REVIEW: Dear Child by Romy Hausmann

 

Dear Child by Romy Hausmann

Genre: Psychological thriller

Read: 31st October 2020

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Amazon

Published: 14th May 2020

★★★★★ 5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

After fourteen years she has finally escaped. Or has she?

In a windowless shack in the woods, Lena's life and that of her two children follows the rules set by their captor, the father: Meals, bathroom visits, study time are strictly scheduled and meticulously observed. He protects his family from the dangers lurking in the outside world and makes sure that his children will always have a mother to look after them.

One day Lena manages to flee--but the nightmare continues. It seems as if her tormentor wants to get back what belongs to him. And then there is the question whether she really is the woman called "Lena," who disappeared without a trace 14 years ago. The police and Lena's family are all desperately trying to piece together a puzzle which doesn't quite seem to fit.

Gone Girl meets Room in this page-turning thriller from one of Germany's hottest new talents.

MY REVIEW:

OMG! What have I just read? This book was phenomenal! How could this be a debut? It is way too good for that! I seriously felt like I was in a Criminal Minds episode waiting for Derek Morgan to burst in, gun blazing, ready to save the day. Simply put, DEAR CHILD by Romy Hausmann is deliciously dark, disturbingly twisted and super creepy. And one of the best psychological thrillers I have read.

Twenty-three year old Lena Beck has been missing 4,993 days, whens he disappeared after leaving a student party and never returned home. Her father Matthias has never given up hope that his daughter would be found alive...but 13 years later and still there has been no sign of her. Then one day, Matthias receives a call from his friend Gerd Brühling, a police inspector, to say that a woman fitting Lena's description has been found, a victim of a hit and run accident and is in a hospital near the Czech border a couple of hours away. 

Matthias and his wife Karin immediately make the two hour journey, eager to see their daughter alive again. But when Matthias walks into her room and sees the woman laying there, he knows at once it is not his daughter. It is not Lena. And so the grief hits them once again. But then...a little girl walks up to the hospital room with a nurse and she is the spitting image of Lena as a child. Whoever the woman in that room is, this child is Lena's daughter. His granddaughter.

The young woman lays in her hospital bed and relives the trauma from which she has escaped. She was awake when the man came into the room and told the detectives that she wasn't Lena...and yet that is the name by which she's now known. So this is Lena's father. But who is the woman in the hospital bed? Her daughter said her name is Lena...but she clearly is not. What should she tell the detectives? What shall I say, Lena?

The woman was abducted and she awoke tied in a basement. She was given a set of rules by which she must abide or else face punishment. When she accepted the inevitable she was then allowed to join him upstairs in the cabin...where she was greeted by her children, Hannah and Jonathan. The woman is shocked. Who are these children? Are they your children, Lena? Is this your husband? But why does he call me "Lena" and the children call me "mama"?

The cabin in which they live deep in the forest has boarded up windows, double locked doors and a re-circulation device which breathes oxygen into the rooms to keep them alive. But is this living? They are governed by a world of rules, locked doors and scheduled bathroom times and never see the light of day. This is her world now and the only world that the children have ever known. The man is brutal if you dare to question his authority or break any of his rules. But the woman bides her time until the day she will escape this prison. 

When the woman saw her opportunity she took it, killing her captor then running and running until she saw the beams of a car's headlights...and ran straight into its path. She was vaguely aware of Hannah's voice beside her as the ambulance paramedics asked if she could hear them and what was her name. She heard Hannah's voice tell them "Lena. Her name is Lena." But if she thought the nightmare was over, she was wrong. It was only just beginning...

As the police try to piece the puzzle together, Matthias becomes impatient for results. He wants to know what happened to his daughter and why this woman says she is Lena when clearly she isn't. And then there is the child, Hannah, who is very obviously Lena's daughter. Matthias gives a smile as he realises that she had named her after his mother, her own grandmother. But what does it all mean? Matthias is sure that the woman knows more than she is saying for her story doesn't completely add up. Desperate for answers, he seeks the support of the media despite disapproving of the things they wrote about Lena in the first place. Maybe they can push the police into doing something.

But what he doesn't know is that the children - Hannah and Jonathan - are also keeping deadly secrets. For even though they have physically escaped, they are also mentally scarred.

A disturbingly dark read, DEAR CHILD is a chilling psychological thriller that is fast paced and has you turning the pages at the speed of light, devouring as much as you can to discover the truth about the what really happened behind the walls of the creepy cabin in the woods.

The story opens with a Prologue that is the abducted woman biding her time and planning her escape which swiftly moves into the story of missing woman Lena Beck. As the story progresses we are introduced to three main narratives - Lena, Hannah and Matthias. It's Hannah's chapters which are the most revealing to begin with. They are chilling as she recalls events in a matter of fact way, reciting words as reading from a textbook and ending with a fullstop at the end of each such sentence. She appears to be a twisted little child and one isn't sure what to make of her of her motives. Her quirky traits appear a little sociopathic and her smile somewhat twisted, earning her the moniker "zombie girl" by the media. Is she more involved than people think? Or is she just an innocent victim in all of this? After all, she is just a 13 year old child who has never seen life outside of the cabin or beyond the man she calls "papa".

As soon as I read that opening I became imprisoned alongside "Lena", trapped within the pages I couldn't stop turning in a book I could not put down despite the disturbing and horrifying details of abuse and violence...because I just had to uncover the secrets and find out what happens next. And most of all, the truth behind what happened to Lena Beck.

DEAR CHILD is such an accomplished thriller that it is hard to believe it is a debut. It felt like an episode of Criminal Minds - so dark and disturbing and chillingly twisted. I loved every minute of it. The nightmares the woman suffers, the catatonic muteness Jonathan takes on, the robotic lack of emotion that makes Hannah appear sociopathic. And the broken puzzle that is Matthias and his wife Karin living in the hope that they will one day find their daughter alive. It's the exploration of the psychology behind such a trauma like abduction through these characters is what makes DEAR CHILD such an outstanding thriller. 

Creepy and disturbing, DEAR CHILD is a chilling tale with a compelling and gripping plot that will haunt you for some time. To say I loved it is an understatement. Already I have marked the date of Romy Hausmann's next thriller "Sleepless", and I eagerly await the day it hits the shelves.

Overall, a brilliant thriller that is as addictive as it is disturbing, that intrigues throughout and loses nothing in translation. Thoroughly recommended for those who love their psychological thrillers dark and chilling.

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

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Romy Hausmann was born in East Germany in 1981. At the age of twenty-four she became chief editor at a film production company in Munich. Since the birth of her son, Romy has been working as a freelancer in television. Her thriller debut, 'Dear Child', became a number one bestseller in Germany and is being published in twenty countries. Sleepless is her second thriller and will be published in June 2021. 

Romy lives with her family in a remote house in the woods near Stuttgart.

Social Media links:

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REVIEW: Until We Can Forgive by Rosemary Goodacre

Until We Can Forgive (Derwent Chronicles #3) by Rosemary Goodacre

Genre: Historical fiction, Sagas, WW1, General fiction

Read: 25th October 2020

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Published: 28th October 2020

★★★★★ 5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

They survived the Great War, but will life ever be the same?

Spring 1919: WW1 is over and a fragile peace has descended over the country. Now living in Cambridge with husband Edmond, Amy Derwent is settling into her new life as wife and mother to little Beth. But the shadow of the Great War looms large, particularly as the injuries Edmond sustained at Ypres still take their toll on him today.

