REVIEW: The Girl at my Door by Rebecca Griffiths

The Girl at my Door by Rebecca Griffiths

Genre: Historical fiction, Crime thriller, Crime fiction, True Crime

Read: 25th September 2021

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Published: 23rd September 2021

★★★★★ 4.5 stars (rounded up)

DESCRIPTION:

London, 1949. On the dark streets of Soho, a killer is waiting in the shadows. Inspired by the true crime story of the Rillington Place murders comes a chilling re-telling of one of Britain’s most infamous serial killers.

Queenie Osbourne is the talk of London. Rising to fame as a singer after the Second World War, she is about to head to New York to make her fortune.

On the surface John Reginald Christie is an ordinary man. By day he wonders the bustling city streets. By night he is entertained by Queenie and her band. He is always searching for prey. Soon a young waitress named Joy catches his eye and his dangerous obsession begins.

Joy is preparing to wed Charles Gilchrist, one of the city’s most eligible bachelors. But Queenie has always held a flame for him and the spark between them is obvious.

When Queenie commits the ultimate betrayal against Joy, she knows her bright future is at risk. With nowhere else to turn, there is only one man who can help her. But Queenie has no idea of the dark secrets which lie behind the door of 10 Rillington Place. As Christie watches her approaching, will he risk everything for his highest-profile victim yet?

Blending the real life story of notorious serial killer John Reginald Christie with a fictionalised cast of characters, this thrilling mystery is perfect for fans of Gregg Olsen, Louise Douglas and Jess Lourey.

MY REVIEW:

I am excited to be taking part in the #BooksOnTour #BlogTour for Rebecca Griffiths' exciting historical crime thriller THE GIRL AT MY DOOR.

As soon as I read the premise for this book I knew I had to read it. My fascination with historical serial killers deemed it so. THE GIRL AT MY DOOR is an historical crime thriller with a difference though...featuring the infamous serial killer of the 1940s and 50s, John Reginald Christie of the equally infamous 10 Rillington Place...London's original house of horrors situated in the now affluent area of Notting Hill. While this is not a true crime story, it is an historical crime thriller interwoven with the factual aspect of Christie making this an interesting as well as a dark and somewhat creepy read - particularly the chapters in which Christie features as he lurks unseen in the shadows.

London, 1949: On the dark streets of Soho, a killer lurks in the shadows...watching, waiting and biding his time. Unbeknownst to them, best friends Queenie and Joy are trying to make the best of life in post-war London while their every move is being watched. 

Queenie is as gregarious and vivacious as she is beautiful. She is an up-and-coming singer in a London nightclub called the Mockin' Bird where she has gained the eye of an American scout who has offered her a part on Broadway in New York. All she wants to do is perform for an audience wearing the stunning dresses she fashions for herself. But as confident as she is, Queenie is also selfish and vain, often chastising Joy for her own clumsy attempts at such things as applying make-up.

Joy is the complete opposite. She is shy, self-conscious and lacking in confidence. She admires Queenie for being all the things she isn't although she herself couldn't imagine having the same confidence as her friend. Quiet and gentle, Joy loves nothing more than to immerse herself in a world of books...her favourite being Thomas Hardy. She works at the British Museum by day until Queenie gets her a job waitressing at the Mockin' a couple of nights a week. And there, Joy meets one of London's most eligible bachelors, Charles Gilchrist, whilst simultaneously batting away the attentions of the band's drunken drummer, Buster.

When Joy and Charles become engaged, Queenie finds herself suddenly out of sorts. This is a man who is used to the finer things in life, a man who needs a wife to shine on his arm at events, a man who needs someone more like her than quiet mousy Joy. But who is she to begrudge her best friend this happiness? But are they really? And can Joy really give him all that he needs? With a touch of the green-eyed monster glowing from within, Queenie considers that she would be a better fit for Charles and suddenly finds herself increasingly attracted to him. She begins to flirt with him even under the oblivious eyes of Joy and sets her cap at beguiling him. But at what cost?

Queenie's friend Terrence is a banker by day and a pianist at the Mockin' Bird by night. He becomes her confidante when Joy cannot. But he also has a secret - he is a closet homosexual, a proclivity that was illegal and punishable by imprisonment, and that which finds him at the mercy of a very clever and very dangerous man.

And then there is John Reginald Christie, a seemingly ordinary unassuming man who no one seems to notice. When one day his attention is drawn to Joy as he watches her in the park and stealthily follows her home, he becomes obsessed with her and fantasies about luring her into his web where he longs to have his wicked way with her. His dark mind is disturbing and his twisted thoughts are chilling that one can't help but feel threatened by him, despite his small and unassuming stature. You could almost sense his eyes following your every move just as they mentally undress the objects of his obsession. In this case, Joy.

When an act of betrayal comes between Queenie and Joy, their lives are shattered and their friendship broken. And as a result Queenie finds herself at the door of 10 Rillington Place to rid herself of the trouble in which she now finds herself. But when Terrence discovers just how dangerous the man behind that door is, time is running out for him to reach Queenie before she becomes Christie's next victim of his rope chair.

THE GIRL AT MY DOOR is a well-written blend of a real life crime story with fiction creating an atmospheric tale set in the shadow of gaslights amidst pea souper fogs with a sinister sense of foreboding. It is completely engrossing from start to finish with its deliciously dark and suspenseful prose. Looking through the eyes of Christie is especially chilling and so authentic that it made my skin crawl.

Told from the third person perspectives of Queenie, Joy, Terrence and Christie himself, THE GIRL AT MY DOOR is an addictive thriller with a difference. And although we think we know the outcome being based on the actual crimes of Christie, there are some surprising and shocking twists to come.

