REVIEW: Murder on Oxford Lane by Tony Bassett

Murder on Oxford Lane (Midlands Crime Series #1) by Tony Bassett

Genre: Crime fiction

Read: 20th March 2022

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Published: 9th January 2022

★★★★ 4 stars

DESCRIPTION:

The peace of a Midlands village is upset when local businessman Harry Bowers doesn’t return from choir practice.

More concerned than the man’s own wife, it would seem, investigating officer Detective Sergeant Sunita Roy becomes convinced he has been done away with.

But there is no trace of the man, just a litany of evidence of an ailing marriage and a nose-diving business venture.

In charge of her first serious case, DS Roy will struggle to win the respect of her colleagues – in particular her Brummie boss, DCI Gavin Roscoe. All that whilst fighting off the intentions of an increasingly desperate suitor.

Who had it in for the budding chorister? And is Roy tough enough to break down the defences and prejudices of Middle England?

MURDER ON OXFORD LANE is the first book in a series of crime fiction titles by Tony Bassett. Look out for his second book, THE CROSSBOW STALKER.

MY REVIEW:

I told myself "no more series!" I have enough to keep up with as it is. But MURDER ON OXFORD LANE, the first in a cosy new series set in the West Midlands between Birmingham and the picturesque Cotswolds, was such an easy read it was a delight. I felt like I was watching a Midsomer Murders episode unfolding, it had that type of feel to it, even if some of the dialogue was cliched in parts. But I didn't care. It was purely a pleasure to read and I enjoyed it which, for me, is what reading is all about. Pleasure and escape.

The journey begins in the Warwickshire village of Norton Prior (it even sounds like a Midsomer county village) when property tycoon Harry Bower fails to turn up to choir practice one cold winter's evening. Last seen in the local shop, Harry then disappears never to be seen again. However, when the police get the missing person brief on his disappearance, Harry has been missing over a week. So why did it take his wife so long to report it?

DCI Gavin Roscoe, who also lives in the nearby village of Queensbridge where his wife Helen owns and runs the popular Apollo Tearooms, has been tasked along with his new sergeant Sunita Roy to investigate Harry's disappearance. It seems he is friends with the Assistant Chief Constable who would like a timely result. But the investigation stalls with no clear sign of what has become of Harry. Roscoe is sure his wife knows more than she is letting on but Sunita isn't completely convinced.

And then reports of a body found in the River Avon come in. Could it be Harry?

DS Sunita Roy is working her first case with her boss DCI Roscoe and, after a shaky start, the two form a camaraderie and easy working relationship. However, Sunita is dealing with her own issues of an ex-boyfriend who refuses to take no for an answer and continues to hound her and stalk her relentlessly, despite being issued with a harassment order. Nevertheless, Sunita's colleagues prove their worth in looking after their own whilst trying to locate the missing businessman and hunting down a ruthless killer. When a second murder takes place, Roscoe and Sunita begin to look at the investigation from a different angle.

All the while, the police must sift through the evidence, question witnesses and narrow down their list of potential suspects. Someone, somewhere knows something. But the question is - who?

MURDER ON OXFORD LANE is an easy read filled with twists and plenty of red herrings to keep the reader engaged throughout. The village of Norton Prior was like a scene out of Midsomer Murders complete with the village rector and Grade II listed church. One could be forgiven for thinking it was Barnaby and Troy (or maybe Jones) investigating the crimes at hand. The camaraderie was such that it truly had that easy feel to it. And the absence of angst among the ranks and the stereotypical alcoholic divorced detective made for a refreshing change. The fact that Roscoe is happily married with two teenagers was as refreshing as his camaraderie with his team.

The writing was a little different to what I am used to and some of the dialogue could be clunky, if not cliched, but that mattered to me not. Not when it drew me in so intently and kept me absorb throughout. Whilst the identity of the killer was a mystery to me, the whereabouts of Harry Bower was not. I had that worked out when a passing comment made me latch on and say to myself "That's it!" Of course, it took Roscoe a lot longer, an afternoon nap and a glib comment from his son to arrive at the same conclusion.

I thoroughly enjoyed MURDER ON OXFORD LANE and will certainly look out for further adventures between this new dynamic duo - Roscoe and Sunita. While not a cosy mystery as such, it does have some elements of one and is perfect for fans of easy reading crime fiction such as J.R. Ellis, Sheila Bugler, Pete Brassett and Faith Martin.

I would like to thank #TonyBassett, #TheBookFolks and #RachelsRandomResources for an ARC of #MurderOnOxfordLane in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Tony Bassett, a former Fleet Street journalist, has written a gripping series of crime novels set in the Midlands. They all feature Detective Chief Inspector Gavin Roscoe, an experienced detective and family man, and his sergeant, law graduate and resourceful problem-solver Sunita Roy.

Murder On Oxford Lane (book one in this Midlands crime series) and its sequel The Crossbow Stalker were published in the spring of 2022. A third book has been completed (although not published yet) and Tony is currently working on a fourth. The series of novels is published by The Book Folks, who specialise in producing crime fiction.

Tony decided to set this string of novels in Warwickshire and Worcestershire after spending many happy years working as a newspaper reporter in Worcester.

He first developed a love of writing at the age of nine when he and a friend produced a magazine called the Globe at their junior school in Sevenoaks, Kent. When he reached his teenage years, growing up in Tunbridge Wells, his local vicar staged one of his plays, about Naboth's Vineyard.

At Hull University, Tony was named student journalist of the year in 1971 in a competition run by Time-Life magazine and went onto become a national newspaper journalist, mainly working for the Sunday People in both its newsroom and investigations department.

