forth to keep you guessing.

What is the link between Alex and Natalie, and Rachel and Sadie? And who was responsible for the house fire that very nearly claimed Jade's life? Alex is determined to uncover what happened, but is he prepared for the truth?

It is so hard to review THE SECOND WIFE without giving anything away. While at first I was puzzled, the plot soon became obvious and I predicted what was coming from about midway through. But that did not impact on my enjoyment because it is still a wonderfully twisty read that keeps you hooked until the very end.

THE SECOND WIFE is a dark tale of secrets, lies and a twisted obsession that is thrilling, intense, dangerous and addictive. It is like a car crash that you find yourself unable to look away, turning the pages to discover the truth and what Natalie has been hiding.

My first book by Rebecca Fleet, THE SECOND WIFE gripped me from the beginning and I found myself invested deeply in Alex and Natalie's story and wanting to uncover the truth. So many whispers of doubt alluded to things not adding up and I suspected the truth in part from early on, while the rest fell into place a little later. The clues were peppered subtly throughout which made uncovering them a little victory for me each time.

A book riddled with chameleon characters, secrets, lies and obsession made this fast paced domestic thriller a must read for any thriller fan.

I would like to thank #RebeccaFleet, #NetGalley and #RandomHouseUK and #TransworldDigital for an ARC of #TheSecondWife in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: One Dark, Two Light by Ruth Mancini (ARC)

One Dark, Two Light (Sarah Kellerman #2) by Ruth Mancini

Genre: Psychological thriller

Read: 14th June 2020

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(publication date: 5th March 2020)

★★★ 3 stars

While this is my first time reading Ruth Mancini, ONE DARK, TWO LIGHT is the second book to feature solicitor Sarah Kellerman. I wasn't aware this was a series but having read this book I will be interested to check out the first one "In the Blood".

It's New Year's Eve and a man walks drunkenly home from the Hope and Glory pub. But just a couple of minutes after midnight he becomes the victim of a vicious attack then brutally run over and left for dead. Barely alive, he is taken to the hospital but no one knows who he is as he has no ID. He is a mystery.

But one morning three months later solicitor Sarah Kellerman walks into the hospital to visit her boyfriend Nick, a barrister, and passes the mystery man's room. A flicker of a memory and she recognises him instantly. Mark Felding was a custody sergeant based at one of the police stations in London that she frequented for clients. But he suddenly disappeared and no one really knew what happened to him. So what happened to him? Why did no one know who he was? And why wasn't he reported missing?

Sarah begins to dig into the mystery behind Mark's disappearance in an effort to learn what truly happened to him and in the process one of her clients, a young Jamaican 15 year old boy Jerome, is brought in for questioning over the theft of a 4x4 not far from the estate on which he lives. Although Jerome's form is for stealing cars, Sarah believes him when he says he didn't steal this one. In his eyes, a black 4x4 with blacked out windows on an estate like his belongs to drug dealers and he steers clear of those. But the police who question him are adamant - a black teen wearing a hoodie was seen in the vicinity.

Then Sarah is approached by DCI John Sinclair at court one day who informs her that Mark has been working undercover for the past two years infiltrating a drug gang. But Mark had turned rogue and started dealing himself, his life thus spiraling. But none of this struck Sarah as being true. She believes she was being warned off. But she continues to look into Mark's attack. But when Jerome is picked up once again - this time for the attempted murder of a police officer - Sarah knows something deeper is going on.

Meanwhile, Sarah's personal life is somewhat in disarray. Her partner, Will, is in hospital with a life threatening condition that could result in the amputation of his leg. Will is somewhat cagey about what happened and is reluctant to discuss it that when Sarah pushes him she doesn't believe his explanation. And now her ex husband Andy, who walked out on her and her autistic son Ben two years before, has returned wanting to start again. Sarah doesn't have time to deal with Andy but he proves to be an eager babysitter as he learns to bond with his non-verbal son. Despite walking out on them two years ago because he couldn't deal with his son's disability, Andy steps up and proves to be an eager and competent carer for Ben in Sarah's absence.

A slow burn thriller, ONE DARK, TWO LIGHT is a cleverly written, complex and twist-filled read. As secret after secret is exposed, Sarah is determined to get to the truth about what happened to Mark. She lets nothing stand in her way, not even when the risk becomes greater and her client's life is at stake.

