REVIEW: One of Us is Lying by Shalini Boland

One of Us is Lying (previously titled "The Woman Who Lied) by Shalini Boland

Genre: Psychological thriller, domestic thriller, suspense

Read: 31st July 2020

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 3rd April 2020

★★★ 3.5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

Tia never harmed anyone. So why does someone want to destroy her?

Tia is walking home with her children, along the lakeside of their quiet, safe town, when she realises something is wrong with her five-year-old daughter, Rosie. She seems troubled, not at all her usual happy self.

But when Tia finally coaxes Rosie to open up, she wishes she hadn’t. Because her sweet daughter asks a question Tia never thought she’d hear.

‘Mummy, why did you kill someone?’

Tia knows how rumours spread around her small town. She just can’t understand who would have shared such a horrible story. Or why.

It can’t have anything to do with what happened. Only her two best friends really remember that…

Tia thought she could trust Fiona and Kelly with her life. They’ve been through so much together. But when she’s sent photos of herself that could tear her whole world apart, she starts to wonder. Someone is determined to punish her. But who? And will her friends stand by her, or will the past destroy all of their lives?


MY REVIEW:

I've said before and I'll say again that there is no such thing as a bad book by Shalini. Even an average book is still a good book. She just has that knack or drawing you in from the very start and drip feeding you tidbits to keep you turning the pages in intrigue until the big reveal at the end. It goes without saying that Shalini always delivers.

ONE OF US IS LYING (previously titled "The Woman Who Lied") opens with a prologue with a woman returning home to find her husband had gassed himself in his car in the garage. I thought her somewhat clueless to wonder why the car was running in a closed garage to begin with...of course it was to kill himself! How could she not see that? But where that piece of the puzzle fits in would come to us later.

Tia, Kelly and Fiona are three women who have been best friends since school, having grown up and lived in Ashridge Falls their whole lives. But each woman is hiding a secret from the past and somebody knows, determined to bring their lives to a crashing end and make them pay for what they did.

Tia is a wife and mother to Rosie and Leo while her husband Ed is a chef at a local pub. They have a seemingly happy and perfect life together and while not rich, they are comfortable living month to month. One afternoon when picking the children up from school, Rosie fails to thunder out with the rest of the kids. Tia goes in to find her sitting quietly in a corner with her teachers. Neither of them could get out of Rosie what was wrong and she refuses to utter a word to anyone. Tia manages to coax her outside and she takes her hand for the walk home where close to tears, Rosie suddenly asks:

"Mummy, why did you kill someone?"

Shocked, Tia learns that older kids have been teasing her and saying her mother is a murderer. She endeavours to take it up with the school the following day but then she receives something far more troubling. An anonymous envelope arrives addressed to her containing photos of her, kissing another man and then in bed with him. This can't be happening. This never happened. Or did it? The night in question was Fiona's birthday party and she did get somewhat sloshed, she recalls...but enough to go home with a stranger? She would never do that to Ed. They have a great  marriage and neither would do anything to jeopardise that. Tia pushed the photos into the bottom of the kitchen drawer, hoping to forget about them. Then Ed receives a puzzling text:

"Ask Tia about the photos."

Kelly is a single mother of two, having lost her beloved husband Michael the year before. Her children, Ryan (11) and Sonny (8), attend the same school in Ashridge as Tia's children although they are older. One morning she sets about baking cakes for the upcoming regatta on the weekend when she spots a young woman in her backyard. The woman, Sophie, is quiet and withdrawn and obviously running scared from something...or someone. She has come to Kelly for help, aware of her kindness and tendency to help others. But she won't let her call the police. Instead, Kelly asks her in to help her bake and then invites her to stay for a day or two. The two women hit it off, despite Sophie's fearful disposition. Kelly gives her the attic room to stay in and rest.

When the boys return home, they meet Sophie and take to her almost immediately. She even helps them with their homework. But when someone comes knocking late one night, Sophie scrambles to her attic room and hides while Kelly sees who it is. The man claims to be going door to door looking for his wife, Sophie, who has disappeared. He shows her a photo which clearly is Sophie and asks her to call him should she see her. Kelly begins to wonder if she has invited trouble by letting Sophie stay with her, but dismisses the thought knowing that she is doing the right thing in helping the young woman.

Then on the way home from the regatta, Kelly arrives to find police cars and an ambulance outside her house...and her front door kicked in. What has happened? Has Sophie's husband found her? Then she catches a glimpse of Sophie in the back of the ambulance who suddenly goes pale and points at her yelling: "That's her! That's the woman who tied me up and locked me in her attic!"  What the...? The next thing, Kelly finds herself under arrest for false imprisonment.

Fiona is, to the world, the successful owner of her own interior design business "Salingers", has the perfect marriage with husband Nathan and the most stunning three story mansion overlooking the lake. She has the perfect life. Or does she? Fiona is not like her friends. She has no family to speak of and no desire to have children. One morning, two tax agents arrive at her place of business claiming to have sent her numerous letters to which she has never responded. Fiona has vague recollections of something but set them aside to look at later. However, "later" has arrived and the two agents have come to go through her business records with a fine tooth comb as Fiona now finds herself the subject of a tax audit. She knows what she has done and hope the tax agents won't...but she knows they will before long. When she tells Nathan, he is less than sympathetic and begins to treat her as if she were a disobedient child. Then when Kelly calls on her to look after Ryan and Sonny while she has been taken in for questioning, Nathan is less than happy and tells Fiona to do something about it.

All three women are hiding a secret. All three women are being taunted. All three women are linked to something from their past for which they are now being punished. But who is doing this? And why? The three friends need each other more than ever now, but all three continue to keep their troubles secret. Will the past destroy all their lives?

As the three women's lives begin to unravel none of them have any idea why. As rumours fly, letters and texts are received and seemingly innocent act ends up in a nasty showdown for all three women who will need all their wits and each other to stay alive.

As each of the women's stories unfold in each of their alternating narratives, readers are also privy to the anonymous voice of a schoolgirl peppered in between the current timeline. But how did her story fit into the current one?

I enjoyed how the picture of each women's story was painted and how they slowly unravelled. My favourite character of the three women was Kelly. She was someone I connected with in a way that she was a bit like me, I guess. More so than the outspoken and wild Tia or the aloof and standoffish Fiona. I loved the setting with the lake that was so vast you couldn't see the other side.

ONE OF US IS LYING is a quick fast-paced read that draws the reader in from the beginning. As the story evolves we watch as the women's lives systematically fall apart whilst at the same time wondering who could be behind it.

I love the flow of Shalini's books and am always quickly absorbed within the storyline. However...ONE OF US IS LYING, I felt, lacked her usual flair and killer twist at the end. This time, I guessed who it was and why...and I hardly ever do in a Shalini thriller. There is usually a killer twist right at the very end that leaves you open-mouthed and thinking "What the f*** just happened?" This book lacked that. But even so, as I stated at the beginning there is no such thing as a bad book by Shalini.

In the end, the reasoning behind why all three women were targeted doesn't make a whole lot of sense in my opinion. I can understand why one of them but not the three of them...unless they were the other two mentioned in the past (which they weren't). So it doesn't make sense to me. And it kind of spoilt it a little for me.

