REVIEW: The Weekend Away by Sarah Alderson

The Weekend Away by Sarah Alderson

Genre: Psychological thriller, Suspense, Mystery

Read: 31st December 2021

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 23rd July 2021

★★★★★ 4.5 stars (rounded up)

DESCRIPTION:

Two friends go on holiday. Only one comes back.

Orla and Kate have been best friends forever. Together they’ve faced it all – be it Orla’s struggles as a new mother or Kate’s messy divorce. And whatever else happens in their lives, they can always look forward to their annual weekend away.

This year, they’re off to Lisbon: the perfect flat, the perfect view, the perfect itinerary. And what better way to kick things off in style than with the perfect night out?

But when Orla wakes up the next morning, Kate is gone. Brushed off by the police and with only a fuzzy memory of the night’s events, Orla is her friend’s only hope. As she frantically retraces their steps, Orla makes a series of shattering discoveries that threaten everything she holds dear. Because while Lisbon holds the secret of what happened that night, the truth may lie closer to home…

MY REVIEW:

I love a good psychological thriller that has you guessing all the way through and Sarah Alderson does just that! And despite having several of her books on my shelves, this is the first one I have read. And despite the slowish start, I was NOT disappointed. THE WEEKEND AWAY is such a different tale that, although seems to be filled with all the usual suspencts and twists, it isn't. Trust me...this one is something a little different.

Orla and Kate have been best friends for over twenty years and every year they took a holiday somewhere different...that is, until Orla and husband Rob began to whole IVF journey in which priorities begin to shift and wanting a family became more important to Orla than jetsetting around Europe or the Mediterranean. But now she has been blessed with her little IVF miracle Marlow, Orla decides it's time to revisit the old habits and she and Kate book a weekend away in Lisbon. 

Filled with worries about how Rob will cope on his own with 9 month old baby Marlow, Orla frets for her daughter in this her first time away from her. But they are going to Lisbon! And Kate is sure to liven things up and make her forget all her fears and worries. 

And liven things up she does.

On their first night there, when all Orla wants to do is sleep, Kate wants to go out clubbing and maybe get lucky. They go to dinner, enjoy an expensive meal on Kate's ex-husband's credit card, before moving on to a club in a darkened alley where Kate makes a beeline for the two of the hottest guys there. After knocking back a few bevies and wrapping herself around one of the men, Kate then invites them both back to their AirBnB apartment...which Orla is horrified at. All she wants to do is sleep...but suddenly, the world starts moving and Orla feels sick before she crashes out and is tucked into bed.

Upon waking the following morning, Orla remembers very little of the night before and with the sun streaming into the apartment she goes in search of Kate...only to find no sign of her. She seems to recall them bringing two men back with them last night and her feeling groggy and ill...as if she'd been drugged. And she has a horrifying thought that she had been assaulted! She finds evidence of the man having been there, with the hottub still bubbling away and condom wrappers throughout the place, but still no sign of Kate.

She goes to the police to report her missing but they seem indifferent to the fact she is missing and Orla feels that her concerns are not taken seriously. What then ensues is her own quest to find out what happened to Kate and where she is now because the police don't seem to be interested in helping her. But Orla is a foreigner in a city she is unfamiliar with and it is only with the help of a Kosovan Uber driver, Konstandin, that she is able to navigate her way through her investigations. 

But the more she uncovers the less she feels there is anyone left she can trust...and being alone in a foreign country is a dangerous place to be.

As the mystery unravels we, the reader, begin to piece the jigsaw together only to find there are some missing. And so we begin to "assume nothing, believe no one and question everything", as we too wonder who there is left to trust. I had my list of suspects and it looked as though I was right until Sarah pulled everything out from under me and changed things up several notches before the final reveal. And what a twist it was! It was cleverly crafted and ingeniously delivered that you could almost feel the panic yourself! I was shocked but not entirely surprised as another of my suspects was pulled out a hat as realisation dawned. With a skilful sleight of hand, Sarah lead us down one path while another was sneaking up behind us to throw us completely off course. Just brilliant. It's not often I'm hoodwinked and although I wasn't entirely so in this story, Sarah still outfoxed me in the end.

Although it began a little slow, THE WEEKEND AWAY picks up pace the moment Orla wakes to find Kate missing and thus the investigation that ensues. And while it was slow to start and as irritating as Orla's moaning about her helium deflated breasts and fifteen stitches in her hoo-haa along with Kate's incessant slapper behaviour, not to mention her complete bitchy disregard to her best friend, it was all imperative to the story that follows. Once the mystery began, I couldn't put it down...and I just had to finish it so I could end the year with this final book for 2021...despite NYE being my birthday (on which I turned 50). lol

To be honest, I didn't like Kate from the moment she opened her mouth. Everything she said was in blatant disregard to Orla and her feelings, seemingly engineering things so she could get laid and even encouraging Orla to do so citing "what goes on in Lisbon stays in Lisbon" and "Rob will never know". I thought she was rude, disrespectful, obnoxious and a complete slapper. I didn't much like Orla to begin with either as I felt after all her IVF rounds and finally having the baby she so wanted, she now complained about the endless tiredness and demands a baby creates. Some people are never happy. But when Kate went missing, Orla got her act together and begins a quest to find her missing friend.

THE WEEKEND AWAY ends up being one long weekend away that no one would like to find themselves on and it's a race to the finish to see how everything pans out...as all is revealed and every secret is exposed. It was definitely not what I was expecting when I started this book but I ended up being pleasantly surprised...as well as enduring a few shocks along the way.

Although THE WEEKEND AWAY is my first by Sarah Alderson, I doubt it will be my last as I endeavour to find time to pick up some of the others on my shelves.

A delicious wicked read that will have you on the edge of your seat and I thoroughly recommend.

I would like to thank #SarahAlderson, #Netgalley and #AvonBooksUK for an ARC of #TheWeekendAway in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Sarah is a British born, LA based screenwriter and author. 

Having spent most of her life in London, Sarah quit her job in the non profit sector in 2009 and took off on a round the world trip with her husband and toddler daughter on a mission to find a new place to call home. 

She finished her first novel, HUNTING LILA, just before they left the UK, wrote the sequel on the beach in India, and had signed a two book deal with Simon & Schuster by the time they reached Bali. After living there for five years, during which time she wrote another ten books, she and her family made the move to California.