Edmond’s cousin, Vicky, has now grown into a fine young woman, eager to help her country. Throwing off her privileged background to train as a nurse, she spends her days tending to the many soldiers still suffering the after-effects of their time on the battlefield.

Meeting Maxim Duclos, a young Frenchman who has arrived in Larchbury, fills her heart with joy - but when it is discovered that Maxim may be hiding the truth about his past, Vicky is faced with an impossible choice. Follow her heart’s desire and risk her family’s disapproval or keep her family – but deny herself the chance of true love?

The war may be over, but Edmond, Amy and Vicky must all face a new battle, finding their own peace in a country wounded by loss.

MY REVIEW:

I am excited to be taking part in the #BlogTour for Rosemary Goodacre's final installment in the Derwent Chronicles Trilogy UNTIL WE CAN FORGIVE.

After reading the first two books in quick succession I was excited to discover the final part of the trilogy UNTIL WE CAN FORGIVE so soon after and couldn't wait to find out how things played out for the young Derwent couple. Rosemary loved my reviews for the first two but sadly she passed away just two weeks ago and did not live to see her last book published. I was deeply saddened to hear of Rosemary's passing as her books are just so easy to read and immerse yourself into the era. She will be missed by many in the literary community as well as her fans.

Spring 1919: Picking up from where the previous book "Until the War is Over" left off, the story begins with Amy and Edmond finally able to settle into their new home in Cambridge with baby Beth whilst Edmond studies at the university nearby. After being wounded during the war, Edmond has taken a long time recovering and even then he still tires easily, what with having part of his lung removed as a result of his injuries. As Amy was a VAD nurse during the war, her abilities have always been needed at one time or another caring, more recently nursing Edmond's mother during the Spanish flu. But now that her mother-in-law has recovered, Amy is finally able to join Edmond in Cambridge having been separated for many months after first her surgery to repair her broken ankle and then caring for Ma.

Amy's friend Florence has now married her cousin James and Lavinia and Charles are also about to enjoy a lavish wedding at her home in Alderbank. Edmond's sister Beatrice is still seeing her American beau, Caleb, much to her mother's chagrin as he is but a Warrant Officer and not someone of a higher rank and class which is far more desired for a lady such as Beatrice was raised to be. Edmond's cousin Vicky,who had been a frequent visitor to The Beeches over the years, as the daughter of Ma's brother, is now a young woman and pursuing a career as a nurse...training in nearby Wealden.

Although the war has been over for a year, James was still with the army as a medical orderly and awaiting his discharge papers, whilst Caleb was sent to the Rhineland to oversee the occupation and the peace treaty with Germany. Despite the end of hostilities, tensions are still rife regarding Germans and the horrors they inflicted on Britain and her Allies. Whilst some thought it was time to put the tensions behind them, to forgive and move on, many refused to entertain such notions.

When young Maxim Dulcos arrives with Edmond's older brother Peter from Europe as his guest, Vicky notices the young Frenchman immediately. The two begin a tentative courtship stealing moments between their respective jobs. As a chef, Maxim desires to live and work in England so the local vicar finds him lodgings with Miss Miller who lives next door to Amy's parents and work in the local inn as a chef. 

But when there are whispers about Maxim's true identity going around in Larchbury village, questions arise as to what he may be hiding. And Vicky then finds herself faced with an impossible choice - to follow her heart or risk her family disapproval?

Following on from the previous book, UNTIL WE CAN FORGIVE takes place between 1919 and 1921 as the country moves into a new decade with new ideas and a far different world than before. Rosemary has done a wonderful job of continuing the story of Amy and Edmond and their respective families as if I had come straight from the previous book without taking a breath. Whilst the struggles and worries are real, there is a real sense of moving on without complaint.

As with both the previous two books "Until We Meet Again" and "Until the War is Over", UNTIL WE CAN FORGIVE is a fitting ending to the trilogy bringing closure to each of the stories as well as giving hope and promise for the future. It was refreshing to see Beatrice, particularly, morph into a much more likeable character than the spoilt ornament she was at the beginning. Her character was the most surprising and refreshing to see her grow from the world for which she was brought up in to the one she now inhabits. Seeing the attitudes of people change over the course of the trilogy has been exhilarating as we see how friendships and relationships overcome their differences.

Although UNTIL WE CAN FORGIVE is the third and final installment of this wonderful trilogy, it can easily be read as a standalone as previous important incidents that had taken place in the previous two books are referred to in enough detail so as to not confuse the reader. However, I do recommend reading them all from the beginning as it is such a wonderful journey back in time and a delightful and engaging read.

My only regret is that there will be no more, since Rosemary's passing just two weeks ago. But while the world has lost an engaging storyteller, at least her stories will live on in her memory.

Perfect for fans of wartime fiction, particularly World War One.

I would like to thank #RosemaryGoodacre, #NetGalley, #RachelsRandomResources and #HeraBooks for an ARC of #UntilWeCanForgive in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Rosemary Goodacre is thrilled to have a three book deal with Hera Books. Her World War I romance Until We Meet Again will be released on 31/10/19. Her heroine, Amy, faces many challenges as she works as a nurse and struggles to spend time with Edmond, her sweetheart.

Previously Rosemary has had a novella published, entitled A Fortnight is not Enough, and a science fiction story in the anthology Telescoping Time.

Rosemary has always loved languages and travel, mainly in Europe. In her spare time she enjoys country walking, bridge and classical music. She lives in Kent, England.

Sadly Rosemary passed away earlier this month but the completion of the Derwent Chronicles Trilogy has now become her legacy.

REVIEW: The Bobby Girls' Secrets by Johanna Bell

 

The Bobby Girls' Secrets (The Bobby Girls #2) by Johanna Bell

Genre: Historical fiction, WW1, Sagas

Read: 27th October 2020

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Amazon

Published: 14th May 2020

★★★ 3 stars

DESCRIPTION:

As the Great War rages on, will the truth come out?

1915. Best friends Irene, Maggie and Annie are proud members of the newly renamed Women's Police Service. While Britain's men are away fighting in France, the girls are doing their bit by keeping the peace at home in London's East End.

But out of the blue, Irene is given the opportunity to be stationed near an army barracks in Grantham, Lincolnshire. Having recently experienced some heartbreak and keen for the adventure, she decides to go. What could possibly go wrong?

It turns out, plenty. One of the other WPS girls takes an immediate dislike to her and makes her life a misery. On top of that, the man she thinks could be the answer to all her problems isn't all he seems. And when she finds a psychologically disturbed deserter in hiding, she has a very difficult decision to make . . .

Can Irene overcome all these obstacles without Maggie and Annie by her side, and find true happiness at last?

MY REVIEW:

Having thoroughly enjoyed "The Bobby Girls", the first in this exciting new series, I was excited to read the second book THE BOBBY GIRLS' SECRETS by Johanna Bell. The series features three women who volunteered for WPS (Women Police Service) at the beginning of the Great War to aid the actual police in keeping an eye on women and dealing with them appropriately so they didn't have to. They were not looked upon favourably by their male counterparts, who thought they would only be adding to their work should they require their assistance at any time. They had no powers of arrest and they were unpaid for their service. Many women had to work in factories to subsidise their lives financially whilst working their shifts with the WPS.

As the first book focused on Maggie and her story, this second one was followed Irene, who was not my favourite out of the three girls in the first place. But I was eager to find out more about her and what her backstory was. 