I'm not sure what I think about Sarah, although if I was ever in trouble I'd certainly want her in my corner. And I found it hard connecting with the story around her son. I know he is autistic and non-verbal but I didn't find him real because he didn't connect with anyone...though for someone like him I know that is completely normal. He just seemed like something on the edge of dream...it's hard to explain. But in Sarah's place, I don't know how she managed to hold down a full time legal career and be a full time carer to Ben. Andy's re-entrance couldn't have come at a better time, as he could start to share some of the responsibility with caring for him when Sarah is called away.

ONE DARK, TWO LIGHT is a solid and compelling read. Its story content is not normally something I am enamoured with - council estates, drug dealing - but this one was different. And with so many secrets to uncover, I was still able to figure out who was responsible...one on count...while still being surprised at the end.

An explosive read, ONE DARK, TWO LIGHT is thrilling and compelling with an incredibly complex plot. Recommended for thriller fans.

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

REVIEW: The Light in Hidden Places by Sharon Cameron (ARC)

The Light in Hidden Places by Sharon Cameron

Genre: Historical fiction, Historical

Read: 13th June 2020

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(publication date: 5th March 2020)

★★★ 3 stars

DEATH PENALTY FOR ALL WHO GIVE AID TO A JEW.
DEATH TO ALL WHO HARBOUR A JEW.
DEATH TO ALL WHO FEED A JEW.
DEATH TO ALL WHO PROVIDE TRANSPORTATION TO A JEW.

I have read a number of historical fiction books surrounding the Holocaust in various settings - Germany, Austria, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Russia, Corfu, Italy - and all are of a similar vein. And yet they are each different.

Incorporating true life with fictional, THE LIGHT IN HIDDEN PLACES is the true story of Stefania Podgorska who successfully hid 13 Jews in her attic during Nazi occupation in Poland during World War 2. Using Stefania's own unpublished memoir, Sharon Cameron retells Stefani's story in this inspiring yet heartbreaking book. Stefania, or Fusia as she was known, showed true bravery through one of the toughest times in history that was enough to break anyone. Her story, though one of many, is one that inspires through heartache.

In Poland, the second world war is on the horizon and a young girl called Stefania has left home at the age of 13, taking a job in the Diamant family's shop. The family is Jewish, which means little to her as she is Catholic, but she grows close to the family particularly the mother Leah, calling her "babcia" (meaning grandmother), and two of her sons Izio and Max. But there is unrest with the invasion of Poland as Hitler begins to deporting Jews, first to the Jewish ghetto and then to concentration camps.

When Izio disappears, Fusia works harder to protect the Diamant family, from slipping them food in the ghetto to hiding them. But Fusia must find Izio and she does everything in her power to do so...and when she does, Izio is a shadow of his former self, head shaven and emaciated. Izio begs Fusia to help him escape...and so the two make a plan. But as the day arrives, with everything in place, Fusia arrives at the camp to find it deserted and locked up. She is too late.

Returning to Przemsyl, Fusia makes a decision. She returns to her family's farm to find it empty...except for her little sister Helena. Her family have been taken away and with only Helena left, Fusia will do everything within her power to protect them all...even if it means death for helping the Jews.

It is easy to like Fusia and root for her. She is putting herself at risk to help those shunned by the new regime and who otherwise have no one. And yet, even when her plans are thwarted and it all goes horribly wrong, she remains positive that she is doing the right thing...and never doubts the her purpose and why she is doing it. Stefania Podgorska may be a lesser known heroine from the Holocaust but through THE LIGHT IN HIDDEN PLACES she has been given a voice. To know what she went through at such a terrifying time and that she survived, is both incredible and inspiring.

The Author's Note at the end, continues Stefania's story in a condensed format, including some photos of during and after the war. It is eye opening and yet it is heartbreaking. I found THE LIGHT IN HIDDEN PLACES incredibly sad, though inspiring, and it left me feeling such depression for all they endured.

While today we witness lesser issues of black versus white and rioting over the colour of one's skin, these people were fighting for their lives every day. They risked their lives to save others, not just themselves in a war that they didn't ask for but was thrust upon them. It kind of puts things into perspective. Most people today have never lived through a World War, so cannot appreciate what we have now as opposed to the segregation, degradation and death of Jews for no other reason than that was issued by a dictator.

I may have found THE LIGHT IN HIDDEN PLACES depressing but at the same time it was also inspiring. Stefania Podgorska did something incredible for others despite the huge risk to herself. She did it anyway because it is what was right.