A perfect combination of fact with fiction, THE GIRL AT MY DOOR is an engrossing read that is quick and enjoyable and perfect for fans of historical crime fiction as well as those with an interest in true crime.

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

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Rebecca Griffiths grew up in mid-Wales and went on to gain a first class honours degree in English Literature. After a successful business career in London, Dublin and Scotland she returned to rural mid-Wales where she lives with her husband, a prolific artist, their dog, four black rescue cats, two pet sheep the size of sofas and writes full time. 

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REVIEW: Little Bones by Patricia Gibney

Little Bones (DI Lottie Parker #10) by Patricia Gibney

Genre: Crime fiction, Crime thriller, Police prodecural

Read: 22nd September 2021

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Published: 22nd September 2021

★★★★ 4.5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

She lifted up her granddaughter from the cot, clutched her to her chest and, without looking at her beautiful daughter lying dead on the floor of her bedroom, ran from the house. Only when she was outside did she let a wail escape her lips, frightening the baby who joined in her screams.

When Isabel Gallagher is found murdered on the floor of her baby’s nursery by her mother, it’s a gruelling case for Detective Lottie Parker. Isabel’s pyjamas have been ripped, her throat cut and an old-fashioned razor blade placed in her hand. As Lottie looks at the round blue eyes and perfect chubby cheeks of Isabel’s baby daughter, she can’t understand who would want to hurt this innocent family.

That very same day she receives a call with devastating news. Another young mother, Joyce Breslin, has gone missing, and her four-year-old son Evan has been abducted from daycare. Lottie is sure that the missing mother and son are linked to Isabel’s death, and when she finds a bloody razor blade in their house, her worst fears are confirmed.

Desperate to find little Evan, Lottie leaves no stone unturned as she delves into Isabel and Joyce’s pasts and when she realises the two women have been meeting in secret, she knows she must find out why.

But when Joyce’s body is found in a murky pond and some little bones are found on a windy hillside, it feels as if this merciless killer will stop at nothing. The bones aren’t Evan’s but can they give Lottie the final clue to find the innocent child before more lives are taken?

This absolutely gripping and unputdownable crime thriller from bestselling author Patricia Gibney will leave you gasping for breath. A perfect read for fans of Angela Marsons, Robert Dugoni and Rachel Caine.

MY REVIEW:

I am excited to be taking part in the #BooksOnTour #BlogTour for Patricia Gibney's action-packed crime thriller LITTLE BONES.

I always look forward to a new Lottie Parker book and, as the tenth in the series, LITTLE BONES doesn't disappoint. What I love so much about this series is it is not wholly procedural and we get perspectives from various other players in the story - the victims, their families and even the villain themselves. Patricia Gibney continues to keep readers guessing from the first page to the very last and I admit to being hoodwinked for much of the book.

The story opens with a graphic prologue which will leave you heartbroken as to its outcome and yet it pulls no punches. The characters in the prologue are unnamed but as the story progresses we begin to work out who they are, with the final piece revealed as the tension in the climax builds.

DI Lottie Parker has a busy professional life as well as a confusing personal one. Having partially inherited the rambling dilapidated Farranstown House from her biological mother (revealed in a previous book) with her half brother who is living in New York, Lottie and her family move in with Boyd half living there, half not. Along with her children - daughters Katie and grandson Louis, Chloe and youngest son Sean - Lottie is trying to balance renovating the place so that it is half liveable whilst juggling her busy career. Her mother Rose is a constant fixture, although she has her own place, who is often there cooking up a storm for when Lottie and Boyd return home.

And then they get a call to a murder scene in which mother Anita Boland discovers upon arriving at her daughter Isabel's place to babysit three month old Holly. Unable to raise her daughter at the door, she enters and after a search of the house, hears Holly crying from the bedroom and finds Isabel in a pool of blood, brutally murdered in front of her daughter. When Lottie arrives she learns that the SOCOs have discovered a razor blade clutched within her hand and healed cut marks on her feet. What does this all mean? Lottie enlists one of her team to find Isabel's husband, Jack Gallagher. With his abrupt and abrasive attitude, it doesn't take long for the detectives to suspect him of having committed the crime. Particularly when they learn Isabel had no mobile phone and was given a small allowance for groceries and anything else she may need.

Then another woman, Joyce Breslin, goes missing when she fails to pick her son Evan up from daycare...but how is she linked to Isabel? Then the team discover that Isabel had once worked at the daycare, Bubbles, until her pregnancy deemed it too difficult. She was apparently to have met with the owner, Sinead Foley, of Bubbles the morning of her murder to discuss Holly attending. An appointment that was never kept. Sinead keeps Evan with her into the night, hoping that Joyce or her partner long distance lorry driver Nathan would soon collect the boy. But then Evan disappears from Sinead's house while she was in preparing the daycare room for the following day. There was no sign of a break-in, so did the abductor have a key?

When Joyce's car is found abandoned by a lake revealing nothing except for an envelope stuffed down the side of the driver's seat with an address and a razor blade, Lottie is convinced Joyce's disappearance is linked to the murder of Isabel. The question is, how? How do the two women know each other?

In an attempt to find Joyce's missing little four year old boy, one of Lottie's team, Kirby, decides to look into the address found in the envelope. It had to be of some significance to have been left in Joyce's car. When he manages to gain entry to the seemingly abandoned house he discovers what looks to be an old crime scene with splatters of dried blood in the kitchen and in the cot upstairs. Further investigation reveals razor blades hidden in a scarf in a cupboard. Kirby has an awful feeling about this.