1915: The war is still raging while best friends Maggie, Irene and Annie still patrol their beat in Bethnal Green in London's East End. But when Irene's relationship with PC Frank Bird takes an unexpected turn, leaving her shattered and broken hearted, Irene decides she cannot stay to watch the outcome. Upon hearing about the WPS and their plights with the local women and the recent influx of soldiers in Grantham in Lincolnshire, Irene decides to apply for a position there knowing that she could really do some good for the women of Grantham, given her own history. Added to that, the Grantham position is a paid one so there was no need to subsidise her finances with factory work. Maggie and Annie are saddened that she is leaving them but promises to return just as soon her work is done.

When Irene arrives in Grantham she is greeted by Helen, a fellow WPS colleague, who is a lot older than she and the other girls...but a far wiser and experienced one. Irene is excited to meet her other colleagues, Ruby and Mary, but is shocked to find that Mary takes an instant dislike to her. Ruby, on the other hand, is quiet and seems happy to let Mary bully the women instead of stepping in, which is at odds with Irene who would rather help the women rather than have them arrested. 

Then on the beat with Ruby one day Irene meets charismatic Charles Murphy, one of the richest men in Grantham running his own very successful business. Irene cannot believe someone of his stature would even look twice at someone like her, poor and penniless with only a couple of tatty dresses to her name. Aware of infatuation, Helen warns Irene about Charles without going into detail but Irene believes Helen just doesn't understand or know him like she does. But even when Charles makes a cruel remark and then rebounds with a compliment, Irene does not heed the red flags...or Helen's warning. But comment after comment, his obvious distaste at her tatty clothing, his views of the WPS, even when he steps in and takes over when she has a situation under control...she does not heed the warning signs. 

By this time I was ready to toss the book as I was hoarse from screaming at Irene to wake up to herself. I was increasingly frustrated that she could be so stupidly naive and be taken in by someone and let him alienate her from her colleagues and even her best friends. Soon, all Irene had was Charles...which is exactly the way he wanted it. And by the time she did see him for who he really was, it was too late. She was trapped. Silly silly girl.

I found Irene's role in the WPS and helping the women, which is why she took the Grantham position in the first place, played a backseat to the blossoming romance between her and Charles. I was more interested in her job with WPS, her patrols, her friendships with her colleagues and those with her best friends Maggie and Annie back in London...than some fly by night romance with a controlling man like Charles. I felt this aspect spoilt the story and I found I didn't enjoy it near so much as the previous one because of it. It overtook every aspect of Irene's life and her story...and left me wondering if we could see through him, how could she not?

There were other aspects of the story that floated around in the background - such as the challenges they faced with the local women and the soldiers at the nearby army camp, prostitution and imposed curfews to help deal with the problem. There is also the attitudes to women police as opposed to the "real" police, being men. But there are also issues surrounding the soldiers who have been deemed "deserters" by fleeing their regiment and therefore their duty to serve their country and the consequences of war on both men and women alike. These are things that are of interest to the story along with the heartache that comes with that era.

Despite much of the story frustrating me endlessly, it does improve towards the end giving readers a hopeful conclusion. As Irene was not my favourite character in the first book anyway, her personality is probably one that just irritated me in this book. Needless to say, THE BOBBY GIRLS' SECRETS did have a relaxed easy pace to enjoy the story as it flowed, despite some of it frustrating me.

It was interesting to read the author's notes at the end, as well as the photos included, which gave a sense of reality to the subplot within THE BOBBY GIRLS' SECRETS.

I look forward to the next book in the series "Christmas with The Bobby Girls" and what I am guessing will then be Annie's story. She has a fiance fighting away so no doubt that aspect will feature somewhere there. 

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

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Johanna Bell cut her teeth on local newspapers in Essec, eventually branching into magazine journalism with stints as a features writer and then commissioning editor at 'Full House' magazine. She now has more than sixteen years' experience in print media. Her freelance life has seen her working on juicy real-life stories for the women's weekly magazine market, as well as hard-hitting news stories for national newspapers and prepping her case studies for TV interviews.

Her first book "The Bobby Girls" was published by Hodder in 2019 followed by its sequel "The Bobby Girls' Secrets" in May 2020. The third in the series "Christmas with The Bobby Girls" will be published in November 2020.

When she's not writing, Johanna can be found walking her dog with her husband or playing peek-a-boo with her daughter.

Social Media links:

Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

REVIEW: My Hands Are Tied by Sean Campbell

 

My Hands Are Tied (DCI Morton #7) bt Sean Campbell

Genre: Crime fiction, Police procedural, mystery

Read: 23rd October 2020

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Amazon

Published; 1st November 2020

★★★ 3 stars

DESCRIPTION:

A last-minute wedding invite drags DCI Morton and his wife to the grounds of Terra Farm to watch his son marry the fiancée they’ve never met.

Nerves about meeting the bride prove to be the least of their worries when they’re awoken by gunshots and one of the guests – the bride’s ex – is found dead.

When Morton’s son becomes the prime suspect, the choice is simple: sit back and let another detective work to imprison his son, or work outside the rules to clear the family name.

As if he had any choice.

MY HANDS ARE TIED is the 7th and final instalment in the DCI Morton series of crime novels. Please note this book was previously published as Double Blind.

MY REVIEW:

When author Sean Campbell put a call out for reviewers to read and review the last DCI Morton book, I jumped at the chance despite never having read the rest of the series. However, that didn't matter as MY HANDS ARE TIED can safely be read as a standalone.

DCI Morton's estranged son Stephen is getting married and Morton and his wife Sarah are invited to the event which takes place on a farm in the middle of Putney! Morton declared never having known a farm existed in such close proximity to London. However, this was a chance to bury the hatchet with his son and welcome his chosen bride into the family. As if it would be that easy!

Morton and Sarah have not long wound their way through a series of hedges before they find themselves standing in front of a wrought island gate. A camera has noted their arrival and the appearance of a young woman in a floaty white gown to open the gate has them puzzling as to what kind of farm this is. They are informed that the "binding ceremony" was to take place in the barn, their seats a selection of bales of hay. They enter to find their son Stephen kneeling in silent contemplation at the altar, having meditated for twenty four hours prior to the ceremony, as is customary. By now, both parents are equally puzzled. But even more so with the arrival of the bride who looks anything but excited. In fact, she looks daunted by the prospect if not a little frightened. Added to that, she is being almost dragged in by two men with her hands bound behind her back. And then the ceremony begins, the couple reiterate their vows and bind themselves to "the Collective" and to each other. The Collective? Just what kind of place is this? 

The reception is underway and everyone is suitably drunk, and Morton finds that neither he nor Sarah are capable of driving home. So at the group's insistence, they bed down in the spare room of Stephen and Abigail's bungalow. At 6am Morton is awoken by a gunshot and leaps out of bed, hurriedly dressing, before running to the where the rest of the Collective are now gathering. It seems one of the members has been shot dead in his bungalow, their leader having confiscated the gun and presenting it proudly to Morton.

Before long, Morton has set up an incident room in the living room of his son's bungalow and has called in his team - DIs Ayala, Rafferty and Mayberry along with a bunch of uniforms to secure the scene for the crime scene tech. But as he was present at the time of the murder and his son and new wife are possible suspects, Morton should recuse himself and pass the case off to another DCI to head up. But he cannot sit back and watch another detective work to imprison his son. So he has a choice...hand it over or work outside the rules to prove his son's innocence.

