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The Teacher's Secret by Lauren North
Published: 23rd February 2024

Sunday 29 November 2020

REVIEW: The Stranger in my Bed by Karen King

 

The Stranger in my Bed by Karen King
Genre: Psychological thriller, Domestic thriller, Suspense
Read: 23rd November 2020
Published: 23rd November 2020

★★★★★ 5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

‘We have a patient who has been involved in a serious accident. We believe he’s your husband.’

When Freya first met Phil, she thought he was the man of her dreams. He bought her roses every week, booked surprise trips to sun-soaked destinations, and showed her affection like she’d never experienced before. But over time the dream has become a violent nightmare. And now Freya is packing her bags, knowing it’s time she escaped their increasingly broken marriage.

But then Freya gets a visit from the police. Phil’s been in a horrific car crash and – as he comes around – it becomes clear that he remembers nothing since their blissful honeymoon two years before, back when their relationship was perfect. All he wants is to be happily married again.

Freya knows giving him another chance could be dangerous. But now he’s the one who needs her, it’s a chance to turn the tables, and to change the outcome of their relationship once and for all. After all, he will only know what she chooses to tell him…

But what really happened during those two years of marriage? And as they start over again, who is safe? And whose life is in danger?

Fans of The Girl on the Train, Behind Closed Doors and Date Night, who are looking for a dark, gripping psychological suspense novel, will love The Stranger in My Bed.


MY REVIEW:

I am excited to be taking part in the #BooksOnTour #BlogTour for Karen King's debut psychological thriller THE STRANGER IN MY BED.

WOW! What a thrill ride! I simply devoured this book in a matter of hours not knowing who was lying, who was telling the truth and who was bluffing. This one had me blinkered till not quite the end and - BAM! Everything fell into place and it all started to make sense. But holy moly...this is one addictive read!!

The story opens with an unidentified person watching the subject of their hate storm out of the house, unlock his car and drive off at speed. They follow him...watching, waiting...wanting to see the moment he realises the brakes on his car have failed and he can't stop. And then - BOOM! They watch as the lorry pulls out of a side road and smash into his car. And though they don't want anyone else to get hurt...they hope HE dies.

When Freya first met Phil, she thought he was the man of her dreams. He bought her different coloured roses to signify his love and showed her affection like she had never known before. Within a few months, they jet-setted to Barbados where they married and honeymooned and enjoyed the first two weeks of married bliss. Freya could not be happier.

But over time that dream became a violent nightmare. Their last row was over a holiday he surprised her with to Dubai, expecting her to drop everything and take the next week off. When Freya told him she was in the middle of a big presentation for a major client and couldn't leave now, Phil switched from loving husband to a raging monster in a matter of seconds. Accusing her of being a selfish cow who spoiled for a fight every time he tried to do something nice, of always pushing his buttons, before throwing the newly presented roses in the vase that had been a wedding present at her hitting the wall and smashing into pieces on impact. He then stormed out of the house, jumped in his car and sped away.

Freya knew now she had to get away. He was never going to change; he just became more unpredictable and more violent that she now feared for her safety. Packing her bags and stuffing them into the boot of her Ford Fiesta, she is about to leave their broken marriage when the police knock on her door. Phil has been involved in an horrific car accident and has been transported to hospital in a coma.

Now three days later, Freya sits at his bedside hoping and praying that he will wake up. She may not want to remain married to him but she doesn't want him dead. Her older sister Daisy has been a real support to her, sitting with her and driving her to the hospital. Although the sisters have never really been close, Freya doesn't know what she would have done without Daisy over the last few days. Then when Phil regains consciousness it soon becomes clear that he remembers nothing since their blissful honeymoon...two years ago. Is his amnesia real? Or is he faking it?

He senses Freya's reticence and is troubled by it but all he wants is to be happily married again. However, Freya knows that giving him another chance could be dangerous. But Phil needs her...she can't leave him now. Is it possible they can start over again? She has never confided in anyone about the abuse she has suffered at Phil's hands and thinks it's time to ask her sister for her thoughts. Daisy tells her that if Phil is indeed violent, she should not ever go back. But Freya can see the man she fell in love with. Maybe he is a changed man and the fact that he can no longer remember the horrible times in their marriage means that they can start again. Besides, he needs her just now. She can't just leave him when he is so vulnerable and has no idea why. But Daisy has her promise that at the first sign of violence she must leave.

Meanwhile, the police are investigating the car accident and have discovered that the brakes have been tampered with. Someone wanted Phil injured...or worse still, to die. But who?

When Phil comes home, the couple work at rebuilding their lives together...all the while Freya keeping an eye out for the return of his previous disturbing and abusive behaviour. But then strange things start happening. The back doors are found open one morning and Freya thinks the stress in trying to recall his forgotten memories has caused Phil to begin sleepwalking again. When they are found open again a few more times, Freya continues to put it down to sleepwalking...but Phil knows it isn't. Upon every occasion the doors have been found open, Phil has then found a note left for him in his study. Threatening notes saying "You will pay for what you did" and the like. But there is no sign of a break-in, which means someone has a key to their home. Feeling especially uneasy, he convinces Freya they should invest in a bolt for the doors...to stop him from opening them in the night.

So who is coming into their home at night? Watching them sleep? Leaving threatening notes? Is it the same person who sabotaged his brakes? If only he could remember, he might be able to recall any enemies.

However, not all is as it seems. Everything is smoke and mirrors and you start to wonder who is the abuser and who is the victim? What secrets are they trying to hide? As Phil begins to recover from his injuries is he also beginning to recover his lost memories? Or did he never lose them to begin with? As secrets start to come to light, the past comes back to haunt them leaving Freya with some major decisions to make. But has she left it too long?

My first thought as Freya gives her marriage a second chance is that she's deluded...but then I remember when I was in the same situation and I know that it is never as simple as that. She genuinely loves her husband and wants the man she married back and is hopeful that his amnesia will give them both that second chance. But what happens if and when Phil's memories start to return? What happens when she does something or says something he doesn't agree with? What happens when she sees that rage build in him again and another row ensues? What happens when that row becomes violent and he begins to blame her for his bursts of anger again? Can she excuse them as his frustration at his lost memories? Or will she see them for what they are? But by then will it be too late to leave him?

The cycle of abuse is the same in any language. They row, he accuses her of imagined slights, they row some more, he becomes violent, she cries, he apologises - usually with bouquets of roses - and she forgives him...again. And so it continues. Abuse comes in many forms and in Phil it is manipulative and coercive control that leaves Freya feeling that she is to blame for his temper. After all, she's the only one who does this to him...so he says. 

BUT in an interesting twist, he has told Daisy that Freya was the abuser and HE was fearful of HER. Since he has no recollection of the past two years, he wonders could this actually be true? And so, Phil begins to keep things from Freya wondering if he can truly trust her. Or is that just an act?