His very first book to be published, the crime novel Smile Of The Stowaway, was released in December 2018. Then, in March 2020, the spy novel The Lazarus Charter, was released. 

Tony, who has written two other novels which are as yet unpublished, has five grown-up children who live in South Wales. He is a Life Member of the National Union of Journalists. He lives in South-East London with his partner Lin. 

 

Social Media links:

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REVIEW: The Girl Beyond the Gate by Becca Day

The Girl Beyond the Gate by Becca Day

Genre: Psychological thriller

Read: 30th March 2022

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Amazon

Published: 22nd March 2022

★★★ 2.5 stars (rounded up)

DESCRIPTION:

Welcome to Kensington Grove, the safest place to call home...

Jodie Madison can't think of a better place for a fresh start than the exclusive, gated community of The Grove. But from the moment she passes through the wrought iron gates, she starts to suspect she's made a mistake.

Despite her vow to keep apart from the other residents, Jodie can't help but feel drawn to her unnerving neighbour, Norah Williams, and terminally ill daughter, Lacey. Jodie knows she should stay away, but something draws her in.

When a murder shocks The Grove, Jodie vows to do everything in her power to save Lacey from her mother. But as more secrets emerge from Norah's shadowy past, Jodie is faced with the unthinkable - Norah's not so different to herself, and neither woman is innocent.

The past won't stay hidden forever. And The Grove will be an unforgiving witness.

MY REVIEW:

Welcome to Kensington Grove, the safest place to call home...

Jodie Madison moves into the exclusive gated community lookin for a fresh start after her own personal tragedy but from the moment she enters through the gates she begins to wonder if she hasn't made a huge mistake moving in here. As soon as she arrives, her furniture and boxes having arrived before her (I wish moving was that easy), she is greeted by the manager of the estate who hands her her key card - which she just knows she will lose and have to ring up between the hours of 7am and 7pm to gain admittance - and a huge spiralised volume she is informed is the handbook. On a quick perusal Jodie sees big bold red print outlining the fines for non-compliance. What is this? A secure community or a prison?

Then she steps into her new home. When she inspected it, with loads of renovating going on at the time, she didn't see that whoever built these outbuildings of the former asylum thought it a great idea to put windows on every wall therefore eliminating Jodie's need for privacy and anonymity. She makes a mental note to buy curtains to shut her away from the world outside and from her nosy neighbours. And nosy some of them are. No sooner had she arrived to put her feet up and open a bottle of wine that she sees a note attached to the handbook informing her of the resident's meeting that afternoon which was more like an instruction rather than an invitation. As if that wasn't enough, she then finds herself landed with helping out at a fundraiser for her closest neighbour's daughter, Lacey, a terminally ill child with cystic fibrosis, among other ailments. When her boss discovers this, he sees it as a perfect opportunity for Jodie to snare an interview with Norah and Lacey as a human interest story.

Soon after the event, Jodie becomes involved with Lacey but Norah is extremely protective of her daughter. Understandable given her condition but also a little bit creepy. Norah certainly doesn't appear to be overly happy about Jodie's presence in Lacey's life but her daughter has formed an attachment to their neighbour she seems inable to break. Norah is fearful her control over Lacey may be in jeopardy and continues to try and isolate her daughter, suspicious of Lacey and Jodie's friendship.

Then when one of the residents turns up dead, Jodie finds herself trying to protect Lacey from her own mother. But who is telling the truth and who is lying? The narrative of both women - Jodie and Norah - is so ambiguous the reader doesn't know who to believe. And then there is the gossip between the neighbours and WhatsApp conversations, even I had to wonder what kind of place was the Grove to live in. You are supposed to be safe there, secure even, but the pecking order between some of the women and their bitchy comments makes one wonder if it is actually worth it. And then to have one of the residents murdered in a gated community that is meant to keep you safe...of course that means only one thing. That one of them must be the killer. So what have they got to hide? What have they all got to hide? And the very place that was billed as "the safest community" suddenly becomes very dangerous indeed.

Honestly, I didn't really like Jodie nor Norah...or even any of the characters, which made reading this story a bit of a chore in fact. I wanted to like it more than I did but in the end I just found myself wondering what it was all for?

THE GIRL BEYOND THE GATE is an interesting debut, examining the lives of a community behind locked gates and their secrets. But the ending felt like there were too many loose ends and I wasn't sure how it was actually supposed to come together. I gather I am not the only one to feel like this.

Not a bad read but not a great one either. 2.5 to 3 stars tops.

I would like to thank #BeccaDay, #Netgalley, #EmblemBooks for an ARC of #TheGirlBeyondTheGate in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Becca Day lives in the middle of the woods in Surrey with her husband, daughters and cocker spaniel.

She studied acting at Guildford College and went on to start her own Murder Mystery theatre troupe. It was this move that inspired her love of crime fiction, and when she sold the company she threw herself head first into crime writing.

​Her short fiction has won several prizes and The Girl Beyond The Gate is her first full-length novel, publishing in March 2022. Aside from writing, she is also an avid reader and runs Reading Parties with fellow author William Shaw.

 

Social Media links:

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REVIEW: The First Day of Spring by Nancy Tucker

The First Day of Spring by Nancy Tucker

Genre: Psychological thriller, Psychological drama

Read: 29th March 2022

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Amazon

Published: 17th February 2022

★ 1 star

DESCRIPTION:

'So that was all it took,' I thought. 'That was all it took for me to feel like I had all the power in the world. One morning, one moment, one yellow-haired boy. It wasn't so much after all.'

