REVIEW: The Secrets of Latimer House by Jules Wake

The Secrets of Latimer House by Jules Wake

Genre: Historical fiction, WW2

Read: 28th August 2021

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Published: 30th August 2021

★★★★★ 4.5 stars (rounded up)

DESCRIPTION:

In the war against Hitler every secret counts…

Society heiress Evelyn Brooke-Edwards is a skilled interrogator – her beauty making her a non-threat in the eyes of the prisoners.

Farm girl Betty Connors may not be able to type as she claimed, but her crack analytical skills soon find her unearthing covert connections.

German ex-pat Judith Stern never expected to find herself listening in to German POW’s whispered conversations, but the Nazis took her father from her so she will do whatever it takes to help the Allies end this war.

Billeted together in the attic of Latimer House – a place where secrets abound – Evelyn, Betty and Judith soon form a bond of friendship that carries them through the war. Because nothing is stronger than women united.

Tucked away in the Buckinghamshire countryside, Latimer House, a grand country estate, stands proudly – a witness to some of greatest secrets of WW2.

MY REVIEW:

I love historical fiction, particularly those featured during wartime. THE SECRETS OF LATIMER HOUSE may be a work of fiction and its characters fictionally drawn from the author's pen but the events upon which this story is based are real. Nestled in the Buckinghamshire countryside just an hour outside of London, Latimer House was a top secret site where high-ranking German POWs were held and interrogated during World War 2. Thousands of prisoners passed through its doors as their conversations were listened to by German speaking operatives via the bugs in their cells. Everything of note was transcribed, conversations recorded and are now in the archives, revealing information about Hitler's weapons and strategies to invade Britain and win the war. Thus providing an ideal background for this story.

Society heiress Evelyn Brookes-Edwards, a lieutenant with the Wrens, finds herself facing a court martial for breaking her commanding officer's jaw when he tried forcing himself on her. Instead she is transferred to a top secret location in a sleepy village in Buckinghamshire to Latimer House where she is to interrogate high-ranking German POWs. Her fluency in German proves her to be invaluable in Britain's war against Hitler. 

Before the war, Evelyn enjoyed high society and trips to Bavaria where she met and fell in love with Peter Von Hoensbroek, a German aristocrat. The couple enjoyed a courtship before becoming engaged. And then war was declared. And so Peter thought it best to break off their engagement, being on opposite sides of battle. Her father agreed it was for the best as he and her brother David set off to fight for King and country. It is now 1943 and Evelyn hasn't heard from Peter in four years and her own brother for six months, who is now in a German POW camp. But Evelyn, whose German is impeccable, puts her strengths to good use for the war effort to help bring an end to it all.

Local girl Betty Connors enjoys her work with the ATS in London away from her the fussing of her mother and her sort-of fiance Bert. But on a visit home when her mother lets slip that something is going on "up at the big house" and that maybe she could get a job up there, Betty isn't so sure. It would mean she would always be there for Bert to paw at and expect things of her. Bert's family own the terraced cottage in which Betty's family live and to ensure their continued safety Betty has to keep in sweet with Bert...something which she does not relish. There is something about him she is not comfortable with but her mother thinks the sun shines out of him and it just became expected that they would marry. Now Bert throws his weight around and sits at the head of the table, where her father used to sit, when he visits, expecting Betty to do his bidding "when we're wed".

But when he begins to make insinuations about her younger sister who appears younger than her fifteen years, Betty realises she needs to be close by to protect her. So she requests a transfer to Latimer House, known locally as a Distribution Centre, as a typist though she is anything but. Her presence immediately catches the eye of American Major Carl Wendermeyer who notices right away that she is no typist, but she is smart and with her photographic memory of transcripts she has typed up - albeit terribly - she is transferred as an analyst and is promoted to sergeant. 

Judith Stern is a German Jew is lost everything in Kristallnacht. She came to England at the tender age of 17 in 1938 but has never truly conformed. It is even harder now as all Germans are viewed as the enemy, even the Jews, which is ironic considering she fled her country to find peace only to find her new home is at war with her old one. Judith keeps to herself for even opening her mouth to speak will give her ethnicity away and then come the sneers and the outrage from those around her. 

Her work in Hull was boring and unfulfilling until one day Judith is transferred to Latimer House where her job will be to listen in to the private conversations of prisoners in their cells to ascertain whether they will reveal any secrets they have not disclosed to their interrogators. Most of those she works alongside have escaped similar circumstances and can sympathise, but their knowledge of the German language can help work for Britain in its war against Germany. Judith is incredibly reserved and simply wants to get on with the job for which she has been employed. She wasn't prepared to meet Walther, nor find the bond of friendship with Evelyn and Betty.

The three women are billeted together in an attic room of the manor house where they become friends. Although having all signed the Official Secrets Act, neither woman can speak of the work they each undertake - even to each other. But it isn't long before they become familiar with the workings inside Latimer House, and its secrets, and what each of them does there. They each learn to trust each other and build a friendship that will last a lifetime as they face the demons of their pasts and in the present.

Although a little slow to take off as each of the women's stories are set, it then takes off into an emotionally addictive read. There are so many secrets wrapped up in this wonderful story that I found I didn't want it to end. It is such a different aspect to the war. It is entertaining, emotional and entirely believable. I loved each of the women for their differences and their strengths...but I loathed Bert.

THE SECRETS OF LATIMER HOUSE is an enjoyable leisurely read based on real event and fact of Britain's darkest time. It focuses somewhat on those events as well as friendship, loyalty and a little bit of romance. A pure delight to read.

I would like to thank #JulesWake, #Netgalley, #RachelsRandomResources and #OneMoreChapter for an ARC of #TheSecretsOfLatimerHouse in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Jules Wake announced at the age of ten that she planned to be a writer. Along the way she was diverted by the glamorous world of PR and worked on many luxury and not so luxury brands. This proved fabulous training for writing novels as it provided her with the opportunity to hone her creative writing skills.