Usually I can sense who is up to no good and who is may be doing what but THE STRANGER IN MY BED had me flummoxed. I couldn't trust either Freya or Phil as I honestly wasn't sure which one of them was telling the truth...or if they both were. I did tend to side with Freya, as a former domestic abuse victim myself, and found her to be more believable. But then it wouldn't be a psychological thriller if the possibilty of her actually being the abuser wasn't considered either...just to turn things on their head a little. In the end, I wasn't sure who to believe, although my spidey senses told me not to trust Phil. And then that had me questioning if his amnesia was real or not. It was a complete mind***!

Despite being a slow burn, I was hooked from the absolute beginning, as the story generated enough tension and suspense throughout to keep me engaged as I tried to nitpick my way through the debris of Freya and Phil's marriage. As I pondered the two mysteries within this story - the one surrounding the alleged abuse and that of the unidentified person who watched and waited until the right time to reveal themselves - I couldn't wait to see how the two stories would collide.

Told in the narratives of Freya and Phil initially and the sporadic inclusion of the mysterious watcher, we also get Daisy's perspective further down the track as THE STRANGER IN MY BED is tightly woven into a tangled web of secrets, lies and abuse. I had my suspicions throughout about a character or two which in part turned out to be correct. But I was still discombobulated about who was actually telling the truth. Many others have claimed there to be no real twist but final summation does give us a rather stunning reveal, which I found to be a clever twist.

When I turned the final page on my kindle I let out of sigh of WOW! What a book! I was left breathless throughout most of the book and by the time I read those final words...I was speechless. 

The author may be knew to this genre but I believe she has perfected it well. Ditch the romance and keep churning out these thrillers. If THE STRANGER IN MY BED is anything to go by, Karen King has a promising future as a psychological thriller author. I look forward to seeing what she can WOW us with next!

I would like to thank #KarenKing, #NetGalley, #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheStrangerInMyBed in exchange for an honest review.


MEET THE AUTHOR:

Karen King is a multi-published bestselling author of fiction for both adults and children. She has also written several short stories for women's magazines.

Currently published by Bookouture and Headline. Karen has recently signed a two-book deal with Bookouture to write psychological thrillers. The first one will be out in November, and the second one in 2021. She is also contracted to write three romance novels for Headline, which will be out in 2021 and 2022

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Thursday 26 November 2020

REVIEW: The Women of Waterloo Bridge by Jan Casey

 

The Women of Waterloo Bridge by Jan Casey
Genre: Historical fiction, Sagas, WW2
Read: 25th November 2020
Published: 21st May 2020

★★★ 2.5 stars (rounded up)

DESCRIPTION:

London, 1940.

After her fiancé breaks off their engagement, Evelyn decides to do her part for the war effort by signing up for construction work on Waterloo Bridge. Enjoying the physical work and her newfound purpose, she begins to realise that there could be so much more to her life than anything she'd ever dared to dream of.

Grieving after her little boy dies in an air raid, Gwen is completely lost when her husband sends their younger children to the countryside for safety. Enlisting as a construction worker, she is partnered with cheerful Evelyn. Despite Gwen's initial reticence, the two women strike up a heartwarming friendship – but will it be enough to save Gwen from her sorrow?

Musical prodigy Joan's life has always been dictated by her controlling mother. When an affair nearly ends in scandal, Joan finally takes her life into her own hands. Determined never to touch a violin again, she soon finds work at Waterloo Bridge. Yet there are other troubles for her to overcome...

For these three women, only one thing is certain: the Second World War will change their lives forever. A heart-wrenching new WW2 saga for fans of Jenny Holmes and Soraya M. Lane.


MY REVIEW:

I love historical fiction particularly those set in the WW1 or WW2 eras, and the years in between. Needless to say, I was excited at the prospect of reading this book with something of a different backdrop. THE WOMEN OF WATERLOO BRIDGE is a tale of three women who helped make history in the construction of the iconic structure when so many men were off fighting the war.

December 1940: The story begins during the Blitz with Evelyn, closely followed by Gwen and then Joan. Each woman has a different story filled with heartache, loss and struggles. It was a dark time for Londoners as Hitler's Luftwaffe stormed the capital day and night for 57 days straight. I will never be able to imagine the terror felt by those people - women and children - at such a time. As each of them were confronted with their own hardships, they then found themselves faced with new challenges and subsequently a new purpose in life.

First, we meet Evelyn Draper who lives with her her father and her sister Sylvie. Evelyn had been a school teacher but had left in the wake of becoming engaged to Ron, who was away training to do his bit for the war, as married women were not permitted to work in those days. Feeling at a bit of a loose end what with Ron away and no job, Evelyn's days basically consisted of cooking for her sister and father and cleaning their house. In preparation for her job as "Mrs Ron" perhaps? Evelyn wasn't sure, but she wasn't satisfied with just that. Sylvie tried coaxing Evelyn out nightly on her jaunts to various dance halls and nigh clubs, but she usually just contended herself with staying in with her father or writing to Ron.

But when Ron writes to her and breaks off their engagement, Evelyn thought she would be distraught but instead found herself feeling relieved. She began going out on the town with Sylvie and started enjoying herself dancing the night away. But still she wanted more. And so, after seeing an advertisement, she signs up for construction work on Waterloo Bridge

Gwen Gregson is a mother of three - Johnny, Will and Ruth - and married to George who works on the railways. During a particularly harsh night of bombing, Gwen huddles her three children into the Anderson shelter out the back before George pokes his head in to let her know it's a bad night out there and all hands on deck are needed. As she bids her husband a safe goodnight, she turns to find her eldest boy Johnny hurriedly dressing and stating he was going to help his dad. Gwen pleaded with Johnny to stay and remain safe but the boy disappeared into the night. Leaving her remaining two children in the safety of the shelter, she hurries off into the night in search her son, calling his name at every corner. But to no avail. Until she sees her husband's bulky form emerge from the smoky remains of a building with the lifeless body of her son in his arms.

Gwen's life changed that December night as a part of her had died when Johnny took his last breath. In the ensuing weeks, George sent their remaining two children to the countryside in Wales for safety, leaving her alone in a house that once held the laughter of children. George and her drew further apart and Gwen found herself falling into the pits of despair. She only had her neighbour Betty to look in on her from time to time, and who they stayed with when their house took a blast in a raid. She wrote to her children regularly and looked forward to their letters or postcards back. Unfortunately, they were separated as there was no room for them to stay in the same place but after a trip to visit them, Gwen ensured that Will was placed in a good home as Ruth had been. But she still missed them constantly and feared they would grow accustomed to the countryside and never want to return to London. 

