REVIEW: A Fond Farewell for the Tobacco Girls by Lizzie Lane

A Fond Farewell for the Tobacco Girls (The Tobacco Girls #6) by Lizzie Lane

Genre: Historical fiction, Sagas, WW2, Post-WW2

Read: 25th July 2023

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Published: 28th July 2023

★★★★★ 5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

It has finally happened! The war is over and Europe rejoices.

May 1945 – VE Day

After battling against the odds, the three friends are uncertain of their futures.

Maisie Miles must wait on tenterhooks for Japan to surrender and for poor Sid to return home. Will they still be sweethearts and have a future together? But tragedy strikes when Maisie's lodger Carole dies leaving 2-year-old Paula orphaned, Maisie is determined to keep the child she has grown to love as her own.

Meanwhile Bridget O’Neill’s husband has been patiently waiting her arrival in America but Bridget’s been struggling to leave her family and friends behind. Will she stay or will she go?

Phyllis Fairbrother receives the devastating news that husband Mick has relapsed and suffering a life changing diagnosis. Their dreams of a new life in Australia lie in tatters, or so she thinks.

With a new dawn, there are high hopes and boundless dreams.

Can the Tobacco Girls unite once more to overcome life’s troubles and find the happiness they so deserve?

MY THOUGHTS;

All is fair in love and war...

I have followed this series from the beginning and I have loved accompanying the girls over the course of their respective journeys. This one is somewhat bittersweet in ending and in reviewing this final installment.

Bridget O'Neill, nee Milligan, prepares to join husband Lyndon in the United States to begin their lives together however she is finding leaving Bristol, her family and friends behind somewhat difficult. And so she takes on several crusades of her own to keep her firmly in Blighty for the time being. When she hears her father has a new lady friend, she is keen to stop by and check up on him ensuring he is well looked after as well as her younger siblings. But it's the plight of children as young as 3 being shipped to Australia with no promise of being adopted at the other end that keeps her here as she uses her influence and the O'Neill money to investigate further. Meanwhile, Lyndon is at first understanding knowing how difficult it must be for Bridget to leave the place she was born and grew up as well as her family and friends. But when the weeks turn into months and he still hasn't seen his growing son, he becomes impatient in wanting his wife and son home with him in the United States. Bridget's excuses are running out. Will she follow her husband and make her new home with him? Or will she stay in the place she's always called home?

Phyllis Fairbrother, nee Mason then Harvey, married Australian Mick on the ship bringing them back from Malta after an unexploded bomb ruined their wedding and saw Mick rushed off to hospital. Now they are back in England, and the injuries Mick sustained in that explosion see him back in hospital with no chance of returning to his homeland of Australia with Phyllis to set up home and a vineyard. Instead Phyllis must find a home for them close by for his regular appointments with the surgeon. So she decides to settle back in her home town of Bristol in one of the new prefab houses purposely built for returning servicemen and their families. A face from the past pulls a few strings to get them the new place but Mick is far from grateful for the shoebox when he could have had acres of land at his fingertips back home. But a chance encounter with a friendly neighbour and veteran from the first war helps Mick put things into perspective. Will he settle for England or will he continue to grumble for a dream that is out of reach?

Maisie Miles, the only one of the three M's who has not married, still works at the tobacco factory and lives in the house her grandmother bequeathed to her. Her sweetheart Sid was taken prisoner in the Far East and is currently a POW in Changi. She took in young Carole Thomas who found herself pregnant after being attacked by someone she thought she could trust and as a result didn't want the baby. Maisie, however, fought tooth and nail for Carole to keep the little baby even after she was tricked into an illegal adoption. Now Maisie has grown fond of the young girl who is now two and approaching her third birthday and has gotten used to her being around. But all that is about to change when Carole announces that she has gotten engaged to Joe Shaw though she has yet to tell him about little Paula. Maisie doesn't begrudge Carole some happiness but she doesn't want to lose Paula either. But with Joe coming from Liverpool that would be where they will settle. Until tragedy strikes leaving 2 year old Paula orphaned and Maisie is determined to keep the child as her own. But when Sid returns from the Far East, will he be willing to take on someone else's child? 

There is so much packed into this final installment that I have barely touched on any of it. It is by far the best and it is with bittersweet emotions that I bid farewell to those I have come to love. The book opens with VE celebrations though was in the Pacific still rages on. When the announcement that the Japanese have surrendered spreads, the VJ celebrations begin. 

Over the course of this series we have seen many characters come and go. Some likeable, some horribly vile. Some get their comeuppance while others await theirs. However while Eddie Bridgeman was one of those such characters, in this installment we see him redeem himself.

A fitting end to an enjoyable series, we now have the Coronation Close series to enjoy in its place. 

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

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Lizzie Lane is a born and bred Bristolian who now lives in West Wiltshire with her partner, a wonderful garden and a lately acquired allotment. In the past she has bred dogs, kept horses, painted and made models from clay. (Nightly visit from the badger has smashed one).

Working jobs she's hated purely to keep a roof over her family’s head and a meal on the table, she then discovered writing. Encouraged by an American writer friend and when a time came there were no jobs and no other option, she took the plunge. She is now the author of over 50 books, a number of which have been bestsellers. As a Bristolian, many of her family worked in the cigarette and cigar factories, inspiring her new saga series The Tobacco Girls.

Up until six years ago her home (and that of her late husband) was a 46ft sailing yacht named Sarabande Serene, sailing into the Mediterranean. So besides being a successful author Lizzie can read navigation charts and react swiftly in a storm. 