She writes best-selling warm-hearted romantic contemporary fiction for One More Chapter as Jules Wake and was shortlisted for Romantic Novel of the Year 2020 with The Spark.

Under her pen name Julie Caplin, she also writes the warm and witty Romantic Escapes series. 

Between them, the two Js have written eighteen novels, The Secret of Latimer House being the latest. 

Social Media links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

REVIEW: The Orphanage by Lizzie Page

The Orphanage (Shilling Grange Children's Home #1) by Lizzie Page

Genre: Historical fiction, Post-WW2

Read: 26th August 2021

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Published: 27th August 2021

★★★★★ 4.5 stars (rounded up)

DESCRIPTION:

Shilling Grange Orphanage, England, 1948. She was their only hope. Now they are hers. A gritty, heartbreaking and unforgettable story of love and hope in the darkest of times.

Clara Newton is the new Housemother of Shilling Grange Orphanage. Many of the children have been bombed out of their homes and left without families, their lives torn apart by the war, just like Clara’s. Devastated by the loss of her fiancé, a brave American pilot, she is just looking for a place to start again.

But the orphans are in desperate need of her help. Funds are short, children cry out in the night, and tearful Rita tells Clara terrible stories about the nuns who previously ran Shilling Grange. Clara cannot bear to see them suffer, but what does she know about how to look after eight little ones?

Clara can’t get anything right, and then she accidentally ruins Rita’s only memento of her mother. Overwhelmed, she wonders if they’d be better off without her. But she’s not completely alone. Living next door is Ivor: ex-Shilling Grange resident, war hero, and handyman with deep brown eyes. He doesn’t trust Clara and she is fiercely independent, but he has a way with the children. And with his support and the help of other locals, Clara begins to find her way.

As she heals from her grief and adjusts to her new life, Clara wonders if she has finally found her home and family among the orphans. Can she find the strength to fight for them when nobody else will? And dare she open her heart to love again?

A heart-wrenching and totally gripping read. Fans of Before We Were Yours, Diney Costeloe and The Orphan Sisters won’t be able to put this book down.

MY REVIEW:

I am excited to be taking part in the #BooksOnTour #BlogTour for Lizzie Page's heartwarming tale THE ORPHANAGE.

I love historical fiction and while I wasn't as enamoured with a previous book I'd read by this author, I really enjoyed THE ORPHANAGE. So much so that where it left off I am now eagerly awaiting book two. It is a heartwarming  tale centred around the Shilling Grange Children's Home situated in Lavenham, Suffolk, and the children, and their housemother, therein.

The story begins with Clara Newton, having succeeded with her interview, arriving at Shilling Grange to begin her role as the new housemother. She is greeted by the sullen Sister Eunice who, without a word, leads her to her room and disappears. Clara is unsure what to do as she was counting on the nun showing her the ropes but Sister Eunice wasn't forthcoming leaving Clara seeking her out for answers. She asked for paperwork on the children only to learn that there was none. Clara, having come from an administrative background, thrived on files and paperwork where everything was noted down and kept record of. The children's home didn't appear to keep such records. 

However, she soon learnt that the children were at school and would return for lunch before returning to complete the school day. But having arrived at 9am, Clara had been prepared to begin her day but was left without much to do until the children returned. And when they did, they filed in quietly even if somewhat morosely and took their places at the table after serving the prepared lunch. Sister Eunice barrelled in from nowhere, taking the head of the table, leaving Clara without a place. When Clara tried introducing herself saying how much she was looking forward to getting to know them all, Sister Eunice thundered "We eat in silence!" Clara decided that handover should take place after the children set off to complete their school day, but no sooner had they left than Sister Eunice came trudging down the stairs suitcase in hand and bidding her farewell. Her job her was done. Any lasting advice? Whip them, says the nun.

Clara is left horrified. What is she to do? She has no experience with children nor running a children's home and given as there were no records on the them, how was she to familiarise herself with her charges? Clara began to wonder if she had made a grave mistake coming here...which was only confirmed when the children returned home at the end of the day. They filed in, silent as church mice and as equally despondent, and set about completing their tasks of washing out their socks and lining them out to dry, polishing their shoes, peeling the vegetables for the following day's meal. They were like a well-oiled machine but a silent and saddened one. Clara watched them and her heart went out to them. As they took their places around the table for a meal consisting of crackers, she tried to engage them in conversation. But they remained silent.

Clara soon discovered there were eight children - four boys and four girls of varying ages. The eldest Maureen was a feisty surly teenager and one of the youngest sweet little Peg uttered not a word...ever. Rita's first words to Clara were "Do you know my mama?" Terry was actually a girl but looked like a boy and refused to be called Teresa. Wild twins Billy and Barry were mischievous pranksters. Alex was an incredibly bright young man with an interest in science and history. And then there was Peter...with whom she felt most endeared...who was quiet but helpful. But Clara soon realised she was not equipped to deal with eight children, who had seen such heartache in their short little lives. Many of them had been orphaned during the war, the lives torn apart, whilst others had simply been abandoned. And while they desperately needed her help, Clara felt she wasn't the best person for the job and packed her bags on the first night.

But then something miraculous happened. There were no trains back to London till the following afternoon so she stayed...and found herself warmed by the resilience of these unwanted children. The shame of the village often referred to as feral and would be much better placed in Ipswich or Clacton rather than their quiet peaceful Lavenham. The more the villagers shunned the children, the more Clara stood up for them. Someone had to be their voice.