Betty grew concerned for Gwen and her melancholic state and recommended some war work for her friend. But Gwen wanted only her children and her Johnny back. However, after coming across the paper Betty left with her one day advertising various jobs available to women, Gwen almost tossed it into the fire before one job caught her eye. And so Gwen enlists for the construction work on the bridge also.

Joan Abbott is a musical prodigy...although that was never her intention. Her mother had seemingly steered her into taking up the violin and controlled every aspect of her life. And Joan reviled her mother for it. So when she found herself handpicked for an orchestra under the great Sir Ralph Meyers, Joan also finds herself falling under his spell and soon begins an affair with him...mostly to spite her mother, knowing how much she would abhor the whole thing. But as affairs often go, Joan finds herself pregnant and her mother takes control of the situation by feeding her a mixture of orange juice and castor oil so it could then begin its lethal task of ridding Joan of what would inevitably be her shame.

After the laborious experience, Joan take charge of her own life, enlisting for work in the Waterloo Bridge construction and finding a room at Hazel's Hostel, alongside her work colleague Alice. Both women had their own secrets and crosses to bear and would reveal them, it seemed, when the time was right. The hostel in which she now live run by Hazel who lived with her elderly and invalid mother, whom she still called "mummy". She may have been a little eccentric but Hazel was warm and friendly and happy for the company. And despite her mother's pleas, Joan refused to return to the mausoleum that was once her home, finding friendship and acceptance at Hazel's as well as with the women she worked with on Water Bridge.

The three women are vastly different backgrounds and together they form a special bond. Evelyn is teemed up with Gwen, who is mostly silent but an efficient worker, and over time Evelyn manages to crack Gwen's hard exterior she has built up around herself and the two women become good friends.

THE WOMEN OF WATERLOO BRIDGE had the makings of a wonderfully different story during wartime. However, it's the structure of the book that lets this story down. While I can see it's value as we get each women's perspective throughout, the four months which are covered during each of their respective chapters meant that we were actually missing out on the other eight months of each woman's life. So therefore it felt a little convoluted and didn't marry up to the next part of their stories. It also distances the characters from the reader as we feel like we are only catching glimpses of their lives.

But I felt that it could have been far more exciting than it was. So often I reached a point that seemed to cut off mid-story and move onto something else entirely. I found some of the plot confusing as I wondered where something that found its way into the story, thinking "where did that come from?" 

But one of my biggest gripes will always be the lengthy chapters. I abhor them. And mostly I cannot see the point of them...particularly as the chapter is then broken down within with "asterixes" to separate parts of the story. However, I did see the relevance of the lengthy chapters here what with each subsequent chapter being each woman's narrative. But I still don't like them.

This really was an original and unique choice for a story set during WW2 - as we often hear about nurses, land girls, WAAFs, Wrens or the ATS. But this one focusing on the women who aided in the construction of a bridge during wartime (and not recognised for it in the end, I might add) promised to be something different. And it was. But again, I felt we were missing out on so much more of each woman's story. I think it would have been far better to enmesh these women together in one story and devote a chapter here and there to their respective backstories so it then all moulded into one big story and, as readers, we'd not be robbed of the story as a whole.

I would have loved to have heard more about Gwen's children and their evacuation, Evelyn's love interest Stan (who seemed to pop out of nowhere and then disappear again so much that it felt like he didn't even feature), Joan's story in general as she seemed to be something of an enigma and even Sylvie's wedding was a rushed affair and before long she was gone. Then Evelyn's possible pursual of an engineering course in Canada...was that a done deal or what happened there? And even Olive, who was a force to be reckoned with on the construction site, just disappeared one day with the vague mention of a bomb. There was a lot of vague innuendo to each woman's story that it was hard to find any satisfying conclusion in the end.

It's very hard to rate THE WOMEN AT WATERLOO BRIDGE because while I did enjoy it in part, I also felt that there was so much missing that was left unsaid that could have been to give the reader a satisfying conclusion. It's a shame because it is such a unique tale to tell.

I would still be interested to see any further historical tales by this author.

I would like to thank #JanCasey, #NetGalley and #AriaFiction for an ARC of #TheWomenOfWaterlooBridge in exchange for an honest review.


MEET THE AUTHOR:

Jan Casey first heard the little known account of Waterloo Bridge, The Ladies' Bridge, being built by women during the Second World War on a Thames riverboat tour. The story fascinated her and 'The Women of Waterloo Bridge', Jan's first novel, is the outcome of her exploration into that event that had, until now, been erased from history. Before becoming a published novelist, Jan has had short stories and flash fiction published.

Jan was born in London but spent her childhood in Southern California. She was a teacher of English and Drama for many years and is now a Learning Supervisor at a college of further education.

When she is not writing or working, Jan enjoys cooking, reading, swimming, walking and spending time with her grandchildren.

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REVIEW: Night Train to Paris by Fliss Chester

 

Night Train to Paris (A Fen Churche Mystery #2) by Fliss Chester
Genre: Historical Mystery, Cosy, Post-WW2
Read: 22nd November 2020
Published: 26th November 2020

★★★ 3 stars

DESCRIPTION:

Meet Fen Churche, as she steps off the night train with the sun rising over Paris. Cat whisperer, crossword puzzler... accidental detective?

Autumn, 1945. Fen cannot wait to see her beloved godmother Rose, who has invited Fen to stay with her in the city of lights. As she arrives, Fen is dreaming of strolls by the Seine, taking tea at the Eiffel Tower and above all French feasts with Rose where they can trade stories of how they survived the terrifying war years.

But Fen has barely made friends with Rose’s bad-tempered poodle when she returns to the apartment to find her godmother murdered, a paintbrush stuck in her neck. Suddenly Fen is thrown into the middle of a truly puzzling mystery. Who on earth would want to murder Rose, a gentle artist and generous friend?

A blackmail letter convinces Fen that the police have got everything wrong and Fen knows she has to solve the case just like one of her crosswords, one clue at a time. As she meets her godmother’s friends, she makes a surprising discovery: Rose was part of the Resistance during the war…

When a second body turns up, another of Rose’s wartime contacts, Fen must act fast. But as the killer turns their sights on Fen, does she have what it takes to solve this mysterious murder and get justice for her darling godmother?

You won’t be able to put down this utterly addictive historical cosy mystery! The absolutely perfect treat if you love Agatha Christie, Rhys Bowen and Jacqueline Winspear.  


MY REVIEW:

I am excited to be taking part in the #BooksOnTour #BlogTour for Fliss Chester's historical mystery NIGHT TRAIN TO PARIS.

Having been transported back in time to post war France in the tail end of summer 1945 with the first in this cosy series featuring cryptic crossword cluer Fenella Churche, I was excited to sink my teeth in yet another of her historical mysteries with NIGHT TRAIN TO PARIS. And while I didn't find it as enthralling as the first, it was still an engaging read.