Lizzie is now landlocked in a town close to the city of Bath. 

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REVIEW: The Silent Friend by Alison Stockham

The Silent Friend by Alison Stockham

Genre: Psychological drama, Suspense

Read: 30th July 2023

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Published: 24th July 2023

★★★ 3 stars

DESCRIPTION:

When it comes to saving yourself, who will you betray?

Louise has a shadowy past that she wants to break free from and when she develops an unlikely friendship with Isabelle, her neighbour, she finally finds the family she’s always yearned for.

But Louise knows more about Isabelle than her new friend realises, more specifically about her imprisoned husband – and the circumstances behind his arrest.

Louise is faced with a choice: to continue lying to her only friend or tell the truth and ruin any chance she has of starting over…

MY THOUGHTS:

She could tell her what she knows...or she could ruin her life...

This was a very different read. A quick read that I plouged through in a few hours.

Louise has had a troubled life, born to parents who found her to be more of a distraction than the main event. Simply put, she was a mistake and they never let her forget it. She left home as soon as she could and, in her quest to belong, fell in with the wrong sort of people.

Having recently moved into her new flat, Louise is surprised by the blue flashing lights strobing from outside. Wrapped in nothing but a towel fresh from her bath, she steals a glance out the window in time to see a woman on the doorstep in tears whilst the police lead a-no-neck-all-shoulders man from the house and into a waiting squad car.

Isabelle appears to have a perfect life. She has a beautiful home she and her husband Carl have recently renovated and she is expecting their first child. Now she stands on her new neighbour's doorstep with a tin of biscuits to welcome her to the neighbourhood...despite the embarrassment of having her husband lead off in handcuffs last night for all the neighbours to see. It's just a misunderstanding. Carl is innocent and he'll soon be home again where he belongs.

Louise no sooner opens her door than Isabelle falls in a tearful crumpled mess. And soon everything comes spilling out. Louise remains tight-lipped. What can she say? She's not used to such overt emotional outbursts and Isabelle is clearly distraught. And then she sees why. She's pregnant. Hormones all over the shop. The entire neighbourhood saw Isabelle's husband carted off by the police but not one of them have knocked on her door to see how she is coping. No one. Not even her so-called friends. The only one who cared enough to take the time was Louise.

And so Louise and Isabelle begin an unlikely friendship. After all, both appear to need the other more than they knew. Isabelle seems to be unable to make a firm decision without someone taking the lead and Louise just wants somewhere to belong.

But Louise has a secret. She knows more about Isabelle's husband and his shenanigans than her new friend is aware. And so Louise finds herself faced with a dilemma - to keep quiet and protect herself? Or to confess, pay for her crimes and risk losing the closest thing she has to a family?

This is a very different book to what I was expecting. But it was an enjoyable quick read that will have you turning the pages to find out how it all turns out for Louise, Isabelle and baby Lottie. It wasn't an exciting story by any means or an addictive thrill ride. But it did keep me engaged enough to want to stick around till the end. 

Overall, a compelling read that is unique in story and plot. A quick read easily read within a few hours.

I would like to thank #AlisonStockham, #Netgalley and #BoldwoodBooks for an ARC of #TheSilentFriend in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Alison Stockham’s debut novel The Cuckoo Sister, will be published by Boldwood in February 2023, and has already been longlisted for the Lucy Cavendish Fiction Prize. Having worked in TV documentary production for the BBC and Channel 4, Alison is now the Events Coordinator for the Cambridge Literary Festival.

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REVIEW: None of This is True by Lisa Jewell

None of This is True by Lisa Jewell

Genre: Psychological thriller, Suspense

Read: 30th July 2023

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Published: 20th July 2023

★★★ 3.5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

Lisa Jewell returns with a scintillating new psychological thriller about a woman who finds herself the subject of her own popular true crime podcast.

Celebrating her forty-fifth birthday at her local pub, popular podcaster Alix Summers crosses paths with an unassuming woman called Josie Fair. Josie, it turns out, is also celebrating her forty-fifth birthday. They are, in fact, birthday twins.

A few days later, Alix and Josie bump into each other again, this time outside Alix’s children’s school. Josie has been listening to Alix’s podcasts and thinks she might be an interesting subject for her series. She is, she tells Alix, on the cusp of great changes in her life.

Josie’s life appears to be strange and complicated, and although Alix finds her unsettling, she can’t quite resist the temptation to keep making the podcast. Slowly she starts to realise that Josie has been hiding some very dark secrets, and before she knows it, Josie has inveigled her way into Alix’s life—and into her home.

But, as quickly as she arrived, Josie disappears. Only then does Alix discover that Josie has left a terrible and terrifying legacy in her wake, and that Alix has become the subject of her own true crime podcast, with her life and her family’s lives under mortal threat.

Who is Josie Fair? And what has she done?

MY THOUGHTS:

Her lies could kill you...

Man, what did I just read? Where do I even begin to start a review for this book? I love Lisa Jewell and I'm always excited when she has a new release coming out. I had heard such good things about this book and yet once I was in there I found myself drowning and unable to get out. 

First of all, I loved the format Jewell undertook with this one. Excerpts of a podcast and upcoming Netflix documentary drama. You just know with these interspersed throughout that something big is coming.

"Hi! I'm your birthday twin!"

That's how Josie Fair quite literally stumbles her way into Alix Summer's glamorous Instagram life. Watching her from across the same gastropub both women celebrating their forty-fifth birthdays, Josie can't help but want just a little of what Alix has. And so when she sees the other woman head to the ladies she orchestrates a chance meeting. But a few words exchanged in the ladies wasn't enough...Josie wanted more. And so later that night, after Walter had left their bed, she googled Alix Summer and stalked her social media wanting to find out more about her "birthday twin".