When the pathologist arrives and noting the lack of blood at the scene and petechiae in his eyes, declares the deceased to have been asphyxiated prior to being shot, Morton convinces him to hold off until Monday morning before uploading his report. That gives Morton 72 hours to investigate and find a murderer...or risk the end of his career. But who would shoot a dead man? Is there one murderer or is he now looking for two?

But the case is far from cut and dried as more obstacles are thrown his way as Morton sets out to investigate the Collective and their secrets, if only to wipe the smug smile of leader Lorenzo's face. But just how many secrets are this cult hiding? And can Morton uncover them in time?

As soon as I began MY HANDS ARE TIED, I found myself chuckling at the dry wit in the prose which was peppered throughout the story. I do love a little witty humour in a mystery and I think I probably would have enjoyed getting to know Morton had I read the previous books. But MY HANDS ARE TIED works well as a standalone, so if you haven't read any of the others like me, then you won't be left wandering through the dark with this final installment.

I found myself enjoying the book although there were times I felt it was bogged down with a few excess subplots that could confuse the reader if one was not paying attention. However, they were relative to the story and no unnecessary but it did slow it down a little I thought. But as with all red herrings they are discarded as the truth becomes clear and Morton redeems himself at the eleventh hour. But is it too late?

Stories about cults are not my favourite as I find them predictably frustrating as the detective is generally lead a merry chase, but whilst this was the case for some part it wasn't for the rest. I actually quite enjoyed the mystery and the secrets that were slowly revealed.

A somewhat different yet compelling mystery read by an author I had not yet tackled. Recommended for crime fiction buffs.

I would like to thank #SeanCampbell for an ARC of #MyHandsAreTied in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Despite a very traditional legal education culminating in being called to the Bar of England and Wales way back in 2011, Sean became an accidental proponent of the ‘portfolio career’. Despite a near-decade-long stint as a carer, he has been a full time author since 2012 and is responsible for the entire DCI Morton series (Dead on Demand, Cleaver Square, Ten Guilty Men, The Patient Killer, Missing Persons, The Evolution of a Serial Killer, and Double Blind). His works has been translated, narrated, and downloaded over two million times.

He now spends his days working out how to kill people without being caught, and then flipping the switch to play detective. His non-writing interests vary from photography and cinema to rugby and hiking. You can usually find him somewhere in one of London’s coffee shops – look for the big bearded guy taking up way too much room and hogging the wifi.

Social Media links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook| Goodreads

REVIEW: The Girl She Wanted by K.L. Slater

 

The Girl She Wanted by K.L. Slater

Genre: Domestic thriller, Psychological thriller, Suspense

Read: 17th October 2020

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Published: 22nd October 2020

★★★★ 4 stars

DESCRIPTION:

What if my sister is unstable and everyone can see it but me? What was she really doing standing over Florence’s cot in the middle of the night?

Alexa has always looked up to her older sister Carrie. Carrie lives in Alexa’s family home, and adores her one-year-old niece Florence. Alexa doesn’t know how they would cope without her. So when Carrie is suspended from her job as a senior nurse, accused of the most terrible crime, Alexa reels in disbelief. Alexa knows how caring Carrie is, and as she watches Florence gurgling and cooing whenever Carrie is around, she knows her little girl is in safe hands.

Alexa’s husband 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.

Then Florence is hurt while in Carrie’s care and Alexa at last starts to wonder. Alexa has always wanted to protect Carrie from the past they have hidden. But does Alexa know what Carrie wants? And will the secret that has kept the sisters together now 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 The Girl She Wanted. 

MY REVIEW:

I am excited to be taking part in the #BooksOnTour #BlogTour for K.L. Slater's exciting new thriller THE GIRL SHE WANTED.

I'm a huge fan of Kim's and devour every one of her books in record time but THE GIRL SHE WANTED is a little different from her usual vein. For a start, my biggest issue is the title. It has no bearing on the story whatsoever, in my opinion...except maybe in light of the epilogue but even then that wasn't the crux of the story. It is hugely misleading and gives the reader the wrong impression of what to expect. My second issue is that the twist isn't exactly jaw-dropping either...not in Kim's usual way at least. It was unexpected but not jaw-dropping. But that said, THE GIRL SHE WANTED is still an addictive read from beginning to end.

When 82 year old Angus Titchford falls and breaks his hip on Easter Sunday, he is transported to King's Mill Hospital where he is given a good prognosis for a full recovery. Less than a couple of hours later, Angus is dead having suffered an unexpected cardiac arrest. Dr Nathan Mosley, a junior doctor in A&E, is concerned that another unexplained death has occurred with no apparent cause or reason, the first being of six months old Samila Khalil back in December. It may be something and nothing but Dr Mosley feels obligated to report his suspicions to the Sherwood Forest Health Trust who then embark in an internal investigation.

For ten years, Carrie Parsons has worked at King's Mill Hospital as a senior nurse and ward manager. After her husband left her in massive debt, she moved in with her younger sister Alexa, a temporary solution till she got back on her feet. Eight months later and her presence is grating on Alexa's husband Perry, who is wondering when Carrie is going to get her own place. But Alexa, who fears leaving the house alone due to a past trauma, finds Carrie's presence a huge support and she is wonderful with their one year old daughter Florence who adores her aunty "CaCa".

After six days on shift, Carrie's enjoying a much-needed day off at the park with Alexa and Florence when she receives a phone call. Her superiors have asked her in for an important announcement and it must be today. She leaves an anxious Alexa with Florence at the park, who assures her sister she'll be fine and makes her way back to the hospital. Upon arriving, she fins her staff are gathered with several senior looking officials from the Sherwood Forest Health Trust who announce that an investigation is underway into the deaths of two patients who had otherwise non-life-threatening diagnoses and a good prognosis...and yet they both died anyway. The Trust were looking into whether the deaths were a cause for concern and revealed that the police would also be involved.

Not wanting to stress her already anxious sister and setting her back, Carrie said nothing of the deaths or the pending investigation when she returned home. Instead she claimed tiredness and went to bed. The following morning, she hurried out of the house before Alexa could question her on her way to her police interview. Carrie knew she had done nothing wrong and had nothing to hide but the police had statements from her co-workers that painted a suspicious picture of her. 

The following morning, after Perry left for his three week stint on the rig off Scotland and reminding Alexa to ask Carrie about moving out, the police arrived banging on the door with an arrest warrant for Carrie. Alexa is stunned. Arrested? For murder? Of two patients? But why has Carrie not said anything? But the evidence is clear - CCTV of Carrie on the ward when she says she wasn't, medication mix-ups, changes to work schedules. But it's all circumstantial. And yet her colleagues have also spoken against her, citing her as cold and uncaring.

Despite all the evidence being thrown at them, Alexa firmly believes that her sister is innocent. Though she dreads having to tell Perry who will see this as an opportunity to force her to move out once and for all. But she will not turn her back on her sister when she needs her most...after all, she never turned her back on her when she needed her, did she?

But then when Florence is injured while left in Carrie's care and Alexa is forced to question everything she thought she knew. Is Carrie guilty? Did she hurt Florence? No! She wouldn't...would she? Alexa doesn't know any more and it becomes clear when they take Florence to A&E that tensions are rife. And then social services are notified of Florence's "accident" and suddenly the realisation that she could lose Florence becomes real to Alexa and she must choose - her daughter or her sister?