October 1945: After uncovering a murderer in a Chateau winery along with the truth about what happened to her fiance Arthur, Fen Churche travelled by train from Burgundy to Paris to visit an old family friend and bohemian artist, Madame Rose Coillard. Accompanied by her late fiance's friend James Lancaster, Fen is looking forward to relaxing and showing James the galleries and beauty of Paris. 

Upon arrival they discover that Rose has no room for James as she has recently taken a lodger, Simone, and James is left to find a hotel in which to stay. But his presence has not gone unnoticed by the young Simone who works at a fashion house with upcoming designers Christian Dior and Pierre Balmain, as she sets her sights on the dashing James. Fen is concerned that Simone is only interested in his title and sees him as a meal ticket, having come from meagre beginnings herself. Her almost unseen disdain at Fen's Jewish friend Magda who has, since the war practically gone from riches to rags, did not go unnoticed by me as I felt her niceness was a facade for some other ulterior motive. I didn't like her from the beginning nor did I trust her.

Rose, however, is an accomplished artist she has spent many years copying the artistic greats but also adding her own flourishes to make them her own. But some have accused her of selling forgeries to some of the more affluent dignitaries in the City of Love. Unless her agent has been less then forthcoming with her works, passing them off as originals, and reaping the benefits of the sale without passing it on to Rose herself. She may be bohemian and a little eccentric, but Rose is not a fraud. She just appreciates art.

But that may not be the only aspect of her past that is catching up to her. Rose spent the war on the side of the Resistance by keeping track of all the stolen art from Jewish families and the like by the Germans during the war. All she needs is to find her cipher to decode her list to reveal exactly where these stolen paintings are today. But apparently someone does not want these paintings returned to their rightful owners...or so it would seem. 

Then when Fen and James return to Rose's apartment one afternoon, they are shocked to discover her body on the floor of her studio with a paintbrush through her neck! The police are called and a quick search of the apartment reveals some of Rose's more valuable paintings as well as most of her jewellery are missing, and the police rule it as a robbery gone wrong. After the initial shock of finding her old friend's body, Fen and James then join forces to do some investigating of their own...to uncover who really killed Rose Coillard. Was it just an opportunistic killing? Or was it the work of the WW2 double agent known only as The Chameleon? 

It took me a while to get into the story as all that seemed to be happening was Simone fluttering her eyes at James and Fen frequenting galleries whilst Rose paints and entertains them for tea. It wasn't until about 40% that the pace started to slowly pick up and things started to happen. Admittedly, I was tempted to give up prior to this as it was taking far too long to get interesting. And Simone was frustratingly sickening. As it was, the subject matter is not one that interests me a great deal as I know very little about art and found some of it confusing. However, the story did get marginally better and was a fairly engaging read.

I found some parts a little repetitive at times with "after hearing a knock at the door and Tipper's usual reception, Fen is relieved to find it is only James". This occurred a couple of times in the space of a chapter that one might assume that door knocking and opening to be an integral part of the story.

As the story took a while to build or go anywhere, I was able to identify the murderer before the said murder even took place! Not that it deterred me in anyway as I was eager to discover if my sleuthing proved to be correct. And despite the slow start, NIGHT TRAIN TO PARIS was something of a page-turner.

Although I did enjoy the first book "A Dangerous Goodbye" far more than this one, NIGHT TRAIN TO PARIS is a delightful step back in time to post-war Paris steeped in history and alas, murder! I enjoyed catching up with Captain (or rather Viscount) James Lancaster and had hoped for a bit more of time together with Fen rather than the sultry Simone. But as the reader is to discover, there is more to learn about James Lancaster, a former SOE operative during the war, than meets the eye.

I am not familiar with Paris or its traditions so I do look forward to Fen's return to England and hope that her next mystery will find her tucked up in her West Sussex village with James Lancaster as a nearby neighbour perhaps, so as to be on hand to assist in future mysteries.

A light and engaging read for fans of cosy and historical mysteries.

I would like to thank #FlissChester, #NetGalley, #Bookouture for an ARC of #NightTrainToParis in exchange for an honest review.


MEET THE AUTHOR:

Fliss Chester lives in Surrey with her husband and writes historical cozy crime. When she is not killing people off in her 1940s whodunnits, she helps her husband, who is a wine merchant, run their business. Never far from a decent glass of something, Fliss also loves cooking (and writing up her favourite recipes on her blog), enjoying the beautiful Surrey and West Sussex countryside and having a good natter. 

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Saturday 21 November 2020

REVIEW: Little Whispers by K.L. Slater

 

Little Whispers by K.L. Slater
Genre: Psychological thriller, Domestic thriller, Suspense
Read: 20th November 2020
Published: 21st May 2020

★★★★★ 4.5 stars (rounded up)

DESCRIPTION:

You shared a secret with the wrong person.

Janey Markham is thrilled to be moving with her family to Buckingham Crescent, the smartest address in a desirable suburban town.

Worried she’ll be excluded by the glossy local mothers, Janey is thrilled when she meets Tanya, the kind of woman she has always looked up to. Tanya takes Janey under her wing, and her teenage daughter Angel is amazing with Janey’s little boy. As Janey and Tanya grow closer, Janey feels she can finally leave her troubled past behind.

But then everything changes…

In a weak moment over a bottle of wine, Janey finds herself telling Tanya her most shocking secret. Why wouldn’t she trust her new friend?

The following day, Janey sees Angel, with a man old enough to be her father, pushing someone into a car. The next day a body is found and police appeal for witnesses – and share a picture of the same car…

When Janey tells Tanya she is going to the police, Tanya turns threatening. She’ll stop at nothing to defend Angel, even if her daughter is guilty. If Janey says anything, Tanya will make sure that her dark secret gets out.

Janey faces an impossible choice. Stay quiet about what she saw that terrible day. Or speak up, and destroy the family she has worked so hard to protect…

From million-copy bestseller K.L. Slater comes this twisty and absolutely unputdownable roller-coaster ride of a read. Fans of The Girl on the Train and Gone Girl will be totally hooked on Little Whispers.


MY REVIEW:

As a massive fan of Kim Slater's I am always excited to read a new thriller and LITTLE WHISPERS did not disappoint. She is one of my "go-to" authors where I don't hesitate to grab the book and delve into it without even reading the premise. There's not many authors I do that with but with Kim I know I am always going to get a twist-filled thrill ride from start to finish. 

LITTLE WHISPERS is a mix of domestic drama and thriller where no one is quite who they appear to be...with secrets and lies that have far reaching consequences.

When Janey Markham's mother gifts her with a terrible family secret on her death bed, her whole world falls apart. Along with the secret her mother also gave her a box, telling her that the contents would explain everything. But four months on, Janey still hasn't felt strong enough to open it.