Despite not being up to her usual thrilling par, ONE OF US IS LYING is still an enjoyable quick read by one of my favourite go-to authors. And as always, I look forward to her next one.

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


MEET THE AUTHOR:

Shalini Boland lives in Dorset, England with her husband, two sons and their cheeky poodle-terrier cross. Before kids, she was signed to Universal Music Publishing as a singer/songwriter, but now she spends her days writing suspense thrillers (in between school runs and hanging out endless baskets of laundry).

Social Media Links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon

REVIEW: The Spitfire Girl: Over and Out by Fenella J. Miller

The Spitfire Girl: Over and Out (The Spitfire Girl #4) by Fenella J. Miller

Genre: Historical fiction, Sagas, WW2

Read: 29th July 2020

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 2nd April 2020

★★ 2.5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

All's fair in love and war for First Officer Ellie as she takes to the skies yet again in the final instalment of Fenella Miller's Spitfire Girl series.

1943, White Waltham.

As Italy surrenders and victory looms on the horizon, Ellie's doing what she does best – flying. And this time, she's rising to the sky in four-engined Halifaxes. Determined to keep doing her bit, Ellie's successes in the airfield mount but so do tensions with her new beau, Squadron Leader Jack Reynolds.

When Ellie and Jack find their dream home, they discover they've bought more than they bargained for. With a cellar full of secrets, Jack and Ellie must stand united in the face of mystery, war and loss. And as family circumstance threatens to tear them apart, Ellie and Jack are stronger than ever.


MY REVIEW:

I absolutely love historical fiction, particularly those set in the World War 2 era, however when I requested THE SPITFIRE GIRL: OVER AND OUT I didn't realise it was not only a part of a series but the conclusion to it as well. For that reason, I didn't particularly enjoy the book as much as I had hoped since I hadn't read the first three. There were characters and circumstances alluded to that I didn't know about and added to the confusion was the fact that some offspring had been named after previous characters and the mention of past and present names had me thoroughly confused.

The series follows the women, namely Ellie Simpson, who join the ATA (Air Transport Auxiliary) to ferry planes all over the country for the RAF for men to use in battle - their lives and loves throughout. The story picks up in February 1943 with the former Ellie Simpson, now Reynolds, learning to fly four-engined bombers to gain a Class V licence and promote her to First Class Officer. Ellie's husband, Squadron Leader Jack Reynolds, is busy ferrying planes out of White Waltham while Ellie is stationed with an all female crew at Hamble. The separation is tough on the newly married couple, but they manage to catch up every few weeks or so when they coincide their leave together.

When Ellie receives news that her odious grandfather Sir Reginald is dying, the couple join the rest of the family for Sir Reginald to make amends before it's too late. Ellie's brother George will inherit his estate and title while the family farm will go to Ellie. Jack is already uncomfortable with his wife's wealth, inherited by her former fiance, and does not want to be a kept man by his wife. This leads to a most ridiculous turn of events that I saw having no purpose in the story and which was over within a few pages. It left me thinking "what was the point of that?"

Back to work for the couple - Ellie in Hamble and Jack in White Waltham - and they begin to think about their future. Ellie's best friend Amanda, and former pilot, gives birth to a baby girl and it has her thinking about the possibility of motherhood, despite her lack of maternal instinct. After much deliberation, Ellie and Jack decide to buy a house close to White Waltham for them to settle down when the war finally comes to an end, with the intention of Ellie transferring from Hamble to White Waltham to be with her husband.

After looking at several houses, Ellie and Jack come across "The Rookery" which was own by the local witch Mary and they soon find themselves embroiled in a mystery. But have the couple got more than they bargained when they discover a cellar full of shocking and scandalous secrets?

With my love for historical fiction, I was looking forward to reading this book but as it was the final in a four book series, I felt I had arrived in the middle of the story and missed certain aspects that were key to the entire series. I didn't have time to go back and read the first three, though that is what is needed here. THE SPITFIRE GIRL: OVER AND OUT, a title which certainly suggests a conclusion, cannot be read as a standalone. Too much has taken place prior to this book for it to make sense to the reader, and I recommend tackling them in order.

1. The Spitfire Girl
2. The Spitfire Girl in the Skies
3. A Wedding for the The Spitfire Girl
4. The Spitfire Girl: Over and Out

While I didn't enjoy this book as much as I'd hoped, I do intend on coming back to it after I have read the first three at a later date, because I truly believe this final installment to the series will make far better sense when read after the first three.

THE SPITFIRE GIRL: OVER AND OUT, I'm sure, brings a satisfying conclusion to the story of Ellie Simpson Reynolds and her journey as first a flying instructor (I believe) to ATA pilot and First Class Officer during one of Britain's darkest times. I wholeheartedly recommend the series be read in order before tackling this one which I'm sure will make this read an even greater delight.

2.5 stars. Mainly because maybe if I had read the first three books, this one would have been a more satisfying conclusion.

I would like to thank #FenellaJMiller, #NetGalley and #Aria for an ARC of #TheSpitfireGirlOverAndOut in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Fenella Jane Miller was born in the Isle of Man and is the bestselling writer of eighteen historical sagas. She also has apassion for Regency romantic adventures and has published over fifty to greatacclaim. Her father was a Yorkshireman and her mother the daughter of a Rajah. She has worked as a nanny, cleaner, field worker,hotelier,chef, secondary and primary teacher and is now a full time writer.

She has over twenty five Regency romantic adventures published plus one Jane Austen re-telling and one YA romantic fantasy.

Fenella lives in a small village in Essex with her British Shorthair cat.

Social Media links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

PUBLISHER:

Stay up to date with upcoming releases from Boldwood Books by following them on these social media accounts.

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REVIEW: Strangers by C.L. Taylor

Strangers by C.L. Taylor

Genre: Psychological thriller, suspense

Read: 28th July 2020

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 2nd April 2020

★★★★ 4 stars

DESCRIPTION:

Ursula thinks she killed the love of her life.
Gareth's been receiving strange postcards.
And Alice is being stalked.

None of them are used to relying on others - but when the three strangers' lives unexpectedly collide, there's only one thing for it: they have to stick together. Otherwise, one of them will die.

Three strangers, two secrets, one terrifying evening.


MY REVIEW:

I've only read one other book by C.L. Taylor and that was a bit of a miss for me. However, I don't like to write an author off completely until I've read at least two or three of their books as not every book is going to be liked by every reader. So I went in with no real expectations of STRANGERS...and yet, I was pleasantly surprised. I really enjoyed it.

The story begins at the end with Alice, Ursula and Gareth standing over a dead body giving the reader no real clue as to how they got there. Closely followed by the clever use of Twitter relating to the mysterious disappearances of men around the River Avon in Bristol. Back pedal to a week earlier where we proceed to learn the individual stories of the three characters. All three are suffering a type of loss and are complete strangers to each other, hence the title.

Alice is a single mum and has recently started dating again after the collapse of her marriage. Ursula is lonely, grieving for her fiance whom she believes she is to blame for his death and has a habit of taking things that don't belong to her to ease her pain. Gareth is a security officer of the shopping centre where Alice works and is grieving the loss of his mother, who has dementia, as he knew her. All three are linked to the Mead shopping centre. Alice works there, Ursula frequents there as a shoplifter and Gareth works security there.