What comes next is not by pure chance. It is all carefully curated and orchestrated by Josie in which she swoops in and offers Alix the chance of a lifetime. A podcast about a woman embarking on a new direction in life, following Josie step by step as she undertakes these changes, from the boring caterpillar that she is and emerging as a beautiful butterfly breaking free.

Of course, Alix has no idea of the avalanche that is about to become her life. The podcast reveals some very disturbing facts and too late Alix realises she might have made a very big mistake. And as Josie slowly inveigles her way into Alix's life, into her home, she is about to discover that her new friend isn't all she claims to be.

This is such a difficult book to review. There is so much that could be said that really can't without giving anything away. Plus I found it very heavy going. Although I managed to plough through it in a day it was somewhat exhausting! I can only imagine what writing it would be like! As it is very character driven there isn't a lot of dialogue throughout which I really prefer, but having said that, this is still a very clever story. But it's not my favourite of hers. 

The story itself is somewhat disturbing, if you were to believe half of what was said because the clue is in the title...which is kind of a spoiler in itself. The entire thing is a tale shrouded in ambiguity and Jewell keeps you guessing the whole way through.

While it wasn't one of my favourites, I still found it addictive and couldn't put it down until the very end. Josie is very much a train wreck of a character. You will love to hate her. And while her initial relationship and then marriage to her husband Walter were certainly not age appropriate, I do believe that Josie knew exactly what she was doing. She was a psychopath with no remorse, no empathy and no regard for others. She was controlling and narcissistic and a very disturbing individual. There was no victim blaming. Josie was a product of first her environment and then of her own making.

Overall, I found this to be a heavy read. It is chilling and somewhat disturbing in parts. But it is also very cleverly done.

I would like to thank #LisaJewell, #Netgalley and #RandomHouseCenturyBooks for an ARC of #NoneOfThisIsTrue in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Lisa was born in London in 1968. Her mother was a secretary and her father was a textile agent and she was brought up in the northernmost reaches of London with her two younger sisters. She was educated at a Catholic girls’ Grammar school in Finchley. After leaving school at sixteen she spent two years at Barnet College doing an arts foundation course and then two years at Epsom School of Art & Design studying Fashion Illustration and Communication.

She worked for the fashion chain Warehouse for three years as a PR assistant and then for Thomas Pink, the Jermyn Street shirt company for four years as a receptionist and PA. She started her first novel, Ralph’s Party, for a bet in 1996. She finished it in 1997 and it was published by Penguin books in May 1998. It went on to become the best-selling debut novel of that year.

She has since written a further nine novels, as is currently at work on her eleventh.

She now lives in an innermost part of north London with her husband Jascha, an IT consultant, her daughters, Amelie and Evie and three pets. She claims to love the dog best.

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REVIEW: The Pre-Nup by Arianne Richmonde

The Pre-Nup by Arianne Richmonde

Genre: Psychological thriller, Domestic thriller, Suspense

Read: 23rd July 2023

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Published: 27th July 2023

★★★ 3.5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

She signed the papers. And now her life is in danger…

Then: I gaze at my new husband and smile. It’s our wedding day and I feel like the luckiest woman alive.

Lucas is perfect. He brings me coffee in the morning, flowers in the evening, and never leaves the room without a kiss.

So I try to ignore the niggling doubt in the back of my mind about the prenup he made me sign. Does he think I’m a gold digger?

I reassure myself that it doesn’t matter, because I know we’ll be together forever…

Now: Three years in, Lucas has changed. I don’t feel safe in my own house, and when I look at my husband, I don’t recognize the man I married.

And now I’m trapped in this house with a man I’m beginning to realize I never really knew at all—and I’m terrified I might not make it out alive…

An absolutely gripping psychological thriller. Impossible to put down and packed with whiplash-inducing twists, perfect for fans of The Couple Next Door, The Silent Wife and The Marriage.

MY THOUGHTS:

She signed the papers…Now she must pay the price…

I've enjoyed two previous thrillers by Richmonde - "The Guilty Sister" and "The Breakdown" - so I was keen to dive into this one after reading its intriguing premise. Ava, Lucas and Claudia in a love triangle like no other!

Ava met Lucas and it was lust at first sight. They were at it like rabbits for days until reality set in and Ava had to actually go to work. And then she discovers she's pregnant. Well, for well-to-do Lucas' conservative parents, a baby out of wedlock just won't do. So a wedding for three weeks hence by pulling a few strings and voila! Ava and Lucas have walked up and down the aisle, thus married. 

But first, a pre-nup. One which states that everything Lucas has, or doesn't have but will have or may have, Ava will have no claim on should they divorce. She's no gold digger but she is in love with Lucas so she signs the papers without a second thought. 

And now here we are.

Three years on and Lucas has changed. At first it was little things. Late home from work; a lipstick in his pocket; an earring that wasn't hers. All these things added up to one thing - Lucas was having an affair. Oh no, work has been busy; I must have picked it up by mistake; I bought you those earrings and here you are wearing them! Ava is pretty sure nothing could be further from the truth and that her husband is an expert manipulator is gaslighting her with smoke and mirrors.

And then she meets Claudia. Star of her favourite show and her husband's mistress. A recipe for disaster? Or a perfect storm? What could possibly go wrong?