While now writing predominantly for TV and film, Sarah remains a prolific author, writing women's fiction under the name Mila Gray. Her novels in this genre include the #1 bestselling COME BACK TO ME, STAY WITH ME and RUN AWAY WITH ME.

Her first non-fiction book, CAN WE LIVE HERE, based on her family’s travels around the world to find a new home, was published in 2015.

Her first psychological thriller, FRIENDS LIKE THESE, is out in December 2018, published by Mulholland Books. 

Her books have appeared in translation in Germany, Mexico, Brazil, France, Italy, Portugal, Russia and Poland.

Social Media links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

REVIEW: The Nightingales in Mersey Square by Lilly Robbins

The Nightingales in Mersey Square by Lilly Robbins

Genre: Historical fiction, Wartime fiction, Sagas, WW2

Read: 30th December 2021

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 23rd July 2020

★★★★★ 4.5 stars (rounded up)

DESCRIPTION:

1940: When trainee nurses Clare and Gaye, alongside their new friend Diana discover that the war is forcing the mothers and children of Guernsey to seek safety in Stockport they immediately volunteer.

Yet, they each has their own troubles to face: Clare misses her family in Ireland, while Diana struggles to find her place in the parachute factory. And Gaye must hide a secret that could tear her family apart . . .

With the danger of war coming ever closer, it is their friendship and determination that will see them and the children in their care through. But can the girls and the evacuee families make a home in Mersey Square?

A heart-warming world war two saga of friendship and hope in the face of adversity, perfect for fans of Elsie Mason, Maureen Lee and Lyn Andrews.

MY REVIEW:

One of the best things about reading so many books is the plethora of new authors that I would never have encountered otherwise. Having started my love of books in my youth with The Famous Five, my chosen genre has generally been mysteries and thrillers...but over the past few years I have found a new love in historical fiction. Particularly wartime sagas such as THE NIGHTINGALES IN MERSEY SQUARE. Lilly Robbins is not a name I am familiar with but the premise to this book intrigued me so that I found myself drawn to the tale that lay within.

Stockport 1940: Young student nurses Clare O'Sullivan, who is Irish, and Gaye Robinson, a Geordie, are in their second year of training at St Timothy's Hospital in Stockport in the county of Cheshire. They are enjoying a rare night out at the cinema featuring the dishy Laurence Olivier as the mysterious Heathcliff in "Wuthering Heights" when the film slows to a stop and an announcement is made that there is a raid coming and for all patrons to make their way out to the shelter next door. 

In the ensuing crowds, they stop to help the elderly Mrs Atherton who stumbles and falls, and guide her to the shelter with the assistance of the Red Cross. There they meet Diana Thornley, a well-spoken young woman a little older than themselves, from an obvious upper class background but who holds no weight in the difference in social classes. Diana works in a textile factory putting her sewing skills to good use in making parachutes from silk for the airmen who will come to rely on their special set of skills. However, Diana has come up against some indifference from the other women she works with due to their social differences, making her feel incredibly isolated at work. Which is why her new-found friendship with Clare and Gaye is just the tonic she needs.

The women call on Mrs Atherton in the coming days to see how the older woman is faring after her fainting episode at the cinema, and were thrilled to be received with such a welcome by both the older woman and her daughter Catherine. Mrs Atherton thus has a proposition for the younger women. It seems the Germans are advancing on the Channel Islands and fears for Guernsey falling under Nazi occupation becomes a very real possibility. And so women and children have been evacuated from the island and are on their way to Britain across the wilds of the English Channel, dodging German fire along the way, and Mrs Atherton working alongside the Women's Institute and the local vicar in helping these evacuees find accommodation here in Stockport. She encourages the young women into helping out, no matter their religion which is a concern for Clare who comes from a strict Irish Catholic upbringing, and they all band together to help the Guernsey families find homes here in Britain for the duration.

At once Clare and Gaye organise with their Sister in charge to allow them most weekends off to help out while Diana also makes herself available. Together they find homes for the evacuees and their families, as well as creating regular activities each weekend for the children so they are not bored or homesick. Gaye takes the singing lessons, Clare the knitting while Diana gives art classes.

As well as their volunteer work, the women continue with their regular jobs as well, meeting new people and finding love interests along the way. But as with any aspect of war forever looming largely over them, time is precious and each of them dare not waste a moment. But at what cost? And can the social classes cross the divide that separates them at a time when they all need to band together?

Set against the backdrop of Stockport, Liverpool and Manchester, with a fleeting glimpse of London, THE NIGHTINGALES IN MERSEY SQUARE is a delightful read from start to finish. As with most stories set within this time period, it is as heartbreaking as it is heartwarming. And although it appears to be a standalone story, it could work well as a series as Clare, Gaye and Diana's stories continue to to unfold.

THE NIGHTINGALES IN MERSEY SQUARE is a light and easy read, despite the era, and the women are easily likable...even Diana's hypochondriac aunt Rosamund and her snobbish mother Annabelle, with the latter featuring briefly. I actually quite liked Aunt Rosamund despite her idiosyncrasies and myriad of excuses as to why they couldn't possibly house evacuees...lol In all, each of the characters shine through as the reader gets to know each of them, with all their faults and flaws, as well as their redeeming qualities that endear them to us all.

A truly delightful read, THE NIGHTINGALES IN MERSEY SQUARE is compelling tale of love and friendship in the midst of wartime throughout Britain's darkest days. I look forward to reading more by Lilly Robbins and any sequel to this wonderful tale, should there be one.

I would like to thank #LillyRobbins, #Netgalley and #OrionPublishing for an ARC of #TheNightingalesInMerseySquare in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Lilly Robbins grew up in Scotland, and has lived in London, Stockport and Ireland. Whilst living and teaching in Stockport - her husband's hometown - she became fascinated by its WW2 history and the famous Stockport Air Raid shelters. During her recent research she discovered how Stockport had hosted the Guernsey Evacuee families, and the idea for 'The Nightingales in Mersey Square' was born.

Lilly Robbins is the pseudonym for author Geraldine O'Neill.

Social Media links:

Website | Twitter | Goodreads (Lilly Robbins) | Goodreads (Geraldine O'Neill)

REVIEW: The Tuscan Contessa by Dinah Jefferies

The Tuscan Contessa by Dinah Jefferies

Genre: Historical fiction, Wartime fiction, WW2

Read: 29th December 2021

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 23rd July 2020

★★★ 3 stars

DESCRIPTION:

A sweeping new novel from the number one Sunday Times bestselling author of The Tea Planter's Wife.