Added to that is the discovery of some old bones belonging to a child found on an ancient site by a tree on a hillside. But how are all these apparent crimes and crime scenes linked? They nearly all involve razor blades, bar those of the children. So what links them all? Lottie cannot figure it out. But time is running out for little Evan unless Lottie and her team can find the little boy before it's too late. And on top of that, she and Boyd still haven't managed to tie the knot after their failed wedding in a previous book when Boyd fell ill.

There is a lot going on in this book that makes Lottie's head spin, but it is clear from the start that each part is a piece of the puzzle that ties the two women, and their secrets, together. Tensions are high as the race is on to solve the convoluted case, or cases, before time runs out. The pace remains steady throughout which is hitched up a notch as the tensions builds to a spectacular climax. The suspect pool is huge and continues to grow, leaving Lottie and her team at a loss trying to figure out what's going on.

LITTLE BONES is a fantastic addition to the Lottie Parker series which just seems to get better and better. I just wish Lottie and Boyd would hurry up already. And Katie, her eldest daughter, really should have found her feet by now. She was living in New York throughout the last book but now she's returned having decided that Farranstown is the perfect place to raise her son Louis. Although she doesn't feature as heavily in this books as previous ones, in fact none of Lottie's children do this time, she still comes across as a little flaky. 

A solid procedural-cum-crime thriller, LITTLE BONES is an enjoyable read and a spectacular addition to the series. And as to expected from previous books in the series, LITTLE BONES ends with a cliffhanger of sorts to be resolved in the next installment. I look forward to that, however I expect I will have forgotten it by then as I have where the previous one left off also.

A good solid read with a fairly likeable team, LITTLE BONES can be read as a standalone but to do so one would miss out on some important background pertinent to the series as it stands today. Perfect for fans of Carol Wyer Victoria Jenkins King and Lake series and Carla Kovach.

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

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Patricia Gibney is an Irish author of crime fiction who sold 100,000 copies of her first crime thriller as an e-book, and had total sales exceeding 500,000 copies in 2018. By 2019, total book sales had passed one million.

Patricia is from Mullingar, County Westmeath and has lived there all her life. She spent 30 years working with Westmeath County Council.

When her husband died in 2009, aged 49, three months after a diagnosis of cancer, Patricia turned to art and writing, self-publishing a children's book entitled 'Spring Sprong Sally'. She then started writing crime fiction and created her first novel in that genre featuring DI Lottie Parker with 'The Missing Ones'. She worked with the Irish Writers Centre to improve her writing. Eventually she began a second novel 'The Stolen Girls' and through that acquired an agent and a publishing contract with Bookouture.

Patricia currently has 8 DI Lottie Parker novels to date, with the ninth 'Silent Voices' to be published in February 2021, and is set in the fictional Irish town of Ragmullin, which is an anagram of the real-life town of Mullingar, where Patricia lives.

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REVIEW: The Liar's Child by Sheryl Browne

The Liar's Child by Sheryl Browne

Genre: Domestic thriller, Domestic drama, Psychological thriller, Psychological drama, Suspense

Read: 17th September 2021

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Published: 21st September 2021

★★★★ 4 stars

DESCRIPTION:

I’ll do anything to protect my daughter…

When I pick my beloved daughter Poppy up from school one afternoon, my mind races when I see the little girl holding Poppy’s hand. With the same heart-shaped face, long brown hair and dark eyes, the two girls look identical. In fact, they look like sisters.

Is the secret I’ve been holding on to for so long about to be revealed?

That night, I cuddle Poppy even harder, desperately trying to decide what to do. And then my husband’s phone vibrates. A message. And then another. And another. All from a number I don’t recognise.

Is someone going to tell my husband what I did? Could I be about to lose everything I have worked so hard to protect?

But I’ve spent so long hiding the truth, I never stopped to wonder if I was the only liar in the family… The only thing I’m sure of is that nobody is going to take my child away from me.

If you can’t get enough of addictive psychological thrillers like Gone Girl, The Wife Between Us and The Marriage, you’ll love The Liar’s Child. With nail-biting suspense and an ending that will make your heart pound, this is one book you simply won’t be able to put down.

MY REVIEW:

I am excited to be taking part in the #BooksOnTour #BlogTour for Sheryl Browne's heart stopping domestic thriller THE LIAR'S CHILD.

Sheryl Browne is one of my go-to authors for whom I drop just about everything to read. And she never disappoints, no matter how frustrated or irritated I get with the characters. As such was the case here. A family drama sprinkled with a bit of mystery and heart-stopping suspense towards the end, THE LIAR'S CHILD had me pulling my hair out on more than one occasion. The main characters are completely frustrating that I just wanted to bash their heads together...every single time! I mean, imagine knowing your partner well enough to simply assume that the past five years of your lives together have been a lie as you conjure up all sorts of scenarios to fit with your half arsed theories. They both needed a good slapping! They certainly could've saved a lot of trouble by sitting down and having a five minute conversation with each other...without jumping to conclusions at the first hurdle...but no, instead they pre-empted the other and flew off the deep end. Every. Single. Time. They were completely frustrating!

So who are they? Kay and Matt Young are a happily married couple with a five year old daughter Poppy who is ill with chronic kidney disease. At least, they thought they were happily married. It all begins when Kay receives a text which Matt sees flash up on her phone...from his estranged and bullying brother Jason...and so he begins to imagine all sorts, wondering why the brother he has nothing to do with is contacting his wife. Kay is dismissive of the text but Matt thinks she is hiding something. An affair maybe? After all, she'd been going out with Jason before they got together and married. Did she prefer to be with him after all? And then there was the comment Jason whispered in his brother's ear five years previously when all this kicked off that set his paranoia in motion. Was it true? And now, it seems, Jason is back to taunt him once again.