With the encouragement of her daughter, Alice has taken the plunge and has swiped right to meet Michael in a local pub. He is late and she is about to give up when he staggers in, drunk and abusive. After a drink not feeling safe, Alice attempts to escape but Michael corners her as she steps out of the ladies and becomes abusive. She flees as a stranger comes to her rescue...and her fate is sealed.

Ursula has been living with her best friend Charlotte since university but after one too many light fingered moments, she is forced to move out. Desperate and with nowhere to go, she finds a room to rent sharing the house with the landlord who appears to have serious OCD issues. He informs her she has free reign of most of the house but the basement is out of bounds and the radio that sits in the kitchen playing remains on that station and at that volume. No re-tuning and no adjusting the volume. That is non-negotiable. When Ursula ponders the items in the bathroom the next morning, she swipes his nailbrush and slips it into her pocket. Surprisingly, she receives a terse text from him later in the day demanding she return it and refrain from using his personal belongings in the future. A trip to Alice's store to lift a random item of clothing should make her feel better about that.

But her landlord Ed is not the only one she crosses paths with. One of the addresses on her courier round has her feeling suspicious and fearing for the woman and child seemingly imprisoned inside. Should she call the police? Or help them escape?

Gareth lives alone with his mother, who is in the middle stages of dementia, grieving the loss of the woman she once was. He has carers come in every day to see to her needs while he is at work. Gareth is a security officer at the Mead shopping centre where Alice works and Ursula "shops". From his vantage point in the control room, he sees the stranger chasing after Alice and he sees the tall Amazonian woman shopping in her store. But that's not all he sees. One day an elderly man wanders into view and from where he sits, Gareth is sure it is his father who disappeared some twenty years ago, believed to be dead. Of course, that isn't helped when he sees a recent postcard addressed to his aged mother from his father. Could his father really be alive after all these years? And if so, why get in touch now? When he sees the man on the camera, despite knowing the control room must be manned at all times, he leaves his post to confront the man. But when he gets there, he has vanished. Gareth returns to his post to find another of the security officers smirking knowingly and blackmails him for his silence.

And then there are the mysterious disappearances of men from Bristol, last seen alongside the River Avon. How are these connected to these three people? And then Liam, the colleague who blackmailed Gareth, fails to appear for his shift and no one has seen him.

But Gareth's nightmare is about become worse when he returns home on the Friday to find his mother has disappeared. He checks his CCTV he recently installed to try and capture who was sending his mother postcards from his dead father, and he sees his mother leave the house with her best handbag and her best coat. Where was she going? Who was she going to meet?

When the police come knocking on Gareth's door, he thinks they are there for his mother...but they are there to arrest him for questioning into Liam's disappearance.

The main theme I felt in STRANGERS is loneliness. Each character has a semblance of loneliness and you can feel it in each of them with their need to connect with someone or something palpable. As each of their stories unfold, you can start to see connections to them all. But how does that final piece come together with the rest of the story?

I liked each of the characters in their own way although the one I felt least connected to was Alice. I really felt for Ursula - her loneliness was palpable and her story heartbreaking. And I felt Gareth's pain in having a parent with dementia and watching the person you know and love slowly disappear. Although my dad is not as advanced as Gareth's mum is, it is still devastating to witness and I could feel that heartbreak.

The Twitter conversations were a clever addition, giving the tale another twist as the reader ponders how the disappearances are connected to the rest of the story.

I wouldn't say STRANGERS was predictable, although at times it was, on the whole it was a guessing game thrill ride that keeps you intrigued from start to finish. Though the reader may suspect certain characters from time to time, nothing is made clear until the final curtain.

STRANGERS is cleverly written and compelling from the beginning, with a final twist at the very end you won't see coming.

I thoroughly recommend.

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


MEET THE AUTHOR:

Cally Taylor was born in Worcester and spent her early years living in various army camps in the UK and Germany. She studied Psychology at the University of Northumbria and went on forge a career in instructional design and e-Learning before leaving to write full time in 2014.

She started writing short stories in 2005 and was published widely in literary and women’s magazines. She also won several short story competitions. In 2009 and 2011 her romantic comedy novels (as Cally Taylor) were published by Orion and translated into fourteen languages. HEAVEN CAN WAIT was a bestseller in Hungary and China and HOME FOR CHRISTMAS was made into a feature film by JumpStart Productions. Whilst on maternity leave with her son Cally had an idea for a psychological thriller and turned to crime.

Cally is the author of seven psychological thrillers and two Young Adult thrillers. They are all standalone novels and can be read in any order. She is the six times Sunday Times bestselling author of seven gripping stand-alone psychological thrillers: THE ACCIDENT, THE LIE, THE MISSING, THE ESCAPE, THE FEAR, SLEEP and STRANGERS.

Her books have sold in excess of a million copies and hit the number one spots on Amazon Kindle, Audible, Kobo, iBooks and Google Play. They have been translated into over 25 languages, selected for the Richard and Judy Book Club, and optioned for television.

Cally lives in Bristol with her partner and young son.


Social Media links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook

REVIEW: The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware

The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware

Genre: Psychological thriller, Suspense, Gothic noir

Read: 27th July 2020

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 2nd April 2020

★★★★★ 5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

THEIR DREAM HOUSE WILL BECOME HER WORST NIGHTMARE

When Rowan comes across the advert, it seems too good to be true: a live-in nanny position, with an extremely generous salary.

What she doesn't know is that she's stepping into a nightmare – one that will end with her in a cell awaiting trial for murder.

She knows she's made mistakes.
But she's not guilty – at least not of murder.
Which means someone else is...


MY REVIEW:

WANTED: Large family seeks experienced live-in nanny.

ABOUT US: We are a busy family of four children, living in a beautiful (but remote!) house in the Highlands. Mum and dad co-run the family architecture practice.

ABOUT YOU: We are seeking an experienced nanny, used to working with children of all ages, from babyhood to teens. You must be practical, unflappable and comfortable looking after children on your own. Excellent references, DB check, first-aid certificate and clean driving licence are a must.

ABOUT THE POST: Mum and dad work mainly from home and during those periods you will have a simple 8 - 5 post, with one night a week babysitting, and weekends off. As far as possible we arrange our schedule so that one parent is always around. However, there are times when we may both need to be away (very occasionally for up to a fortnight), and when this occurs, you will be in loco parentis.

In return, we can offer a highly competitive renumeration package totalling £55,000 per annum (gross, including bonus), use of a car and eight weeks' holiday a year.

Applications to Sandra and Bill Elincourt, Heatherbrae House, Carn Bridge


This is my third book by Ruth Ware so I know how accomplished she is at creating a creepy atmosphere...and THE TURN OF THE KEY did not disappoint. It is a dark and twisted thriller that is both compelling and haunting, pulling me from the first page and had me completely absorbed from start to finish.

Right from the beginning there is an intense sense of foreboding as the story opens with a series of letters written by Rowan Caine to a lawyer she is pleading with to take on her case as she sits in prison awaiting trial for the murder of a child. It is essentially a slow burn (which I don't normally favour) but the tension is palpable and the intensity increases with fervour as the story slowly unfolds. She tells him she is innocent and needs his assistance to help plead her case. The entire book is cleverly told in a series of letters, mostly by Rowan to the lawyer Mr Wexham, as she relates her story by providing a detailed account of her time at Heatherbrae.