In 1940s Tuscany, Contessa Sofia de' Corsi's peaceful home in a medieval villa among the olive groves has been upturned by the arrival of German soldiers. She is desperate to help her friends in the village fight back in any way she can, all while keeping her efforts secret from her husband Lorenzo, who fears for their safety. When Maxine, a no-nonsense Italian-American, arrives in Tuscany to help the resistance, the two women forge an uneasy alliance. Before long they find themselves entangled in a dangerous game with the Nazis, each trying to save the ones they love...

'Dinah Jefferies has a remarkable gift for conjuring up another time and place with lush descriptions, full of power and intensity' Kate Furnivall

MY REVIEW:

I've always wanted to read Dinah Jefferies but THE TUSCAN CONTESSA just didn't do it for me. It was OK but I've often struggled with stories set in Italy during the war. I'm not sure why...maybe something is lost in the translation of circumstances or I just don't find it as enthralling as the rest of those set in Europe during the same time. I guess because Italy was a convoluted mess during the war, particularly the latter stages.

The story follows the Countessa, Sofia de Corsi, who lives with husband Lorenzo in the beautiful family owned property of Castello de Corsi contained within the walled village. Respected in the community, the de Corsis were well loved and well liked. Lorenzo worked for the Ministry of Agriculture which saw him travel for long periods thus taking him away from Sofia.

Under Mussolini, Italy formed an alliance with Germany in the fight against England and her Allies, therefore placing the Mediterranean country under Germany's martial law. However, the country was ripped in two as half of them fought against the facists loyal to Mussolini and the underground movement that formed a resistance against the Germans. Living under such conditions it would be hard to know who you could trust under such circumstances. How could you know who was a spy and who to trust?

Sofia becomes involved in the resistance movement, of which her husband Lorenzo is unaware, placing the Castello and those around them in danger. Lorenzo, however, doesn't share his wife's sympathies for the partisans preferring her to remain dignified as befitting in someone in her position should be. Then when German officers arrive at the Castello, life becomes dangerous for Sofia and those around her particularly when a Commandant takes a keen interest in her.

When Maxine, an Italian American, arrives to assist Sofia with the allied resistance, the women form an uneasy alliance to forge their way through the difficult and challenging circumstances. Maxine works for the allies passing information along about the Germans through the resistance chain. But can Sofia truly trust Maxine? Can she trust anyone?

An absorbing backdrop to the beautiful settings of Tuscany, Florence and Rome, THE TUSCAN CONTESSA weaves history and fiction together to form a tragic tale that highlights the worst of human nature as the heroines of the story fight against the brutalities of Nazi occupation. 

There is a lot to like about this story but I just didn't love it. Although the setting of Italy is magnificent despite the horrific and brutal circumstances.

Dinah Jefferies is an accomplished master of conjuring the evocative narrative that tugs at your heartstrings whilst enveloping you in its descriptive setting. A story of love, betrayal, sacrifice and loss, THE TUSCAN CONTESSA brings the finer details of wartime occupation in Italy to life.

I would like to thank #DinahJefferies, #Netgalley and #Penguin for an ARC of #TheTuscanContessa in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Dinah Jefferies was born in Malacca, Malaya in 1948 and moved to England in 1956 at age eight after the country became independent. She studied at the Birmingham College of Art and later at the University of Ulster, where she graduated in English literature.

When her son Jamie was fourteen he was killed in an accident at school and the experience went to underpinning the emotional power of her writings including her debut 2013 work The Separation.

Her 2015 novel, The Tea Planter's Wife , was a choice for the Richard and Judy Book Club and was in the Sunday Times best sellers list for 16 weeks continuously from September until Christmas 2015, topping it twice during that time. Her next novel in 2016 novel, The Silk Merchant's Daughter, also entered the Sunday Times top 10. She has been a bestseller in Italy with both The Tea Planter's Wife and her 2017 book Before the Rains. The Sapphire Widow was published in April 2018. It too was a Richard and Judy Book Club pick for Summer 2018 and it also entered The Sunday Times Top 10 bestsellers list within 3 days of publication, staying there for three weeks. Her next book, The Missing Sister, was published in March 2019, though the eBook and Audio books were published a few weeks earlier. The eBook reached no 1 on the Amazon Kindle charts and the paperback entered the UK top 10 best sellers at no 8 after just three days of sales. She reached 13 in the Italian charts with that book. 

Having mainly based her books in South/South-East Asia, her 2020 book, The Tuscan Contessa, is set in Tuscany, Italy, during WW2. It was published in Italy and in the UK in July 2020. Her books have been published in over 30 different languages.

In September 2020 she changed publisher from Penguin Random House to HarperCollins UK, with a contract for a trilogy starting with Daughters of War, a story of three sisters in war torn Dordogne, France, during WW2. It was published on 16th September, 2021, and went straight into the Sunday Times top 10 selling paperbacks after three days of sales.

Dinah now lives in Gloucestershire with her husband.

Social Media links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | BookBub | Goodreads

REVIEW: Wedding Bells on the Home Front by Annie Clarke

Wedding Bells on the Home Front (The Factory Girls #3) by Annie Clarke

Genre: Wartime fiction, Sagas, WW2, Historical fiction

Read: 28th December 2021

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 23rd July 2020

★ 1 star

DESCRIPTION:

March 1942: As the war continues, wedding bells are ringing for the factory girls . . .

Sarah is happily settling into married life with new husband Stan, whilst Fran is busy planning her upcoming wedding to sweetheart Davey, who’s still conscripted to Bletchley Park. With limited resources, the girls must make do to create the perfect day.

Meanwhile, Beth has other things on her mind. She hasn’t heard from her husband Bob since he returned to the navy, and she’s starting to fear the worst. And new friend Viola is still recovering from a nasty accident.

Life on the home front can be challenging, but with the support of one another, the factory girls can get through anything.

MY REVIEW:

I'm a sucker for wartime fiction, particularly sagas, but I'm sad to say I could not get into WEDDING BELLS ON THE HOME FRONT. I don't know whether it is because it's the third book in the series or the north eastern vernacular, but I found the characters to be slightly irritable. 