Kay really wants nothing to do with Jason but he somehow manages to wangle his way into her life displaying a different side to him she had not seen before. Had time changed Jason and his controlling and bullying ways? He seemed a different man, contrite and remorseful, offering the hand of friendship to Kay should she need it. It didn't matter if she did or didn't, Jason just seemed to pop up at the most inopportune times which merely compounded his younger brother's paranoia. I say paranoia, but Matt is not mentally unstable. As a successful neonatologist at the City Road Hospital, he is anything but unstable...but when it comes to his older brother who has made it his life's mission to make his own a living nightmare, Matt is within his rights to be suspicious.

Added to this mix is young nurse Rachel, who seeks out Matt at every opportunity to ask his opinion or simply for a chat. She too wheedles her way into his life that he begins to see her as something of a friend and he even confides in her about Poppy's illness, his fears and his worries for her. Rachel is ever attentive and comforting, offering her shoulder should he ever need it. But is there more to their relationship that just friendship? Kay certainly thinks so. If not her, then someone else. In fact, she believes that one of her students where she lectures at the University, Amelia, who asks one too many questions about her marriage, about Matt and her life that she begins to wonder just how she knows him. And when her suspicions get the better of her and she finds herself checking his phone, she comes across a text from someone signing herself off as "A" with two kisses...and the content of the text left little to the imagination.

And so both Kay and Matt begin to imagine all sorts about each other, without actually sitting down and talking to one another. In fact, when they do talk, it's at cross purposes and gets them absolutely nowhere and I just wanted to bash their heads together!

Of course, in the middle of all of this is little Poppy. Their daughter is seriously ill and their lives consist of low sodium low fat diets for her, measuring protein levels, urine outputs and signs of even the slightest temperature. Poppy is the apple of their parents' eyes. Even if they are loggerheads with each other, they adore their daughter and would do everything they could to help her. So when Poppy comes out of the school gates with her hand linked with that of her new best friend, Kay is speechless. Olivia could be Poppy's twin. This of course sets Kay's brain into overdrive thinking that Matt must have had an affair at some stage, that he might still be, and had fathered another child. That child being Olivia. But Olivia's story isn't one she expects as she meets her mother Nicole. But it's Olivia's likeness and possible relation to Poppy that sets her mind whirring...and I cannot believe her thinking and the justification to herself for that thinking that left me open-mouthed. Without a thought for Olivia or her mother, for that matter.

And so all involved are on a collision course that is bound to impact everyone and everything in the end. When all you want to do is sit Matt and Kay down and have them talk openly and without jumping to conclusions....that or just simply bash their heads together. For two highly educated people, they sure behave like two complete prats.

However, without that aspect creating a tangled web of secrets and lies...not to mention, ridiculous assumptions...then there would be no book. As frustrating as an irritating as Matt and Kay are, the tangled web they wove created an addictive domestic suspense thriller. THE LIAR'S CHILD is an ambiguous title in which leaves us guessing as to who the liar was...or were they all in some way? I have my suspicions as to who is was but to say so would be a spoiler.

Bringing us yet another taut domestic thriller filled with tension, Sheryl Browne has outdone herself with the amount of research that has gone into this story...what with the medical aspects of chronic kidney disease, tissue testing, protein levels as well as those of being a neonatologist in saving the lives of premature babies. It set a different kind of backdrop for this domestic thriller, weaving an intricate web in the lives of those involved. THE LIAR'S CHILD is as absorbing and as addictive as it is frustrating. A well-written tale of misunderstandings, manipulation, secrets and lies told primarily through Kay and Matt's narrative, with the odd inclusion of Amelia and Nicole throughout.

There was so much I wanted to say about this book but everything that filled my mind last night upon completing it has escaped me today but I think I have covered the gist of it. 

THE LIAR'S CHILD is perfect for domestic thriller fans like Shalini Boland, K.L. Slater, Ruth Heald, Nicola Marsh and Rona Halsall.

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

MEET THE AUTHOR:

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

When she's not writing Sheryl can usually be found messing about on the water in her little narrowboat, Aquaduck, which she says she can generally be found falling off and she admits to being a bit accident prone.

Sheryl lives in Worcestershire with her partner and a variety of disabled dogs, of whom she says "my furry-friends give me back much more than I could ever give them. I really wouldn’t be me without them." According to readers of her thrillers, she also apparently makes an excellent psychopath.

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REVIEW: What She Did by Carla Kovach

What She Did by Carla Kovach

Genre: Psychological thriller, Suspense

Read: 16th September 2021

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Published: 20th September 2021

★★★★ 3.5 stars (rounded up)

DESCRIPTION:

Marissa lives alone in her tiny one-bed apartment. It’s quiet and safe; all she’s ever wanted. But when the police knock on her door with the news that her last remaining family member has died, she comes face to face with the family secret she has spent a lifetime running from.

A witness saw her car outside his house that day, but Marissa knows she’s innocent. She hasn’t seen her uncle in years and remembers going to bed in her own home that night. But she’s had blackouts before and can’t always trust her memory.

Days later, Marissa’s neighbour is found dead in his home, exactly like her uncle. It was no secret that Marissa didn’t get on with her neighbour, but she’d never want to see him hurt.

As you read, you’ll think you know where to draw the line between innocence and guilt. But blame is a dangerous thing, and nothing is ever what it seems…

Perfect for fans of C.L. Taylor, Teresa Driscoll and Lisa Jewell, What She Did is a dark and twisty crime thriller that will keep you up all night!