Rowan Caine is 30 years old, working as a nanny in a London nursery and flatshares with her friend Rachel. She enjoys her job but is unfulfilled as she was passed over for the promotion she had been hoping for when Rachel left the nursery to travel. When she comes across an ad online seeking a nanny to live in the remote highlands of Scotland, it sounds too good to be true. The house is beautiful, the family lovely and the pay is beyond anything she could imagine. She sends off an application and is both surprised and thrilled to be offered the position.

When she arrives in Carn Bridge and the Gothic Victorian house that is Heatherbrae, Rowan hits the ground running when she learns that Sandra and Bill are leaving the following morning for a week long conference of meetings, leaving her solely in charge of Maddie (8), Ellie (5) and toddler Petra, whose age is not really mentioned but it is alluded to "the terrible twos". The fourth, 14 year old Rhiannon, is away at boarding school in Inverness and comes home at weekends.

However, what she isn't prepared for is the 250 page manifesto manual detailing the children's every routine from dawn till dusk, mealtimes and bedtime, school and play time. She has barely had time to read any of it before she is thrust into control of caring for the three children, which gets off to a rocky start. When their parents leave, Ellie is inconsolable and refuses Rowan's ministrations. Maddie is nowhere to be seen and Petra appears to take a perverse pleasure in flinging porridge and all kinds of food stuffs at her new nanny. Added to that, Rowan must also master the smart panels that control every door, every light, every bathroom and every appliance from coffee to music to heating to cooling as well as the Happy app which allows her to order groceries and monitor the children via camera. Stalkerish, much. Sandra had proudly informed her that their house was a "smart home" but Rowan couldn't help but find it more than a little creepy. She was relieved, however, to find that the utility room door at the back of the house was locked with a traditional brass key.

What Rowan doesn't know is that Heatherbrae has a haunted past. More than one child has met their fate here and it is insinuated that their ghosts, and of one such parent, haunt the hallowed halls of Heatherbrae. And then there are the nannies...several of whom have left suddenly without so much as a word, despite the job paying well.

From the first night, dark and disturbing events begin to take place. Creepy noises could be heard above Rowan's room, despite her being on the top floor. Things going missing. A disturbing drawing found in her bedside drawer with the beginnings of a letter to other nannies from the previous one. Creaking floors, secret attics, ghost stories, mysterious deaths, creepy dolls, runaway nannies. Then the state of the art technology that envelops the house suddenly takes on a life of its own and Rowan has no way of overriding it and restore calm to this creepy house.

Then Rhiannon returns home from school and, whilst she may be ready for the usual teenage angst, nothing can prepare her for the match she meets in the 14 year old.

Told entirely through a series of letters by Rowan herself (bar for the penultimate climax), THE TURN OF THE KEY is a cleverly written tale with an unreliable narrator that the reader must discern is telling the truth or not. Or has she just gone mad? That possibility is alluded to on a few occasions by 8 year old Maddie - "being alone can make you go mad". Rowan insists that she doesn't believe in ghosts but what else is there to explain the strange goings on? Or is she truly going mad? And throughout the entire book, we are left thinking "who is it that Rowan is supposed to have killed"?

There are but a handful of characters in the story. There's Rowan, of course; Jack, handyman-come-driver (who is no groundskeeper Willie); the children, Maddie, Ellie, Petra and Rhiannon; Jean McKenzie, the cleaner who comes in twice a day; and of course, Sandra and Bill Elincourt. But the greatest character of all is Heatherbrae House itself. The Gothic Victorian structure, that Sandra and Bill had gutted and rebuilt complete with state of the art technology to run their home with, is a character in its own right with an atmospheric personality all of its own.

Compelling dark and twisted, THE TURN OF THE KEY has an intense sense of foreboding that creates such an atmosphere, making it an addictive and gripping tale to read. The format was so different and yet so clever, it draws the reader in that you actually feel as if Rowan is writing to you.

THE TURN OF THE KEY has so many layers to it that unravelling all the twists and red herrings thrown in made it one completely addictive read! I can usually guess many twists buried deep within but I didn't see these ones coming! I may have had the odd suspicion but nothing prepared me for their big reveals. And that made the twists even more delicious.

I love how the story is framed within letters to a solicitor. The recounting and retelling of the tale worked so well. Ruth Ware's ability to create such an atmosphere that is so vivid and so hair-raisingly suspenseful that it had me eternally grateful that I didn't live in an entirely "smart home" that was smarter than me. Yes, I have the odd "smart" item here and there...but nothing so creepily on this scale!

Unlike many others, I loved the ending. And usually, I hate vague conclusions with no closure. But in true Ruth Ware style, it is left ambiguous for the reader to form their own opinion...but for me, the outcome was clear. Although part of me wanted more, I also felt it was a clever touch to conclude on. But then, all opinions are relative.

I was immediately immersed within this creepy atmospheric tale and I could not turn the pages quick enough. I thoroughly enjoyed THE TURN OF THE KEY and I would have to say so far, that this is my favourite Ruth Ware book!

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


MEET THE AUTHOR:

Ruth Ware grew up in Sussex, on the south coast of England. After graduating from Manchester University she moved to Paris, before settling in North London. She has worked as a waitress, a bookseller, a teacher of English as a foreign language and a press officer. She is married with two small children, and In a Dark, Dark Wood is her début thriller.

Social Media links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook

REVIEW: The Girls of Victory Street by Pam Howes (ARC)

 

The Girls of Victory Street (The Bryant Sisters #1) by Pam Howes

Genre: Historical fiction, WW2, Sagas

Read: 25th July 2020

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 27th July 2020

★★★★ 4.5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

From Amazon bestseller Pam Howes comes an emotional World War Two saga about three young women whose bravery and friendship will see them through the darkest times.

Liverpool, 1939. Bella Rogers thought her life was just starting; she can’t wait to get married to her childhood sweetheart, Bobby. But when war is declared and Bobby is called up, his letters stop, leaving Bella heartbroken and alone. Then her family is torn apart by tragedy when her angelic five-year-old sister dies from a terrible illness. They can barely afford a funeral, but the church is packed with the entire community, devastated for their loss.

Grieving for her sister and lost love, Bella finds a job at the Bryant and May factory, making matches. As bombs begin to fall, Bella gets the workers singing, keeping spirits high amidst the fear. When she meets a handsome American airman, Earl Franklin Jr, Bella’s heart finally starts to mend. Earl encourages her passion and soon she and her friends are offered the opportunity of a lifetime: to travel the country’s army bases, entertaining the troops and singing for victory. They name themselves The Bryant Sisters.

Just as her life is getting back on track, Bella finds herself pregnant – and Earl reveals a shattering secret that changes everything about their future. Desolate, she flees home to Liverpool, but as an unmarried mother, will her family reject her? And, as she faces a terrible sacrifice, will she ever sing with The Bryant Sisters again?

A heartbreaking historical novel about women in wartime, friendship, family and hope. Perfect for fans of Nadine Dorries, Diney Costeloe and Wives of War.