There isn't a lot I can say about this book without giving too much away. It does start off a little on the slow side and it was almost depressing. Why, if she knew what he was like, was she staying with him? Pre-nup or no pre-nup, no man is worth risking your sanity or your self worth for. She loved him, more fool her, because it is clear from the outset that Lucas suffered from "Tom Cruise syndrome" in that the only person Lucas loved was himself. He took risks and didn't care if he was caught because he just manipulated the picture with a sleight of hand move that left Ava questioning what was real and what wasn't. And Lucas just went about life as if everything was his God-given right. The man was a snake and I hated him from the first moment he opened his mouth.

By the time the story hit Part 2, things were ramped up a notch and began to get interesting. By Part 3, I could see where this was going, was wholly invested and couldn't wait to see it play out. And although I knew it was coming, that ending was just superb. I wasn't hoodwinked by any means and saw it coming from a mile off but it was pure perfection. While the book as a whole was average, it was that ending that was its saving grace. Just brilliant.

Overall, an entertaining read that dipped in parts but stick around because the ending is worth the wait.

I would like to thank #ArianneRichmonde, #Netgalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #ThePreNup in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Arianne Richmonde is s the USA TODAY bestselling author of the psychological thrillers, THE WIFE'S HOUSE, THE NEWLYWEDS, THE GUILTY SISTER, and THE BREAKDOWN (published by Bookouture, Hachette UK). Her Pearl series has sold more than half a million copies worldwide. Her stories are always character-driven and full of unexpected twists and turns.

When not writing about the passions and fragilities of human nature, she loves to spend time with her husband and their animals, including a femme fatale Husky with one blue eye and one golden eye. Arianne's a chocaholic and sometimes sneaks off to sunny, exotic locations, all in the name of research.

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REVIEW: She Says She's my Daughter by Lauren North

She Says She's My Daughter by Lauren North

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

Read: 27th July 2023

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Published: 20th July 2023

★★★★ 4 stars

DESCRIPTION:

‘I don’t know who you are or why you’ve come here,’ I say, jabbing my finger at her, shaking as much as my voice. ‘But you are not my daughter. You are not Abigail.’

Fourteen years ago, our family holiday ended in tragedy when my darling four-year-old girl was snatched from us on the beach. Not a day goes by when I don’t picture her wide brown eyes, and the freckles dusting her cheeks. I only looked away for a second, and I have never forgiven myself.

Today, a seventeen-year-old girl has walked into a police station near our house. She says she’s my daughter. Abigail is back. I can’t believe it. After years of grieving, my family is finally complete again.

This should be the happiest moment of my life, but something doesn’t feel quite right. As hard as I try, I don’t know the teenager in front of me. Then holes appear in Abigail’s story, her accent starts to slip, and I catch her faking tears for the journalists outside – and I’m more certain than ever that she is not my daughter. That she is a stranger. And that we cannot trust her…

But if this mysterious girl isn’t Abigail, then who is she – and what does she want with my family?

A totally unputdownable psychological thriller with a twist that will blow you away. If you are a fan of K.L. Slater, Shari Lapena or B.A. Paris, you will be hooked!

MY THOUGHTS:

"I don't know who you are...but you are not my daughter!?"

I love missing person thrillers, especially those where a child has disappeared some years before. Added to that, I have enjoyed Lauren North's previous thrillers I've read - "The Perfect Betrayal" and "My Word Against His" -  so I was eager to dive into this one!

Fourteen years ago, a family holiday ended in tragedy when four year old Abigail disappeared whilst playing with her six year old brother Daniel on the beach. For fourteen years, the family have watched and waited for anything that might lead them to the truth about what happened to Abigail. Apart from one vague sighting of a man pushing a girl with red shoes (like those Abigail was wearing) too big for her pushchair, it seems she just disappeared into the ether.

Now a 17 year old girl walks into Bethnal Green Police Station claiming to be the missing girl. After a thorough questioning by police, it is deemed she must be telling the truth. The girl has not wavered in her account and she appears believable. The next step is to contact the Wick family in Essex.

Sarah returns home from a busy day at the studio to find a police car in her drive. Her first thought is "No, not again", fearing something has happened to one of her two remaining children Daniel and Rebecca. Instead the police begin to question her about Abigail; any distinguishing marks she may have had. Once they are satisfied they reveal the purpose of their visit. A girl has walked into a London police station claiming to be Abigail. She has nowhere to go so her husband Michael offers for her to stay with them. But Sarah is wary. Why now? After fourteen years, where has she been and why now? But she agrees on the condition they organise a DNA test to be undertaken the following day, the results taking seventy two hours.

The moment Abi arrives at their home in Essex, Rebecca is overwhelmed with excitement and embraces her new-found sister. Daniel smiles his encouragement. Michael is in awe. But Sarah...she refuses to believe that this girl is her daughter, despite what she says. 

And then the DNA results come back. The evidence is irrefutable. And then Sarah's how world implodes.

The whole way through this book I was of one of either two mindsets. For me, they were the only outcomes that could have been. They are the only two scenarios that made any sense. Not the story that Abi gave, which had an element of truth to it, but not all of it. So how did that incorporate into the actual truth? Of course, one of my theories proved to be correct but the ending gave us something more. And there were plenty of red herrings to keep us looking in other directions but I refused to be fooled. And yet, I was.

The story unfolds through the alternating narratives of Sarah and Abi, with the addition of an anonymous narrative, moving between then and now. It is fast paced with short snappy chapters that keep it moving steadily along.