MY REVIEW:

I am excited to be taking part in the #BooksOnTour #BlogTour for Carla Kovach's standalone thriller WHAT SHE DID.

As a fan of the author's DI Gina Harte series, I was excited to read her standalone thriller WHAT SHE DID and yet I didn't know what to expect. But this book is so different it almost feels as if it were written by someone else. And the protagonist in this book is a far cry from that of the strong and assertive Gina Harte.

Marissa Baxter didn't have the best start in life. She was five years old when she witnessed her mother murdered from her hiding place under the bed before being sent off to her aunt and uncle who made no secret of the fact that they didn't really want her but welcomed the child benefits. At their hands she suffered abuse and neglect. Her aunt Caroline, her mother's sister, would lock her in the cellar for the slightest offence and her uncle Simon began sexually abusing her when she was about ten years old, not stopping until she was old enough to start crushing sleeping pills into his beer. Throughout her childhood her only friend was a cat called Riffy that she adored and who Simon used to threaten to harm should Marissa reveal that they were anything but a happy family to Social Services.

Today, Marissa is a 28 year old woman living alone in an apartment on an estate in Stratford-upon-Avon. Since leaving the farm and her uncle Simon behind ten years ago, she has worked her way up through financial services specialising in mortgage and insurance. And all the time her focus has been on one thing - to save enough money to purchase that little cottage by the river in which her mother and she lived as a child before they fled one night. That cottage epitomised safety and happiness for Marissa and the greatest of memories of her mother lived there...and one day Marissa vowed that she would again. In the meantime, she would visit the cottage and just watch it and dream of another time.

It is on one of her visits that she catches a glimpse of something from her nightmares at one of the windows. Simon. He is in her cottage. The one that was hers and her mother's. He knew how much it meant to her and he now he has come to steal those memories away by tarnishing it with his evil. Marissa was too late. He had bought the cottage before she had a chance to.

Putting thoughts of Simon from her mind, Marissa meets with a potential new client Ben Forge, recommended by her friend Justine, but the experience proves to be a disconcerting one as the man attempts to charm and woo a frightened Marissa with wine and a string of suggestive nuances. She flees the meeting telling herself she will never agree to lunch or dinner with the man again. And when she tries to question Justine about him, she gets a vague answer about being careful with him and not to let him too close. What did Justine mean? What is she not telling her?

And as if that wasn't enough, new neighbour Dan Pritchard moves into the apartment across from hers. And he is far from a welcoming person. He continues to play music at a loud volume, watches Marissa from the communal window and grins at her like the proverbial cheshire cat. Every encounter with him is distasteful and aggressive, adding to her already anxious state, as she shrivels further under the weight of worry. Home no longer feels like a safe haven which is only exacerbated by Dan's aggressive behaviour and the creepy notes that she begins to receive. Added to that, she gets the sense that she is being watched and catches glimpses of a hooded figure looming in the background outside her flat. But every time she tries to catch up with them, they disappear. She doesn't even know if it's a man or a woman, though she suspects it is someone to do with her past.

Then one day, there's a knock at her front door. It's the police. They have come to tell her what she already knows...what she saw on the news that morning. That her uncle Simon is dead. Stabbed. And something even more concerning...last night, the night of Simon's murder, she had been sleepwalking and had no recollection of where she had been or what she had done. But in her hand was a broken bauble that had been her mother's. That could only have come from Simon's house. What has she done?

In all her misery, there is a light shining in her corner. A neighbour across the estate, Glen, who heads up a neighbourhood committee to help better things on the estate for all residents. In him, she finds a friend. A soul mate of sorts. He is there when she needs him to be, on the other end of the phone when she feels she can't face another encounter with Dan. After all the misery in her life, Marissa needs someone she can count on because Justine seems to be avoiding her and Ben is creeping her out and Dan is just aggressive. But there are some secrets she must keep to herself. Glen cannot know about her past or Simon or her sleepwalking or anything like that. He would run a mile if he knew.

But someone knows. Someone has been following her. Someone knows her secrets. Someone knows about her mother's murder. They know something about her father. And they know what Marissa is trying to hide. But who are they? And what has she done?

WHAT SHE DID is a dark and disturbing tale that delves into the life and mind of a very damaged young woman. After all that she had endured, is it any wonder she's a bag of nerves? Marissa is not an easy character to connect with as some of her behaviour and her mindset is very odd and doesn't tally with the image she is trying to portray of herself. But it is easy to sympathise with her after all she has been through. And yet she is such an unreliable narrator you begin to question if she is really telling the truth? As for the other characters, none of them have many redeeming qualities at all, except for a couple of fleeting faces who tragically don't seem to remain in her life, sadly. 

The story unfolds in the present day with the past peppered in the odd alternate chapter throughout as we are given a rare glimpse into Marissa's past, the successful young woman she grew into before the nervous wreck she became. It is narrated solely by Marissa in the first person.

The pace is steady but does drop off at times, mostly due to the repetition of Marissa's nervous thinking and behaviour. I had to wonder what she was doing at times and why. She is a very troubled and troubling character, to say the least, which leaves the reader questioning her behaviour and motives. WHAT SHE DID is quite unsettling in places and while there are no graphic scenes, the nuances as to what takes place as to the sexual abuse is very clear and quite disturbing to read.

While for much of the book I was as clueless as Marissa appeared to be, I did manage to work out who was behind the mysterious occurrences. But it was the final twist at the very end that was one that leaves you wondering that was a brilliant touch.

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

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Carla Kovach was born in Birmingham, UK and now resides in Redditch, Worcestershire. She started writing more seriously ten years ago after having flirted with musical theatre and occasional writing in her youth.