MY REVIEW:

I am excited to be part of the #BooksOnTour #BlogTour for the first in what promises to be an exciting new series.

The first in a new series by Pam Howes, THE GIRLS OF VICTORY STREET is set in Liverpool and begins just prior to the outbreak of World War 2. It is an engaging tale that is a lighthearted and quick read, but thoroughly enjoyable.

Liverpool 1939: Bella Rogers is preparing to leave school upon turning 15 to find work and bring in the much-needed extra wage for her family when she and her childhood sweetheart Bobby Harrison are both invited to train with the Maia choir with a promising career ahead of them. In the meantime, Bella finds work in the packing department of the Bryant and May match factory, alongside her friends Fran Jackson and Edit Potts, whilst training two nights a week with the choir.

Although she would love nothing more than to marry Bobby, war is soon declared and Bobby's future has already been mapped out for his following in his father's footsteps in the RAF. The two keep in touch via letter when he is seconded to Oxfordshire but when the letters stop, Bella fears Bobby has found someone else and has fallen out of love with her.

Tension and despair are rife within the factory, so the girls decide to bring some cheerfulness by singing as they worked to help keep everyone's spirits up. Soon the factory was singing along with them and applauding their talent. When the boss calls them into the office one day, they fear they have done something wrong but instead are asked to sing at the factory's Christmas party, at which they are introduced as "The Bryant Sisters" in honour the factory in which they work.

When the three are offered an opportunity to join ENSA - The Entertainment National Service Association - and sing for the soldiers in and around Britain, they jump at the chance. However, as they are still underage at 16, their parents' permission must be obtained which is given wholeheartedly and with enthusiasm. Excitedly, Bella writes and shares her news with Bobby but is distraught when he never responds.

Soon the girls are travelling all around England and into Scotland, performing for the troops to keep their spirits up just as they had done back at the match factory. But with Bella's dad away fighting, her younger sister Molly evacuated to Wales, there is only her Mam at home and Bella worries for her as bombs fall nightly in and around the country.

Then when the girls arrive at Brize Newton RAF base in Oxfordshire, the base where Bobby is, Bella is nervous she will come face to face with him and fears she can't trust herself not to burst into tears. But nothing prepares her for the woman who greets them off the coach when they arrive. Alicia, the girl who Bobby's mother desires him to marry. What is she doing here in the WAAF? But when the truth is revealed, Bella is both shocked and devastated but resolves to move on with her life.

As England's answer to The Andrews Sisters, "The Bryant Sisters" continue to travel and perform all over the country, bringing joy and cheerfulness to the troops and keeping their spirits up amidst the dark days of war.

Then when the Americans join the war in 1941 and the girls are performing at the new USAF base, Bella meets the charming Wing Commander Earl Franklin who accompanies them on the piano during performances. Bella becomes smitten but there relationship is not all that is seems. It becomes a heady time for Bella, Fran and Edie. But there is tragedy to come and heartache to follow...

A beautiful written tale that draws the reader in from the very first page, THE GIRLS FROM VICTORY STREET is a story of friendship, love, loss and sacrifice. There is romance, there is heartbreak, there is love, there is tragedy. An enjoyable read that is predictable but I didn't care, as it was simply a wonderfully light read that I could just immerse myself in.

I found THE GIRLS FROM VICTORY STREET bore some resemblence to Rosie Archer's The Bluebird Girls series, a nod to the late great Dame Vera Lynn and a series I also love. THE GIRLS FROM VICTORY STREET is just as engaging, just as enjoyable and just as wonderful. I loved every minute of it and after that ending...and eagerly awaiting the next book in what promises to be an enjoyable lighthearted series.

Recommended to fans of historical fiction with a specific interest in the WW2 time period and for those who also enjoyed Rosie Archer's Bluebird Girls series.

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


MEET THE AUTHOR:

Pam Howes is an ex Interior Designer who loves creating stories, but only started writing seriously about twelve years ago. The idea for her first novel, set in the sixties, came from her time as a teenager, working in a local record store and hanging round with the musicians who frequented the business.

That first novel evolved into a series set in the fictional town of Pickford, based on her home town of Stockport. Three Steps to Heaven; 'Til I Kissed You; Always On My Mind; Not Fade Away, and That'll Be The Day, follow the lives and loves through the decades of fictional Rock'n'Roll band The Raiders.

Pam signed a second contract with the award winning publisher Bookouture with the first novel in her Lark Lane series, The Factory Girls of Lark Lane, published in July 2018. Her first series for Bookouture - The Mersey Trilogy featuring The Liverpool Girls, The Forgotten Family of Liverpool and The Lost Daughter of Liverpool - is also available in E book, paperback and as audio books.

Pam is a big fan of sixties music and it's this love and the support and encouragement of her musician partner that compelled her to write the series. Pam has three adult daughters and seven grandchildren. She lives in Cheshire and as well as writing novels, writes short stories, which have appeared in charity anthologies and online e-zines, and poems, many of which are published.

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:
Twitter | Facebook

REVIEW: The Yellow Bird Sings by Jennifer Rosner (ARC)

The Yellow Bird Sings by Jennifer Rosner

Genre: Historical fiction, WW2

Read: 26th July 2020

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 2nd April 2020

★ 1 star

I've read many books of Jews escaping the Nazis in Germany, Poland, Austria, Czechoslovakia, Italy and the Greek islands. And each of them had their own merits to offer in their own captivating way. This one - THE YELLOW BIRD SINGS - however, does not. Although I'm clearly in the minority here since so many others have loved it.

Poland 1941: Roza and her 5 year old daughter Shira are hiding in barn from the Nazis during World War 2. At a time when people are denouncing their Jewish neighbours for something as little as a bag of sugar or flour, Roza and Shira feared they may be next. But Hernyk and Krystyna, despite fearing the Nazis, decide to let them stay. Although it comes at a price.

Rosa and Shira must spend their days, and nights, in absolute silence so as to not alert Henryk and Krystyna's children or their neighbours as to their presence. Their only entertainment are the stories Roza whispers to Shira about their family, their love of music and Shira's imaginary little yellow bird that sings for them. They develop their own form of sign language to communicate without using words.

It's all mundane boredom until one night Henryk comes to the barn loft and Rosa must insist that Shira remain facing the wall and go to sleep, although she can hear the strange noises and grunts that come from behind her. The next day, Henryk allows them to stay longer than the two nights Roza had first pleaded of him. After that, his nocturnal visits become frequent though I'm not exactly sure why, except maybe as some form of payment for allowing them to hide in his barn, as is his greedy ulterior motive for letting them stay.

THE YELLOW BIRD SINGS is only a short read but for me it was a confusing one. To be honest, I found it a little claustrophobic if not boring. I couldn't see much point in what was happening and if the little yellow bird was real or imaginary.

The writing had the feel of a children's book, so simplistic was its style, were it not for the sexual content.

In the end I did not complete the book, despite its short 200 pages, as I really didn't see the point. However, as I seem to be in the minority here, you may well enjoy it as many others have. I would have liked to but I just couldn't.