I have read plenty of books set in Newcastle and the north east and am no stranger to their vernacular so I can only assume it is because I came in three books in and don't know Fran from Sarah from Viola from Beth and all the menfolk in their lives. They were simply strangers to me I felt like I had walked into tht middle of a conversation and had no idea what was going on. Having said that, I have joined other series midway and not bee remotely lost so I am guessing that this is just one series that doesn't do it for me. And there are some out there that just don't.

However, from what I can gather from this installment, the girls are getting married and the story begins with one of them - Sarah - having just married Fran's younger brother Stan while Fran herself is engaged to be married to Sarah's brother Davey, who works at Bletchley Park. The girls themselves work at at Ordnance factory making explosives for the boys at the front, though if asked they are under strict instructions to just say they are working at a factory making "thingummybobs" or whatever lie they can come up with. As the posters state "the walls have ears" and you never know who may be listening because "loose lips sinks ships" and the menfolk away fighting at the front depend on their discretion...and the munitions they build.

Unfortunately, I couldn't get into the trope that was being bandied about and as I said, felt I had stepped into the middle of a conversation with no idea what was going on. However, having said that, this is a highly rated series and a favourite for many so please don't take my word for it. 

We can't all like the same thing or enjoy every book we read. But I thank the authors for the journey upon which they take us all the same.

I would like to thank #AnnieClarke, #Netgalley and #ArrowPublishing for an ARC of #WeddingBellsOnTheHomeFront in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Annie Clarke’s roots are dug deep into the North East. She draws inspiration from her mother, who was born in a County Durham pit village during the First World War, and went on to became a military nurse during World War Two. Annie and her husband now live a stone’s throw from the pit village where her mother was born. She has written frequently about the North East in novels which she hopes reflect her love and respect for the region’s lost mining communities.

Annie has four adult children and four granddaughters, who fill her and her husband’s days with laughter, endlessly leading these two elders astray.

Annie Clarke is a pseudonym for bestselling author Margaret Graham, who also writes under the name Milly Adams.

Social Media links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

REVIEW: The Storm by Amanda Jennings

The Storm by Amanda Jennings

Genre: Domestic thriller

Read: 28th December 2021

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 23rd July 2020

★★★★ 4 stars

DESCRIPTION:

Hannah and Nathan appear to have the perfect marriage. A beautiful Cornish house with heritage, a son, a dog. Every evening, Hannah awaits her husband’s return, with a home-cooked meal, soothing conversation and, ultimately, sex. But Nathan control Hannah’s every move – counting her change from her shopping, checking her receipts, the mileage on the car. And Hannah seems happy to let him, being a prisoner in a gilded cage.

Because Hannah has a secret. She dreams of someone else, someone who once made her heart sing… But that was a long time ago, before everything went wrong. And ever since that night on the docks, when blood splashed in the rain, Hannah has been paying the price, keeping Nathan happy, keeping the peace…

But her past is going to catch up with her…

Set against the brutal backdrop of a Cornish fishing port in the 90s, where trips to sea were long and heartbreaking, fraught with danger and horrific accidents, this is devastating exploration of the power of coercive control…

MY REVIEW:

A complex tale of love, secrets and obsession, THE STORM is not what you might at first think. A slow burn that begins with a puzzling Prologue before moving onto the tale of Hannah and the tangled web she has woven around herself. But oh, tales set in Cornwall are so atmospheric that the setting alone makes for some sinister reading. And this one was no different.

To the outside world, Hannah has the perfect life married to the perfect man and living in a beautiful house that has been in her husband's family for generations. They have a teenage son, Alex, and Hannah lives a life of relative leisure whilst lawyer husband Nathan provides their every need. Perfect? Maybe on the outside. But behind closed doors it is a very different story indeed.

An expert at twisting words and scenarios to suit his needs, Nathan is a master of manipulation. He controls everything Hannah does - from the clothes she wears, the people she sees, checks her shopping receipts afterwhich she gives him the change, keeps her passport locked away and does not allow to have a bank account or even a driver's licence. He gives her enough money for a bus fare and a few grocery items and nothing more. If she dare questions him or speaks out, he fabricates a conversation that never happened out of thin air and blames her poor memory for not recalling it. But why does Hannah allow him to treat her this way?

Sixteen years before, a tragic event occurred in the midst of a relentless storm changing everything she ever knew. And the consequences of that night have haunted her memories ever since. A storm, a life, a tragedy became a lie, a secret and a deception so big that Hannah agrees to a marriage to a man she doesn't love. For what? And why?

Now her teenage son Alex is rebelling against his father's restraints, often talking back to him without fear and arguments that lead to bouts of rage and the danger of the truth coming out. But Hannah must protect her son at all costs. No matter what. 

But when Alex runs away and returns with a face from Hannah's past, the wheels are set in motion to bring this fast moving trainwreck derailing off its tracks. Hannah is speechless; Nathan is livid; Cam is tentative; while Alex is confused.

It was inevitable that Nathan's carefully constructed prison he has erected around Hannah would coming tumbling down just as Hannah's secrets from the past would inevitably resurface. But none of them could predict the way it would unravel...and the secrets it would inevitably reveal.

THE STORM was about more than just a storm. It was a storm waiting to happen in the sham of a marriage. It was a storm that raged just beneath the surface of Nathan's carefully constructed life. It was a storm that would erupt when all three would come together sixteen years later when the truth would finally be revealed.

I hated Nathan with a vengeance. He was creepy, he was controlling, he was manipulative. How could someone profess to love someone and then treat them how he treated Hannah? And then twist every word that was said, every thing that happened and every scenario for his own narcissistic gain. I couldn't wait to see him get his comeuppance as was surely bound to happen. The guy deserved everything coming to him and more.

The story itself is told primarily by Hannah with the occasional narratives by Nathan and Cam respectively. I must admit I wasn't overly interested in life at sea as a fisherman...blah blah blah...and admittedly glossed over much of that as I was only interested in the story and the hold Nathan had over Hannah and apparently Cam. And I could have done without the excessive colourful language. I'm no prude and accept the f-bomb is dropped on occasion in storylines, but I found it excessive and with the addition of the much hated c-word as well. Totally unnecessary, in my opinion, whether fisherman use that language or not...I don't care. I didn't want to read it continually.

I did, however, adore the setting. Cornwall is always a favourite setting as I tend to gravitate towards stories set there with the stormy rugged coastline a character in its own right. It is always an atmospheric setting, almost spooky at times, in particular the house in which Hannah and Nathan live with the ghost of Nathan's father, and the nature of his death, forever looming in Hannah's mind.