Stefania lived well beyond another 70 years after the war's end, passing away in 2018. This story is her legacy. I may not have heard of Stefania Podgorska before but now she is someone I will never forget.

THE LIGHT IN HIDDEN PLACES is a heartbreaking yet inspiring read for lovers of historical fiction or historical memoirs, particularly of the Holocaust.

I would like to thank #SharonCameron, #NetGalley and #PenguinUK for an ARC of #TheLightInHiddenPlaces in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: A Village Scandal by Dilly Court (ARC)

A Village Scandal (Village Secrets #2) by Dilly Court

Genre: Historical fiction

Read: 13th June 2020

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(publication date: 5th March 2020)

★★★★ 4 stars

The second book in the Village Secrets Trilogy by Dilly Court, A VILLAGE SCANDAL picks up from where "A Christmas Wedding" left off, as Daisy and Jay marry.

April 1869: It's been four months since Daisy and Jay Tattersall's disastrous Christmas wedding where only the couple, the vicar and witnesses showed up with no guests in attendance due to bad weather. Now, for the benefit of the village, Daisy and Jay remarry in a lavish ceremony and wedding breakfast held at Creek Manor, that Jay inherited from his philanderous father, and in which they now live with Jay's mother Mary, Daisy's friend Hilda and her children. The couple have lived a harmonious life together since their first wedding and Daisy could not be happier.

But their happiness is short-lived when, at the wedding reception, Jay is urgently called away to attend to trouble aboard his ship, the Lazy Jane. Leaving his bride, Jay dashes off into the night with promises to return, never to be seen again. His crew, Guppy and Lewis and Ramsden, are picked up by a passing vessel with reports of what took place but Jay could not be found. Believed to be lost at sea, Daisy refuses to give up hope that her husband is alive.

In Jay's absence, Daisy must take over the running of the estate and oversee the renovations to the tenant cottages but is soon met with the obstacle of finances when the bank refuses to let her draw on the estate funds. Jay had not made provision for this should anything happen, and so Daisy is left to make ends meet herself. With no money to pay the servants' wages for the last quarter or cover the costs of the cottage renovations, she finds herself in a quandary. She is then approached by Marjorie Harker with a business proposition which she declares will benefit them both. Marjorie, whose husband is with his regiment in India, seeks a promotion for him and ideal husbands for her daughters and to do that she wishes to rent Creek Manor for a year, which will suffice for the dignitaries she wishes to entertain. In return she will pay all Daisy's servants wages and cover the current estate costs. But what Daisy doesn't know is that she has just made a deal with the devil who upon moving into Creek Manor, treats Daisy as a mere servant in her own home. Will Marjorie Harker be content with giving up Creek Manor at the end of her stay? Or will Daisy have to fight for her place as lady of the manor?

Despite the many challenges she currently faces, Daisy continues to live in hope that Jay will soon return home and take up his rightful place as lord of Creek Manor. In the meantime, she meets Marius Walters and strikes up a business deal with him as a shipping agent for the Lazy Jane, reaping a tidy profit for herself.

Then just when the village had accepted his fate, Jay turns up in a London hospital, where Daisy's brother Toby works as a doctor, a shadow of his former self and no memory at all of who he is. She rushes to his side but is soon despairing of his condition and that he fails to recognises her. Daisy decides take him back to Creek Manor amongst familiar surroundings which may help spur his memory but upon arrival in Little Creek is disappointed to find that nothing is familiar to him. When Marius suggests a walk one evening with Jay to where the Lazy Jane is moored, Daisy is excited at the prospect that her husband will recognise his vessel which she hopes will spur on the rest of his lost memories. When Jay sees the Lady Jane, his face lights up and at once he recalls her but Daisy's excitement is soon dispelled when that is all Jay recognises.

Then the following morning, she is even more shocked to learn that Jay has decided to sail with the Lady Jane as seafaring is what he knows...not life in a manor he has no recollection of. Before she knows it, Jay has left Creek Manor with her in charge, sailing off to who knows where.

But a scandal is in the midst which will not only set tongues wagging, but send Daisy's life into even greater turmoil than before. How will she face this new challenge? How will she get through it? And what does it mean for her?

In a return to Little Creek, A VILLAGE SCANDAL is filled with twists, turns and a few secrets that will have you turning the pages into the night. Following the theme of the first book, we revisit the characters we met the first time round as well as places old and new. I did find myself disappointed with the first part of the book with Marjorie Harker continually lording it over Daisy, despite her saving her pinched face from disaster. Any enjoyment I had in the story dissipated with the introduction of that particular plotline. However, it soon picked up with Jay's return as new mysteries evolved and was enamoured once again.