Chrissie knows how to steal sweets from the shop without getting caught, the best hiding place for hide-and-seek, the perfect wall for handstands.

Now she has a new secret. It gives her a fizzing, sherbet feeling in her belly. She doesn't get to feel power like this at home, where food is scarce and attention scarcer.

Fifteen years later, Julia is trying to mother her five-year-old daughter, Molly. She is always worried - about affording food and school shoes, about what the other mothers think of her. Most of all she worries that the social services are about to take Molly away.

That's when the phone calls begin, which Julia is too afraid to answer, because it's clear the caller knows the truth about what happened all those years ago.

And it's time to face the truth: is forgiveness and redemption ever possible for someone who has killed?

MY REVIEW:

This is one of those books where I wondered what on earth possessed me to request it. The premise sounded somewhat intriguing but not really enough to entice me so I've no idea why I requested it. I read a few reviews before diving into the story of Chrissie (then) and Julia (now) and most were promising so I thought I might be pleasantly surprised. I was not.

The premise talked of eight year old Chrissie having murdered a boy in her neighbourhood. Even at that tender age, the feeling of power it gave her, the warm fuzzy feeling like soda pop in her belly made her feel powerful. She had a secret; one that no one knew about. Even when all the mammies and daddies were huddling around poor dead Steven in his mammy's arms. If he were not already dead, then he would have surely suffocated by the flabby breasts of his mother. But he's dead. And Chrissie killed him.

Fifteen years later, Chrissie is an adult living and hiding under a new name. Now Julia, she is a single mother to five year old Molly and all she wants is for her daughter to have all the things and the childhood that she had been denied. But now Julia's past is catching up to her. Someone knows her secret and she begins getting calls that taunt her. Someone knows the truth about what happened all those years ago. And now Julia risks losing the one thing that means more to her than anything - Molly.

The concept behind this story reminds me of the child killers of little Jamie Bulger who was only about 2 or 3 when he was killed by two boys only a few years older. Those boys served their time and were given new identities upon their release. But this story takes the reader on a dark and thought-provoking journey with one such child who took the life of another child. And it's not always what it seems. And it makes one question the judgements one is usually quick to make about child killers. Should they get a new identity and a new life? And what provokes them to murder in the first place? One thing is for sure, nothing is ever as it seems.

Chrissie's story may be a sad and heartbreaking one, disturbing even. But I couldn't connect to either her or her adult self as Julia. Both of them were just so disconnected it was hard to not just relate, but to even be drawn into her story. Don't get me wrong, it was cleverly written and thought-provoking but it was so uninteresting that I just wasn't all that bothered with what happened to Julia in the end. She may have loved Molly but it certainly didn't seem that way on the pages. Of course that stems from her disturbing childhood where she only wanted love but never received it. Naturally that made it difficult for her to relate to her own child. Julia and Molly were just so disconnected from each other that I just couldn't watch. I'm not overly maternal but Julia seemed even less so. It was painful.

In the end, I couldn't finish this book. I could barely begin it. The pace was so slow it was almost as dead as Steven with a narrative that felt very disjointed. Although I didn't enjoy it, plenty of others have. It was indeed a brave topic for a debut but it wasn't for me.

I would like to thank #NancyTucker, #Netgalley, #PenguinBooks for an ARC of #TheFirstDayOfSpring in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Nancy Tucker was born and raised in West London. She spent most of her adolescence in and out of hospital suffering from anorexia nervosa. On leaving school, she wrote her first book, THE TIME IN BETWEEN (Icon, 2015) which explored her experience of eating disorders and recovery. Her second book, THAT WAS WHEN PEOPLE STARTED TO WORRY (Icon, 2018), looked more broadly at mental illness in young women.

Nancy recently graduated from Oxford University with a degree in Experimental Psychology. Since then she has worked in an inpatient psychiatric unit for children and adolescents and in adult mental health services. She now works as an assistant psychologist in an adult eating disorders service. 'The First Day of Spring' is her first work of fiction.

 

Social Media links:

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REVIEW: Murder on the Pier by Merryn Allingham

Murder on the Pier (Flora Steele Mystery #2) by Merryn Allingham

Genre: Cosy mystery, Historical mystery, Mystery, Crime fiction

Read: 28th March 2022

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Amazon

Published: 10th November 2021

★★★★ 4 stars

DESCRIPTION:

Meet Flora Steele – bookshop owner, bicycle-rider, daydreamer and amateur detective!

Sussex, 1956: When bookshop owner Flora Steele goes for a walk along the pier she isn’t expecting to spot a young woman’s body in the stormy waters below. And she’s shocked to discover the victim is someone she knows…

Convinced the death was not an accident, Flora persuades attractive local crime writer Jack Carrington to help her find out what really happened to poor Polly Dakers, a popular young woman with a complicated love life, who’d been at the heart of village life in Abbeymead.

Jack is reluctant to get involved in another murder case at first but even he can’t deny that Polly’s fall seems fishy. An argument at a party, a missed hairdresser’s appointment and a red woollen bobble found on the wooden boards where Polly last stood provide a trail of clues…

As they grow closer to solving the puzzling mystery, the unlikely pair stumble upon several surprising secrets about those closest to Polly. A number of potential suspects begin to emerge. But who really disliked Polly enough to kill her? Was it Raymond, her jilted first love? Harry, her latest beau? Or Evelyn, Harry’s jealous estranged wife?

As the investigation brings them closer to the truth, Flora is intent on unmasking the killer – but will her stealthy sleuthing lead her down a dangerous path?

An utterly delightful cozy crime novel set in the fictional Sussex village of Abbeymead. Perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, Faith Martin and Joy Ellis!