And then there was Ivor. He lived beside the home where he upholstered, mended, knitted, sewed as well as looking out for the children he once had been. Theirs was an awkward friendship as he appeared to mistrust Clara's intentions and whether she was there for the long term. But the children adored him. Slowly Ivor watched the children begin to blossom under Clara's care...shedding their silent and sullen despondency for the happy and smiling faces he now saw. But would it last? Would Clara?

Then Clara met Julian, local solicitor, fiftyish and twice her age. He wooed her and still grieving the loss of her fiance Michael in the war four years before, Clara was grateful for the friendship which soon grew into something more. They enjoyed Sundays at nearby country pubs, picnics and outings as he seemingly cared a great deal for her. But he was indifferent to the children. He even dismissed them. But Clara knew that would change once he got to know them. And then he asked her to marry him. Would he expect her to give up her job at Shilling Grange upon their marriage?

Meanwhile, Clara was juggling the various issues of each of the children. Maureen was rebelling, inviting boys into her room (which she shared with the other three girls), smoking and staying out late. Until one day she didn't come back at all. Peter began to withdraw and even became aggressive on occasion. Adoptions for some of the children had fallen through whilst the promise of other ones loomed near. Some days Clara felt she was battling alone for no one else understood the childrens' plights as she did...not even the council who just ticked them off as numbers despite claiming that they only wanted what was best for the children.

And then when Clara stands up for one of the children against a living relative who has offered to adopt them, she finds herself up before a tribunal with a number of complaints against her and her ability to look after the children she has grown so fond of. But she even more shocked to discover who has spoken out against her with malicious lies. Will Clara be able to convince the tribunal of her ability to care for the well-being of the children and keep her job as housemother?

Through the trials and triumphs the reader will get to know each of the children that live at Shilling Grange. Each character is special in their own ways bringing with them their strengths and personalities. You will laugh as well as cry alongside them. The pranks at the hands of Billy and Barry will make you laugh and Rita's constant mantra of "Do you know my mama?" will break your heart...although admittedly, that did wear a bit thin with me after a while. You could almost picture life within the orphanage, both inside and outside, as the children thrived under Clara's care.

You'll get to know Ivor, who himself had grown up at Shilling Grange, as a good friend to the children even if he mistrusted Clara and her intentions. You will also meet other members of the village who each play a part - Mr and Mrs Garrad and their dog Bertie as well as Dr Cardew and his wife Anita, who was a survivor of Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. There is also Clara's best friend Judy who lives in London with her husband Arthur. And of course Julian, who I couldn't stand from the first moment he traipsed across the page. There was something "off" about him that I couldn't put my finger on but I didn't like nor trust him. Each of these characters play a pivotal role in this touching read.

THE ORPHANAGE is an emotional story centred around Clara and the children of Shilling Grange. And whilst she found it challenging, Clara always did her best for the children. It is interesting to note that although Julian is her love interest, it is Ivor she calls on for help at times to help keep the children safe. There were times I could have slapped Clara for her naivety and sometimes stupid choices (especially where Julian was concerned). I'm not sure why she applied for a position for which she was not equipped and then finding she had to cope all by herself. I'm not surprised she scarpered at the first hurdle because she certainly wasn't trained or qualified to deal with eight children. But then she began working out her notice and discovered that these children needed her, whether she was trained or not.

A feel-good read that is sure to make you cry, THE ORPHANAGE is both heartbreaking and heartwarming. I was a little disappointed in the ending as I felt it could have provided a little more closure even though there is more to come in a second book. I would have preferred it to end on a different note...although the "Afterword" is a beautiful touch.

I really enjoyed THE ORPHANAGE and cannot wait for book two. It is well written and completely enjoyable. Perfect for fans of Shirley Dickson and those of historical fiction, particularly those about children.

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

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Lizzie Page is the pseudonym of Sam Lierens and a mum of three.

Sam was born in February 1971, in Essex, England. After studying politics at Warwick University, she worked as an English teacher in Paris and then for five years, in Tokyo. She then went to live in London, and had various uninspiring jobs there.

Sam did an MA in creative writing at Goldsmiths and returned to live in Essex a few years ago and have worked in marketing, teaching, assisting, etc ever since.

She claims her partner Steve, three children and cockapoo all conspire to stop me writing.

Social Media links:

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REVIEW: Death Comes to Bishops Well by Anna Legat

Death Comes to Bishops Well (The Shires Mysteries #1) by Anna Legat

Genre: Cosy Mystery, Crime fiction, Paranormal

Read: 29th August 2021

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Amazon - UK

Amazon - US

Published: 26th August 2021

★ 1 star

DESCRIPTION:

When Sam Dee moves to the beautiful Wiltshire village of Bishops Well, he expects a quiet life of country walks and pub lunches. OK, so his new neighbour, Maggie Kaye, is a little peculiar, but she’s very nice – and his old pal Richard Ruta lives just down the road.

 

But when Richard throws one of his famous parties, things take a sinister turn. Sam, Maggie and the rest of the guests are dumbfounded when Richard falls down dead. A horrible tragedy – or a cunningly planned murder?

 

With a village full of suspects – and plenty of dark secrets – just who exactly would want to bump off their host? Is there a connection to another mysterious death, nearly twenty years before?

 

Armed with her local knowledge, Maggie – with Sam’s reluctant but indispensable help – is soon on the case. But when the body count starts to rise, will sleepy Bishops Well ever be the same again?

MY REVIEW:

I have found cosy mysteries to be a little hit and miss and as much as I have enjoyed some of them immensely, there are other that I have not done so much. Unfortunately DEATH COMES TO BISHOPS WELL is one of them. I wanted to like and I had anticipated it to be an intriguing tale set in the bustling market town of Bishops Well.