There is so much undercurrent to this story that is left unsaid until just the right moment that leaves you questioning exactly what is going on. Why is Alexa so fearful? What happened to her? And why is Carrie so cold and almost obnoxious? There was a reveal in this story that picked up immediately just through a few subtle references like eye contact...long before it was revealed near the end. So that was no surprise there. 

The big surprise was the twist that, while not completely jaw-dropping, did have the affect of "where the hell did that come from"? For me, it did seem a little out of left field as there didn't even appear to be any subtle references, though I was slightly suspicious at times throughout. But there had been no pieces to put together which is why it seemed so random. No subtle clues dropped like breadcrumbs throughout the story. No chance for the reader to hone in and work it out. So I kind of felt a little robbed in that respect as I like to have a few clues peppered throughout the story and then to try and piece it together as I'm reading. But looking back, I can see nothing.

Still...THE GIRL SHE WANTED is a fast paced addictive read that will have you turning the pages until the very end. Told from mainly Alexa's narrative, we do have a third person perspective of various others throughout such as the police, Carrie and a few others. The epilogue did seem a little random, although it was part of the story it wasn't the main part nor the crux either. So I was a little confused as to why it ended with it.

THE GIRL SHE WANTED is something of a different thriller for K.L. Slater, not in her usual domestic vein, although there is an element of that too. This book extends a little further than the confines of a domestic thriller whilst still being a domestic thriller of sorts, if that makes any sense. I don't find as claustrophobic as others but it is chilling.

As usual, Kim continues to surprise fans with her level of ingenuity for keeping readers engaged and entertained. I am never bored with any of her thrillers and always eagerly look forward to the next. This one is no different...despite it being a little different.

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

MEET THE AUTHOR:

After years of trying to get published and never getting further than the slush pile, Kim went back to university at the age of 40 where she gained  a first-class honours degree in English & Creative Writing and an MA in Creative Writing with distinction.

Kim's first adult psychological thriller for Bookouture, ‘Safe with Me’,  actually started life as a dissertation on her English & Creative Writing degree in 2010. She says" he creepy voice of Anna came to me strong and insistent . . . she wanted to be written, she wouldn’t go away. I’m so glad I listened!"

Kim first became published writing Young Adult fiction for Macmillan Children’s Books under the name Kim Slater. Her award-winning YA debut, SMART, started life as a short story for her MA in Creative Writing in 2012.

Kim is now a full-time writer. She has a daughter and two stepsons and live with her husband Mac in Nottingham and Yorkshire.

Social Media links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

REVIEW: Goodnight Sweetheart by Pam Weaver

Goodnight Sweetheart by Pam Weaver

Genre: Historical fiction, WW2, Sagas, General fiction

Read: 22nd October 2020

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 14th May 2020

★★★★★ 4.5 stars (rounded up)

DESCRIPTION:

Can love find a way to overcome hate?

When Frankie’s mother dies, she is sent to live with her Aunt Bet in Worthing, Sussex. Life on their farm is happy – for a while. But when World War Two breaks out, Frankie must help her country by signing up to the women’s branch of the British Army.

Soon, she meets Romare, an American doctor who has come to the UK after facing terrible racism at home. But trouble is stirring in Britain too, and it falls to Frankie to try to protect him. Can love triumph over a history of hate? Or will Frankie and Romare’s love pay the ultimate sacrifice?

A moving, thought-provoking story, perfect for fans of Katie Flynn and Maureen Lee.

MY REVIEW:

I've not read Pam Weaver before, despite having several of her books in my TBR pile, so I had no preconceptions upon reading GOODNIGHT SWEETHEART. But if references to other wartime fiction was anything to go by I knew I wouldn't be disappointed...and I wasn't. It is just the type of book I love to escape into with stories surrounding several characters during wartime without it being bogged down by history and wartime conflict. An easy read with the war as a backdrop without it being the main story.

Worthing 1933: The story opens with Frankie Sherwood celebrating her 10th birthday with friends Doreen and Jenny and their respective mothers on a picnic before returning to their terraced house. Her mother gave her a beautiful doll with a beautiful handmade dress made from scraps of expensive material offcuts her mother had been saving over the years. To Frankie, it was the most beautiful doll she had ever seen. Moira Sherwood was a seamstress by trade and made ends meet by taking in alterations and making clothing for which she charged a minimal sum. 

Frankie adored her mother, having been raised single-handedly by her after the death of her father when she was just a baby. Her father had never recovered from the injuries he had sustained in the Great War and in the end, he succumbed to them after contracting pneumonia. As a child, Frankie's favourite story her mother told her was of the Russian princess Alexendrina who came into the dress shop where her mother trained before the Great War conflict, and how they had hidden her in a clothing trolley from a Russian "bad man". 

The day after Frankie's birthday, she went off to school as normal whilst her mother went about her day. Little did Frankie know that when she waved her mother goodbye that morning that it would be the last time she saw her. Upon returning from school, Frankie was greeted by the St John ambulance outside her house and her neighbour informing her that her mother had died. Although it was thought to be her heart, her neighbour did hear some awful banging going on some time before discovering Moira's body at the kitchen table. Did someone have a hand in Moira's demise? Their sleazy landlord, for example, who was always trying to take advantage of a single mother with a child to raise?

After the death of her beloved mother, Frankie was sent to her aunt's farm a few miles away to live with them. She said so little to begin with as she tried to deal with her grief but soon found a common interest in dirt bikes alongside her two cousins, Alan and Ronald. Before long, Frankie had settled in and was stripping engines and putting them back together.

During her coming of age, Frankie takes up work at a florist where she reconnects with her childhood friend Doreen and despite her friend's strict religious upbringing, Frankie becomes a real support for her particularly after the death of Doreen's mother. And then there is her  friendship with the more worldly Barbara who has a keen eye on Frankie's cousin Alan...much to aunt Bet's concern.

Then in 1939 war came to Britain. By this time she had lived at North Farm for six years and it now felt like home. The boys were like brothers and aunt Bet and uncle Lorry were like parents to her. Now on the brink of adulthood and not quite 18, Frankie so wanted to do her bit for the war effort and signed up to the ATS (Auxiliary Transport Service) whilst adding an extra year to her age. After several months of being called the Phoney War or the Boring War, a year after it being declared, the true horror then became real when the Luftwaffe began the Blitz on London and other major British cities. It is then that Frankie is thrust into the thick of the action as an ATS volunteer.

While most of the story is focused on the home front, we do get a glimpse into one of the most horrific conflicts of WW2 with the battle at Dunkirk. It is this conflict that her cousin Alan is in caught up in with his comrade Ginger. Despite it being just a small part of the story, the horror is felt within the pages, changing men who had once been happy go lucky into shells of their former selves. Frankie and her family were shocked at the change in Alan and despite all efforts, nothing could bring the old Alan back...until Frankie had an idea.

Then after an incident in which Frankie found herself in hospital, she meets gorgeous Romare Delaney, a black Amercian doctor in Britain to help with casualties as well as bringing much-needed plasma for transfusions. The couple were immediately attracted to each other and found ways to share leave as well as write to one another at their respective posts. As their love blossoms, so to does the rise of white supremacy and racism and the couple find themselves up against the bigotry that had followed black servicemen from their country. Some of the scenes are quite shocking and brutal, though not heavy in detail but just enough to give you the general picture serving to highlight the long shadow of racism and the horrific violence that followed it.