Then Janey's husband Isaac secures a new job with double the salary, allowing them to pay off their credit cards and mortgage. Along with the job comes a move to the affluent Buckingham Crescent in West Bridgford, Nottingham. The house is detached with a backyard more than twice the size of the Victorian semi in which they currently live. It's certainly a step up offering good prospects and the promise of Isaac working from home. Janey couldn't be more happy since his hours have been long and stressful. What with Isaac's long hours and the death of her mother, Janey feels this could be a fresh start for them all.

Upon moving into Buckingham Crescent, Janey's 8 year old son Rowan is enrolled in the local school but is nervous about being the new kid as his uniform has not yet arrived. Janey herself is worried that she won't fit in with the school gate mums who seem to watch her with a mixture of disdain and interest. 

And then Janey meets Tanya

Tanya also lives on Buckingham Crescent in a house that is possibly twice the size of their's. Almost at once, Tanya's son Dexter befriends Rowan and Janey is relieved to see her son enjoying school and some new friendships. As for Janey, her budding friendship with Tanya grows from strength to strength as Tanya helps her settle into life as "Buckingham mum". The women enjoy coffee mornings, shopping trips, swimming clubs along with other mums on the Crescent Edie and Kyoko. Whilst Edie is open and warm from the outset, Ky is not. She appears to regard Janey as some kind of threat, making barbed comments and attempts to exclude her. Janey has no idea what she has done to upset her but refuses to let her bitchiness ruin her new-found friendships.

And then when Janey receives an attempt to warn her about the "Buckingham mums" from neighbour Polly, her new friends dismiss Polly as being a "sad case" with no friends or family who just likes to stir up trouble. Tanya informs her that Polly has repeatedly accused her of destroying the flowers in her garden and is often seen lurking between the hedges separating her's and Tanya's backyards. Janey had initially thought Polly a lonely old woman but harmless enough but after her friends' warnings decided to give Polly a wide berth. 

Meanwhile, Isaac's promises of shorter hours and spending more time together as a family seem to be just empty words as he continues to work late every night, even later than in his previous job. While he tells Janey that their family is his priority, Janey sees nothing to back that up as cracks start to appear in their marriage. However, Janey knows Isaac well enough to know that something is bothering her husband. He has systematically told her from the beginning not to get too close to the neighbours or to tell them anything about his work. Why? What is he hiding?

But a dinner party at Edie's which promised to be a fun affair ends up in disaster when Janey catches Isaac upstairs with Ky in what appears to be an embrace. Is he having an affair? Is that why he doesn't want her to get close to her new friends?

Regardless of his reservations, Janey and Tanya's friendship grows and in a moment of alcoholic haze Janey decides that she can trust Tanya with her deepest darkest secret. The one her mother revealed on her deathbed. She was not prepared for Tanya's reaction however her friend assured her that her secret was safe with her. But when Janey tells Isaac she shared "the secret" with Tanya, her husband is apoplectic. Why would she do that? And despite Tanya's assurances that she won't say a word, Janey immediately regrets her moment of alcoholic weakness.

But when Janey sees Tanya's teenage daughter Angel in town with an older man, bundling a younger man into the back of a car, Janey knows something is amiss. Angel is supposed to be at school. But confronting Tanya is not easy as when she does, showing her the photos as proof, her new friend threatens to reveal Janey's secret should she go to the police.

Janey then realises that she's not the only one on Buckingham Crescent keeping secrets. Everyone, it seems, has a skeleton or two. The question is, what are THEY hiding?

Soon everyone will know Janey's secret, ostracising her from the school in which she works as a teaching assistant and her friends. Their fresh start becomes her worst nightmare when all is revealed.

Fast paced and compelling from the start, LITTLE WHISPERS is a slow burning psychological and domestic thriller that I finished in one day. As everything comes together for Janey (and us, the readers), the twist is quite ingenious and not one I saw coming. 

Told through Janey's first person narrative, we are also given the in alternating chapters of someone named Susan who has been abducted and being held in a basement. We have no idea how this even relates to the main plot and Kim cleverly keeps it from us until the very end...when all is revealed. All throughout I was burning to know "the secret" which Janey's mother bestowed upon her and felt rather put out that first Tanya, the head teacher and the school all found out long before we, the readers, did! How could Kim tantalise us like that? But she did it with pure skill that made us want to keep reading.

I am not a fan of slow burns but this one was different. Not just because it was a K.L. Slater thriller...but I just can't put my finger on it. Maybe it is Kim's clever plotting and storytelling that made it a captivating read despite the slow burn. Either way, LITTLE WHISPERS engages the reader from the start and doesn't let up till the end.

As always, Kim does it again and I look forward to the next thrill ride she is sure to take us on!

I would like to thank #KLSlater, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #LittleWhispers 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.

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COVER REVEAL!! The Happy Family by Jackie Kabler

**COVER REVEAL**

Introducing...
the brand new thriller from the author of "The Perfect Couple"
Published by One More Chapter
on 4th June 2021

A mother who disappeared… 
When Beth was 10 years old, her beautiful, wild mother Alice walked out and never came back. Beth’s life since hasn’t always been smooth sailing, but now she is happy and settled, with a successful career, a loving family and a beautiful home. 
 
An unexpected visitor…
Then one day there’s a knock at the door. Alice has returned. Overjoyed to have the chance to rebuild their relationship, Beth invites her mother to move in.
 
A life that comes crashing down…
At first, everything seems wonderful. But then Beth’s friends begin to drift away, strange things start to happen at home, and rumours begin to circle about her past. As the mysterious events around Beth become darker and more dangerous, she is forced to question everything. Is somebody in her life trying to destroy her happiness? And how far will they go?

Perfect for fans of Liane Moriarty, C. L. Taylor and Lisa Jewell


Available for pre-order at Amazon


REVIEW: Trust Me by Sheryl Browne

 

Trust Me by Sheryl Browne
Genre: Domestic thriller, Domestic drama, Psychological thriller
Read: 16th November 2020
Published: 20th November 2020

★★★★ 4 stars

DESCRIPTION:

Emily and Jake are the perfect couple. Or so everyone says. But Emily just read a letter that has shattered her perfect world. Now she only has one thing on her mind… which one of her friends is sleeping with her husband?

Emily watches Jake as he makes small talk with their children, still the perfect man she married years ago. But when the phone rings and he answers before quickly putting it down again, she sees the look on her husband’s face – guilt. She knows the signs – after all, she’s been lying to him for years.

Working with Jake at the local doctor’s surgery, Emily starts to listen at closed doors and read things she shouldn’t, hoping to find the truth about her husband. Soon she learns that hers isn’t the only family telling lies to each other. Is there anyone Emily can trust? And who is behind the letter to Jake?