MY REVIEW:

The second book in the most delightful journey back in time to the golden age of detective fiction in the more modern vein of Agatha Christie, MURDER ON THE PIER sees Flora Steele - bookshop owner, bicycle rider, daydreamer and amateur sleuth - back in action dragging crime writer Jack Carrington into yet another mystery that she's intent on solving. After the discovery of a dead body in her newly inherited bookshop last autumn, the sleepy chocolate box village of Abbeymead wasn't ready for another murder on their doorstep. After all, it took some time after the last one for Flora to regain her custom in the bookshop once again what with rumours of it being haunted floating about in its wake.

Sussex 1956: It's winter and the villagers have gathered to farewell Bernie Mitchell, husband of Kate - Flora's old schoolfriend and owner of the Nook cafe. He had been missing for several months since October when his body finally washed up a couple of weeks ago. Despite it being her husband, Kate had managed to cater for the wake with the help of Alice from the Priory. And then Polly Dakers walks in on the arm of Henry Barnes, dressed in all her sparkling finery, to pay her respects.

A couple of days later, Flora and Jack take young Charlie Teague to Brighton as a well-deserved treat for the young lad who has been helping Jack organise his garden at Overlay House. The attraction of the theatre, the waxworks and a fish and chip lunch were all that was needed to entice the lad. But Charlie gets much more than he bargained for when, after the rubbish production they had just sat through, he leans over the railings of the pier to discover a body floating in the ocean below. Flora immediately recognises it to be that of Polly, a young woman who had dreamed of leaving Abbeymead to become a model. The proximity of her watery grave leads police to rule the unfortunate event as an accident (due to the icy conditions) or a suicide. But Flora has other ideas. She is sure Polly was murdered and intends to find out who was responsible. Jack, of course, has no option but to tag along.

The suspect list grows as Flora ruminates on who had the motive and opportunity to kill poor Polly. There was the stalker, the sugar daddy, the irate wife of said sugar daddy, the boyfriend even? Each of them, and others, all seem to have something to hide. But no matter which way she looks at it they either had the motive but not the opportunity or they had the opportunity but no real motive. So who wanted Polly dead?

Then just when Flora and Jack found their friendship in a comfortable place, an unexpected knock on the door one day brought Jack's former fiance Helen back into his life...and sending Flora stomping angrily back to her cottage. Should Flora consider the return of the woman who had broken Jack's heart a threat? And why should she be a threat when all she and Jack were were friends! Weren't they?

Things start to get troubling when attempts are then made on Flora and Jack's lives, first with Flora being run off the road whilst riding her bike (fondly named Betty) then with Jack when his window is broken with a piece of sharpened flint that strikes him on the face. The penultimate attempt is when the rowboat they have taken out in a second attempt to treat Charlie begins taking on water and they nearly drown, if not for Jack's hardy rescue of them both. The boat had been in tip-top condition, with the owner working tirelessly on it, leading Flora and Jack to one conclusion - it was sabotaged. Someone wanted them dead. The only reason being was that they were getting close to the truth. But will they uncover the killer before they too are silenced?

MURDER ON THE PIER is a delightful cosy read that is quick and well paced. I love the camaraderie between Flora and Jack and had hoped, after reading the first one "The Bookshop Murder" that Jack would team up with Flora for future adventures. I doubt Flora would be as endearing without Jack to bounce her ideas off and the playful banter they sure...not to mention the inclusion of Charlie Teague. Flora and Jack are positively endearing. The easy style of this series is a delight to read and is reminiscent of the Queen of Crime herself Agatha Christie's Miss Marple and her own sleepy village of St Mary Mead.

The mystery in this book was probably a little better than that in the first one, but then so was the wonderful locale of Brighton. I could almost hear the seagulls, smell the sea air and taste the fish and chips. There is something positively healing and calming in water...unless of course there is a body floating in it which, in this case, there was. And while the mystery itself was fairly straightforward, there were plenty of secrets to uncover and despite the abundance of red herrings thrown in our way, I figured out the killer long before Flora did and long before the culprit would even be considered. The teeny tiny matter of motive I pounced on before it was considered a motive...or even thought of. And the Agatha Christie in me said "that's the murderer". But I was curious to know how Flora and Jack would get there...

Flora is a delightful sleuth, and a very dogged one, even if she is amateur. Her sunny disposition and cheerful personality is hard not to like. Jack is as equally loveable and, despite his efforts to reign Flora in, really shines in his position as sidekick. The couple are charming and are a pleasure to read.

While the mystery was better than that in the first, I think I enjoyed the first book more and didn't find this one quite as captivating, although it was still a wonderfully fun read. I cannot wait for book 3 "Murder at Primrose Cottage" which is to be set in Cornwall, where Jack has been commissioned to set a series of books he is to write. I also note that book 4 "Murder at the Priory Hotel" is to be released in July, so Flora and Jack are definitely going to be busy, as are their readers.

Overall, MURDER ON THE PIER is a delightful cosy mystery that is a quick and easy read, easily devoured in five or six hours. A relaxing way to while away a few hours, for sure.

I would like to thank #MerrynAllingham, #Netgalley, #Bookouture for an ARC of #MurderOnThePier in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Merryn taught university literature for many years, and it took a while to pluck up the courage to begin writing herself. Bringing the past to life is a passion and her historical fiction includes Regency romances, wartime sagas and timeslip novels, all of which have a mystery at their heart. As the books have grown darker, it was only a matter of time before she plunged into crime with a cosy crime series set in rural Sussex against the fascinating backdrop of the 1950s.