Interwoven with Frankie's story and those of her family and friends is that of Sidney Knight, Frankie and her mother's former landlord who had since moved into Frankie's former home she shared with her mother all those years ago. There are several hints to something untoward having taken place though the reader can only guess as to what it may be at this point. But one thing is clear, Sidney has a big secret to hide and will stop at nothing to ensure it remains that way. And the mystery surrounding Frankie's mother will eventually come to light...

A brilliantly written tale, GOODNIGHT SWEETHEART transports the reader back in time to 1930's and 1940's Britain. It was a beautiful easy read that once started could not be put down. Pam Weaver's style is such an easy one to slip into and enjoy, despite it's horrific subject matters. But the heart of the story is something more than that...it is gentle, it is sweet and it is pure escapism.

Although there were parts of the story that made me both sad and angry at the cruelty and injustice, there were also many parts that made me smile and made me cry with happiness. No matter how many wartime novels I read, I always find myself in tears at the announcement of the end of the war.

What a truly amazing read GOODNIGHT SWEETHEART is. I read it in two sittings - before bed and as soon as I got up - as I was so immersed within the story I was desperate to discover how it would all end up. 

This certainly won't be my last Pam Weaver and I look forward to delving into many more in the future.

Perfect for fans of historical wartime sagas like Nadine Dorries and Pam Howes.

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

MEET THE AUTHOR:

After training as a Nursery Nurse in the 1960’s, Pam worked in children’s Homes, private day nurseries and as a Hyde Park nanny. Her experiences are in Bath Times & Nursery Rhymes which became a Sunday Times best-seller.

Pam started writing in 1990’s with small magazines and specialist publications, finally branching out into the women’s magazine market in 2001. She has since written more than 200 articles and at least 150 short stories. They’ve been in Take A Break Fiction Feast, Woman’s Weekly Fiction Special, Weekly News, My Weekly and People’s Friend. Some have been in anthologies with the proceeds going to charity. The Fantastic Bubble was repeated on BBC Radio 4 and the World Service.

Pam's novels are set in Worthing; 'There’s Always Tomorrow' (2011), 'Better Days Will Come' (2012), 'Pack Up Your Troubles' (2013) and 'For Better For Worse' (2014) are all published by HarperCollins Avon. 'Blue Moon' (2015) & 'Love Walked Right In' (2016) are published by Pan Macmillan. Pam also has a couple of novellas on Kindle. 'Emily’s Christmas Wish' (2015) and 'Amy’s Wartime Christmas'.

If you are looking for murder mystery and intrigue in a saga… look no further!

Pam is married with grow-up children and lives in the seaside town of Worthing.

Social Media links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

REVIEW: Safe No Longer by Gayle Curtis

 

Safe No Longer by Gayle Curtis

Genre: Psychological thriller, Crime fiction

Read: 20th October 2020

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 14th May 2020

★★★★ 3.5 stars (rounded up)

DESCRIPTION:

One child dead. Another missing. The village has seen this before.

On a warm evening in late summer, best friends Raymond and Cara camp out overnight in the garden. By morning, Raymond is dead and Cara is missing.

DI Rita Cannan is called home to the sleepy seaside town of Green-on-the-Sea to investigate Raymond’s murder and try to find Cara—alive. But the case carries eerie echoes of another girl’s death that rocked the close-knit community, decades ago. If there’s a connection, if history is repeating itself, who knows more than they’re letting on? And how far will they go to cover their tracks?

There are only so many lies a small town can hold and when everyone is a suspect, Cannan has nowhere to turn. To discover the truth, she must confront her own past. But can she do so in time to uncover the identity of the murderer and find Cara—before more innocent lives are lost?

MY REVIEW:

As I had hated her last book I wasn't holding out high hopes for this one but I was surprised. SAFE NO LONGER by Gayle Curtis is a well constructed thriller that is somewhat confusing and convoluted in places but on the whole was something a little different, if not intricate. It's no secret that the author likes to tackle the darker type of thrillers and this was most definitely that!

One child dead. Another child missing. A village in shock.

Best friends Raymond and Cara are enjoying a sleepover in a tent in the backyard one summer evening, telling each other ghost stories and playing macabre games. Raymond's mother Kristen keeps a close eye on the children despite popping over to the pub next door for a quick drink to celebrate her birthday. She returns, the children are still telling stories, so she settles on the sofa whilst leaving the patio doors open for them to come back in the middle of the night...as is usually the case.

But when Kristen wakes the following morning there is no sign of the children in the tent or in the house. And then she sees the silent prone figure of her little boy across the green, hands tied behind his back, his body long cold. But where was Cara?

Rachel Fearon is a school teacher at the local high school. Her husband long since gone, missing, presumed dead in a car accident though his body was never found, Rachel has raised her daughter Cara since. In an attempt to promote interest in her daughter with the local talent scout, Rachel organises with disgraced former cop Jason Brunswick to kidnap Cara and keep her safe until the time was right to release her. All the while, Rachel is to set up a fundraising page on social media, where parents of missing children can rake in thousands, and local talent scout Adrian Player's interest in Cara will be peaked once again. 

That was the plan. 

But something has gone wrong. Jason does not have Cara and has no idea where she is. He tells Rachel he waited half an hour from 3am as they arranged and Cara never showed. So...if Jason didn't have Cara, who did?

Adrian Player is the local talent scout and owner of a vast number of gyms around the county. But it's his private gym that aspiring gymnasts and football players are interested in. There they get one on one training and invitations to exclusive try-outs and competitions. But that's not all they get behind those doors. Long suspected of being a paedophile, Player uses his gyms as a front to scout for "talent" for his own interests and for those of his members of his exclusive club. Cara had been one of his favoured talents...until, at 11, she became too old and his interests them shifted to her best friend Raymond who was 9. Hence the kidnap plot concocted by Rachel and Jason to renew his interest in her.

Jason Brunswick is a former police officer who was disgraced for misconduct involving children. Now he works for Player at one of his many gyms. But Rachel doesn't seem to know of his misconduct nor of Player's real interests. I'm not sure why because most of the other parents in the village are fully aware for most of them are his former victims from their childhood...and now he is abusing the children of those he had abused decades ago. But then Rachel doesn't appear to have the best foresight either, for she herself is involved in an affair with one of her 16 year old students, and now finds herself pregnant.

Jody Brunswick doesn't believe a word that everyone says about her father. Even when the kids at school taunt her with comments that her father is a nonce she stands her ground...going as far being suspended for attacking a classmate. But then she hears that her father's van was seen on the green the morning of Raymond's murder and Cara's disappearance and she vows to do everything to protect him. 

So back to Raymond and Cara. Who murdered this 9 year old boy? And what happened to his best friend Cara? Enter DCI Rita Cannan, senior investigating officer and close friend of Raymond's mother Kristen. That in itself should have precluded her from the case but Rita kept a lid on it because she had her own motive behind the investigation. One that was even greater than her friendship with Kristen. She knew Player was involved, she knew what he was and she wanted him behind bars. And she would stop at nothing to put him there. Even when her own parents were found dead in their home across the green, Rita would not be stopped from putting Player behind bars. To discover the truth, Rita must confront her own past...but can she do so and uncover the truth in time before more innocent lives are lost?

WOW! So much going on for a such a small village with everyone having some form of input into something nefarious one way or the other. All these little subplots designed to take the focus of the main story but still Raymond and Cara would not be forgotten. Even in the alternate chapters five years on where Rita was being interviewed about the case, the intricacies in the tangled web were slowly unravelled but the mystery still remained. What had happened to Cara?