Since then she has written & produced several stage plays, has four self-published books, has acted in several independent films and is currently in the final stages of production of her feature horror film, Penny for the Guy.

She now writes full time as well as co-owning a film, photography & video production company located in the heart of Redditch town centre. 

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REVIEW: The Perfect Daughter by Kerry Wilkinson

The Perfect Daughter by Kerry Wilkinson

Genre: Psychological thriller, Domestic thriller, Suspense

Read: 8th September 2021

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Published: 16th September 2021

★★★★ 4 stars

DESCRIPTION:

Rain pounds the windscreen in the pitch-black evening. She knows this winding country road like the back of her hand, dodges the potholes with ease. But then she hears a crunch. A thud. She slams on the brakes.

Since Katie’s dad left it’s just been the two of us, but we’re a team – singing in the kitchen at cheesy pop songs, tackling her homework. My teenage daughter is everything to me.

But one night, as we’re curled up in front of the TV, the messages start. I keep my phone away from Katie so she can’t see the terrifying words: I know what you did. Now you’re going to do something for me…

I have no choice but to obey. Because if I go to the police, come clean about what I did to protect my girl, all the questions and prying eyes would soon discover Katie’s secret too. And that would tear her life apart.

So I drive where they tell me, do what they say, send the photo evidence they want. I feel sick when they ask me to cause someone harm, and it’s clear they know everything about our lives. I thought I was keeping a secret to keep my girl safe. But have I actually put her in even more danger?

An absolutely addictive thriller about how far a mother would go for her child, with a twist that will leave you gasping. Fans of Shari Lapena, Lisa Jewell and The Girl on the Train won’t be able to put this down.

MY REVIEW:

I am excited to be taking part in the #BooksOnTour #BlogTour for Kerry Wilkinson's tension-filled thriller THE PERFECT DAUGHTER.

As a long time fan of Kerry Wilkinson's standalone thrillers, I was excited to dive into THE PERFECT DAUGHTER and I must say, the title puzzles me as it will other readers. And while Jennifer's daughter is anything but perfect, it would have been better off titled "I Know What You Did" as that is far more fitting with the whole story without giving anything away. But that aside, Kerry's ability to bring humour and wit into a psychological thriller that's filled with tension throughout, is something that keeps me coming back for more.

This description when Jennifer is at the supermarket over recycled shopping bags had me chuckling: "It doesn't help that today's plastic bags are thinner than Polly from three doors down after she had the gastric band fitted." But the witty descriptions don't stop there...the book, like his many others, are riddled with them.

The story begins not with a THEN scenario prologue as many others do, but rather the day before the incident. Jennifer is at the supermarket doing a shop, mentally chastising herself for forgetting the bags for life she always forgets and having to purchase more to bag her groceries with, when she sees 16 year old Josh Tanner using every inch of his 6' 4" size to tower and intimidate a much smaller and inevitably younger child. She calls him out on it and he just glares at her. That's when she sees his mother Sharon with her two year old toddler Frank sidle up to her own car with her groceries and upon noticing Jennifer looking at her, she glares back and yells what the hell is she looking at. Jennifer tells her what she saw and his mother turns to Josh who was now approaching the car "Is that right?" to which she just receives a shrug in answer. Not content with that, Sharon then tells Jennifer to keep her nose out of other people's business and drives off, leaving Jennifer wondering what the hell just happened.

But the real story doesn't begin there...it's the following night in the pouring rain on her way to pick up her daughter Katie from football practice that it happens. A text, a second text, then another causing Jennifer to take her eyes off the road for a mere two seconds and then THUMP! she hit something. Slamming on her brakes, she looks out into the dead of night through the pouring rain and sees nothing. She gets out thinking she hit a bin that was placed too close to the road and it's not until she is about to get back in the car that she sees a darkened form on the verge. She recognises her instantly as Sharon Tanner. She speaks to her and receives no response. What should she do? She should call an ambulance...but then she would be charged with dangerous driving...and what if Sharon's dead? She could end up in prison and what would happen to Katie? These thoughts and more flood her mind as she climbs back into her car and drives off to pick up Katie.

The next morning, the news had the village all agog. Did you hear about the hit and run last night on Green Road? Sharon Tanner and her little boy were hit! Jennifer is shocked. She never saw a child. Or even a buggy! What if she's killed them both? She should hand herself in...but isn't it too late? She left the scene of an accident. She'd be in even worse trouble. And so Jennifer's choice is made.

But then she receives the text...

"I know what you did. Now you’re going to do something for me...."

Someone saw her? But the road was dead. Nothing and no one was out there. Sharon and her son shouldn't have been either...but they were. And now things go from bad to worse as Jennifer finds herself at the mercy of a blackmailer. It begins with a small request followed by another before threats are made towards her daughter and then the blackmailer's final request. Which goes against everything she believes in. But then she also hit a woman and her child and left them to die on the side of the road... Jennifer knows whoever is blackmailing and threatening her has her over a barrel. She has no choice but to do their bidding.

As the mysterious texts continue, Jennifer wonders if she made the right decision. Certainly it's too late to own up now but as her life begins to erode piece by piece, she wonders is there anything she can salvage from the dire situation in which she finds herself before it's too late?

THE PERFECT DAUGHTER is a fast paced addictive thriller that I read in a day as I pondered Jennifer's bad decisions and her predicament. The well-written plot is certainly compelling and tension-filled from start to finish though it does lag a little in the middle with Jennifer consumed with mainly thoughts about her and how her decisions affect her. She wasn't someone I was endeared to but I could understand her predicament should I ever find myself in the same situation...although I would like to think that I would do the right thing regardless of the outcome. Because it would be far worse in the long run if I didn't...as Jennifer is surely bound to find out.