With a myriad of layers to unfold, THE STORM is more than just a tale of manipulation and coercive control. It is about secrets, lies, deception and so much more. And as events unfold and the tragic tale of the past becomes clear, you will see that not everything is as it seems as the truth begins to fall into place.

Not my usual choice of story, I did enjoy THE STORM whilst loathing Nathan with a passion. Yet at the same time, it is revealed why he is the way he is and that he is just as damaged as the rest of them. Only he now maintains a level of control to project an image to the public. And it's that that makes him a force to be reckoned with and a sinister if not malevolent opponent to come up against. An engrossing domestic thriller with a difference, the ending will leave you speechless.

I would like to thank #AmandaJennings, #Netgalley and #HQDigital for an ARC of #TheStorm in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Amanda Jennings was born in London in 1973, and her family moved to a village in rural Berkshire when she was young. She accepted a place to read architecture at Cambridge University, but it soon became clear it wasn’t for her and after a year she changed course to History of Art. After she finished university she set up a company with a friend writing copy for a variety of small businesses and then a year or so later was offered a job as a researcher at the BBC. But when she had her first child she found it hard to juggle home life with working, and could no longer ignore her yearning to write. When she became pregnant with her second child, and encouraged by the success of a shortlisted sitcom script in a BBC writing competition, she took the opportunity to be at home with her children, and grabbed every spare moment she could find to write.  

Sworn Secret, her first novel, was published in the UK in August 2012. On kindle it was #4 bestseller in the UK, a Top 100 bestseller in the US, and reached the #1 spot in Italy in translation. It was also published in Taiwan in translation. Her second book, The Judas Scar, was published in May 2014, and shortly after was optioned by a film and television production company. In Her Wake, her third, was a WHSmith Fresh Talent pick and will be published in Germany, Sweden, Turkey and Italy. The Cliff House is published by HQ, an imprint of HarperCollins, in hardback, audio, ebook, and paperback, as well as internationally. HQ are publishing The Storm in July.   

Amanda enjoys appearing at events, is a regular guest on BBC Berkshire’s Book Club, and is a judge for the annual Henley Youth Festival writing competition. She has been involved in the WoMentoring Project, which offers mentoring support for talented female writers with women who work in the literary world, and run writers' workshops.   

Amanda lives just outside Henley-on-Thames and has three daughters and a varied menagerie. She is currently writing her sixth book, which will be set on Bodmin Moor. When she isn't writing she can generally be found walking the dog or dreaming of mountains or the sea. She loves connecting with readers and can be found on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Social Media links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

REVIEW: The Girl Behind the Gates by Brenda Davies

The Girl Behind the Gates by Brenda Davies

Genre: Historical fiction, Contemporary fiction, Women's fiction, True stories

Read: 27th December 2021

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Amazon

Published: 23rd July 2020

★★★★★ 5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

1939. Seventeen-year-old Nora Jennings has spent her life secure in the certainty of a bright, happy future - until one night of passion has more catastrophic consequences than she ever could have anticipated. Labelled a moral defective and sectioned under the Mental Deficiency Act, she is forced to endure years of unspeakable cruelty at the hands of those who are supposed to care for her.

1981. When psychiatrist Janet Humphreys comes across Nora, heavily institutionalised and still living in the hospital more than forty years after her incarceration, she knows that she must be the one to help Nora rediscover what it is to live. But as she works to help Nora overcome her past, Janet realises she must finally face her own.

Based on a true story, The Girl Behind the Gates is perfect for fans of The Girl in the Letter and Philomena.

MY REVIEW:

Wow! There are no words to describe how this book made me feel. Well, there are...but where to start? THE GIRL BEHIND THE GATES is compelling, haunting and chilling in the first half while poignant, raw and redeeming in the second half. Like the two halves, it is divided into two parts that each tell a different story of the same journey. It is heartbreaking and harrowing but so completely touching by its end.

I have long been familiar with the archaic concept of committing young women who find themselves pregnant out of wedlock to mental asylums and while in today's society we cannot comprehend such treatment, it was once a common occurrence. One has to remember that psychiatry was a relatively unknown field and the treatments given were pretty much all they knew, however that was no excuse for some of the treatment and abuse dealt out to patients for no reason whatsoever but to exert a sense of power. This story is a fictional account based on actual events of an idealistic and privileged young girl who finds herself in the most harrowing of circumstances through which most of us could probably never survive.

1939: Seventeen year old Nora Jennings is in love. She also has a secret. Finding herself pregnant by her cousin Robert, Nora tries to hide her growing stomach from her strict father who thinks nothing of beating her into submission and obedience. Upon discovering her condition, her parents call upon the local priest and family GP who, after a humiliating examination to ascertain the pregnancy, then drag her from the house, her parents giving her no backward glance, and is taken to Hillingsworth hospital known as the local mental asylum where she is sectioned under the Mental Deficiency Act of 1913.

Diagnosed as morally defective, Nora is then subjected to the harsh realities behind the walls which had until then seemed a surreal fantasy. She receives no visitors but for the family housekeeper, Mrs Lampeter, who doted on Nora like a mother and whom Nora loves like a mother. When her baby is born, as Nora is deemed morally defective any offspring she produces is regarded as such also, and so the cruel and nasty Sister Cummings leaves the little girl naked to die in the sluice room. Nora never even got to hold her baby or even know of its sex.

As the years progress, Nora makes a sort of peace with herself and is comforted by the thought that her baby was adopted and grew up feeling loved. But a shocking revelation brought the horrible truth crashing down sending Nora into a downward spiral from which she intended never to recover. That is, until a kind and caring doctor on her ward made it his mission to look out for her and upon learning of her catatonic state, attempted to bring her back from the brink. And yet despite this, the cruelties and harsh treatments doled out to the patients of Hillingsworth, Nora continued to suffer more indignities as every basic human right that we all take for granted was taken away from her bit by bit.

1981: Although she has the ability to fix others' fractured lives, psychiatrist Janet Humphreys' own personal life is in disarray. She works long hours, is never home and even when she is she is absent, leaving her husband feeling unloved and unwanted. In an act of desperation, he leaves her and despite this, Janet soldiers on. She has to. She has patients who depend on her. And one of them is Nora Jennings who, after over forty years at Hillingsworth, is completely institutionalised. Although life became easier in the later years when Sister Cummings was dismissed, Nora simply found it is easier to succumb to whatever was asked of her.