A VILLAGE SCANDAL certainly keeps you on the edge of your seat and, despite a momentary lull, I found myself enjoying the ride. Readers will be captivated from the beginning and, in true Dilly style, will fall in love with the characters.

I look forward to the third installment "A Country Bride" to learn what becomes of Daisy and the village of Little Creek.

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

REVIEW: The Silent House by Nell Pattison (ARC)

The Silent House by Nell Pattison

Genre: Psychological thriller, domestic thriller, crime fiction

Read: 10th June 2020

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(publication date: 1st March 2020)

★★★★★ 5 stars

As soon as I read the premise for THE SILENT HOUSE, I was excited by the concept because I am no stranger to the deaf. My uncle was profoundly deaf and while I never learnt sign language (in Australia it is known as Auslan), I knew a few basic signs and finger spelling. I am familiar with the deaf community being such a small one that they see even getting cochlear implants (so they can hear) as traitorous to the world they know and are comfortable in. The hearing world is so much more different to that of the deaf, to the point the deaf are actually quite comfortable with being deaf. Particularly those who have been deaf all or most of their lives that the hearing world is a strange concept to them and being deaf is normal and comfortable.

Different and somewhat unique, THE SILENT HOUSE by Nell Pattison is her debut and takes the reader into the world of the deaf. Most of the characters are deaf and we are given plenty of background into everyone from signing and deaf clubs and how the deaf community is a small and tight-knit one.

This makes it difficult for Paige Northwood, a BSL (British Sign Language) interpreter, who is part of that community being the only hearing member of her family. In the way that it is not always easy to separate yourself from the situation she finds herself in as an interpreter and the deaf community...because she already knows most of those embroiled within the case.

The story begins with an atmospheric and somewhat chilling prologue in which six year old Jaxon wakes in the night to see a shadow in the bedroom doorway and something wet and sticky on his sister Lexi's bed. Being from Jaxon's perspective, we see the spooky scene through his eyes and it is chilling.

The following morning sees Paige called to the Hunter house by police with no information bar that she is needed to interpret for a deaf family at a crime scene. She arrives to discover she knows this house and the people in it. What has happened? Elisha Barron is in tears, covered in blood and is in the arms of her partner Alan Hunter. Her thoughts goes straight to the children. The couple have an 18 month old girl Kasey and Alan has two children with his previous girlfriend Laura - Jaxon and Lexi. She attempts to find out what happened but no one will tell her anything. She is informed that she is there purely to inform Elisha that she needs to hand over the clothing she is wearing to police as she has refused so far. When she accompanies Elisha upstairs to change, Paige catches a glimpse of the children's bedroom and is horrified by what she sees. Little Lexi Hunter, the same age as Kasey, laying in a pool of blood her head bashed in.

Paige is haunted by the image of Lexi's bloodied body and wonders how she will break the news to her sister Anna, who is Lexi's godmother. Laura, Jaxon and Lexi's mother, is Anna's best friend and she knows that as soon as her sister hears of the tragedy she will want to return to Scunthorpe. Which is exactly what Anna does...after finding out on Facebook.

But Paige doesn't disclose to the police her connection to the families involved, which could possibly be a conflict of interest, as she wants to remain privy to as much information as she can in the hope that she will find out who ended Lexi's life in such a tragic way. With the deaf community being such a small one, there are bound to be crossovers as an interpreter which is how she justifies her continued involvement. To find another BSL interpreter would require the police to look further afield and it could be weeks before they could be allocated one. And in the case of a child's murder they need to act now.

As an interpreter, Paige is indeed privy to the interviews conducted on the deaf families and suspects. Using the knowledge she has gleaned from them, she endeavours to conduct her own investigation when the police seem intent on focusing in the wrong place. But then Paige finds herself the target of sinister threats - first as notes or texts sent from untraceable mobile numbers to setting her flat on fire. It seems someone is afraid that Paige knows more that she actually does about Lexi's murder.

But one thing is clear. There was no sign of a break in and as the whole family is deaf, no one heard a thing. So who walked into the Hunter home and brutally murdered little Lexi? How did they gain access? Or is it someone in the house? Someone closer to home, maybe?