There is so much I could say about this book but I'd then risk revealing some spoilers. However, I will say this is a good solid read. It was compelling and addictive and keeps you guessing right up until the end. The hallmarks of a gripping thriller. The ending left the reader with no doubt but also a promise of what is to come.

My biggest gripe with the book has to be with Sarah. I couldn't connect with her and she was so detached and unlikeable. I wanted to slap her so many times. Why couldn't she just enjoy the moment with the rest of her family? Why is she so skeptical and morose? I guess I could understand why in a way but she was just so morose and depressing. I'm surprised the family was even still together. Why is it in these stories the families are always depicted as broken from the moment that defined the end of their unity? Why couldn't they draw on the strength from each other and become closer? Instead Sarah and Michael are practically separated but still under the same roof.

Overall, this is an entertaining thriller that I read in one sitting that had plenty of twists and complexities to keep us enthralled.

I would like to thank #LaurenNorth, #Netgalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #SheSaysShesMyDaughter in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Lauren writes psychological suspense novels that delve into the darker side of relationships and families. She has a lifelong passion for writing, reading, and all things books. Lauren’s love of psychological suspense has grown since childhood and her dark imagination of always wondering what’s the worst thing that could happen in every situation.

Lauren studied psychology before moving to London where she lived and worked for many years. She now lives with her family in the Suffolk countryside.

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REVIEW: The New Wife by J.P. Delaney

The New Wife by J.P. Delaney

Genre: Psychological thriller, Suspense

Read: 26th July 2023

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Published: 20th July 2023

★★ 2.5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

When Finn Hensen gets a call from his sister Jess to say their father has died, neither is heartbroken. Their parents divorced many years ago, after which their father, Jimmy, continued to live a bohemian lifestyle in sun-soaked Mallorca.

Ownership of his beautiful but dilapidated farmhouse in the mountains now passes to Finn and his sister. The only problem is that Jimmy recently remarried and his new wife, Ruensa, is still living there.

The pair agree that Finn should go to Mallorca and tactfully take possession of their inheritance. When he arrives, however, Finn is surprised to find that Finca Siquia has been completely transformed into a chic Mediterranean bolthole by Ruensa and her twenty-seven-year-old daughter, Roze. The Spanish police, meanwhile, are asking awkward questions about Jimmy's death . . .

Are Ruensa and Roze the helpless victims of circumstance? Or will they stop at nothing to get Finca Siquia for themselves?

MY THOUGHTS:

Your place in the sun comes with a problem...

Oh how I was excited to delve into a new J.P. Delaney thriller after being enraptured by both "Playing Nice" and "My Darling Daughter" which were exceptional to say the least. Unfortunately, this one didn't hit that same mark for me, sadly. I'm not sure what it was but I have found that books where the stories are set abroad (and generally in the Mediterranean) have a strange sense about them. It could have something to do with the language or the way the law is interpreted there or whatever. I think I've only read one or two that were really intriguing from start to finish. I could count them on one hand.

This one started off interestingly enough but then it started to veer off into stranger territory and by the final 10 percent I was going "what the...?" The author toyed with the idea of a "My Cousin Rachel" kind of tale about inheritance and whatnot but, although I've not read du Maurier's book, I can't say it was a complete success. I guess I can see what he was aiming for but I think it missed the mark and I much prefer his devious tales of the previous two thrillers of his I read and loved.

THE NEW WIFE is a slow burn story. It's not really a thriller, despite its genre, which kind of makes it a strange read in itself because I'm not sure how to categorise it. Reading the many other reviews on this book I see will put me in the minority because I really can't say I liked it despite ploughing on to finish it in the hope that it would deliver a twist and thus redeem itself...but that was not to be. When the twist came, I thought nicely played and then it just went off tangent into even stranger territory and then I was going...just no. Conversations taking place with his dead father? Hallucinations in the pool, in the mountains and in bed? Were any of these real or were they just imaginings? I couldn't quite tell. And then the abrupt end to the narrative with a twist that gives us what? Unanswered questions? Loose ends? No. Thanks, but no thanks.

Aside from the fact I did not enjoy this book, I would still read another by Delaney because I know he is capable of such clever tactics that deliver thrills and chills in equal measure. And for that, I will keep coming back...and hope his next one will deliver that same twisted thrill factor.

I would like to thank #JPDelaney, #Netgalley and #QuercusBooks for an ARC of #TheNewWife in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

J.P. Delaney is a pseudonym of Ugandan born British author, Tony Strong who has also written highly popular novels under the pseudonym Anthony Capella. The author was born in 1962 though he went on to school at St Peter's College, Oxford, from which he attained a First Class Honors Degree in English Literature.

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REVIEW: All Of Us Are Broken by Fiona Cummins

All of Us Are Broken by Fiona Cummins

Genre: Psychological thriller, Suspense

Read: 22nd July 2023

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Published: 20th July 2023

★★★★ 4 stars

DESCRIPTION:

The electrifying new crime novel from the award winning author, Fiona Cummins, author of Into the Dark and Rattle.

It’s been a long time since the Hardwicke family has been on holiday. But thirteen-year-old Galen has wanted to see the wild dolphins at Scotland’s Chanonry Point for as long as she can remember, and her mother Christine – a lone parent since her beloved husband left – is determined she gets her wish. But their serene trip is about to be interrupted.

When DC Saul Anguish is called to investigate the shooting of an ex-police officer in Midtown-on-Sea, Essex, he quickly discovers that this is the first in a string of killings by Missy and Fox, a damaged young couple hell-bent on infamy, their love story etched in blood. In pursuit, Saul follows their trail north.