When a second letter, revealing a wife’s hidden pregnancy, is sent to the woman’s husband, it has disastrous consequences. And as more angry letters revealing people’s biggest secrets begin to appear, fingers point at Emily. After all, she’s the one with access to everyone’s private history, and she’s the one with a score to settle. Emily says she didn’t do it. But this isn’t the first time Emily has lied. What happens next will have you questioning everything…

You might have already decided that Emily is guilty, but as each twist is revealed, you’ll begin to doubt everyone in this quiet little town. This is a psychological thriller that will keep you up all night!

If you enjoyed The Girl on the Train, My Lovely Wife and Behind Closed Doors, you will love this thrilling psychological thriller from bestselling author Sheryl Browne. Trust Me will have you hooked from the start.


MY REVIEW:

I am excited to be taking part in the #BooksOnTour #BlogTour for Sheryl Browne's compelling thriller TRUST ME.

Trust is the predominant theme in Sheryl Browne's newest thriller TRUST ME, exploring every facet in every nook and every cranny where just one itty bitty piece of information in the wrong hands becomes the catalyst of catastrophic consequences. But at the centre of this tempest is the local doctor's surgery...where every private detail of every resident is kept under digital lock and key.

But what if someone had the key to all that data? To all those private details? To every secret that each person wishes to remain so?

Every one has something to hide as each relationship is brought into question. Everyone has a past. Everyone has baggage that they do not wish to share...particularly made public. With that thought in mind, the very idea that this could happen makes TRUST ME a truly scary concept indeed.

Emily and Jake appear to have the perfect life and perfect marriage with two children - 18 year old Ben and 16 year old Millie. The village in which they live had been Jake's home growing up and, though he vowed never to return after the tragic death of his mother, they find themselves moving back as Jake takes on a partnership with his estranged father at the local doctor's surgery. But still waters run deep as Dr Jake Merriden questions whether he has made the right move, with the blame for his mother's death still firmly rooted at his father's feet. Not to mention his father's roving eye still lingers over the younger female patients...some things never change.

At home, life is not always easy with two teenagers. Ben is moody and quick to anger whilst Millie is now at that impressionable age that Emily once was and remembers all too well. Her constant reminders that she doesn't want Millie to make the same mistakes she did fall on deaf ears. But little does Millie know just how scared her mother is of those mistakes - they are life changing and the scars they leave continue to haunt her today.

As practice manager at the surgery where Jake works, Emily is responsible for the data protection of all their clients...constantly reminding young receptionist Nicky to blank her screen and log out before leaving her desk. Patient files must be kept private at all times. After all, they trust them with that information. Trust.

Then one day at work, Emily reads an email that shatters her perfect world. And now she has one thing on her mind...which one of her friends is sleeping with her husband?

Emily constantly watches Jake, looking for little nuances to prove that the apple doesn't fall far from its tree. He talks and laughs with their children seemingly still her perfect husband. But then the phone rings and he walks into another room to answer before quickly putting it down again. She sees the guilt written on his face. She knows the signs...after all, she has been lying to him for years. So what is he hiding from her? Who was really on the phone? And where does he go all those late nights home where he claims he had a mountain of paperwork? Or a late call-out to a patient? Is Jake really so much like his father after all?

At work, Emily finds herself listening at closed doors hoping to discover the truth about her husband. But what she hears rocks her world as she learns that hers isn't the only family keeping secrets. Is there anyone left she can trust?

Then letters begin to find themselves posted through people's letterboxes, revealing private information that could only have come from the surgery. A wife on the pill when she supposedly wanted a child, a sympathy card with a cruel message, a threat to reveal a criminal past and suicide attempt to employers...all with disastrous consequences. As the letters revealing people's biggest secrets continue to appear, fingers point to Emily...as the one who has unlimited access to everyone's private history. But Emily knows she's innocent. Isn't she? 

This isn't the the first time Emily has lied...and she has been behaving very erratically of late with her unfounded (bar the email) accusations of Jake's affair, her lack of sleep, her constant nightmares and her screamfests with Jake. When Jake also accuses her of leaking that information, Emily realises that she can no longer trust her husband. Nor can she trust her best friend who announces her pregnancy after Emily discovers their shared past that seems have been reignited. 

Trust. It's all about trust. Trust no one.

As Emily's life seems to be imploding, there is a final twist that will bring everything to a head as the truth is finally revealed. 

A cleverly told tale, I devoured TRUST ME in a day. I easily predicted who was behind the letters and the link between two characters but it didn't deter my enjoyment. There was a twist that I had down to one and was the result of another I didn't see coming, so hats off to Sheryl Browne for blindsiding me with that one!

It was easy to believe that Emily was losing the plot as her accusations were way out of nowhere and completely unfounded. What? Because of an email she'd read? Because of the things she heard behind closed doors? You know what they say about eavesdroppers...chances are you will never hear anything good. So naturally Emily took these instances as proof of Jake's infidelity and no matter how much he tried convincing her it was untrue, the more she believed him to be lying. After all, she'd lied to him...what's to stop him lying to her also? 

But when it becomes clear why Emily is dishing out accusations and behaving erratically, one has to wonder exactly who can you really trust?

The story unfolds through mainly Emily and Jake's narratives, with a couple of others adding their parts of the story. I especially loved Edward and Joyce who featured so predominantly and yet only played a small part.

While it would take something deliciously twisted to outshine her previous thriller "The New Girlfriend" (which I totally loved), TRUST ME is still a frustratingly enjoyable read that you won't want to put down until you uncover every last little secret. I loved the village setting and gossipy nature of locals. It felt a little like an Agatha Christie novel crossed with an episode of Midsomer Murders - both of which featured "poison pen" letters. I can recall the Midsomer episode in which a doctor's surgery became the prime focus of patients' secrets being revealed with the practice manager being behind them in the end.

Another great read by Sheryl Browne, an author who I don't hesitate to go in blind without reading the premise. Trust me when I say fans of domestic thrillers are bound to devour TRUST ME.

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


MEET THE AUTHOR:

Sheryl Browne writes psychological thriller and edgy contemporary fiction. A member of the Crime Writers’ Association, Romantic Novelists’ Association and awarded a Red Ribbon by The Wishing Shelf Book Awards, Sheryl has several books published and two short stories in Birmingham City University anthologies, where she completed her MA in Creative Writing. 

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Thursday 19 November 2020

REVIEW: Her Darkest Hour by Sharon Maas



Her Darkest Hour by Sharon Maas
Genre: Historical fiction, WW2
Read: 19th November 2020
Published: 22nd May 2020

★★★ 3 stars

DESCRIPTION:

In the small French town of Colmar, swastikas hang from lampposts, tanks are lined up outside the town hall, and fifteen-year-old Victoire dreams of adventure. She is desperate to defeat the Germans but is dismissed as too young to help. But her family has always fought to do the right thing, and when a desperate mother and child seek refuge, Victoire doesn’t hesitate to hide them in the family wine cellar.