The story, when it begins, is Samuel Dee being back-slapped in a pub by his old friend Richard Ruta who thus far has invited Sam to his upcoming 68th birthday party which he proclaims will be his last...not for any other reason than he has decided to stop celebrating them after this bash. However, his words may have been something of a premonition because this is indeed Richard's final birthday bash as well as being his final birthday. For the man drops dead during a speech at the dinner table. I had a sense of deja vu of Agatha Christie's "Sparkling Cyanide" during that scene...although with the addition of the expletives that were absent in Ms Christie's work.

So Sam, a retired barrister from London, had moved to Bishops Well and purchase the second half of Priest's Hole, a former vicarage dating back to the 19th century from Maggie Kaye who resides in the other half. Maggie is a spinster of sorts though of indeterminate age. I thought her to be in her 50s maybe but then her parents turn up at Richard's birthday bash also which leaves me wondering how old she actually is. 

Needless to say, Maggie and Sam team up to investigate the death of Richard, or rather, interfere with the police investigation into their friend's death. Maggie particularly continues to ask questions and making something of a nuisance of herself. But when there is a second murder, they begin to wonder who in their little village is murderer?

Unfortunately I didn't see it too far into the book before I gave up. I wanted to like it but I jus couldn't. And when Maggie's "sixth sense" began appearing - first in the form of Sam's dead wife Alice, then a young woman who had died eighteen years before in Richard's pool and then she even saw Richard leave his body and calmly strut away leaving his guests in pandemonium - I just rolled my eyes. I'm sorry but paranormal just doesn't do it for me. I have read some paranormal books which were cleverly done but not generally my thing. But this just didn't have a place in a story that was meant to be a cosy mystery.  Added to that, there was no mention in the book description of there being any paranormal aspect otherwise I would never have picked it up.

I say cosy mystery...but the language and sex scenes plus the whole seeing the dead thing just didn't gel with the cosy mystery genre. I gave up before anything else happened and left everyone in a tizz. I don't even know, nor do I care, who the murderer was.

DEATH COMES TO BISHOPS WELL may be for some but it wasn't for me.

I would like to thank #AnnaLegat, #Netgalley and #AccentPress for an ARC of #DeathComesToBishopsWell in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Anna Legat is a Wiltshire-based author, best known for her DI Gillian Marsh murder mystery series. Murder isn't the only thing on her mind. She dabbles in a wide variety of genres, ranging from dark humorous comedy, through magic realism to dystopian. A globe-trotter and Jack-of-all-trades, Anna has been an attorney, legal adviser, a silver-service waitress, a school teacher and a librarian. She has lived in far-flung places all over the world where she delighted in people-watching and collecting precious life experiences for her stories. Anna writes, reads, lives and breathes books and can no longer tell the difference between fact and fiction.

Social Media links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

REVIEW: Small Forgotten Moments by Annalisa Crawford

Small Forgotten Moments by Annalise Crawford

Genre: General fiction, Psychological drama

Read: 29th August 2021

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Amazon

Published: 31st August 2021

★★ 2 stars

DESCRIPTION:

Is Zenna a muse, a sleep-deprived apparition, or something much more sinister?

Suffering long-term amnesia, artist Jo Mckye is ready to start a fresh, new project after the success of her debut exhibition. But the fictional subject of the collection, Zenna, won’t let go so easily. Infiltrating Jo’s dreams—and increasingly, her waking hours—Zenna is fast becoming a dangerous obsession.

Jo is confident the answers lie at her childhood home, an idyllic Cornish village on the south-east coast; she just doesn’t know why. Only when she walks into the sea and almost drowns does the past start to unravel.

Haunting and melodic, fans of Daphne du Maurier and Daisy Johnson will adore this.

MY REVIEW:

I'm not sure what drew me to this book in the first place as it's not my usual type of read. I think the amnesia angle intrigued me and the promise of the beautiful Cornish coastline never grows old. And yet the story does not fall into any particular genre. It's not a thriller or suspense...more like a supernatural ghost story haunting the confines of one's mind to the point of delusion.

This is the story of Jo McKye, an up and coming artist celebrating her first exhibition in a small London gallery. She's still an unknown but with this exhibition comes the hope that it will propel her onto greater things. But Jo has a secret. She suffers from amnesia where she cannot remember anything of her life from beyond three years ago. She cannot remember her friends, her family, even her mother or father...although there is one face she does recall. A muse who refuses to relinquish her hold over her. Zenna features in almost every painting to the point of obsession. She has infiltrated every part of Jo's life as she struggles to separate the truth from fiction. 

Zenna is an omnipresence from which Jo cannot escape. She is always lurking beneath the canvas, amidst the colours and in the deep recesses of her mind. But where does she come from? Who is Zenna? And why does she haunt Jo so flagrantly?

In a bid to discover the truth, Jo returns to her childhood home in Cornwall to uncover her past and hopefully understand Zenna's origins. Her presence is malevolent bringing with her nightmares from which she can't escape...and in which she is drowning. As she sits in her old bedroom with which she can feel no relative emotion - she doesn't recognise the magnolia walls or the pink patterned curtains. There is nothing that remotely speaks of the teenager that had once lived here. Even her mother feels like a relative stranger. But there is something that simmers below the surface. What is it that her mother isn't telling her? 

As the story progresses, Jo's frustration grows as does her disorientation and terror of the psychological poltergeist that continues to taunt her. A demon born during her childhood. The Cornish coast is the perfect backdrop to the psychotic nightmare...but will Jo find the answers for which she seeks? Or will Zenna's psychological presence send her over the edge once and for all?

Certainly an atmospheric tale that is eerie to say the least...and yet I felt something was missing. The narrative was disjointed and convoluted but that could also be a reflection of Jo's disoriented mind, though it did make it difficult to follow in parts. SMALL FORGOTTEN MOMENTS are not just small or just moments. It's an entire lifetime, a childhood, a complete past that has been eradicated from memory. But why? And how? 