THE SILENT HOUSE is in the third person primarily from Paige's perspective with every third chapter providing a narrative of one of the other characters - Alan, Laura, Elisha, Max, even Jaxon (to name a few). It is very cleverly done, giving the reader an insight to the various aspects of the story yet without giving too much away. It made for highly addictive reading, despite the slow pace at times.

The middle section of the story did appear to be somewhat slow with seemingly little progress on the case but then the reader has to remember that the story is from Paige's perspective, not the police, so she only knows the aspects to which she was privy and not the bigger picture. That being said, there were times it did feel there was little progress and not a lot happening but yet there was also a lot of to and froing with interpreting. It certainly made for interesting reading to get a glimpse into the lives of those live in a world of silence. The pace most definitely picks up with a race to the end to uncover the truth behind the unjust murder of a child.

What makes THE SILENT HOUSE so chilling is that everyone in the house is deaf so no one could hear a possible intruder enter and brutally murder a child. People assume that you would just know but in reality you wouldn't...particularly if you cannot hear. It highlighted the vulnerabilities the deaf can face in such situations. And when it comes to interpreting between the deaf and the hearing, it shows us how much the deaf rely on the hearing to translate for them accurately.

Take Laura's mum, Bridget. She is hearing and appears to have her own agenda and proceeds to converse with doctors, solicitors, teachers etc. about Laura or her children without interpreting a single word for her daughter who is profoundly deaf. Laura is completely confused and has no idea what is going on. This angered me when I read these instances as Laura had every right to know. I don't blame her for engaging an interpreter instead of relying on her mother.

I did think it was a brilliant idea to include conversations that are in sign as italicised text so that the reader can separate the signed with the spoken conversations.

I thoroughly enjoyed THE SILENT HOUSE and am eagerly awaiting Nell Pattison's second book featuring Paige Northwood once again in "Silent Night" which set for publication in November. This debut thriller is addictive, thrilling and chilling despite its slow pace at times and I devoured the story in record time.

A unique concept featuring the deaf community, THE SILENT HOUSE is a must read for fans of psychological/domestic thriller and crime fiction...particularly those looking for something different.

I would like to thank #NellPattison, #NetGalley and #AvonBooksUK for an ARC of #TheSilentHouse in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: Love and Marriage at Harper's by Rosie Clarke (ARC)

Love and Marriage at Harper's (Welcome To Harpers Emporium #2) by Rosie Clarke

Genre: Historical fiction

Read: 12th June 2020

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(publication date: 3rd March 2020)

★★ 2 stars

The girls at Harper's Emporium are back with joys, challenges and other changes in this second novel LOVE AND MARRIAGE AT HARPER'S by Rosie Clarke. I haven't read the first book but despite this I don't think I missed out on a whole lot as this one begins with what appears to be a whole new story.

However, having said that, I may have enjoyed it far more had I read the first one and was introduced to the characters and watched them come into themselves.  As it was, I felt a little complacent about this one and couldn't connect to the girls, who I felt were a gossipy bunch where nothing much happened except go to work, catch the bus home and sit around the table chatting. The only character I felt more of a connection with was Aunt Helen - I can't remember whose aunt she was - and her dire marriage to gold digger, Gerald. In my opinion, not much took place but the women's suffragette movement, which is not really a topic that interests me.

The girls - Rachel, Beth, Sally and Maggie - enjoy their work at Harper's Emporium on Oxford Street which is busier than ever and each of them are kept bustling all day long. The girls now share a flat together though each has their own life outside of each other. The suffragette movement is in full swing with the imprisonment of Emmeline Pankhurst as the girls discuss and decide if they support the Women's Social and Political Union or just remain with the Women's Rights Movement.

Meanwhile, store owners Ben Harper and his sister Jenni are in New York leaving Mr Stockbridge in charge, and Sally managing the buying of new stock for the store. Sally had harboured a secret crush for Ben Harper but as he has not contacted her since being away, leaving that to his sister Jenni, Sally believes the interest he had shown her previously has now waned.

There is love and romance for each girl in one way or another and yet it just didn't hold my interest as I thought it might. The premise sounded promising but the story just failed to deliver for me. It's a shame as Rosie Clarke's Mulberry Lane series is a delight to read. I guess maybe it's just this series that I just can't connect with. Maybe I will go back at a later date and try again...and find then that I may be pleasantly surprised.

LOVE AND MARRIAGE AT HARPER'S is a light read that one may may or may not find addictive, depending on the individual. Having said that, I do recommend for fans of historical fiction and sagas.

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