An intricate story, SAFE NO LONGER did have rather a lot going on, some of which may have seemed irrelevant, but it was indeed a clever plot. Surrounding a topic that is often taboo, the author deftly drew attention to both that story and the one at hand whilst confusing us with all the others. Yes, there was a lot of drama going on here...but I think that was the point. Added to that, none of the characters were at all likeable and most of them were so selfish it was hard to sympathise with any of them or even care what happened to them. And most of them seemed to be suffering from some kind of personality disorder or mental breakdown.

I really didn't think I would like this book, but I was surprised to find I actually quite enjoyed it. It was different and despite the various subplots, the storyline had me engaged from the start. Whilst the ending was a bit out of left field, I thought it was rather clever...even if there was no real sense of closure. 

A heavy intricate read, SAFE NO LONGER is not for everyone. It is not always an easy read with raw topics such as child sexual abuse and some other sensitive issues that others may find hard to read. While the story itself may seem far-fetched, sadly these things do happen and outlines the complexities of abuse and the lifelong effects it has on its many victims.

I have to say my favourite part, surprisingly, was the final page. 

I can't say that I would recommend this to everyone, because it is definitely not a read for everyone. But if you like the darker side of thrillers, not afraid to tackle those darker issues...then this is for you.

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

MEET THE AUTHOR:

When Gayle was five years old, she packed her little red suitcase and told her parents she was leaving Norfolk to find her fortune. Unable to reach the door handle, she decided to stay, set up an office under the stairs and started writing books. 

Gayle is inspired by the beautiful countryside and coastline. Her novel 'Too Close' was published in 2016. She has also self-published two novels, 'Memory Scents' and 'Shell House', and a humour book about her cat, entitled 'Wilfred, Fanny and Floyd'.

Gayle still lives in Norfolk with her husband and lots of cats. 

Social Media links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

REVIEW: An Angel's Work by Kate Eastham

  

An Angel's Work by Kate Eastham

Genre: Historical fiction, WW2, General fiction

Read: 15th October 2020

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 21st October 2020

★★★ 3 stars

DECSCRIPTION:

Jo forced herself to look into the cot, but at first all she could see was grey dust from the explosion. Then, a tiny hand poked out through a layer of grit. In seconds she had the child scooped up and she could feel its little body warm against her own. She felt an almost painful surge of emotion welling up from the pit of her stomach. With tears pouring down her cheeks, she stood rocking and soothing the baby, knowing there was very little chance the child’s mother had survived.

England, 1941. After three nights of relentless bombing from German aircraft, trained nurse Jo Brooks is told to report to the basement theatre of Mill Road Hospital. She goes with a heavy heart, not wanting to leave behind her best friend Moira, who is desperately soothing new mothers on the maternity ward. As Jo arrives safely underground, the ward takes a direct hit.

Pulling herself from the rubble, Jo’s first priority must be her patients… but she can’t stop herself frantically searching for Moira. When Jo eventually finds her, buried beneath a foot of bricks and stone, Moira is barely clinging to life. Jo makes a solemn vow: she will do whatever it takes to help the allies win the war, even if it means sacrificing her own safety.

The opportunity to make good on her promise comes sooner than she expects – nurses are badly needed to evacuate wounded allies across enemy lines. It will be dangerous, heartbreaking work and her life will be at risk every moment, but Jo knows that the moment has come to prove herself at last…

A powerfully emotional wartime novel about friendship and love in the most terrible of circumstances. Perfect for fans of Diney Costeloe, Jean Grainger and Soraya M. Lane.  

MY REVIEW:

I am excited to be taking part in the #BooksOnTour #BlogTour for Kate Eastham's WW2 historical novel AN ANGEL'S WORK.

My first novel by Kate Eastham, AN ANGEL'S WORK follows two nurses throughout their wartime nursing careers from the May Blitz in 1941 right up to the end of the war. I enjoyed getting to know both Jo and Mac and waiting to see how their respective stories would unfold.

Liverpool, May 1941: Staff nurse Josephine Brooks and staff nurse Moira (Mac) MacDonald are best friends and roommates working at the civilian Mill Road Hospital. The two women are different in personalities as they are in looks, with Jo dark haired and reserved and Mac the outgoing redhead enjoying life while she can. While both women loved their work they also savoured their time off as well but each time the air raid siren sounded, the nurses would report to Casualty immediately to help tend to the wounded...even if they are not on duty. 

On one particular night, Mac went out while Jo stayed in reading, and met a dishy aircrew trainee named Don (his surname escapes me just now) who called Mac his "Rita Hayworth" on account of her flaming red hair. The pair enjoyed a passionate encounter leaving Don declaring his love for Mac who felt it was just the adrenaline of being caught up in wartime.

On 3rd May, Liverpool had endured three consecutive nights of bombing and Jo was working in the basement theatre whilst Mac was enjoying the new mums and babies in maternity. When the hospital takes a direct hit, Jo and the surgeon are virtually trapped in the basement with their patient until she manages to scramble out a window. Her first thought is of Mac up on the top floor in maternity and she races up there, calling her friend's name. There is nothing but rubble on the maternity ward but Jo does hear the faint cry of a baby, and scrambles through the debris to find the distressed infant, just 1 day old, her mother now dead. She gives the baby to a Sister and continues her search for Mac on the floor below since there was now a gaping hole in the maternity floor. She finds one of their friends dead beside an unconscious Mac who has a head wound. 

Mac is stretchered out and taken with Jo and surgeon Angus Dunbar to a nearby hospital where he sutures her head wound in the corridor. There doesn't appear to be any other damage which is good news...they just have to wait for Mac to regain consciousness. But when she does, she is dazed and confused and it isn't long before she falls into unconsciousness again. After spending a few days in hospital, the two women head to Jo's family farm to recuperate.

But when Don turns up at the farm to see Mac he is upset to discover she has no memory of the days surrounding the bombing...including him. And Mac is incredibly distressed to find a strange man running up to her and encircling her in his arms. However, when her memory does begin to return she decides that what they had was a wartime fling and sends him on his way. But Don will not be swayed, declaring he will come looking for her after the war.

The bombing of the hospital and the injuries Mac sustained as a result has lead her to rethink how she would like to help with the war effort. Jo, it seems, has been doing much the same thinking...with neither wishing to return to Liverpool. Jo suggested they join the WAAF and work at the Morecambe Military Hospital but Mac has other plans. She has decided to join the army as a nurse and work at the front. So the two women for the first time go their separate ways - Jo as a flying nightingale with the air ambulance, ferrying injured patients from Europe back to Britain and Mac as an army nurse in a field hospital. Both are extremely dangerous of coming under attack in the air as well as on the ground.

The story is told the third person narrative from the alternating perspectives of Jo and Mac, as well as the occasional from Don and even from Don's mate Zach detailing their individual experiences. And despite Mac turning Don away three years before, she still carries a torch for him which she continually tries to suppress. But the moment she hears he is missing in action presumed dead, she goes to pieces. 

AN ANGEL'S WORK is an engaging read with all the adrenaline of frontline nurses working under pressure often in dangerous locations. It is also a gentle read, an easy read of life during wartime that by the story's end when they announce "The war is over!" even I felt a building of emotion and tears in my eyes. It still has the capacity to touch your heart and make you feel as if you are in the air with Jo and in the field hospital alongside Mac. The story is very real and will leave you with a sense of having lived through it as well.