The Cornish coast is always the perfect setting for an atmospheric psychological tale and is even a character in its own right. 

What I didn't understand was if Jo had no memory of her past beyond three years ago...how did she know where her mother lived? How did she know where to go? How did she even recognise her mother when she couldn't even picture her face in her memory? There were small holes throughout that while Jo didn't have any memory of something somehow knew who or what they were. But that could also be the complexities of the mind itself.

I didn't hate SMALL FORGOTTEN MOMENTS but I can't say I liked it much either. It was OK. I did figure out Zenna's place and significance in Jo's life so that was no surprise but it wasn't that that lessened my enjoyment. It could have been so much more, in my opinion. It was the perfect premise for a thriller but I guess that wasn't the point here.

I would like to thank #AnnalisaCrawford and #VineLeavesPress for an ARC of #SmallForgottenMoments in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Annalisa Crawford lives in beautiful Cornwall, in the UK, with a good supply of beaches and moorland right on her doorstep to keep her inspired. She lives with her husband, two sons, and dog Artoo.

Annalisa writes dark contemporary fiction with a hint of paranormal. These are mostly character-driven stories dealing with the confusion, deceit, surprise and joys of life. She is constantly fascinated by the things people hide.

Over the years, Crawford has won several competitions, had many short stories published in small press journals and online. Highlights include being placed 3rd in the Costa Short Story Award 2015 and being longlisted for the Commonwealth Short Story Prize and Bath Short Story Award in 2018.

Social Media links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

REVIEW: The Liar Next Door by Nicola Marsh

The Liar Next Door by Nicola Marsh

Genre: Domestic thriller, Domestic drama, Suspense

Read: 19th August 2021

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Published: 23rd August 2021

★★★★★ 4.5 stars (rounded up)

DESCRIPTION:

We live in a close-knit community. Thirty houses surrounding a square of garden that is perfect for our kids. We congregate here on major holidays, each family bringing a plate and sharing food and conversation. It’s in the garden that I first met her. The woman who would worm her way into my family and piece by piece tear it apart…

I should have known something was wrong from the very beginning. She seemed perfect in so many ways: she floated through the baby shower, a warm smile on her face, chatting to strangers with ease. At first I thought it was sweet that she offered to help me, that she made an effort to get to know us, that she brought over games and knew Luna’s favorite foods… I had no idea that I couldn’t trust another mother…

I should have known that someone would eventually discover the secret in my marriage. Why I never believe a word my husband says—and why he shouldn’t believe me. But how could a woman I only just met be the one to find it out?

If I’d known, I’d have called the police sooner.

And maybe I’d have prevented that dreadful scene. Every neighbor peering through their curtains as the sirens wailed in our street.

I could have protected my family.

I could have stopped what happened next…

Fans of Liane Moriarty, Sally Hepworth and The Girl on the Train will love this utterly unputdownable domestic thriller from USA Today bestselling author Nicola Marsh.

MY REVIEW:

I am excited to be taking part in the #BooksOnTour #BlogTour for Nicola Marsh's untputdownable domestic suspense THE LIAR NEXT DOOR.

As an Australia author, I assumed this book would be set here in the land down under but it is actually set in the north eastern states of America - New York, Connecticut and Long Island. Though to be honest, I can't recall where exactly the main setting of Hambridge Heights is, though where ever it may be it's only a two hour drive from New Haven. I assume it must be in a quiet leafy suburb of New York State since one of the characters often commutes to Manhattan. 

But locales aside, THE LIAR NEXT DOOR sweeps you up into it's web from the very first page. And the tangled web in which we find ourselves entangled is a very sticky one to say the least. Just about everyone in the book is a liar...so which of them is "the liar next door"? One of them or all of them?

The opening prologue is intriguing, offering us nothing but the vague nuances of an onlooker from next door as the police tear into their quiet street, sirens blaring and lights flashing. If anyone were asleep they would certainly be awake now, twitching the curtains to get a good glimpse of the excitement unfolding before their eyes. But which of the neighbours is the one reflecting? It's not made entirely clear though I believe it to be the one left behind...

Frankie Forbes has the perfect life. Married to the gorgeous Andre with a delightful 5 year old daughter Luna. Lives in a beautiful brownstone in an exclusive area within a small community that looks out for each other. A lifestyle vlogger who personifies perfection in her live streams and videos, sharing tips on everything from fashion to cooking to motherhood...basically life in general. Her perfect life, her perfect marriage, her perfect daughter and perfect house are example of that perfect life that is symbolised online.

But it hasn't always been perfect. On her 18th birthday, Frankie arrived home to a surprise she never expected nor did she expect the revelations her mother revealed after she told her what she had seen. Her party had already been arranged and despite not wanting to celebrate, she tolerated it in front of all her parents' friends and the images that wouldn't escape her now she knew the truth about them. But that day also gave her a special gift she wasn't expecting...it was the day she met Walter nestled in the corner of her garden in the dark. It was that moment that changed her life. Together they escaped to a new life and six months later they were married. But less than four years later, Frankie realised as fond as she was of dependable unflappable Walter, she was in love with him. And so they went their separate ways but have always remained friends.

Now, Frankie is married to Andre and moved away to Hambridge Heights to begin a new life together. But deep inside Frankie has a secret. One that no one in their tight knit community knows. Not her friends, not her husband and definitely not her online viewers. If it were to come out, her life would be ruined.

Celeste is newly arrived in the neighbourhood, a single mother to shy 5 year old Violette, moving in next door to Frankie and Andre. Not knowing anyone in the community, Celeste is eager to make friends with her new neighbours and for their daughters to become best of friends. She is tight-lipped about her past but she has hinted to running from a relationship that ended up especially messy, hence their escape for a new start. But little Violette misses her father a great deal and begs her mother for a reconciliation so she may have the longed-for sibling she so often alludes to.