The paths of the Hardwickes' and the deadly couple are about to collide. When Saul and his forensic linguist partner, Blue, arrive on the scene, they witness the unthinkable: a mother forced to make an impossible choice.

Saul must uncover the truth about the couple. But can he find the strength to lay the ghosts of his past to rest before they break him?

MY THOUGHTS:

"All of us are broken...but it's how we put ourselves back together again that matters most of all."

Let me just catch my breath...ALL OF US ARE BROKEN is everything you want in a thriller. Fast paced, filled with shocks, twists, unpredictable and totally and utterly crazy. Everyone in this story has baggage - and I mean filled-to-the-brim-and-bursting baggage - that they don't even bother unpacking. And that includes the police! Those are some of the darkest of all!

The prologue starts things off with a bang (in more ways than one) that leaves plenty dead and a mother with an impossible choice - which child to choose? Of course, it leaves us wondering also as the it all goes back to thirteen hours before when this journey was just beginning.

It's 7.30am when Christine Hardwicke wakes her two children Galen (13) and Tom (8) and they leave their Essex home making their way to Chanonry Point in Scotland to fulfill one of Galen's greatest wishes - to see the dolphins. Unfortunately, they walk headlong into a nightmare killing spree by a modern day Bonnie and Clyde.

Missy was, until that morning, a primary school teacher...but maybe not a very good one. While her students ran riot she left them to their own devices after one of them was injured and fled the school in search of something more. Having been deprived of the love of her father and believing he had abandoned her, she fell into the arms (and under his spell) of Fox, a petty crim turned nasty who doesn't want to return to prison. And so together, they head north to Scotland leaving a bloodbath behind in their wake. Nothing and no one will get in their way as they both know how it will inevitably end. 

DC Saul Anguish is busy battling his own demons. Anguish by name and anguish by nature, he is ruminating on why his love Blue ghosted him last night when she was expected at his place. He has messaged but she has not called. Lost in the turmoil of his thoughts, he is called to the scene of a brutal death that was at first suspected as suicide. But on closer inspection, Saul discovers discrepancies. And then he gets another call. Another slaying with the perpetrators on the run leaving a trail of blood behind them, including the crime scene in which he now stands. His superior tasks him, Blue and two others with heading north to stop them in their tracks...if they can. But he also has a special task just for Saul.

Christine, Galen and Tom had no idea what they were walking into when they stepped into the hotel and were greeted with silence. No concierge. No receptionist. Not even any guests. Where was everyone? Even the distant pop-pop-pop sounded like fireworks...until they saw nothing light up the sky. And then faced with a choice that no mother should have to make, Christine is reminded of the letter that was discovered in her husband's bedside drawer. And her choice is made. But at what cost? And to who?

This is a hard book to review without giving anything away. It is seriously messed up in more ways than one. It is very dark and a little disturbing. Even more so when it comes to the detectives hunting down the deadly duo. They have a few skeletons rattling around in their own closets that are not about to see the light of day either. It is also a tough one to rate. It's such a clever tale that is multilayered as well as chilling.

I can say no more except I do recommend this read! Fiona Cummins thrills and chills readers in this page-turner that is addictive and compelling to its bitter end.

I would like to thank #FionaCummins, #Netgalley and #PanMacmillan for an ARC of #AllOfUsAreBroken in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Fiona Cummins is an award-winning former Daily Mirror showbusiness journalist and a graduate of the Faber Academy, where she now teaches her own Writing Crime course. She is the bestselling author of five crime thriller novels, all of which have received widespread critical acclaim from household names including Val McDermid, Lee Child, David Baldacci, Martina Cole and Ian Rankin. Three of her novels have been optioned for television.

Rattle, her debut, has been translated into several languages and Marcel Berlins wrote in The Times: 'Amid the outpouring of crime novels, Rattle is up there with the best of them.' Fiona was selected for McDermid's prestigious New Blood panel at the 2017 Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival, where her novel was nominated for a Dead Good Reader Award for Most Exceptional Debut. A sequel, The Collector, was published in February 2018 and David Baldacci described it as 'A crime novel of the very first order'.

Her third novel - standalone thriller The Neighbour - was published in April 2019. Ian Rankin called it 'creepy as hell'. Her fourth novel When I Was Ten, an Irish Times bestseller, was published in April 2021. Into The Dark, Fiona's fifth novel, was published in April 2022 and was described by Sarah Vaughan, author of Netflix smash-hit Anatomy of A Scandal, as 'Complex. Inventive. Twisty. Unsettling.' Her sixth All Of Us Are Broken was published July 2023.

When Fiona is not writing, she can be found on Twitter, eating biscuits or walking her dogs. She lives in Essex with her family.

 

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REVIEW: The Ration Book Baby by Ellie Curzon

The Ration Book Baby (A Village at War #1) by Ellie Curzon

Genre: Historical fiction, Sagas, WW2

Read: 20th July 2023

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Publsihed: 25th July 2023

★★★★★ 5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

England, 1940. Opening the box with trembling hands, she couldn’t believe it – a tiny baby lay inside. She gently lifted the newborn as it started to cry. Cradling the little one to her chest, she searched the darkness for any sign of whoever left it here. And as she rocked the child, something fluttered to the ground… a ration book.

Nurse Annie Russell anxiously listens to the terrifying sounds of planes and gunfire overhead, worried about what the morning will bring for the patients in her care. The boys from the local airfield fly up in the skies each night, risking their lives to protect the people of Bramble Heath village, but they can’t stop every bombshell. Until a knock at the door makes her jump.