I would like to thank #JenniferRosner, #NetGalley and #PanMacmillan and #Picador for an ARC of #TheYellowBirdSings in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: Wall of Silence by Tracy Buchanan (ARC)

Wall of Silence by Tracy Buchanan

Genre: Domestic thriller, Noir

Read: 24th July 2020

Goodreads

Amazon

(published: 1st April 2020)

★★★★ 4 stars

DESCRIPTION:

Her children have a deadly secret. Can she uncover it before the police do?

Melissa Byatt’s life in Forest Grove seems as perfect as can be: a doting husband, three loving children and a beautiful house in a close-knit community. But appearances can be deceiving.

One evening, Melissa arrives home to the unimaginable: her husband lies stabbed on the kitchen floor, their children standing calmly around him…With horror, she realises that one of them is to blame. But which one? And why would they attack their own father?

Her loyalties torn, in a split second she decides to protect her children at all costs—even if that means lying to the police. But when someone in the neighbourhood claims to know more than they should, Melissa discovers that some secrets are beyond her control…

Can she find out the truth of what happened before the rumours spread? And can the family unite to escape the spotlight of scandal—or are none of them as innocent as Melissa insists?

MY REVIEW:

Does the perfect family actually exist? Well, that's the image the residents of Forest Grove have of the Byatt family. That and the fact that the residents of Forest Grove also live in the perfect village, perfectly carved out at the edge of a thick forest, that had never existed up until a couple of decades ago. But when a tragic incident occurs and as the cracks start to appear, it soon becomes clear that nothing is what it seems in this close-knit community.

Melissa Byatt returns home one evening to a scene which could only be described as a nightmare. Her husband Patrick is lying unconscious on the kitchen floor, having been stabbed with the knife still at his side, and her three children standing wordlessly around him. They claim to have found him like that but after Melissa rings the ambulance she sees the knife has disappeared. The only people in that kitchen were her three children. Did one of them remove it? Or was she imagining things?

The police ask the usual questions and without a second thought, Melissa jumps in to back up her children. There was no knife at the scene; the attacker must have taken it with him. All the while asking herself just exactly what did her children do and how much did they know about the attack?

As the minutes pass into hours and the hours into days, Melissa begins to suspect her children know a lot more than they are letting on but each time she tries to question them, a wall of silence goes up between them and they refuse to tell her what they know. Going out of her mind with worry, Melissa is certain one of her children did it as who else could it have been? But how can she help them if they won't tell her?

Patrick's parents, Bill and Rosemary, are on hand immediately to take Melissa and the children in whilst their home remains a crime scene, all the while offering tea and platitudes. Rosemary insists on being by Patrick's side whilst Melissa is determined to get to the truth of what really happened. Her in-laws fail to understand who could do this to Patrick as he is loved by everyone...nor do they understand why Melissa spends most of her time traipsing through the forest when she should be at her husband's side.

Then the rumours start. Melissa has been having an affair with long time friend and forest ranger, Ryan Day. And the perfect village begins ripping the perfect family to shreds.

But this village has its own share of secrets. Secrets, deceit and lies that will rip this family apart at the seams as wild accusations abound causing Melissa to question everything she ever thought she knew about the man she has loved since she was 15 years old.

And then after nine days, Patrick wakes from his coma and everyone waits with baited breath as to who he will identify as his attacker.

WALL OF SILENCE is one wild ride. There are so many red herrings, twists and secrets that will make your head spin. Who is lying? Who is telling the truth? And what really happened to Patrick Byatt? And what are the residents of Forest Grove really hiding?

The story cleverly unfolds through the diary excerpts of one of the children whose identity remains unknown, a third person narrative from Melissa's perspective as she endeavours to uncover the truth and pretentious Facebook group chats that become vicious taunts between villagers as they turn on each other.

There are so many layers to this story that goes back several years. Throughout the unfolding narrative the reader learns about Melissa's childhood, her parents and how she came to meet Patrick. Her friendship with Ryan is also ruminated on growing up in the forest and how the village once referred to Melissa as "that feral child".

In the midst of the many characters within WALL OF SILENCE, I love how the forest is a character all of its own. I was reminded of the Scandanavian noir thriller "Jordskott" some years back where the forest played an important part in that story, just as it does here. It has an element of creepiness about it as if the answers somehow lay at the foot of the great oak tree at its heart, where Melissa often sought and found refuge. But will the great oak tree give her the answers she seeks now? Who stabbed Patrick? And how to get the truth from her children?

While I guessed the "who" in the whodunit fairly early, I was still left questioning my belief throughout as the author weaved a web of deceit that became a tangled mess of secrets and lies. As I was to discover, and you will too, that it's not the "who" so much as the "why" that is important.

I really cannot convey just what WALL OF SILENCE does within a few paragraphs. One has to read it to experience it themselves. And I do recommend doing so. It is a different thriller, but it is a twisty journey filled with secrets and lies that will leave you breathless.

A domestic thriller with a touch of noir for something different!

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


MEET THE AUTHOR:

Tracy Buchanan lives in Buckinghamshire with her husband, their little girl and their puppy, Bronte. Tracy travelled extensively while working as a travel magazine editor, and has always been drawn to the sea after spending her childhood holidays on the south coast visiting family, a fascination that inspires her writing. She now dedicates her time to writing and procrastinating on Facebook.


SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

COVER REVEAL!! Dear Daughter by K.L. Slater

I'm totally excited to be a part of the #CoverReveal for #KimSlater's latest thriller

DEAR DAUGHTER

published 22nd October.
Available for pre-order now (links below).

SYNOPSIS:

Your sister lives in your home. You trust her with your baby.
But what if you’ve got it wrong?

Alexa has always adored her big sister Carrie. So when Carrie is suspended from her job as a senior nurse, accused of the most terrible crime, Alexa refuses to believe she is guilty. She won’t desert her sister in her hour of need, and offers her somewhere to stay. And when Alexa sees her one-year-old daughter Florence gurgling and cooing whenever Carrie is around, she knows she’s made the right decision.

Alexa’s husband Perry doesn’t trust Carrie. He wants her out of the house, unable to ignore what people are saying about her. But when he suggests that Carrie could be a danger to their daughter, Alexa shuts him out. Nobody will ever come between her and her sister.

But while Alexa trusts her sister completely, she can’t stop thinking about the awful thing that happened in the past. She tries to suppress her worries, but when Florence goes missing, she realises that the secret that has kept the sisters together might just destroy her little girl…

A completely gripping rollercoaster of a read about the darkness families hide behind closed doors. Fans of Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train will be hooked on Dear Daughter.


MEET THE AUTHOR:
For many years, Kim sent her work out to literary agents and collected an impressive stack of rejection slips. At the age of 40 she went back to Nottingham Trent University and now has an MA in Creative Writing.

Before graduating in 2012, she gained literary agent representation and a book deal. As Kim says, 'it was a fairytale ... at the end of a very long road!'

Kim is a full-time writer. She has one daughter, two stepsons and lives with her husband in Nottingham.