And then there is newly-married Saylor, a 25 year old young woman married to Lloyd and is five months pregnant with their first child. Moving into the house on the other side of Frankie just six weeks before, they hold a gender reveal party where they invite and meet their new neighbours. Running from her past, Saylor also has a secret she is keeping from her attentive and dependable husband. And then she sees a face from her past at their party who apparently lives in the neighbourhood. Did she move here on the pretext of seeing him again? Or is there a far deeper secret that she is keeping from her husband?

Don't be fooled by any of these women - they are all hiding something, making each one of them a liar. But then so are the men in their lives. It appears every single one of these people are liars. It's like an episode of Days of our Lives with all the to-ing and fro-ing, secrets and lies, blackmailing...and not to mention bed-hopping...going on! But these three women are inextricably linked, not just by being neighbours, but in other ways of which some of them are oblivious too.

The story unfolds through the eyes of each woman - Frankie, Celeste and Saylor - respectively. The only difference is that with Frankie's story we, as the reader, are privy to her past in her chapters which are marked "Then". So what beholds Frankie to these women? Which aspect of her past binds them? How and why? The questions continue to mount with each turn of the page as twist after twist propels us deeper into the story.

While THE LIAR NEXT DOOR begins at a relatively steady pace, it is a gradual build before the story really takes hold barreling us head first till the end. At first, I felt more invested in Frankie's past than in the present day story but that was merely to lull the reader into a false sense of security. There is no attempt to hide the fact that each of these women are inherently flawed characters, sometimes virtually unlikeable, though each are trying to make the best out of the bad choices and impulsive decisions they have made.

Honestly? I wasn't particularly enamoured by any of the women...probably because I knew they were all hiding something. If I had to choose one, it would be Frankie but then that may well be because we got more of her backstory so we could understand her better. Doesn't mean I approved of her choices but it helped empathising with her predicament. Of the men, one maybe two of them ended up surprising me! But my favourite of them all was Walter. Dear sweet dependable Walter. I didn't trust either Celeste or Saylor and I found myself tossing my ideas left, right and centre to see which one made the most sense of how they fit into the bigger picture. I puzzled it out correctly...all except for a couple of things, one of which I didn't see coming at all! But then the story was presented in such a way our focus is elsewhere that we end up taking our eye off the ball in another aspect.

Very cleverly written, THE LIAR NEXT DOOR is perfectly plotted and fast paced right up to the end. It is intense throughout with a satisfying conclusion. Nicola Marsh is a new-to-me author but if this book is anything to go by, I shall have to keep an eye out for more!

Right up there with Shalini Boland and Kim Slater, THE LIAR NEXT DOOR is a fantabulous tale of secrets, lies and deception at every turn. And it just takes the pull of one thread for the rest of the lies and the secrets to unravel bit by bit, piece by piece. Completely unputdownable and a highly addictive read.

Perfect for fans of Shalini Boland, K.L. Slater and domestic suspense thrillers.

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

MEET THE AUTHOR:

USA TODAY bestseller and multi-award winner Nicola Marsh writes feel-good fiction…with a twist!

She has published 68 novels and sold over 8 million copies worldwide. She currently writes rural romance for Harper Collins Australia, emotional domestic suspense for Bookouture and contemporary romance for Harlequin Dare.

She’s also a Waldenbooks, Bookscan, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble bestseller, a RBY (Romantic Book of the Year) and National Readers’ Choice Award winner.

A physiotherapist for thirteen years, she now writes full time, raises two dashing young heroes, shares fine food with family and friends, and her favorite, curls up with a good book!

Social Media links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

REVIEW: The Blitz Detective by Mike Hollow

The Blitz Detective (The Blitz Detective #1) by Mike Hollow

Genre: Crime fiction, WW2, Historical fiction

Read: 23rd August 2021

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 23rd July 2020

★★★★ 4 stars

DESCRIPTION:

First published as Direct Hit

Saturday 7th September, 1940. The sun is shining, and in the midst of the good weather Londoners could be mistaken for forgetting their country was at war – until the familiar wail of the air-raid sirens heralds an enemy attack. The Blitz has started, and normal life has abruptly ended – but crime has not.

That night a man’s body is discovered in an unmarked van in the back streets of West Ham. When Detective Inspector John Jago is called to the scene, he recognises the victim: local Justice of the Peace, Charles Villiers. The death looks suspicious, but then a German bomb obliterates all evidence. War or no war, murder is still murder, and it’s Jago’s job to find the truth.

MY REVIEW:

I admit that this book first attracted me to not only taking place during the Blitz but it's setting - West Ham and the East End of London, from which my dad hails. I recognise the place names from where he was born and where he lived and grew up - Plaistow, Stratford, West Ham and Upton Park. The fact it takes place during the Blitz also drew me as my dad was 2 to 3 years old during that time and it would have been frightening for a child. But then this book also offers something different...a murder mystery amidst the bombs falling.

But...war or no war, murder is still murder.

Saturday 7th September 1940 and veteran copper DI John Jago has spent twenty years policing the East End of London and his home town of West Ham. Also a veteran of WW1, Jago has seen a lot of death and when war was declared this time round he was glad that his services were no longer required in the Army as he saw enough then to last him a lifetime. But no sooner had war declared than his trusty DS was called back into action from the reserves and Jago now has to puppy walk his replacement DC Peter Cradock, beginning with the all important lesson in football appreciation to watch his beloved West Ham play Tottenham. Three goals down to the visiting team and the air raid siren sounds and play is halted and people scurry to find shelter while Jago and Cradock make their way back to the station.