Merryn lives in a beautiful old town in Sussex with her husband. When she’s not writing, she tries to keep fit with adult ballet classes and plenty of walking.

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REVIEW: Jeannie's War by Carol MacLean

Jeannie's War by Carol MacLean

Genre: Historical fiction, Wartime fiction, Sagas, WW2

Read: 19th March 2022

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Amazon

Published: 24th March 2022

★★★★★ 5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

War changed her country, but it couldn’t change her spirit

Glasgow, 1939

Despite being shy and reserved, Jeannie Dougal finds herself newly engaged to handsome soldier, Arthur Dunn, the day war is announced. Jeannie accepts, even if she is unsure if a girl from the tenements will fit in with Arthur’s comfortable, middle-class background. But as WW2 takes its toll on the world, her wedding must wait…

As she sets off to work at a munitions factory she meets Eileen, Janet and Annie. As her new friends bond together in war work, sharing their stories of romance, Jeanie is grateful to be settled with Arthur, even if he is set in his ways.

Until she meets charming Canadian soldier, Bill, and realises she has found a spark she was always missing. But how can Jeannie tell Arthur? And is she strong enough to fight her own battle, with the country already at war…?

An emotional and romantic family saga set in WW2 Scotland and the start of a captivating new series. Fans of Call the Midwife and Katie Flynn won’t be able to put this down.

MY REVIEW:

What a thoroughly enjoyable tale set in Glasgow at the onset of WW2 that I devoured almost in one sitting. A quick read that has an easy style and flows seamlessly, JEANNIE'S WAR is the story of Jeannie and her family, the Dougals. Like most wartime sagas, this one focuses on a working class family inflicted by the ravages of war as their sons, brothers and loved ones are soon shipped out to fight the enemy in Europe. And like most wartime sagas, they feel the ripples and far reaching tentacles of the enemy as the war that was meant to be over by Christmas continues over the course of the next several years, changing lives with it.

Shy and reserved Jeannie Dougal and her family of six live in a two room tenement flat on Kiltie Street when the prime minister announces the declaration of war in September 1939. Her fifteen year old sister teases her that the young man she has stepped out with twice, Arthur Dunn, will surely be proposing before he heads off to war. Marriage? To Arthur? But she hardly knows him! And yet, it's exactly what Arthur has in mind when he calls on Jeannie that afternoon. Though instead of asking her, he informs her they should get married and then goes on to tell her what will happen, assuming her answer before she's had a chance to give it. But her mother thinks Arthur is a wonderful catch. He's handsome, has a secure job in a bank and is middle class with far better prospects than those that could be found on Kiltie Street. So Jeannie acquiesces to his wishes, insisting on a long engagement...to give them time to get to know one another. However, if Arthur is unemotional and aloof, his mother Helen is the polar opposite and Jeannie adores her from the moment they meet. 

It isn't long before Jeannie begins to see the vast differences between them, despite her being working class and he middle class. That, it seems, is the least of their problems. Arthur doesn't like it when Jeannie announces her wish to work at the new munitions factory, he doesn't like it when she's affectionate, he doesn't like dancing or going to the cinema, he doesn't like her have an opinion of her own...basically he doesn't like much of anything. He may seem closed off emotionally and somewhat aloof but Jeannie soon discovers other behavioural traits in her fiance that makes her uncomfortable. Helen says he takes after his late father with a sympathetic look at her daughter-in-law-to-be. But it seems that Arthur has taken over where his father left off in controlling every aspect of his mother's life and thus expecting Jeannie to look after his invalid mother in his absence. But Helen is anything but an invalid and when she begins joining Jeannie's mother Mary in helping the WVS, Arthur is livid and demands she cease the activity at once.

But it's Arthur's parting remark one evening before he leaves to fight for King and country that shocks Jeannie to the core. His cruel comment left her shaken and sobbing herself to sleep. I would have called the engagement off right then, as he obviously had so little respect for the woman he was meant to love; the woman he was to marry. But Jeannie had made a promise and she wouldn't break it and shame her family.

One evening, her friends from the factory - Eileen, Janet and Annie - convince her to join them at a dance which is teeming with military personnel on leave. There Jeannie meets Canadian Bill but, despite her instant attraction to him, borders on rude as she is aware of her engagement to Arthur and her worry if he were to find out she went dancing. But she soon finds herself on the dance floor with Bill and enjoying herself immensely. And before long, Bill becomes a friend of the family as Jeannie continues to fight her growing feelings for the kind and gentle Canadian.

Then as the bombs begin to fall on Glasgow the realities of war hits the community as their city is rocked to its foundations. Innocent people are killed, buildings are decimated and lives are changed forever. Jeannie soon discovers that she has shed her shy and reserved demeanour and in its place is a bolder more forthright young woman...much to Arthur's chagrin. He wants a quiet obedient wife, but will Jeannie acquiesce to his will?

But it's not only Jeannie's life that changes but those of her new friends as well as her family. New loves and new beginnings abound while across the waters in Europe war continues to rage on. Will their loved ones return? And how will the war affect those left behind keeping the home fires burning? As for Jeannie...will she fulfill her promise to marry Arthur or will she follow her heart with Bill?

JEANNIE'S WAR is more than just a romance; it is a story of friendships, family and community pulling together during one of the darkest times in history as they fight battles of their own at home with rationing of food, clothing and petrol, Anderson shelters and evacuation. 

The story unfolds primarily through Jeannie's eyes, as she is the main character, but we also catch glimpses from others' perspectives as well. The story itself is heartwarming, emotional and thoroughly enjoyable from beginning to end. I am thrilled to hear there is to be a sequel and I eagerly await it!!