When Janet comes across Nora's case file, she is intrigued. She meets Nora in the hospital's "back ward" of long forgotten patients who have been there for decades. At first Nora is silent, apprehensive and untrusting. After all, the only people she had any form of contact with were cruel and abused their authority, aside from a handful of nurses who were at least kind. And Dr Stilworth who always stood up for her and helped her when all others took away any liberties she may have had. But then he retired. 

Now there is this new doctor...and Nora is unsure whether she can trust her. Because anyone she places her trust in usually leaves her in the end. Joe did, Patty did, Dr Stilworth, even her parents...and Robert. Can she trust this Dr Janet? Or will she betray her too?

THE GIRL BEHIND THE GATES is a harrowing tale of one woman's journey cruelly snatched from her privileged life and thrown into a life of abuse and torture at the hands of those who are meant to be caring for her. Deemed morally defective because she fell pregnant at 17 and was unmarried...as if no one else was to blame for the consequence of the act that creates a baby. Not only that, but any offspring she produces would therefore be also considered morally defective by the defective gene passed down from her mother. What rot! It angered me to read such rubbish but angered me even more that this was a fact that people actually believed. And sadly, as psychiatry was a relatively unknown field at the time, doctors simply had to go with what they knew...and this is what they knew. It was all the tools they had at the time. But that's not the only angering part of this story. It's the harsh treatment of patients, or inmates as they were often referred to like they were prisoners...and they were in a sense, because they could never escape the walls that bound them there. As if beating a patient and calling her a whore who deserved everything she got wasn't bad enough, but the wet wraps they were subjected to...for simply grieving a loss! It's barbaric. Wet wraps are a form of torture and it was heartbreaking to read that such treatment existed...and for what purpose?

Four decades of abuse, torture, humiliation and loss. Four decades of isolation, grief and adversity. Four decades of such harsh treatment it's not surprising Nora was well and truly institutionalised. But when Janet enters the story in 1981, she brings with her hope and in the journey that follows highlights Nora's resilience, her stoic endurance and her survival against all odds.

THE GIRL BEHIND THE GATES is a heartbreaking read that is harrowing and chilling at times but shines a ray of hope on even the harshest of circumstances. I doubt I could have lived through and survived all that Nora had done and yet she did...and though the scars remained, her ability to rise above her trauma is inspiring.

Horrifying, shocking and compelling, THE GIRL BEHIND THE GATES is a heartbreaking yet beautiful story with which one will need tissues. And plenty of them. I could not stop the tears from falling as I read of Nora's harrowing treatment and the rejection of her basic human rights. What also angered me was that the country was at war with Germany over the Hitler's discardment of human rights and yet here they were stripping an innocent woman of the same. It defied logic. And another thing that annoyed me was that Robert could have intervened due to his authority and yet he didn't. Nora had no one. She was stripped of everything she had and was left to rot in Hillingsworth until Janet reached out and allowed her to see her true worth.

While Janet's personal life was an aside to the main story, I felt it paled in significance to Nora's journey and, while others failed to see whether it played a part or not, for me it showed that not only are psychiatrists human but the point that the author made at the beginning in her "Author's Note" was that Nora taught her and inspired her a great deal as well. In my view, Janet was inspired by Nora and her strength to make peace with her own past and the issues that plagued her marriage. It was Nora who gave her that.

A very powerful story, THE GIRL BEHIND THE GATES is not one I will forget in a hurry. I loved it, I hated it and I was moved by it entirely. Thank you to Brenda Davies for telling Nora's story...a story that needed to be told because as is the case with history - its purpose is for us to learn from, to remember and to never let it happen again.

I would like to thank #BrendaDavies, #Netgalley and #HodderAndStoughton for an ARC of #TheGirlBehindTheGates in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Dr Brenda Davies is Consultant Psychiatrist. She holds regular workshops around the world and includes many celebrities among her clients. Having been born and raised in County Durham, England, Brenda Davies now lives very happily in Wales. She spent many years living and working abroad, in Zambia, the USA, Germany and Rome. 

A lover of life and people, Brenda relishes challenge and adventure and believes that living all of our gifts simultaneously and loving doing so, is the epitome of life.

The Girl Behind the Gates is her first novel.

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REVIEW: The New Neighbour by Miranda Rijks

The New Neighbour by Miranda Rijks

Genre: Domestic thriller, Psychological thriller, Suspense, Mystery

Read: 19th December 2021

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Published: 10th December 2021

★★★★★ 4.5 stars (rounded up)

DESCRIPTION:

A small community. A deadly secret.

 

Until recently, Isobel has always loved The Close. A quiet road of large houses tucked away in the beautiful English countryside, it seemed like the perfect place to live.

 

Then, six months ago, a young man was killed in a mysterious hit-and-run incident. The police investigated but no one was charged.

 

It’s left a bad feeling in this little community, a feeling that someone knows more than they are saying.

 

So when new neighbour Linette arrives, Isobel thinks it’s the perfect chance to make a fresh start, to repair relationships and rebuild her community.

 

But someone else has a very different plan, and bad things start to happen.

 

When there’s another death, Isobel realises her home, her marriage, and her family are all in terrible danger. She is certain that what’s happening is connected to the hit-and-run. But how? What really happened on the night of the fatal accident? And above all, who is Linette and what does she really want?

 

The New Neighbour, the stunning psychological thriller from the bestselling author of The Visitors, The Only Child and The Arrangement.

MY REVIEW:

I love neighbourhood thrillers. You are given a glimpse into the lives of those you think you know but really you don't and then from out of nowhere you are hit head on with a twist you very probably didn't see coming! In this case, with regards to the culprit, I did because well...now that would be telling...lol

Seriously, I cannot believe I haven't discovered Miranda Rijks before now. Well, I had...I just hadn't gotten around to reading one of her books though I have a few stored on my cloud. But what an introduction. The reader is thrown headlong into the midst of a tragedy from which the residents of the affluent area of The Close are still trying to come to grips with six months on.

The story begins with a prologue from the first person narrative of someone seemingly up to no good. They appear to be trespassing but for what reason that isn't clear at this stage. But their presence is soon noticed as they are warned off before running out into the lane...and smack bang into a car that was driving with its headlights off. The victim doesn't appear to be hurt and yet is found in a pool of blood in the road.