Lesson number two comes when a call comes in about a body discovered in a deserted van on an East End street. Jago and Cradock head to the scene and are immediately puzzled by the dead man's injuries. He has slashes to his wrists and a stab wound to the chest. Were these wounds self inflicted or a result of something more sinister? Did he attempt suicide or was he murdered? It's puzzling because one could inflict the wrist wounds, but why stab oneself in the chest? And if someone were attempting to make it look like suicide why also stab him in the chest?

Either way, Jago suspects it is more likely the killer was hoping to pass off the murder as a suicide and maybe panicked. He is also surprised to recognise the victim as Charles Villiers, a local Justice of the Peace and magistrate. But before they could call in a pathologist and photographer to process the scene, the raid draws nearer as Jago and Cradock race to take cover nearby. As they emerge from the cloud of dust all that remains of their crime scene is a giant bomb crater obliterating both the body and the van completely and with it all evidence.

Nevertheless as he begins his investigations, Jago soon discovers Villiers is not as squeaky clean as his magistrate persona might portray. As a local businessman he appeared to have gained numerous enemies and his marriage was not all it seemed to be either. His widow was far from grieving and neither was his son. But the deeper Jago and Cradock dig, the more they discover about Villiers' printing business and his dodgy operation profiteering from the war effort.

And then a second body turns up just as Jago and Cradock almost become victims of a fire. The second victim had close ties to Villiers and was possibly one of the last people to see him alive the night he was killed.

Added to the investigation at hand, Jago is also given the additional task of accompanying American journalist Dorothy Appleton around the East End and keeping her in tow. At first, Jago appears to slightly resent her presence and argues about whether the stories the news prints are truth, an exaggerated version of or even a played down version of the truth. It is clear he doesn't trust the papers or what they print and his mistrust is evident from the start. However, as he spends more time with the journalist he realises he may have been too quick to judge. 

And then he discovers a ghost from his past taking him back to the Western Front in 1917...

The first in the series of the same name, THE BLITZ DETECTIVE is a delightfully straightforward crime novel involving murder and the nefarious dodgy dealings of war profiteering set against a very real and distinctly dark time in British history. Investigating a murder while German bombs are falling around you proves to be a most difficult task but Jago is competent enough to find the villain and bring him, or her, to justice. But also in the background is the shadow of the Great War in which Jago served at the Western Front himself and which still haunts him today. But the shadows of that first war not only haunts our hero but our villain as well as the motivation behind the crimes tells a somewhat sad tale. While the old school coppers may have taken the bad guys into the cells and beaten them round the head with a phone book to get answers, Jago is sympathetic and sincere even if somewhat jaded.

DC Cradock is thrust into the deep end rather quickly but he soon finds his feet and proves himself to be a competent copper, even if he is tad wet behind the ears. The more involved he becomes the more confidence he gains as Jago and previously retired desk sergeant Tompkins enlighten him to the finer points of policing through wisdom and a little humour.

An atmospheric crime novel, THE BLITZ DETECTIVE is a compelling and easy read that will appeal to fans of "Foyle's War".

*previously published as "Direct Hit".

I would like to thank #MikeHollow, #Netgalley and #AllisonAndBusby for an ARC of #TheBlitzDetective in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Mike Hollow first got into print when he was thirteen. A boys’ comic published a feeble limerick he’d sent them and paid ten shillings, a fat sum at that age. But the postal order was nothing compared with seeing his words in print. After that he kept writing – teenage poems for a late-1960s “underground magazine”, then grown-up poems, and later a happy mix of copywriting, journalism, editing and translating. All ways of getting paid for playing with words.

Mike was born in 1953 in the Essex County Borough of West Ham – home of the Blitz Detective – on the eastern edge of London. He grew up mainly in Romford and went to the Royal Liberty School, then studied Russian and French at Cambridge University.

His first job was translating for the BBC, where he did various jobs for sixteen years before moving to work in communications for development agency Tearfund, travelling widely in Africa, Asia and Latin America. In 2002 Mike went freelance as a writer, editor and creative project manager. 

Now he spends all my time in the cellar of his house in Hampshire chronicling the adventures of the Blitz Detective. 

Why write detective novels? Because he enjoys reading them and loves to create entertaining stories. Why the Blitz? Because overnight it turned everyday existence into a life-and-death struggle for ordinary people – and some of them were his family.

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REVIEW: A Winter Baby for Gin Barrel Lane by Lindsey Hutchinson

A Winter Baby for Gin Barrel Lane (Gin Barrel Lane #2) by Lindsey Hutchinson

Genre: Historical fiction, Sagas, Victorian Era

Read: 17th August 2021

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 24th August 2021

★★★★★ 5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

Dolly Perkins and Jack Larkin have grown up in the notorious gin palaces of Birmingham.

It’s a world of happiness and friendship, but also violence and poverty. Now that Dolly runs the Daydream Gin Palace on Gin Barrel Lane she can finally control her own destiny, but sometimes fate still plays its hand.

 

Keen to expand her empire, Dolly and Jack take on a new pub, but they are in for a shock when a foul smell in one of the bedrooms turns out to come from a body hidden in the wall. 

As the police hunt for their suspect, rumours abound, spread by the local urchins – happy to be used as runners for a little bit of food and a coin or two. 

But rumours can be dangerous, and as one of the worst winters on record covers everything in snow, Dolly and Jack have to fight for the lives they have made for themselves, and for the urchins that they have come to think of as family.  Will the arrival of a new baby on Gin Barrel Lane bring the promise of new hope, or will the long-awaited thaw uncover new secrets and new tragedies…

The Queen of Black Country sagas is back on Gin Barrel Lane with a rip-roaring, heart-warming, page-turning story of family, friendship and beating the odds. Perfect for fans of Val Wood and Lyn Andrews.