Awaiting Annie on the doorstep is a hatbox. Peeking under the lid, she gasps – inside is a whimpering newborn, round cheeks glistening with tears. The poor little thing may be all alone, but someone must truly love the baby… Tucked into a hand-knitted blanket, there’s a precious ration book, vital for food supplies in these darkest of days.

Her heart breaking, Annie does everything she can to care for her tiny charge. But, without a ration book, she knows that the frightened young mother could also be in dire need of help too. Then social services bring devastating news. If Annie can’t find the helpless child’s family soon, the authorities will have to take the little one away.

As the Nazi threat grows, more and more of the brave pilots at the local airbase don’t come home. Is one of the fallen the child’s father? And with her only clue leading nowhere, can Annie find the answers she needs, and reunite the innocent baby with its parents before it is too late?

A totally unputdownable and emotional historical novel that will have you reading late into the night. Perfect for fans of Diney Costeloe, Martha Hall Kelly and Before We Were Yours.

MY THOUGHTS:

I wasn't starting another series. Nope. I really wasn't. But this one was just calling to me. A baby left on the doorstep with nothing but a ration book in the midst of a war. Throw in a little romance as well as the mystery of said baby's parentage against the backdrop of bombs and I was sold. THE RATION BOOK BABY is a delightfully heartwarming read and while I ummed and ahhed over it at first, I'm glad I took the plunge and added it to my ever growing TBR list.

Set in the village of Bramble Heath, district nurse Annie Russell opens the door one evening to discover a hatbox on her doorstep with a newborn baby nestled inside. There is no clue as to where the baby came from or whose it may be. Nothing but the raggedy stork hand sewn with love and a ration book to go...and even then, those gave nothing away. Annie's own mother now a retired midwife Norma and her father semi-retired constable Henry welcomed the new addition whilst Annie made enquiries in the village and the nearby RAF airfield. 

But something about the little raggedy stork and the ration book told Annie that someone had given up their own ration book so that the baby would not go without. A little investigation lead Annie to the Polish hamlet on the outskirts of the village. But the immigrants, having fled their own war-torn country, barely spoke English and those that did gave away no secrets. So if there was anything to tell, no one was telling. Annie however is determined to find the mother before social services come to claim the baby.

As word spreads of the baby left on Annie's doorstep, the village bands together to provide everything the little one needs - from clothing, napkins and toys to milk, bottles and food. Even a pram and a crib. Baby Clara, who Annie names after the milliner's box she was found in, wants for nothing. All the villagers love her.

Bramble Heath is a small village with a nearby RAF airfield. The pilots are a mix of English and the Polish immigrants who now call Britain home. Both who fight the German Luftwaffe and protecting the country from their constant raids. Among them is Wing Commander William Chambers who commands a squadron and partakes in the dogfights in the air, one of which sees him critically injured. 

When Annie saw the parachute amidst the burning spitfire and its German counterpart, she had no idea if the injured party she rushed to give aid was friend or foe. She was shocked to discover it was William and he was barely conscious. She kept him alive until the ambulance and doctor arrived and they whisked him away to hospital. She had no idea if he would survive.

And yet she still had the mystery of baby Clara's parentage. With Ewa remaining tight-lipped about who the mother may be, Annie must draw on all her resources to find her before social services swoop to claim her as abandoned and adopt her out.

I have read many sagas set during wartime, featuring the RAF and air raids and the like, but THE RATION BOOK BABY had something of a different feel to it that sets it apart. Maybe it's the mystery of the baby being left on the doorstep, I'm not sure. But it was certainly a refreshing tale that offered something different and yet it was heartwarming and heartbreaking all at once also.

I thoroughly enjoyed THE RATION BOOK BABY and was delighted to learn when I reached the end that there is more to come and I look forward to meeting up with Annie and William again in subsequent books soon.

I would like to thank #EllieCurzon, #Netgalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheRationBookBaby in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Ellie Curzon is the pen name of Catherine Curzon and Helen Barrell. Catherine and Helen began writing together in the spring of 2017 and swiftly discovered a shared love of the past and a uniquely British sort of story. They drink gallons of tea, spend hours discussing the importance of good tailoring and are never at a loss for a bit of derring-do.

Catherine Curzon is an author and historian of old Hollywood and even older royalty. In addition to a series of eighteenth century biographies and a sell-out play, she has written extensively for a number of international publications, and has spoken at venues and events across the United Kingdom. Catherine lives in a haze of Dean Martin atop a steep Yorkshire hill, with a rakish gentleman and a very woolly dog.

Helen Barrell has written two books on Victorian crime, and has appeared on BBC1 and Radio 4. She loves researching family history and rummaging in libraries and archives. Originally from the south-east of England, Helen now lives somewhere in the Midlands with a large ginger cat, who resembles a Viking, and a well-stocked 1960’s cocktail bar.

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REVIEW: All Change at the Beach Hotel by Francesca Capaldi

All Change at the Beach Hotel (Beach Hotel #2) by Francesca Capaldi

Genre: Historical fiction, Sagas, WW1

Read: 18th July 2023

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Published: 20th July 2023

★★★★ 4.5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

Can she choose between her duty and her heart?

While World War One changes the country beyond measure, with food becoming scarce and Britain’s young men being called up to foreign battlefields, it is harder than ever to keep the grand Beach Hotel in Littlehampton running smoothly.

Waitress Lili Probert, a young woman who escaped her demanding family in Wales in search of a new life in Sussex, has seen her hard work rewarded at the Beach Hotel, but hides heartbreak behind her sunny personality. Her sweetheart, Norman, is missing in action and has been presumed dead, but she cannot give up hope that he may be found.