Six months on and the residents of The Close are still reeling from the thus far unsolved hit and run of 19 year old Wilson Walker. His family was so distraught they upped and left and their house was put on the market to let. Now a new neighbour has moved into the house and is keen to make friends with the other residents who largely keep themselves to themselves. But Linette Smith will not be swayed. She meets Isobel on the first day, afterwhich she invites all the ladies over for a kind of meet and greet, and surprisingly she appears to make friends with the other two women in the Close - Josie Abbott and the elderly Mrs Quinn. Isobel can hardly believe it particularly as the Quinns have lived in the Close for near on forty years and have never been known to mingle with anyone. Maybe Linette is the breath of fresh air the community needs.

Before settling in the house of their dreams, Isobel was an architect along with her husband Mike. That is until their son Harry was born and it became apparent that he needed extra care that as a mother she wasn't able to provide if she was working. So Isobel became a stay-at-home-mum. A couple of years later, Harper joined the family and Isobel began a nail and beauty salon business run out of the front rooms of their sprawling house. She had a steady flow of customers which helped bring in a little extra income.

But then one day, Isobel's regulars began cancelling their appointments. Some didn't even show at all. And Isobel was puzzled. But then one of her friends informed her that there was some malicious gossip about her business going around - something about not properly sterilising equipment or keeping her premises clean resulting in one of her clients now in hospital with an infection. Isobel can hardly believe it. Who would say such a thing? But that's not the only strange thing happening. Her neighbour Josie was always something of a friend now visibly snubs her in public and even ostracises her son Harry, who is on the spectrum and didn't understand why his friend didn't invite him to his Halloween party. And then when she tries voicing her concerns to her husband, he dismisses them with his interest more on his phone than his wife.

Then there are loud parties across the road at Linette's place, disruptive teenagers burning rubber down the lane, bonfires dousing them all in smoke, drones flying around their properties seemingly spying on them and then Linette gets herself a pig for a pet who promptly escapes and churns up Isobel and Mike's carefully manicured garden as well as the Abbotts' farm next door. Suddenly the residents are not so thrilled with their new neighbour and the disruption she seems to have brought with her. Isobel doesn't know where it all went wrong because Linette appeared friendly and eager to get to know everyone. But is she really? 

Then when Linette has a surprising piece of information to impart on Isobel, she is so angered by her news that she denies all probability before ordering the woman off her property. Whilst on the one hand she is devastated, on the other she begins an investigation of sorts to get to the bottom of who Linette really is and what is she doing in The Close. And how does any of this relate to Wilson Walker's death six months ago? What has happened to their quiet little lane and their beautiful forever home?

And then another tragedy occurs in The Close that sends another shockwave through the residents. Another death...and this time it's murder. Who has a motive to commit these crimes? Can anyone be trusted? And how well do we really know our neighbours?

Secrets abound in this tight-knit little community as one by one they unravel revealing the truth, the lies and the deception and the link between past and present crimes.

THE NEW NEIGHBOUR was an unexpected delight that I devoured, enjoying the twists and reveals as they gradually unfolded. The narrative is primarily from Isobel's perspective apart from the Prologue, who we learn is Wilson, and a couple of chapters from Linette's viewpoint. We also learn very early on who Linette really is and why she has chosen this quiet neighbourhood. Why? Because the story takes a different and surprising direction peppered with red herrings throughout as we try to unravel the clues.

The cast of characters were a delight, if not all likeable.

First we have Isobel who is married to Mike with two children Harry and Harper. As Isobel is the main narrator we are privy to the goings on in their house from the get-go. What Isobel doesn't know is why is Mike working such long hours and withdrawn affection from her? Aside from that she has to juggle Harry's specific needs where he has decided not only will he not eat anything brown but he's also decided he no longer eats anything that is yellow after someone at school told him food that is green is better for you. So now Isobel has to cook and colour foods for Harry to actually eat.

Then there is Josie, her neighbour, who was once a relatively good friend if not a close one but now visibly and publicly snubs Isobel. For what reason, she has no idea. As farmers, Josie and her husband Jack appear to be struggling financially and surprise the residents with submitting a planning application that will most certainly disrupt Isobel and Mike's life, if not everyone else's.

The Quinns are septuagenarians who have lived on The Close for around forty years and keep themselves to themselves, never socialising with the other residents, which is why Isobel found it so surprising to find Mrs Quinn at Linette's get together and Mr Quinn's friendly acceptance of her. Mrs Quinn suffers from dementia, barely leaves her home and is closely monitored by her husband.

Thomas Adler is a bachelor with a lavish lifestyle funded by a suspected shady online business, most notably when he trades in his modest VW Golf for a Lamborghini as well as purchasing the latest Tesla. He's a little creepy particularly when he continues to fly his drone around his neighbours' properties despite pleas for him to refrain.

So when Linette moves in as the new neighbour at Number 2, she raises merry hell that The Close have no idea what has hit them. Which begs the question amongst residents...who is Linette and why is she here?

I thoroughly enjoyed THE NEW NEIGHBOUR which I devoured in a matter of hours. It is a quick read that is engaging, thrilling and so completely absorbing you won't want to put it down either! None of the neighbours are particularly likeable as they all have something to hide...the question is what? The addition of Twiglet is amusing. I mean, she is not a cute little pot belly pig either but an actual large farm pig!! And then wreaks havoc, which was bound to happen, and did bring a smirk to my face.

Cleverly crafted and well-written, THE NEW NEIGHBOUR is a delightful read and addictive whodunnit as you try to unravel the mysteries and secrets that lay buried on The Close.

If you love a good domestic thriller sprinkled with psychological mystery, then you will love THE NEW NEIGHBOUR. And I can safely say that, although this may be my first, it will not be my last Miranda Rijks thriller.

Edit: It's actually NOT my first Miranda Rijks thriller, as I had previously read "Roses are Red".

I would like to thank #MirandaRijks, #Netgalley, #InkubatorBooks and #ZoolooTours for an ARC of #TheNewNeighbour in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Miranda Rijks lives in West Sussex, England, with her husband, their musician daughter and black Labrador. ‘The Obituary’ was her first psychological thriller. She has also written a psychological thriller series featuring Dr Pippa Durrant, a psychologist and specialist in lie detection, who works alongside Sussex police getting embroiled in some scary stuff!