An easy read, JEANNIE'S WAR is perfect for fans of wartime sagas such as Call the Midwife, Rosie Clarke and Pam Howes.

I would like to thank #CarolMacLean, #Netagalley, #HeraBooks and #RachelsRandomResources for an ARC of #JeanniesWar in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Carol MacLean lives in the Glasgow area. She began by writing pocket novels, having 18 published before deciding to write an historical saga. She enjoys weaving social history into fiction and imagining how life must have been for ordinary people living through different times.

When she’s not writing, Carol can be found visiting museums or walking around the city looking for traces of old Glasgow to inspire her next novel.

Carol is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association.

She has written 18 pocket novels published by DC Thomson and Linford Romance Series (Ulverscroft). 

 

Social Media links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

REVIEW: The Nurse by Claire Allan

The Nurse by Claire Allan

Genre: Psychological thriller, Suspense

Read: 27th March 2022

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Amazon

Published: 17th March 2022

★★ 2.5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

Someone is watching her. She just doesn’t know it yet.

Nell Sweeney has led an ordinary life. Every day she walks to and from the hospital where she works as a nurse, believing that no harm can befall her.

Until one day she is taken.

Because someone out there has a secret. Someone out there has been watching Nell – and they’ve been watching others like her too.

Nell is the unlucky one – she was in the wrong place at the wrong time. And if she isn’t found soon, someone will make sure that she isn’t the last woman to disappear…

A chilling, gripping read, perfect for fans of Clare Mackintosh and Gillian McAllister.

MY REVIEW:

I thoroughly enjoyed Claire Allan's previous thrillers "Forget Me Not" and "The Liar's Daughter", and have a couple of others on my TBR list also, and was excited to dive into her latest. But THE NURSE, for me, wasn't as absorbing and I found the endless monologuing from all main narrators to be long and drawn out. That being said, the story did pick up in the second half somewhat but still not to the author's usual standards and not enough to enthrall me. The concept was intriguing but the delivery failed for me particularly as I found Marian to be irritating, both in character and narrative. I was, however, eager to discover what really happened to Nell.

The story focuses on the disappearance of Marian Sweeney's 22 year old daughter Nell who is reported missing four days after when her housemate realised she hadn't seen Nell in that time. Clodagh, her friend, hadn't worried at first because as a nurse, Nell worked different shifts and the girls would often be ships passing and miss seeing each other. That, and Nell's recent propensity to live life in the fast lane with a new group of friends, with drugs and drink the order of their nights out. Had Nell fallen in with the wrong crowd thus getting her into trouble? Was she really missing or was she just hiding in shame for her stupidity?

Marian is feeling bereft at her daughter's disappearance. Like all mothers, she claims to know her daughter and that she was a good girl. If there was anything worrying her then she would know - Nell would have told her. But would she? When Clodagh reveals Nell's recent behaviour to her, Marian begins to wonder if she really knew her daughter at all. And in the background is Marian's non-existent marriage to husband Stephen, Nell's father. The two of them are clearly at odds with one another and while Stephen does show an element of concern for his wife, Marian is in her own world where only she and Nell exist. It's blindingly obvious that this marriage won't survive whatever is to come - whether Nell is found or not.

And then there is a group of men in an online community who call themselves "incels" (involuntary celibate). They meet in a chat forum on the dark web sharing their views and experiences with the women of today who they feel emasculate them as men. Desiring a romantic or sexual connection but are unable to do so, these men feel that women are taking away their rights whilst claiming their own. Blaming women for everything that is wrong in their lives, they feel slighted by those they see are "the weaker sex" who they feel should respect them as being superior. And while there are those who are merely keyboard warriors, using the anonymity of the dark web, to rant and rave about the wrongs these feministic women have brought into their lives, there are a select few who act on their warped beliefs. 

So one man, identified simply as "Him", who feels disrespected by women (both in his personal and professional life) and has the idea to follow lone women at night...to scare them...to see their fear and to feel it. When he shares his experiences online and encourages others to try it, there is one response that stands out to him calling him out as a liar. So then he decides to film his next target as proof, creating the hashtag #IHaveThePower which then goes viral. However, in his desire to share the power of his exploits, he soon discovers that things have gone too far when one of his followers takes things further, in a direction he is not comfortable with. He never intended anyone to get get hurt but he has started something he can no longer control. This part of the story was chilling, to say the least.

Then the remains of a woman are found and Marian fears, though doesn't want to believe, that it is her daughter. But what the incel who has Nell has something even more chilling planned...a live streamed grand finale in which he will take back the power.

The concept was invariably intriguing and even somewhat chilling. But I loathe constant monloguing without much dialogue to balance it out. This story is all in the narrator's heads and feels too one-sided in its delivery. Maybe that's the intention, but for me it bogged the whole story down and made it long and drawn out. This isn't the first book I have read featuring incels, a subculture movement of men on the dark web who desire romantic and sexual partners but are unable to get them thus declaring women to be feminists who emasculate men. It certainly is an interesting concept, a dangerous world that can be taken to the extreme.

Told from three perspectives - Marian, Nell and the incel - THE NURSE is an intensely dark read that had the potential to be a compelling thriller but it simply rambles a bit too much. I felt half the book could have been cut down, mostly Marian's constant incessant ramblings. I get that she's distraught, but her narrative was a snoozefest I ended up skimming for the most part. The rest of the tale drags a little too much. And the title? Not really essential to the plot, apart from the fact that Nell is a nurse. And...?

Personally, I feel the story could have been cut down with a far more exciting narration. 400 pages, mostly filled with Marian's ramblings, was just a bit too much. A shorter, pacier style would have been more compelling.