Her sister Marie Claire is unaware of Victoire’s actions. Rejected by her childhood sweetheart, Marie Claire has turned her back on those she loves. She is catapulted into a new and frightening life, seduced by the power the Germans can offer, forcing Victoire to cut all ties with her sister.

But when Victoire learns someone she loves is in terrible danger, her only choice is to trust the sister who betrayed her. Marie Claire’s cruel and heartless husband has key information and Victoire must persuade Marie Claire to obtain it, even if it means risking Marie Claire’s life. As secrets come to light and close bonds are broken, will the sisters be able to heal old wounds?

An unforgettable and unputdownable story of two sisters ripped apart by World War 2. Fans of The Nightingale and The Ragged Edge of Night will fall in love with Her Darkest Hour.


MY REVIEW:

Despite having "The Violin Maker's Daughter" on my TBR list I have yet to read it, so therefore HER DARKEST HOUR is my first read by Sharon Maas. I went in without any preconceived notions as I have done in the past, based on previous WW2 novels, and have been disappointed. Like most novels set during such a dark time in history, it is heartbreaking and bittersweet. I did, however, find it to be a little drawn out in parts and slow moving to begin with but the gallop to the end made for riveting reading.

Alsace, France 1939: When the German army arrive in the Alsatian town of Colmar in rural France, they quickly take control of everything - property, food, wine, houses. Swastikas adorn buildings and hang from lampposts and soldiers intimidate frightened locals into acquiescence.

Juliette Dolch (a Frenchwoman whose family name was changed during the last German occupation) lives and studies in Colmar, residing with her grandmother...until she dares to stand up to a German officer who then takes it upon himself to requisition her grandmother's house and belongings for the good of Germany. Although they had the option to remain and share their home with German officers, Juliette and her grandmother then return to the family farm in the winemaking region of Alsace.

At Chateau Gauthier, Marie-Claire lives with her younger sister Victoire and their mother Margaux at the family winery. Her two brothers Lucien and Leon are reportedly prisoners of war. Their estranged father  lives in Paris with his mistress and is all but absent from their lives. He makes no secret that Marie-Claire is his favourite child, sending her high end Paris fashion clothes and expensive make-up in his absence. Though she lives at the Chateau, Marie-Claire works in Colmar at the Mairie which had also been requisitioned by the Nazis. Marie-Claire and her colleagues had a choice - to leave or to remain and work under German command. Marie-Claire, who is bilingual in both French and German, chose to remain. After all, it is only a job...and one that would give her the independence she craved.

All her life Marie-Claire has been in love with her neighbour and childhood friend, Jacques Dolch. But Jacques sees her only as a sister and his only love is to join the Resistance and fight for France's freedom from the Nazis. When his sister Juliette returns, she too secretly joins him in the Resistance movement, along with her beau Nathan who is also Jewish. 

Then Jacques approaches Marie-Claire with the offer to work for the greater good for France by using her position as personal assistant to a high ranking German officer, Deitrich Kurtz, to filter information (many of which is highly classified) back to him via a third party (also in the Resistance). Marie-Claire is ecstatic. At last she can prove her worth and her love for him by undertaking this task for him...which provided them with a wealth of information. However, when she makes another seductive advance on Jacques, she is left humiliated and angered at his rejection once again vowing to cease her involvement in helping his movement.

No one in Marie-Claire's family approves of her working for the Nazis but have come to accept it as a means to an end. It is a job, after all. But then terrible circumstances lead to an even more shocking result - Marie-Claire becomes engaged to her boss, Deitrich Kurtz, and the family is aghast at the depths to which Marie-Claire would stoop. Her mother Margaux wants nothing to do with her, despite her younger daughter's pleas not to be so hasty. In their mother's eyes, Marie-Claire was no longer her daughter.

But life is not all that it seems to be as Marie-Claire, who once dreamed of nothing more than fleeing to Paris and living the high life, was to discover. Only her younger sister Victoire knew the secrets she kept to herself. Only Victoire knew her pain. Only Victoire seemed to care. For as Jacques had so blatantly put it "She has made her bed. Now she must lie in it." Literally.

HER DARKEST HOUR had many facets and subplots that at times it was hard to keep up...but in the end, they all tapered into the most important one of all. What started out as a slow story about a self-centred, fickle young woman who thought of no one but herself ended up being one of survival. It ended cleverly and with a resounding cheer from myself as I discovered their fate. I couldn't decide whether I liked Marie-Claire or not. She was incredibly vain and selfish to begin with that she did end up in a bed of her own making in a way. But I ended up feeling for her and the predicament in which she found herself married to such an evil brute of a man. Victoire was probably my favourite. She yearned to do so much more for the Resistance and yet she was too young...but still her heart was in the right place. And in the end, she became the strongest of them all.

An emotional story that is heartbreaking and bittersweet, HER DARKEST HOUR is a book that will break your heart as you find yourself completely immersed within this captivating tale of family, impossible choices and courage.

Recommended for fans of WW2 historical fiction.

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


MEET THE AUTHOR:

Sharon Maas was born in Georgetown, Guyana, in 1951.

She was educated in Guyana and England. After leaving school she worked as a staff journalist at the Guyana Graphic and the Sunday Chronicla in Georgetown. Sharon has always had a great sense of adventure and curiosity about the world we live in, and Guyana could not hold her for long. In 1971 she set off on a year-long backpacking trip around South America. Her travel articles were published in the Chronicle.

In 1973 she travelled overland to India through Europe, Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan, and spent two years in an Ashram in South India.

Her first novel, Of Marriageable Age, is set in India and Guyana and was published by HarperCollins in 1999. Subsequent novels were published in 2001 and 2003.

At present she works as a Social Worker in a hospital in South Germany.

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Wednesday 18 November 2020

REVIEW: The Lost Village by Daniela Sacerdoti

 

The Lost Village by Daniela Sacerdoti
Genre: Contemporary fiction, Chick Lit, Women's fiction, Historical fiction
Read: 14th November 2020
Published: 16th November 2020

★★★★ 4 stars

DESCRIPTION:

1945, Italy. Two sisters give birth to two little girls on the same night, huddled under blankets, deep in the black woods that surround the village of Bosconero. They hold their babies close as footsteps approach. If they make even the slightest sound, the German soldiers will find them…

2006. Luce Nardini searches the cobbled streets of a remote Italian village for a house with a faded blue door. Since her only child left home, and with her estranged husband more distant than ever, she’s been completely untethered. Discovering why her mother cut all contact with her family and the village she loved feels like Luce’s last hope at understanding who she is.