The story also serves as a perfect reminder as to the dangers of using your mobile phone when driving. It's an offence to do so and yet so many people still do it. Why? And Jennifer certainly was old enough to know better. Like me, she grew up in an era before they were a customary accessory so why even glance at her phone whilst driving in the dark with no street lights in the pouring rain? Your concentration is even more paramount in such circumstances and such a drop in that concentration - even for one second, or two in Jennifer's case - can be deadly...for you and anyone else.

Kerry's skillful writing will have you turning yourself inside out trying to pick up the clues that may be drip-fed along the way and identify Jennifer's mystery texter. There are a couple of massive clues that, while I noticed them, I didn't pick up on at the time...very unlike me. But when the final reveal came, I found I wasn't at all surprised as the culprit was on my list of possible suspects anyway. And the ending was something very different from what I expected.

While THE PERFECT DAUGHTER isn't my favourite of Kerry's thrillers, it is still a tense read that is as enjoyable as it is disturbing. When it comes down to it, Jennifer's life hinges on two seconds. What can happen in two seconds and how much can change in two seconds. With all the red herrings peppered throughout when all is revealed, you don't see it coming.

Overall, a tension-filled suspense-driven thriller unfolding through the guilt-ridden narrative of Jennifer caught up in a moral dilemma. There are some great twists making THE PERFECT DAUGHTER an intriguing read and a real page-turner.

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

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Kerry Wilkinson has had No.1 crime bestsellers in the UK, Australia, Canada, South Africa and Singapore. He has also written two top-20 thrillers in the United States. His book, Ten Birthdays, won the RNA award for Young Adult Novel of the Year in 2018 and Close To You won the International Thriller Award for best ebook in 2020.

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

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

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

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REVIEW: The Couple Upstairs by Shalini Boland

The Couple Upstairs by Shalini Boland

Genre: Domestic thriller, Domestic drama, Psychological thriller, Suspense

Read: 7th September 2021

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Published: 13th September 2021

★★★★★ 4.5 stars (rounded up)

DESCRIPTION:

Our new home was supposed to be a chance to leave our past behind. But was moving here the worst mistake of our lives?

All our friends and family were gathered, glasses raised to toast our fresh start. It should have been a night for happiness and celebration. Zac and I had worked so hard for this: our first home together, just minutes from the sea. But the dream quickly turned into a nightmare…

We’d invited our neighbours too. I wanted to make a good impression – to show them we’re exactly the sort of people they want living on their street.

I hadn’t thought about who they might be, the strangers I was letting in.

It was going so well. There was laughter in the air and the wine was flowing. But then I noticed the narrowed eyes, the whispers.

And then the lights went out.

As my heart thumped in my chest, all the little things that had been going wrong since we moved here flashed through my mind: the food poisoning, the arguments, the flood of nasty reviews shaking my business.

Am I going crazy? Or is someone trying to destroy us?

From the USA Today bestselling author Shalini Boland comes an absolutely heart-thumping psychological thriller with a twist you won’t see coming. Perfect for fans of The Girl on the Train, Gone Girl and The Wife Between Us.

MY REVIEW:

I am excited to be taking part in the #BooksOnTour #BlogTour for Shalini Boland's newest twisty thriller THE COUPLE UPSTAIRS.

The last book I read was one in which poses the question "how well do you know your neighbours?" as did the one before that? Am I sensing a pattern here? LOL However, not to be outdone, Shalini puts pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) and thrashes out yet another outstanding domestic thriller that will have us questioning just how well we really do know our neighbours!

“Our new home was supposed to be a chance to leave our past behind. But was moving here the worst mistake of our lives?”

When Nina and Zac first set eyes on 15A Mistletoe Lane, it's love at first sight. The flat, which was once couple with the upstairs flat to make an even bigger home, is perfect for their needs with a couple of outbuildings in which Nina can house her online fashion business which she has named "Mistletoe Lane" in honour of their first home together. 

Excited at the prospect of all the things they could do with the space, Zac and Nina arrive on moving-in day to a welcoming party in the form of Chris and Vanessa Jackson who are expecting their first child and live in the upstairs flat. Almost at once, Chris immediately defers to Zac and practically ignoring Nina whilst his wife Vanessa barely utters a word expect to hand over a chocolate cake she baked as a welcome gift. After devouring the scrumptious cake, Nina and Zac suddenly fall ill to a mysterious stomach bug some hours later. It couldn't have been the cake, surely? But even so, the two events now linked in their minds, Nina can barely stomach the thought of chocolate since.

As soon as they have set up their new home, Nina decides to throw a flat-warming party, inviting the neighbours as well as their friends and family. It proves to be something of a success as they meet and greet their new neighbours and catch up with old friends. Although it's a shame her brother Henry's fiance Belinda had to turn up. The woman is a self-absorbed cow, always looking down her nose at Nina and never far from Nina's mother whose champagne taste has her looking a little distastefully at the dated decor of their new home. Despite some of their neighbours looking a little like fish out of water, the evening is a success. And Zac and Nina are looking forward to settling into this neighbourhood which is just a stone's throw from the beach.

Throughout the day Zac is busy with his self-employed plumbing business whilst Nina busies herself with launching "Mistletoe Lane". Although this place was initially out of their budget, because it was to be a working from home business they were able to factor that into their mortgage to negotiate a loan with the help of her new investor. As it was, if it hadn't have been for her investor they might never have known about the existence of this place and Nina hasn't stopped thanking her lucky stars.

And then things begin to go wrong...