Overall, THE NURSE had an intriguing concept that failed to deliver in thrills and excitement. The story didn't particularly grab me when I tired of Marian's narrative so quickly and ended up skimming it for the most part. I know I'm in the minority here but this one just wasn't as thrilling as the author's other works.

I would like to thank #ClaireAllan, #Netgalley, #AvonBooks for an ARC of #TheNurse in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Claire Allan is a bestselling author from Derry.

A former journalist, she published eight contemporary women’s fiction titles with Poolbeg Press in Ireland, establishing herself as a multiple Irish Times Bestselling Author.

Her novel 'The First Time I Said Goodbye' - based on a true story of a love affair between a Derry girl and a US marine became a US Kindle Top Five bestseller.

However in 2016,  Claire decided to change genre and to write domestic noir  - this secured her her a book deal with Avon, an imprint of Harper Collins.

Her debut thriller Her Name Was Rose has sold more than a quarter of a million copies and has achieved bestseller status around the world.  

When not writing thrillers, she can be found penning romantic comedies under her alias of Freya Kennedy.

Claire is currently working on a TV adaptation of her 2020 novel ‘The Liar’s Daughter’ with Hat Trick productions, and as a story consultant for the new BBC cop drama ‘Blue Lights’.

Her sixth thriller ‘The Kindling’ is scheduled for publication in January 2022.

 

Social Media links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

REVIEW: After the Wedding by Laura Elliot

After the Wedding by Laura Elliot

Genre: Psychological thriller, Suspense

Read: 18th March 2022

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 24th March 2022

★★★ 3.5 stars (rounded down)

DESCRIPTION:

Everyone said she was the prettiest flower girl. But now her dress lies on the floor. It’s wet and torn, her shoes are lost. ‘Tell us what happened to you?’ her daddy sobs. Christine shakes her head. All she can remember are the red rose petals scattering like drops of blood spilling to the ground.

When Christine Lewis was a little girl, she witnessed something terrible at a wedding and buried it so deep in her memory, she managed to forget it ever happened.

Years later, Jessica Newman walks into the successful advertising agency Christine runs with her husband. Jessica is beautiful and excellent at her job but her presence triggers disturbing memories for Christine. Fragments of the wedding are starting to flicker in her mind and an unexplainable ball of dread begins to form in Christine’s stomach. Jessica is slowly beginning to destroy Christine’s marriage and her business. Why can’t anyone else see it?

Christine and Jessica’s lives were connected long before they set eyes on one another. But in unlocking the mystery of what happened at the wedding all those years ago, is Christine prepared for the truth she’s about to find?

An absolutely gripping and emotional page-turner packed with suspense that will have you completely hooked. Fans of Lisa Jewell, Gillian Flynn and Sally Hepworth will be gripped by After the Wedding. 

MY REVIEW:

Having read two books by this author previously and thoroughly enjoying them, I was geared up for another intriguing and addictive read. But AFTER THE WEDDING is far different from what I expected. It's marketed as a psychological thriller though I think that is a little misleading. Although it certainly does have aspects of a thriller, the first part of the story is anything but. In fact, I grew so impatient by Christine's outbursts and jealousies as well as Jessica's blatant behaviour I was tempted to toss the book down. Where was the thriller aspect, I wondered? Then little by little, we are given glimpses of it as Christine's repressed memories of her past trauma begin to resurface in a haze of wine, vodka and hypnosis. Is it any wonder Richard failed to believe her?

The premise was also misleading in the sense that readers expected the aftermath of Christine's apparent trauma after the wedding (hence the title) that we actually thought that was what we were getting. Apart from the snippet in the Prologue introducing us to the events after the wedding and Christine's subsequent rescue from the river, the story then launches into the life and times of Christine thirty years later married to Richard Stone and co-running their advertising agency, Foundation Stone. I was drowning in the ins and outs of advertising as well as Christine's obvious yet inexplicable discomfort surrounding their new copywriter, Jessica Newman. The woman made her uncomfortable, fearful and made her skin crawl. But why, was anyone's guess. Almost half the book lead us through Christine's erratic thoughts and memories and down the rabbit hole of hypnosis where she uncovered the repressed memory that preceded her being pulled from the river when she was five years old "after the wedding". What then follows is her behaviour which is equally erratic thus creating the divide between herself and Richard, who fails to believe her rants and accusations.

When Christine was five years old she was flower girl at her aunt's wedding at the historically listed Castle Rillingham in Rillingham-on-the-weir in Dorset. As the only child in attendance, she soon grew bored and looked for ways to amuse herself. She was drawn to the blood red roses blooming in the gardens and was gruffly chastised for crushing the heads of them, leading her to make her escape through a doorway and over a stile to the woods that lay beyond. After that, Christine has no memory of what happened beyond the pressure on her chest as she vomited up water after being pulled from the river. What happened to her? How did she end up in the river? It is these questions she seeks answers to through Elaine, a hypnotherapist her friend Amy recommended. But what she uncovers throws her world into even more turmoil in the wake of losing her business and her marriage.

Divided into four parts, the second part begins with Jessica's narrative through which we get her side to the part she played in the grand scheme of things. Jessica's memories are not all that they appear to be which leaves her questioning those roots. But not enough to believe Christine's rants, who is clearly drunken and delusional.

What is clear, by all accounts, is that Christine feels threatened by Jessica almost from the first moment she meets her though she has no idea why. But it's when she goes digging into the past that she discovers they have more in common than either woman would believe. But how is Christine's past and Jessica's presence linked? What connects them, if anything? Is what Christine remembers real or is she just paranoid?