After a degree in Law, Miranda worked in marketing in London and Eastern Europe before setting up businesses in the horticultural, leisure and retail sectors. Along the way, she got a masters in writing and wrote the self-help book, ‘How Compatible Are You?’ and biography, ‘The Eccentric Entrepreneur’. In 2018, Miranda wrote ‘Don’t Call Me Brave’, a novel very loosely drawing upon her experiences of having a rare bone cancer.

She feels extremely lucky to be living the dream, writing psychological thrillers full time! 

Miranda loves connecting with her readers, so feel free to drop her a line.

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REVIEW: The New Friends by Daniel Hurst

The New Friends by Daniel Hurst

Genre: Psychological thriller

Read: 18th December 2021

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Published: 12th December 2021

★★★★★ 5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

They are fun, wealthy, fabulous. Pray you never meet them.

 

Becky and Jamie are an ordinary hard-working couple trapped in the daily grind, dreaming of an easier life. On one of their rare vacations, they meet a wealthy couple, Phil and Mel, who seem to have it all – they are fun, well travelled, and very generous with their money.

 

But they are also very, very dangerous.

 

Because Phil and Mel are not who they say they are. And this is no random vacation friendship, they have chosen Jamie and Becky carefully, seducing them with the promise of a lifestyle just like theirs.

 

By the time Jamie and Becky realise what their new friends really want, it’s too late, they’ve lost everything, their hopes and dreams lie shattered.

 

The only question now is how far will they go to get even?

 

The New Friends – the stunning psychological thriller from the bestselling author of The Passenger, The Boyfriend and The Promotion.

MY REVIEW:

This is the first book by Daniel Hurst I have read and I was not disappointed. Whilst I had read the premise to begin with and it sounded intriguing, sometimes it doesn't always live up to the hype. But in this case, I'm glad to say that it most certainly did. Oh my goodness, it was a fast paced thriller of a different kind that held my attention throughout.

It's been said that if it's too good to be true then it usually is. Such is the case in this gripping thriller THE NEW FRIENDS.

Thirtysomething couple Becky and Jamie have been married for ten years and after the daily grind of everyday life, they decided they deserved a short holiday abroad in Spain for five days, post-peak season for a cheaper rate. Becky is a teaching assistant and Jamie is a warehouse worker and while they are not flush with money, the both earn a modest income. This holiday comes as a well-earned and well-deserved break for the couple as they lap up the sunshine before heading back to the bleak and miserable British weather of northern England. Five days of pretending they can afford holidays like these more often than not before returning to the daily grind.

On their last night in Spain, Jamie begs Becky for a night out in town before flying out in the morning and while she was reluctant to spend their last one hundred euros on extravagances they could barely afford, Becky agreed that it would be nice to treat themselves. How they would live to regret that last night out to come...

They instantly attract the attention of another couple, Phil and Mel, seemingly on holiday and the foursome soon strike up a conversation together sharing in the champagne that Phil has flowing on tap. The couples click immediately and before the night is over, they exchange phone numbers and plans to keep in touch upon returning to England.

Before they have even touched down in Britain, Jamie is languishing over the stories Phil regaled them with of their lavish lifestyle all over the world. Somehow his modest warehousing job seems to pale in significance and despite his stash of secret savings he's set aside for when they start a family, Jamie cannot help but be a little envious that he has to return to a mundane job to earn a modest living while their new friends have all but retired and live a life of luxury...all because of some wise investments Phil had made when working in the finance world. 

It isn't long before a message from Phil stirs that longing in Jamie once again and soon they organise a weekend get together at their modest home where they will play host to their new friends. As soon as Phil and Mel arrive, Jamie and Becky cannot help but notice the stylish sports car they have arrived in...and compare it to their outdated barely roadworthy car. But Phil is quick to reassure Jamie that he has a good life with a beautiful wife in a lovely house.

Over dinner as Phil regales them with stories of his time in the finance world, Jamie and Becky cannot help but be seduced by the lavish lifestyle their new friends appear to enjoy in their early retirement. And while he was always happy with what they had before, now that they have seen how the other half live, that is Phil and Mel, Jamie wants a taste of that too. I mean, who wants to work hard for such little reward? That opportunity comes when Phil invites Jamie out for a sneaky cigar.

Excited by the ideas flowing through his mind, Jamie cannot wait to share them with Becky but is deflated when she doesn't seem to share his excitement. In fact, Becky is reluctant to take the step that could lead them down the same path as Phil and Mel. It's risky, but the higher the risk the higher the return, right? Becky's not so sure. Especially as Mel didn't appear to be very happy and she isn't sure that all is as rosy as Phil claims.

If only they knew...

The new friends the young couple made on their modest holiday aren't who they thought they were.

Phil and Mel are accomplished at what they do so when they spot Jamie and Becky, a couple of modest means with ambitious dreams, the deceptive couple soon insinuate themselves into Becky and Jamie's lives just long enough to relinquish them of their hard earned savings...every last penny. Mission accomplished.

THE NEW FRIENDS is a dark and suspenseful read with a disturbing truth woven into its plot. Just how easily it is to fall under the spell of seemingly genuine "friends" and while Becky and Jamie may seem a little naive, I think its safe to say that the onus is on those pulling the con and how incredibly clever they are. Otherwise they wouldn't get away with what they do, would they? 

What I especially love about this book, besides its steady pace throughout and its engaging style, is the fact that we get the story from the perspectives of all four players - Becky, Jamie, Phil and Mel. And although we are privy to the con from the onset it doesn't detract the level of heartpounding tension that fills us as we devour every last scrap of the story. The way it is written we are meant to sympathise not only with Becky and Jamie but also Mel...and it is cleverly done.

THE NEW FRIENDS moves along at such a steady pace that it is indeed a quick read that I could have easily devoured in one sitting...had it not been for the need to sleep in between. I was so absorbed in the story I just couldn't wait to see how it all panned out.

THE NEW FRIENDS is such a unique thriller I cannot compare it to any other, but if you like your thrillers different, pacy and engaging then give this one a go!

I would like to thank #DanielHurst, #Netgalley, #InkubatorBooks and #ZoolooTours for an ARC of #TheNewFriends in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Daniel Hurst writes psychological thrillers and loves to tell tales about unusual things happening to normal people. He has written all his life, making the progression from handing scribbled stories to his parents as a boy to writing full length novels in his thirties. He lives in the North West of England and when he isn’t writing, he is usually watching a game of football in a pub where his wife can’t find him.

Daniel writes psychological thrillers. The New Friends will be his fourth novel published with Inkubator Books.

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