Kim's Social Media links:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram


Pre-order links:

Amazon | Apple | Kobo | Google

REVIEW: The Child Across the Street by Kerry Wilkinson (ARC)

The Child Across the Street by Kerry Wilkinson

Genre: Domestic thriller, Suspense

Read: 21st July 2020

Goodreads

Amazon

Apple

Kobo

Google
Publication date: July 23rd 2020

★★★ 2.5 stars (rounded up)

DESCRIPTION:

Wheeling my suitcase down the familiar, hedge-lined street, I smile at the sound of children playing in the park nearby. Suddenly, there’s a screech of car brakes. I rush over to see a bent bike wheel sticking out of the ditch, and underneath, a little boy…

As I turn the rusty key in the lock of the house I grew up in, memories flood back. None of them happy. I never told anyone why I left home twenty years ago, and all I want is to sort out Dad’s funeral as quickly as possible.

Now I’m trapped here, the only witness to a terrible incident that has left an eight-year-old boy fighting for his life. But after a lifetime trying to forget my past, I don’t know if I can trust my memory, or be totally sure of what I saw today.

Sorting through Dad’s things one night – shopping lists in his curly handwriting, piles of old newspapers, dusty sports trophies – I think I hear the back door handle rattle. I tiptoe downstairs, past an open window I’m sure I locked. And a figure darts across the overgrown garden.

Someone is watching me. Someone who knows I’m the only one who saw what happened to little Ethan… or could they know the real reason why I left? Either way, I’m certain that coming back was my biggest mistake. I can’t leave, but the longer I stay, the more danger I’m in…

An utterly addictive psychological thriller that will have you glued to the pages until the early hours. Fans of The Girl on the Train and I Am Watching You won’t be able to put down the next mind-blowing read from bestselling author Kerry Wilkinson.


MY REVIEW:

I have been a Kerry Wilkinson fan since "The Girl Who Came Back" (which I inevitably loved), so naturally I was excited to take part in the #BooksOnTour #BlogTour for his latest thriller THE CHILD ACROSS THE STREET. Kerry is fantastic writer with a great sense of humour peppering the odd witty quip throughout his books. He never fails to engage me with his ability to draw me (the reader) into each story that I often don't want to leave.

Following the death of her father, Abi Coyle has returned to her childhood home of Elwood where she left some 20 years before. She has inherited the house she grew up in but unable to disassociate it from a time she would rather forget, she decides to put it on the market.

On her arrival she witnesses an accident where 8 year old Ethan Ashworth (though there was a misprint in the book early on when he was referred to as Ethan Coyle) is hit by a car and thrown into a ditch by the road. I don't know if it is Abi's memories of the place or the fact she may have had too much vodka on her journey, but she appears incredibly vague to all she had witnessed. She didn't even notice anything had happened until she saw the bike wheel protruding from the ground.

Then there is the distressed cries of a woman who turns out to be Ethan's mother from across the road who turns out to be one of Abi's best friends, Jo Ashworth, from school. The two reconnect through the tragedy though I'm not sure why. Abi just seemed to drift along on Jo's various and demanding whims. The woman didn't seem to think of others and despite her son being in hospital she appeared to be enjoying the spotlight just a little too much.

Following the accident, Abi gets the sense that she is being watched and begins to feel uneasy. She hears noises in the night and upon investigating, she sees a figure run off in the dark. She starts to wonder if her past has come back to haunt her, though I am not really sure what was so awful about her past that she would feel under threat. The only real threat she seemed to have had is now dead and awaiting burial but even that was a little ambiguous. Whatever the case, Abi solved it all by sipping vodka from the water bottle she carried around...or she just got blotto.

As much as I love Kerry's thrillers, THE CHILD ACROSS THE STREET just didn't do it for me. I don't know what it is but I failed to connect with any of the characters and found most of them unlikable. I disliked Abi almost instantly and, despite her being well-written in relation to the story, I just couldn't connect to her or feel her pain. She had no drive, no real purpose even. Jo was just demanding and annoying. Holly was somewhat uppity which was reflected in her move to an seemingly more upper scale part of the same town in which they all grew up. Even the teenage children were difficult to connect with. They all just seemed to be names on paper, not real characters.

I did like how the town itself became its own character with bits of messy relationships woven throughout and within each character you meet. But that's as far as it went. All the other bits and pieces seemed a bit pointless. I kept waiting for something big to take place...but it never did.

I'm not sure what THE CHILD ACROSS THE STREET was supposed to be about. Is it a domestic thriller? Is it a mystery? Is it a tale of suspense? Is it a story of grief? It seems like it was supposed to be a little of all these things woven together but instead it just unravelled like a ball of string. The premise seemed to promise something different to what was actually delivered. 

This wasn't an easy review to write...simply because I love Kerry Wilkinson's thrillers and I appreciate the many hours that must go into each and every book. I wanted to like it but I just couldn't. And to write a review on a book I didn't really enjoy by one of my favourite authors is no easy feat. I can see from others that there are mixed feelings about this book. Some of Kerry's most loyal fans are either united or divided in opinion. And it's quite possible that THE CHILD ACROSS THE STREET will go on to be another raging success. 

However in my opinion, I felt it wasn't his best BUT it certainly doesn't put me off the author. He is one of my favourites and I eagerly await each new release.

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


MEET THE AUTHOR:

 

Kerry Wilkinson has had No.1 bestsellers in the UK, Canada, South Africa and Singapore, as well as top-five books in Australia. He has also written two top-20 thrillers in the United States.

As well as his million-selling Jessica Daniel series, Kerry has written the Silver Blackthorn trilogy - a fantasy-adventure serial for young adults - a second crime series featuring private investigator Andrew Hunter, plus numerous standalone novels. He has been published around the world in more than a dozen languages.

Originally from the county of Somerset, Kerry has spent far too long living in the north of England, picking up words like 'barm' and 'ginnel'.

When he's short of ideas, he rides his bike or bakes cakes. When he's not, he writes it all down.

Author Social Media Links:
Website | Facebook | Twitter

REVIEW: If Looks Could Kill by Olivia Kiernan (ARC)

If Looks Could Kill (DCS Frankie Sheehan #3) by Olivia Kiernan

Genre: Crime fiction, police procedural

Read: 19th July 2020

Goodreads

Amazon

(publication date: 23rd July 2020)

★★★★ 3.5 stars (rounded up)

When I requested this book I had no idea it was part of a series, and I do prefer to read them in order if possible. It felt as though I may have missed something by coming in on the third book and I was somewhat puzzled with its introduction although that is cleared up further into the story. Still, I felt as though I was missing something.

IF LOOKS COULD KILL opens with a very dramatic scene in a park in Dublin as a man places a gun to his temple in full view of all around and pulls the trigger. Several weeks later, Detective Chief Superintendant Frankie Sheehan and DS Baz Harwood are on their way to rural Wicklow to investigate the disappearance of Debbie Nugent.

A bloody scene greets them in Debbie's home with the living room covered in blood, and yet there is no body. Judging by the amount of blood, Frankie suspects that the woman almost certainly dead but the behaviour of her daughter is even more puzzling. Margot has been living in the house amidst the scene for three days, having not reported her mother missing until after her sister Kristen arrives from France. And even then, it is her boyfriend David Sutton who calls it in.

Frankie launches an investigation into Debbie's life but before long discovers that the woman kept to herself and practically lived off the grid. She had no mobile phone, no internet and no real contact with the outside world but for her job at the garden centre and her weekly trips to Dublin.