MY REVIEW:

Where has Lindsey Hutchinson been all my life? Ever since a friend recommended her books to me a couple of years ago, I have enjoyed every single one them! They are such a delight to read and incredibly easy to devour. Her novels seamlessly weave tales of poverty along with love and friendship throughout the lower working classes in industrial Birmingham in the similar vein of Catherine Cookson did in the North East.

A WINTER BABY FOR GIN BARREL LANE is the sequel to the endearing "The Children of Gin Barrel Lane" in which we met the characters who return in this delightful installment along with many more who are sure to warm your heart.

Birmingham 1864: Returning to Gin Barrel Lane and Dolly Perkins is now 21 years old. She has come a long way since ten year old Jack Larkin found her huddled in the yard of his mother's gin house almost a decade ago. By 14 Dolly had gone into business with Nellie Larkin and together they purchased and opened the Daydream Palace across the road from Nellie's own Crown Saloon. As the business grows and becomes busier, Dolly must take on new workers to keep the bar open and the customers happy. But business is booming and the Palace is packed from opening till closing time every day.

Now the mortgage for the Palace is almost paid off and Dolly is looking to open another when word reaches her about several establishments going on the market. She views a couple of them but fears the cost of renovating them to above standard wouldn't be financially viable. Then Wilton Burton, son and co-owner of Burton's Brewery from which she and Nellie acquire their gin, tells her of a pub they deliver to up for sale. So Dolly takes Jack to inspect the premises but the surrounding stench is more than they could ask their employees or their customers to bear. 

Until word reaches the delightful Aggie, who passes on information in return for free gin, about a pub that is about to go on the market. Regaling Dolly with news of the vast establishment on the corner of Great Barr Street, Dolly takes Jack to inspect the pub known locally as "The Bricky" and put an offer on it. The premises are indeed vast, clean and perfect for their requirements so Dolly and the pub landlord Lucas Freeman agree on a price and shake on it. She heads straight to the bank where she organises a mortgage for her new establishment and then to her solicitor to draw up the papers. However, upon returning the following morning, Lucas informs her that he has been offered above asking price by Ezra Moreton and he would be a fool to turn it down. After much consideration and planning on her solicitor's part, Dolly agrees to the new price and takes possession almost immediately with Lucas disappearing in the night, his passage booked for the Americas and escaping Ezra's wrath.

Dolly and Jack set to work on renovating the pub into a gin palace which they have called Emporium of Dreams. Dolly has retained the two existing barmen and hiring more staff for the kitchen, bar and the door with Jack to be the new live in manager. But from one of the bedrooms upstairs comes an awful smell which Lucas told them was the sewer, having complained to the council on numerous occasions to no avail. But their builder Eli Hodges informed them of the opposite...that there was no sewer...so what was causing that ghastly smell? As work begins on locating its source, no one is prepared for what they will find behind those walls.

When Ezra arrives one morning, his goons in tow, he is shocked to discover Dolly and Jack on the premises he believes he owns. But he is in for an even greater shock when he learns that Dolly is the new owner when he thought he had yet again outsmarted her. Humiliated once again by the woman, Ezra hightails it back to his Brewery where he takes his ever-growing frustrations out on his staff. And when word reaches him down the track that Dolly is looking to expand her business even further with the acquisition of not one but another two pubs, Ezra means to outsmart her once and for all by swooping in and purchasing them from under her.

But then winter arrives in full force with heavy snowfall that cuts off roads so the carts and cabbies and even draymen delivering brewery supplies cannot get through. And Ezra makes a foolish decision that could see his empire unravel. Is he canny enough to rise above the odds and claw his way back whilst making Dolly pay?

Meanwhile love is on the horizon for Dolly. Enjoying the regular company of Wilton Burton, she suspects she may be falling in love with him. But is he all that he appears? Jack certainly doesn't trust him and glares daggers at him every time he sees him in Dolly's company. And when the two are together, Jack is filled with an anger and jealousy that causes him to make a rash decision leaving Dolly high and dry as well as devastated.

Along with the return of Nellie, Nancy, Fred, Aggie, Dolly and Jack, we also meet new friends in Sadie, Alice, Bess, Gwen, Danny, Frank and Joey. Of course there are the reappearances of Dolly's solicitor Mr Sharpe and their builder Eli Hodges as well as the unwelcome one in Ezra Moreton. Life is tough for the working class but they aren't afraid of hard work. Even Dolly's crippled leg doesn't stop her from achieving her dreams. By the story's end, Dolly has expanded her business even more with the addition of a Brewery and a children's home that I wonder where life will take her next. Though she doesn't suffer fools, she is a kind and gentle soul who cares for her those who have become her family.

As with most stories of this type, there are a few tears as well as laughs to be had, though I did shed many a tear over one particular much-loved character and again at the end. A WINTER BABY FOR GIN BARREL LANE is a wonderfully engaging story that is an addictive read from beginning to end. And even when I turned the last page I was left wanting more. As the original children of Gin Barrel Lane, where will life take Dolly and Jack next?

I hope there is a third installment to this wonderful story as there is so much more to come for those on Gin Barrel Lane.

This heartwarming tale of family, friendship and beating the odds is perfect for fans of historical fiction sagas like Catherine Cookson.

I would like to thank #LindseyHutchinson, #Netgalley, #RachelsRandomResources and #BoldwoodBooks for an ARC of #AWinterBabyForGinBarrelLane in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Lindsey Hutchinson was born and raised in Wednesbury, West Midlands and is a bestselling saga author whose novels include The Workhouse Children. Tying up the manuscripts for her her mother, the multi-million selling Meg Hutchinson, rekindled her love for storytelling and it seems she was always destined to follow in her footsteps.

Lindsey lives in Shropshire with her husband and Labrador, loves to read and enjoys photography.

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