An enjoyable read, I recommend AN ANGEL'S WORK to anyone who enjoys wartime fiction.

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

MEET THE AUTHOR:

A change in circumstance meant Kate Eastham made the shift from a career in nursing to being a carer for her partner. Determined to make the most of this new role ‘working from home’ and inspired by an in-depth study of the origins of nursing, she wrote her first novel at the kitchen table. Miss Nightingale’s Nurses was published by Penguin in 2018, closely followed by three more in the series. With her passion for history, Kate aims to make visible the lives of ordinary yet extraordinary women from the past. Her current historical fiction is set during the World Wars and will be published by Bookouture.   

Social Media links:

Twitter | Goodreads

REVIEW: The Ferryman's Daughter by Juliet Greenwood

 

The Ferryman's Daughter by Juliet Greenwood

Genre: Historical fiction, Sagas, WW1

Read: 19th October 2020

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 14th May 2020

★★★★★ 5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

Can Hester help her family escape desperate poverty and fulfil her dreams?

1908: Hester always loved her mother best, her father had always been a hard man to like, spending more time (and money) in the local than with his family. After her mother's sudden death, followed by an injury forcing her father to give up his job as the ferryman, Hester is placed in the position of care-giver for her young brother and sister.

As the years pass Hester must row the ferry night and day to keep them all from starvation, while her hopes of working in a kitchen and one day becoming a cook, slip further and further away.

But just how far is Hester willing to go to make her dream a reality? And as the threat of war comes ever closer to the Cornish coast, will it bring opportunities or despair for Hester and her family?

A gripping family saga perfect for fans of Sheila Newberry, Glenda Young and Mollie Walton. Escape to the Cornish coast and discover a strong woman who will do anything for her family and for her dreams... 

MY REVIEW:

Isn't it just wonderful when a book turns out to be exactly as you hoped it would be? That is how THE FERRYMAN'S DAUGHTER by Juliet Greenwood was for me. It was delightful, engaging and a completely easy read that I immersed myself into the early 20th century Cornwall alongside Hester to live and breathe all that she experienced. By the time I reached the conclusion, I didn't want the story to end. I wanted to stay there in that cafe overlooking the crashing waves, the lighthouse and the sweeping beauty of Cornwall.

1908: Eleven year old Hester Pearce and her mother collect apples, blackberries and a variety of other fruits to make jams and chutneys before winter arrives. Her father is the ferryman who rows passengers from Hayle to St Ives across the estuary while her mother, who was once a head cook in a restaurant as well as a Afalon, uses her cooking skills to make preserves and chutneys to sell. Her grandmother is head cook up at the big house Afalon, home to the Elliots. When she is not in school, Hester helps her mother keep house and look after her younger siblings, Robbie (8) and Alice (5).

Hester adores her mother and as she watches the swell of her mother's belly grow once again, she recalls the doctor's words to her father at the time of the last lost baby. Then her mother dies after yet another stillbirth and her father is badly injured in an accident, losing his arm, making him unable to continue to ferry passengers across the estuary. Hester is forced to leave school to keep house and look after Robbie and Alice as well as take charge of the ferry herself. At least this way she can keep track of the finances so they always have enough for food, coal and the rent man. Plus her mother's secret stash of coins saved from selling her preserves and chutneys.

But before she died, her mother gave her a book filled with all her recipes and made Hester promise not to give up on her dreams of owning and running a cafe. But what with keeping the house and their bellies full, how was she to follow her dreams now? Her family needed her...and she couldn't abandon her siblings.

Then her father, who drinks at the Fisherman's Arms every night (even moreso since his accident), hatches a plan with young Jimmy Hacknell to take charge of the family's finances once again. Jimmy, who seems to be spending more and more time at their table, has taken a liking to Hester and between him and her father they have decided that Hester will marry the boy, and putting Jimmy in sole charge of ferrying the passengers and therefore her father in charge of the money. But Hester has no plans to marry Jimmy. She cannot stand the puffed up tosser who loudly boasts to anyone within hearing distance of his grand plans to become rich and lord it over the fishing village.

Then war breaks out and Hester escapes to become head cook at Afalon under the employ of new owner Miss Chesterfield, who has turned the once grand house into a convalescent home for soldiers. There she puts her mother's recipes to good use in simple and nutritious meals for the men whilst training up young Molly as under-cook. 

Before the war, Hester had bravely saved the life of Clara Trewarren, who tried crossing the estuary in a storm and nearly drowned. Since that night, Clara owes her life to Hester and becomes firm friends with her, despite the difference in their classes. Now Clara has escaped a life that is expected of her as a lady to Afalon where she assists the old gardener after the young gardeners joined up to fight. When injured men are brought to Afalon to be treated as the hospitals are full to overflowing, Clara then assists the VADs with cleaning and treating the men as best she can. At least this way she feels as if she is doing something more worthwhile than sitting around embroidering and waiting for a husband.

Although Hester is now safe within the confines of the big house, she still must be careful when she walks to the village and keeps a lookout for Jimmy who attacked her one evening when she rebuffed his advances. When Jimmy leaves for war, Hester breathes a sigh of relief that at last she's safe. At least Robbie is now old enough to take over the running of the ferry but he must also find ways to hide the takings from his father who will scavenge it to buy a pint or three. But when Jimmy suddenly returns announcing to everyone that Hester is fiance, Hester realises she will never be safe here and begins to make plans to escape the village and Jimmy's clutches.

As time goes on, Hester begins to wonder will she ever be able to fulfill her dream of owning and running that cafe she saw overlooking the beach in St Ives with her mother all those years ago?

I loved THE FERRYMAN'S DAUGHTER and didn't want it to end. I love the Cornish setting and the era when women were just coming into themselves with war taking the men away and women having to fulfill the roles they left behind. I'm not a feminist but I loved Hester and her determination to make something of herself without the aid of a husband. I also loved Clara who stepped out of the mould that had been shaped for women in her position to befriend Hester, a working class woman, and did more than just sit around looking pretty. Besides, I'm a sucker for books set in Cornwall.

A refreshing and engaging story from beginning to end, THE FERRYMAN'S DAUGHTER is everything I had hope it would be and more. Even down to the unsavoury villain. Will he get his just desserts? You'll have to read it and find out!

Perfect for those who love historical fiction sagas or who just want something to take them away from the troubled times of a reality for a few hours.

I would like to thank #JulietGreenwood, #NetGalley and #OrionPublishing for an ARC of #TheFerrymansDaughter in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Having worked in London for nearly ten years, Juliet now lives in a traditional Welsh cottage halfway between the romantic Isle of Anglesey and the mountains and ruined castles of Snowdonia.

After studying English at Lancaster University and King’s College, London, Juliet worked in a variety of jobs, from running a craft stall at Covent Garden Market to teaching English.

Juliet began writing seriously about ten years ago, after a severe viral illness left her with debilitating ME/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome for years. Juliet always says that M.E. was the worst, and the best, thing that ever happened to her. On one hand, it sent her from being able to walk up mountains with ease to struggling to do the simplest of everyday tasks for more than a few minutes at a time. But on the other, it forced her to re-evaluate her life and her priorities. And it made her a writer.

Juliet is now well and back to dog walking and working on her beloved garden. As well as novels under her own name, Juliet writes stories and serials for magazines as ‘Heather Pardoe’.

When not writing, Juliet works on local oral history projects, helping older people tell their stories before they are lost forever. She also helps aspiring writers towards being published.

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