Believing Debbie to be almost certainly dead, Frankie organises a search team of volunteers to work alongside the Gardai to scour to woodlands near Debbie's home, in the hope of uncovering her remains. Meanwhile, Frankie and Baz question friends, neighbours and Debbie's two daughters. But as they question them over the coming days, it soon becomes clear that something strange surrounds the Nugent house.

As the team delve deeper, it is revealed the case has links to something darker and leads them into very dangerous territory.

Somewhat slow to begin with, I wasn't sure which direction the story was taking at first. The crime and the story appeared to be predictable with a hint of something untoward. As the story unfolded, it soon became clear that there was something else at play though I didn't expect it to take the turn it did.

An intruiging plot, IF LOOKS COULD KILL had plenty of twists filled with contradictions as the mystery continued to deepen. The pace picked up about 40% into the story which resulted in a compelling read. It's only as you near the end that the opening Prologue suddenly falls into place, giving it an interesting twist.

Told solely from Frankie's first person perspective, with the exception of the Prologue, IF LOOKS COULD KILL is certainly an interesting read and by the end I was congratulating the author that I had started out cursing for the slow beginning.

I liked both Frankie and Baz, who clearly work well together. The two complement each other and is far more enjoyable to read than the angst between partners and ranks found in other novels. I even liked the gruff Jack Clancy, assistant commissioner. Whilst the crime is a puzzling one for the team, when the direction changed I became suspicious of exactly who might be involved and correctly guessed two of the big reveals. But that doesn't spoil my enjoyment of a book. I love trying to work out "whodunnit" and quietly congratulate myself when I get it right. It's like a goal I set myself in trying to work it out...lol

Olivia Kiernan is not an author I have heard of before and I will be interested to read her other books in the Frankie Sheehan series. I was pleasantly surprised by this one, considering I was disappointed with the start and found it slow and ungripping at that stage. However, that all changed and it ended up being a compelling crime thriller that kept both Frankie and the reader on their toes.

IF LOOKS COULD KILL is perfect for fans who like their crime thrillers with a twist.

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

REVIEW: The Secret Admirer by Carol Wyer (ARC)

The Secret Admirer (DI Natalie Ward #6) by Carol Wyer

Genre: Crime fiction, police procedural

Read: 17th July 2020

Goodreads

Amazon

(publication date: 2nd April 2020)

★★★★ 4 stars

I have been a fan of Carol Wyer's Natalie Ward series since almost the beginning and though it took me a while to warm to her, she is now one of my favourite detectives. When book 5 "The Blossom Twins" ended with such a heartbreaking twist, I was gutted. And I didn't know how Natalie, whose marriage was already on the rocks, was going to weather the storm ahead.

THE SECRET ADMIRER is the sixth installment and picks up a couple of months after where "The Blossom Twins" ended. There has been tragedy and trauma and, now living in a flat until their house can be sold, Natalie must now pick up the pieces of the life she once knew and loved. Having been on leave for the past few months, Natalie feels she is ready to return to work.

Nineteen year old Gemma Barnes is a student studying languages at Samford University when she falls victim to a shocking acid attack. A witness rushes to her assistance but Gemma dies an agonising death before the ambulance arrives. Who would want to kill Gemma who, for all intents and purposes, appears to be well-liked?

DI Natalie Ward receives the call to investigate this suspicious death and immediately focuses on her housemates, questioning their whereabouts at the time of the attack. They all appear to have an alibi for the busy Friday evening. But as Natalie and her team investigate, they soon discover that some of the housemates are being less than truthful. So what is it they are they hiding?

During a search of Gemma's room, the team uncover a letter addressed to her from "an admirer". Was this a targeted attack? And if so, by whom? Natalie is unable to uncover any other letters, so is unsure if this is just a once-off or if she should be concerned about it.

Then Natalie receives a call from one of the housemates, Hattie, with some information regarding the case and asks to meet her. But when Hattie doesn't show, Natalie starts to wonder if the woman had second thoughts or if something more sinister has taken place. She begins to search for her whereabouts and looking into her background but to no avail. Hattie appears to have vanished. Then her car is found at the railway station. Has she done a flit? Along with any information she had to impart on the investigation? But where would Hattie go? Her only thought is to her father, who is a vicar in a small village, but he hasn't seen her either.

Then a body is found in the doorway of an abandoned shop under a sheaf of blankets. Natalie prepares herself for the victim to be Hattie but is shocked to discover that it is one of the other housemates. With no visual signs as to cause of death, it is soon revealed she had ingested acid which lead to her demise. Who is targeting the women of 35 Eastview Avenue?

The deeper the investigation goes more disturbing details are revealed as another murder is discovered. But things worsen even moreso as Natalie's ex-husband David becomes a suspect when it is found he knew two of the victims. Their marriage may have fallen apart and David may be many things...but is he a murderer? Natalie must put aside her personal feelings and work to establish his role in the murders or eliminate him as a suspect.

I have read a good many of Carol Wyer's books and I love her style and approach. I love her characters, or love to hate them, and I love the complex multi-layered mystery of each book. THE SECRET ADMIRER had a lot to live up after in the wake of that devastating twist at the end of "The Blossom Twins". It was always going to be hard to move beyond that and get better. I love how Natalie has finally moved out, after to-ing and fro-ing over it in the last books. David was always portrayed as someone we loved to hate after all he put Natalie through, but this book shows a different side to him.

I have to hand it to Carol Wyer because this time I did not guess the killer until near the end, a little before they were exposed. It started to make sense to me and then BOOM! All was revealed. I'm usually pretty good at guessing the culprit but THE SECRET ADMIRER had so many red herrings to steer us off in the wrong direction, it left a more obvious one in the dark. When I say "obvious", it is only that after we know and we're left thinking "Of course! Now it makes perfect sense!"

The chapters aren't as short as usually like, but this series is so enthralling most of the time you don't notice their length. The pace is relentless with a compelling narrative that doesn't let up until the end. The tangled web of secrets, lies and deceit unfolds amidst a tension so palpable that I could not put it down.

This series is by far one of my favourites, despite coming in on just the second book, as I have watched Natalie's family life slowly implode. Although this is a thrilling read, it didn't quite live up to the previous one, but that was a tough one to top. THE SECRET ADMIRER does feature Natalie's personal life a little more due to her recent tragedy as well as David's involvement in the case. Things are still very raw for her as she finds comparisons in almost every situation. I may not have warmed to Natalie at first but I have really come to love her and her team. I missed Murray's presence in the last book as he was (out here) in Australia - I remember a reference to him being at Bondi Beach in wintry conditions, though not as cold as the UK, I'm sure. I was glad to see his return in this one.

Some say THE SECRET ADMIRER suffices as a standalone but I have to disagree. Yes, the reader is given enough information about past events and each book follows a different case, but the entire series is connected throughout and starting from the beginning would give a complete and fuller picture. Besides, reading this one will only spoil earlier books, should you decide to read them, particularly the one immediately preceding THE SECRET ADMIRER.

In all, THE SECRET ADMIRER is a fantastic addition to one of my favourite series by one of my favourite authors with one of my favourite publishers and while not as shocking as the last one, it is still addictive reading that you can't stop until the very end.

Recommended for fans of crime fiction, thrillers and suspense. Basically anyone looking for a gripping read and don't mind starting at the beginning of the series. Or at least "The Blossom Twins". Fantastic read!!

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