Inside the house, she’s relieved to find the grandmother she never knew living out her final days. With a longing look at an ornate wooden box on her nightstand, her grandmother is just beginning to tell the heart-wrenching story of a little village ravaged by war, and why Luce’s mother swore never to return, when then the unthinkable happens: an earth-shattering disaster that shakes the little village of Bosconero to its core.

Feeling more lost than ever before, Luce fears that the secrets of her past have been buried forever. Her only hope is to win back the trust of the small community and find her grandmother’s little wooden box amongst the rubble of the village.

But will the surprise arrival of the husband she thought she’d lost help sew Luce’s family back together, or tear it apart for good? And will anything have prepared her for the devastating betrayal she finds hidden inside the box…?

An unputdownable historical novel about the secrets we keep to protect the ones we love by the author of million-copy Amazon No 1. bestseller, Watch Over Me. Perfect for anyone who loves Fiona Valpy, Lily Graham or The Letter by Kathryn Hughes.  


MY REVIEW:

I am excited to be taking part in the #BooksOnTour #BlogTour for Daniela Sacerdoti's wonderfully emotional tale THE LOST VILLAGE.

What drew me to this novel was the historical aspect that held a kind of mystery from the past as a key to the present. However, the historical story featured only very minimally and I was a little disappointed that it wasn't the main story as alluded to by the tagline "an emotional World War II historical romance set in Italy" and promised by the opening premise. It is more of a contemporary fiction and chick lit with a historical aspect rather than historical fiction as such. However, that aside, THE LOSE VILLAGE was still a hugely enjoyable story that is easy to get lost in within the depths of Italy.

2006: Empty nester Luce Nardini leaves her home in America to travel to her ancestral home in Bosconero, Italy in search of her roots. Her mother Angelina has never spoken of her family or what made her leave the only home she has known and refuses to give Luce the answers for which she seeks. Angelina believes the past is best left in the past. But at 43, Luce feels herself floating adrift and not belonging anywhere since the collapse of her marriage three years before and her son moving away to college.

Her mother was born in Italy towards the end of the war when tensions were rife due to Mussolini's alliance with Germany. Aside from that, all Luce knows that is that she abruptly left some forty years ago at the tender age of 18. Why, is a complete mystery. But now desperate to understand the truth about her mother's past, Luce is determined to discover the family she never knew and the truth as to why her mother fled all those years ago. And the only way to get those answers is to travel to Italy herself.

When she arrives, she is greeted by her cousin, Mathilde, she found thanks to social media and the two women immediately click as if they had always known each other. Luce is desperate to meet her Nonna, her mother's mother, and so they make their way to "Rose Bianca", her family's ancestral home. As soon as she sees the ancient dwelling with the blue door framed by the trailing white roses just as her mother had described it, Luce knew this is where she will find her answers.

As soon as she walks through the blue door, she is greeted by a small elderly woman with her arms outstretched crying "Angelina! You've come home!" Mathilde explains that it is her granddaughter Luce, Angelina's daughter, as Nonna tearfully embraces Luce. But the three women could not foresee Carlo's anger once he learned of Luce's visit, banishing her from the house in which he shared with his mother. Mathilde tries in vain to bring her father around but he refused to entertain the idea of his estranged sister or his niece. Puzzled by the force of his resentment, Mathilde gives Luce a room at her flat to sleep off her jet lag and in which she is welcome stay for the duration of her visit.

Luce then meets Massimo, Mathilde's fiance, and his friends from the volunteer ambulance service, Andrea and Giacomo. With the summer festival in full swing in the village, Luce is introduced to the Italy's finest foods and wine as they dance and enjoy the atmospheric beauty. But she has not forgotten the reason for her visit - to learn the truth about her mother's past and the secrets of her ancestral home.

When she visits "Rose Bianca" again in Carlo's absence, Nonna begins to tell Luce and Mathilde the story of their family and how it all began...starting with her own father's embarking on an adventure that would change the course of their lives. She related the story of growing up with her little sister Nora and the poverty in which they were living. The story took so much out of Nonna that she had to tell it in parts with each separate visit, for at 90 years of age Nonna was no longer young and had a bad heart to contend with. 

The relief at discovering the family she never knew, Luce was excited to learn to the truth about her mother's past at last. But she wasn't prepared for the tragedy that was to come when an earthquake decimates the village of Bosconero and the threat of losing her family before amends could be made became real. And as news of the earthquake reached America, her son Eli and ex-husband Ethan and even her mother pleaded with her to return home at once...but Luce refused to return until she had all the answers. 

But was it too late? Would she ever discover the truth that caused her mother to flee her home? Would she ever resolve the bad feelings between brother and sister? Would she ever learn the truth about her parentage? And why her mother refuses to speak of the past? Will there be any happy endings?

A story that is equally heartwarming as it is heartbreaking, THE LOST VILLAGE is filled with love, loss and tragedy as one woman embarks on a journey of discovery for the family and a past she has never known. The descriptions are so vivid I felt as if I was right there in Italy surrounded by all it's sights, smells and flavours. 

The characters are well-rounded and I loved getting to know them all. Luce is a strong and determined woman as in discovering her past she builds new relationships and strengthens old ones. Mathilde is an idealistic young woman just beginning her life. Massimo is a kind and gentle soul I loved to be alongside. Angelina had a real mystery to her in her refusal to revisit her past but she struck me as a strong self-reliant woman who brought up Luce single-handedly. As bitter and sullen as Carlo was I was eager to learn the truth behind his resentment. And Nonna...well, she is a multi-layered character who surprises us with the various facets of her nature. Whilst Luce is the main narrator throughout the story, it is Nonna who is the core of the story. She is the one who holds the key, not just to the past, but to the entire story.

While it is a dual timeline novel, the time-slips are flashbacks revisited by Nonna in her retelling of the past to Luce. I did enjoy the WW2 backstory but I would have liked to have more of a predominant feature, particularly as it was billed as a WW2 story. As it was, it took a long time to get to that part of the story I began to wonder if it was going to come at all. 

Despite this, I still very much enjoyed the book. Daniela Sacerdoti is a new author to me I've not read before and I would be interested to read some more along a similar theme.

Overall, THE LOST VILLAGE is a beautiful tale that takes you through a range of emotions but leaving you with a smile at the end.

I would like to thank #DanielaSacerdoti, #NetGalley, #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheLostVillage in exchange for an honest review.


MEET THE AUTHOR:

Daniela Sacerdoti is the author of the bestselling Glen Avich series which has sold over one million copies in ebook to date, Sacerdoti’s debut novel Watch Over Me was named the eighth bestselling Kindle book of all time in 2015, when she was also ranked as the eleventh top-selling Kindle author. She lives in a small village in the middle of nowhere, with her Scottish husband, two children, a Cocker spaniel and a foundling kitten (who was definitely a witch in a past life).  

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