But when she meets injured soldier Rhodri, a fellow Welshman now living near Littlehampton, she fights hard to ignore her growing attraction for him, torn between her feelings for him and her loyalty to the man she thought she’d spend her life with.

But her emotions run ever higher when she suddenly receives a call from home; her mother is gravely ill and Lili is needed for her care. Returning to Wales, Lili must make a difficult choice. Follow her dreams and make her own life, or return to the place she tried so hard to escape?

Torn between her duty and her heart, Lili faces her own battle far from the conflicts in Europe…

MY THOUGHTS:

Can she choose between her duty and her heart...?

Sagas set during this era are some of my favourite kind. Maybe perhaps because it marked such a change in times between the old Victorian era and a new Georgian one, not to mention a whole new century in which women were now coming out from behind their menfolk and being recognised for their own abilities. A time when women were allowed to own property, hold positions of respect and even the prospect of their voices giving them the vote. World War One was a time of great change. Many were still coming to terms with the change in monarchs from the old Queen to King Edward followed just a decade later with King George V. With this change, came more change. Gone were the frills and bustles of the old times. Skirts were being worn a tad shorter. Hats were not quite so cumbersome and far more quaint. With the war, times were difficult and cuts had to made everywhere.

Such was the case at the Beach Hotel, much to the irritation of its pompous manager Douglas Bygrove. War was simply getting in the way of him doing his job...of which no one knew exactly what that was...but he saw it as his duty to welcome prominent figures of council or parliament or even just the richest, most important people of Littlehampton. He made it is his business to know who was who and welcome them into his hotel. His hotel? Purchased with his wife's inheritance which surely made it her hotel in which he appointed himself manager and treated her no more than a skivvy. He is pompous and odious and an irritating little man. 

But this story is not about him, although he features enough throughout you'd think it was about him (he's that vain too). No, this story is about Lili, who left her village in the Welsh mining valleys in search of something more than being stuck in Dorcolan for the rest of her days, scrubbing floors and marrying a nice Welsh boy who probably spent half his days down the mines. Lili didn't want that for herself. And so she took herself to Littlehampton after gaining a job as a chambermaid at the Beach Hotel. But as the war came, so too did change. Their men enlisted and if they didn't they were soon conscripted leaving only the womenfolk behind. And despite this and their staff shortages, the staff at the Beach Hotel kept things running smoothly like a well-oiled machine under the careful managerial eye of Helen Bygrove, the manageress. Although if Douglas Bygrove had anything to say about it, and he did quite a lot of that, it was to his credit that they had managed to keep things alfoat at all.

That aside, Helen organised several charity events to raise money for the war effort by way of hospitals and the like. One of which was for the Belgrave Hospital for wounded soldiers. At this event Lili was asked to perform a few songs and she captured the attention of one soldier with her lilting songbird voice. Corporal Rhodri Morgan who had been injured with a bullet to the leg leaving him with a permanent limp. Rhodri was also Welsh and Lili could hardly believe that she travelled so far from home only to meet another Welshman. However, Lili had been courting another before he left for the Front. And Lili is nothing if not loyal. She would not betray Norman by stepping out with another man.

And then she receives word that Norman is missing in action which usually means one thing - that he's been killed and his body has yet to be located. Devastated at this news and conflicted with her her growing attraction for Rhodri, Lili is torn between her feelings for him and her loyalty to Norman. But nothing can stop them from being friends, can it?

But that all falls by the wayside when she receives a letter from her eldest sister Carys informing her that their mother is gravely ill and she is needed at home. Granted immediate leave from Helen, Lili makes her way back home fearing what she may find upon her return and how ill her mother truly is. She realises that she must make the difficult choice between following her heart and her dreams to make her own life or to fulfil her duty as a daughter and return to a place she had tried so hard to escape. Lili is nothing if not faithful and loyal, sometimes to her detriment. Should she make this sacrifice for duty or for love?

I thoroughly enjoyed this installment at the Beach Hotel, far more than the first one. There are some irritating characters once again, some get their comeuppance, some may still be waiting. There is a little about the Front but it features only as a backdrop. The mainstay is life at the hotel. My favourite part would have to be the conscription debacle of one such man of the age of forty. Oh my that was hilarious. I can't wait to see how that pans out in future installments.

As always, I love this type of story. It is a nice gentle easy read, a perfect escape from the harried busyness of today. I thoroughly enjoyed my stay at the Beach Hotel and will be sure to check in again next year when I look forward to my visit to Littlehampton once again.

I would like to thank #FrancescaCapaldi, #Netgalley, #HeraBooks and #RachelsRandomResources for an ARC of #AllChangeAtTheBeachHotel in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Francesca has enjoyed writing since she was a child. Born in Worthing, Sussex, and brought up in Littlehampton, she was largely influenced by a Welsh mother who was brilliant at improvised story telling.

A history graduate and qualified teacher, she decided to turn her writing hobby into something more in 2006, when she joined a writing class.

​Writing as both Francesca Capaldi and Francesca Burgess, she has had numerous short stories published in magazines in the UK and abroad, as well as in anthologies. Four pocket novels have been published by DC Thomson, one of which, Danger for Daisy, is available as an ebook.

Her Welsh World War 1 sagas were inspired by the discovery of her great grandfather's war record.  They are published by Hera Books

​She is a member of the Romantic Novelists' Association and the Society of Women Writers and Journalists. 

Francesca currently lives on the North Downs in Kent with her family and a cat called Lando Calrission.

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