What promised to be an intriguing dig into a traumatic past connecting them to the present, ended up being too long and a little erratic at times. It was difficult to remain interested when Christine went off tangent, it was little wonder Richard had such a hard time believing her. There were aspects to the tale that kept me reading but there was so much in between the beginning and the end that just felt too cumbersome and long-winded. I predicted all the reveals which weren't really twists anyway but rather just unfolded that way.

The most confusing aspect to this book is the alternate narratives, which I love but in this case leaves readers a little puzzled as to their perspectives when they switch from Christine to Jessica without any indication as to whose narrative we are reading. The book begins clearly from Christine's narrative in the first part, then by the time part two begins it is very obviously Jessica, as clearly stated. But then we move into Parts three and four and the perspectives continue to change without any clear direction as to who is narrating them. I had to keep going back to see who it was meant to be. For alternating viewpoints, each chapter should be clearly headlined as who is narrating it to save confusion. I'm used to alternating narratives, but even I found this a little baffling (and irritating) at times.

None of the characters were very likeable. I hated Jessica and I grew impatient with Christine and Richard was just a little too weak (?) and Samuel was just positively loathsome. Although I did like Ryan. Probably the only one I did like. But I doubt any of them will remain with me.

The ending was satisfactory but that was about it. It wasn't great or outstanding, but it was good enough. I didn't hate AFTER THE WEDDING but I didn't love it either. The book certainly had potential, and I know Laura Elliot can deliver exciting thrillers, but AFTER THE WEDDING just didn't meet my expectations.

Overall, this was on OK thriller but not a great one.

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

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Laura Elliot is an Irish novelist who writes psychological thrillers and lives in Dublin, Ireland. Her novels are: The Thorn Girl, The Wife Before Me, Guilty, Sleep Sister, The Betrayal, Fragile Lies, Stolen Child and The Prodigal Sister. Her latest novel,

The Tinderbox is due for release in December 2020. AKA June Considine, she had written twelve books for children and young adults. She has worked as a journalist and magazine editor.

Social Media Links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

PUBLISHER:

Stay up to date with upcoming releases from Bookouture by following them on these social media accounts.

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EXTRACT: After the Wedding by Laura Elliot

 

After the Wedding by Laura Elliot

Genre: Psychological thriller, Suspense

Read: 18th March 2022

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 24th March 2022

★★★ 3.5 stars (rounded down)

DESCRIPTION:

Everyone said she was the prettiest flower girl. But now her dress lies on the floor. It’s wet and torn, her shoes are lost. ‘Tell us what happened to you?’ her daddy sobs. Christine shakes her head. All she can remember are the red rose petals scattering like drops of blood spilling to the ground.

When Christine Lewis was a little girl, she witnessed something terrible at a wedding and buried it so deep in her memory, she managed to forget it ever happened.

Years later, Jessica Newman walks into the successful advertising agency Christine runs with her husband. Jessica is beautiful and excellent at her job but her presence triggers disturbing memories for Christine. Fragments of the wedding are starting to flicker in her mind and an unexplainable ball of dread begins to form in Christine’s stomach. Jessica is slowly beginning to destroy Christine’s marriage and her business. Why can’t anyone else see it?

Christine and Jessica’s lives were connected long before they set eyes on one another. But in unlocking the mystery of what happened at the wedding all those years ago, is Christine prepared for the truth she’s about to find?

An absolutely gripping and emotional page-turner packed with suspense that will have you completely hooked. Fans of Lisa Jewell, Gillian Flynn and Sally Hepworth will be gripped by After the Wedding. 

EXTRACT:

PROLOGUE 

Everyone said Christine was the prettiest flower girl ever. More beautiful even than the bride but, shush, that was a secret, a finger to their lips when they told her. She looked like a princess, with sparkly shoes and a lacy, purple dress with petticoats. Now, her flower-girl dress lies on the floor. It’s wet and torn, and her shoes are lost. 

‘Tell us – what happened to you?’ They keep asking her the same question over and over. They don’t say cross words about her dress, even though it’s ruined from the river. Instead, they tell her: ‘You fell into the river, Christine, darling, but you’re safe now with Mammy and Daddy.’ 

The doctor gives her an injection. It hurts but not for long. He says she now has the cleanest lungs in all of Dorset. He puts ointment on the big cut on her forehead and tells her to stay away from rivers in future. 

‘Where did you go?’ Daddy asks her again. Tell us… tell us…tell us. His forehead is wrinkly and there’s red all around his eyes. Mammy’s cheeks are black from the mascara and she’s no longer wearing her floppy wedding hat. 

Sharon comes into the bedroom and says, ‘Oh, my lambkin, what a fright you gave us.’ She has taken off her wedding dress and is wearing a yellow one with ruffles that flounce. She doesn’t look happy anymore. Not the way she did when Christine was scattering petals all along the aisle to make a carpet of love for her to walk over…

If you are intrigued and want to read more,  you can grab your copy of AFTER THE WEDDING by clicking the link for Amazon above.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Laura Elliot is an Irish novelist who writes psychological thrillers and lives in Dublin, Ireland. Her novels are: The Thorn Girl, The Wife Before Me, Guilty, Sleep Sister, The Betrayal, Fragile Lies, Stolen Child and The Prodigal Sister. Her latest novel,

The Tinderbox is due for release in December 2020. AKA June Considine, she had written twelve books for children and young adults. She has worked as a journalist and magazine editor.

Social Media Links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

PUBLISHER:

Stay up to date with upcoming releases from Bookouture by following them on these social media accounts.

Twitter | Facebook | Instagram