Despite their initial friendliness, their upstairs neighbours appear to be somewhat standoffish to the point of rude. And then there are the catastrophic arguments to which Zac and Nina are subjected with the crashing and moving about of furniture and Chris' angry shouts. And why does Chris always defer to Zac but ignore Nina? Why does his wife never speak or hardly leave the flat? Is she intimidated or fearful of him? And why is Zac so enamoured by his new buddy Chris and unable to see what Nina does?

As if that's not enough, her business starts to collapse. Nina had initially employed Vanessa on a casual basis for three hours three days a week. Until her investor got wind of it and the drop in their reviewer rating and suggest Nina let her go until business picks up enough to employ an assistant. Her once popular business now begins to struggle in light of recent bad reviews which now affect sales. From a top that gave a customer a bad rash to comments about rude staff and customer service, Nina has no idea who is doing this to her or why? She begins to suspect her brother's fiance Belinda, thinking she may fear Nina as a rival to her high-end designer stores. But if it isn't, then who is out to destroy her? And more importantly, why?

Then just when Nina thought things couldn't get any worse, she sees Chris having a quiet word with Zac outside their flat one afternoon as he returned home from work after which Zac punched his van, jumped in and drove off with Chris in the passenger seat. What had Chris said that had riled Zac up so much? What she discovers makes her blood run cold. And even worse, Zac refuses to take her calls or even talk to her to get her side of the story. But even when he does...he doesn't listen. So entrenched is he in what Chris had told him that he would take the word of a stranger he has known barely weeks over that of his girlfriend who he has known for five years! The very idea was ludicrous.

And just when Nina discovers the truth behind the campaign that has been waged against her, is it too late for her and Zac? Will he reach her in time? Or will he be too late?

Shalini Boland is a go-to author for me as I can always count on her to thrill and entertain me at a rate of knots while still managing a twist here and there to throw me off (sometimes). I hardly ever read the premise to her books before grabbing them because I just know I won't be disappointed because...I've said it before and I'll say it again...even a bad book by Shalini is a good book!

And I wasn't disappointed. THE COUPLE UPSTAIRS is a fast paced addictive, is frustrating, domestic thriller which had me turning the pages in an attempt to finish before dinner. I read this book in one day as it is such a quick and easy read, as most of Shalini's books are. 

The story unfolds through Nina's first person narrative with the inclusion of "THEN" chapters by an unnamed character who will leave us guessing as to their identity. I thought one person, then another before quickly adding a couple of others to my suspect list, before discovering my first choice was the culprit. As with all characterisations, we are left guessing throughout as Shalini is a dab hand at painting each one with slightly unpleasant traits. There is an extra twist that may shock some readers but I had the foresight to believe no one and challenge everything...which lead me to an unlikely aspect.

Overall, THE COUPLE UPSTAIRS will not disappoint die-hard Shalini fans and is perfect for those who enjoy a good twisty domestic thriller that is both addictive and fast-paced from beginning to end.

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

MEET THE AUTHOR:

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

Her debut psychological thriller "The Girl from the Sea" published in June 2016 reached Number 1 in the US Audible charts. Her second thriller "The Best Friend" published in October 2016 reached a high of number 10 in Amazon's UK Kindle charts. It also achieved number 1 in all its categories and was a Kindle All Star title for several months in a row.

She is also not a morning person.

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10 Things My Readers Might Not Know About Me

My dreams (nightmares) nearly always involve the characters and settings that I’m currently writing about. For example, last night I dreamt that I’d abducted a baby and tried to hide him in my husband’s car, but I couldn’t get the doors to lock. It was awful! Maybe I’d have a better night’s sleep if I wrote rom coms.

I love all fruit except bananas. The smell, texture, taste – ugh. No. Just no. Keep that evil fruit away from me.

I write for a living, and so does my husband, but neither of our children are particularly avid readers. My eldest is dyslexic and has never enjoyed reading or writing. My youngest quite enjoys it, but has to be pretty much forced into trying a new book. How did this happen? I have no idea. We always read to them when they were younger. We have a houseful of all kinds of books. Ah, well, I’ll keep trying.

When I was nineteen, I hitchhiked at night in Israel and ended up in the middle of nowhere convinced I was going to die. Turns out I only needed to walk another two minutes to find myself back at the kibbutz where I was staying. I’ve never hitchhiked since.

My writing companion is a little Poodle/Lhasa Apso/Terrier cross called Jess who sits at my feet while I type. Sometimes she sneaks up onto the sofa and rests her chin on my keyboard. I’m not sure I could write without her nearby.

When we were in our twenties, my husband and I set up VW car shows. Our events were all jinxed. Over the course of six shows we had four instances of major theft, a forest fire, the worst storm on record, someone set up illegal rave, an outbreak of foot and mouth disease, and an actual bomb scare with police cordoning off the area and evacuating everyone. Plus, we only made a profit during our first show, the other times we just about broke even. Not a huge success.

Nearly all my novels are set in and around the area of Dorset where I live. I moved here when I was eighteen, but I feel like this is my true home. I love it – the towns, beaches and countryside are beautiful.

Good coffee and chocolate are my weaknesses.

I used to be a singer songwriter and once sang on stage at The Brixton Academy in front of four thousand people. I don’t know how I did it. I’m such an introvert these days.

I feel very lucky to write for a living. Every day, I’m truly thankful and appreciate that I’ve finally discovered what it is I love to do – it only took me forty years to work it out! It isn’t always easy and some days I need a kick up the backside to stop procrastinating and get working. Other days are overwhelming and I do get anxious about what my readers will think of each book. But I wouldn’t change it for the world. I only hope people will continue to enjoy my books and allow me to keep doing what I love.

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