REVIEW: The Perfect Nurse by Daniel Hurst

 

The Perfect Nurse (The Perfect Nurse #1) by Daniel Hurst

Genre: Psychological thriller

Read: 27th July 2024

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 1st July 2024

★★★ 2.5 stars (rounded up)

DESCRIPTION:

‘My name is Darcy, I’m your nurse and I’m here to help you.’ I repeat the words I’ve said so many times. Except this time, I don’t mean it…

If you saw me walking down the street, you’d think I was pretty ordinary – I wear the typical crisp, white nursing uniform, my hands are scrubbed clean and you’d have no reason to believe I was anything other than a good citizen. A good nurse.

But looks can be deceiving. You shouldn’t trust me – because I don’t even know if I can trust myself.

Now I stare at the reflection in the mirror – dark smudges under my eyes and blood on my hands – listening for the sound of police sirens.

Because the truth is I had to do something terrible. I broke all the rules a nurse should follow. I wanted someone gone so badly. And now they’re dead because of me.

I’m looking over my shoulder everywhere I go because I’m sure someone knows my secret. Then when my home is broken into I know one simple truth: this isn’t over yet…

It’s only the beginning.

The police are the least of my worries now. But to save myself, am I going to have to kill again?

MY THOUGHTS:

A nurse who isn't as she appears...do you trust her?

It's no secret that I am a huge Daniel Hurst fan. I've devoured everything I've read of his in record time and loved (mostly) them all. And then along comes the perfect nurse...which is anything but. 

Now I've been in a reading slump for months so I wasn't surprised when I found myself struggling to get into the storyline and connect with the characters. But I pushed on through. Because I know what Daniel Hurst is capable of and that I wouldn't be sorry if I just ploughed on. But then I come across another couple of reviews which highlight the same concerns I had.

1. that it was waaaaay too slow from the start when Hurst's thrillers have been non-stop thrill rides from the first page!

2. a bit too repetitious (I get it, she wears a uniform) but it seems to spend more time on the floor if this story is anything to go by.

3. I'm all for popcorn thrillers with somewhat far fetched tales (after all, it is just fiction) but this one just pushed the limits of believability a little too far. I guess the fact that nothing happened until around chapter 25 didn't help either!

4. the setting. I read British authors because I prefer British set thrillers. I'm not keen on when they take their stories to foreign climes. If I wanted to read a book set in America then I would read an American author. But that's just a preference and not a major issue here.

Now...that's out of the way, let's get down to the rest of it. On the surface, it's an OK thriller. Not one of his best by any means but by the time the reveal came and the action began, waking me from my coma, things did start to pick up. Of course by then it was too little too late for this book but hey, it had potential.

Seriously, I liked the concept behind the bigger picture and I feel it would have played out so much better presented differently and with a far more likeable main character. Darcy was irritating and I couldn't care less about what happened to her in all honesty. The prologue shows her burning her uniform (yes, the same one that seemed to have permanent residence on her floor) no longer wanting to be a nurse. The question is, why? And so we go down the rabbit hole in pursuit of the answer. What made her so disillusioned by her chosen profession that she wanted nothing more to do with it? Well, we've a long way to find out because none of the first half sheds any light nor is it very enlightening about much at all.

Darcy and her friend Pippa have been charged wit the care of middle aged Scarlett who had an accident at home in which has caused her to lose her memory or memories, though she does have some lucid moments from time to time. But it isn't long before Darcy gets a weird vibe from husband Adrian and begins to think that all is not as it seems with the couple. And so she sets about determined to prove their nefarious subterfuge despite Pippa's best efforts to dissuade her. But Darcy is determined...though nothing will prepare her for the shocks she is about to uncover.

So true to Hurst fashion, there are the usual twist upon twists but sadly not of the same calibre as his other offerings. I admit, I did enjoy it once the pace picked up and the thrills got better but like I said it was too little too late for this one. 

I intend reading the second book shortly so I hope that one is faster paced and more exciting. And hopefully, Darcy is more likeable this time round.

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

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Daniel Hurst was born in the northwest of England, a part of the world famous for its comedians, pasties and terrible weather.

He has been employed in several glamorous roles in his lifetime, including bartending, shelf stacking and procurement administration, all while based in some of the most exotic places on the planet, like Bolton, Preston and South London.

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

Since following his lifelong passion for writing in 2020, he has amassed a loyal and devoted set of readers, and regularly has several books in the top 100 of the Psychological Thriller Charts on Amazon. His title The Passenger became the #1 selling psychological thriller in the UK in October 2021. The Doctor's Wife is his first publication with Bookouture.

A prolific writer, Daniel likes to keep readers on their toes by self publishing even more books in between those released through his publisher.

Social Media links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

REVIEW: The Colleagues by Daniel Hurst

The Colleagues by Daniel Hurst

Genre: Psychological thriller

Read: 7th March 2024

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 10th February 2024

★★ 2.5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

How far would you go to keep a secret at work? Would you kill for it?

I used to enjoy my job. I was good at it and felt fulfilled. I also used to enjoy spending time with the people I worked with. They say you spend more time with your work colleagues than you do with your family members, but that was fine by me because I made two very good friends at the office. I also allowed myself to get a little too close to my boss, but I soon realised that was a mistake.

Unfortunately, it was too late by then, and as my personal and professional lives quickly blurred into one, that was when everything changed.

My workplace became the scene for plotting, revenge and murder, but none of us were cut out for things like that. We were just three colleagues who became friends before things went too far. But there was no going back from what we did. We could only hope that we would get away with it. But not all of us would.

A gripping, page-turning psychological thriller from the author of The Couple's Revenge, The Passenger and the number one bestseller, The Doctor's Wife

MY THOUGHTS:

Well...where do I begin with this one? Daniel Hurst is one of my favourite authors. I pre-order everything he publishes and I don't even read the description because I know whatever the story, I'm going to be entertained and thrilled. Largely, I'm never disappointed. That is, until now.

What happened here? This is so far removed from the Daniel Hurst I know and love. Where is the fast paced plot? The thrill ride guaranteed to keep us entertained? This one was so slow in places it was like wading through quick sand. And the characters were all, and I do mean all of them, were so unlikeable it was difficult to find any sympathy for them.

Liz, Bev and Natasha were colleagues but remained friends even after the termination of each of their employment with the company for which they worked. But each of them came away with the same tale of woe. Their boss Edwin Van Dekker had either propositioned them or sexually assaulted them, thus resulting in the termination of their employment with a hefty payout and a NDA signed, sealed and delivered.

But this was not enough for the three women. They wanted him to pay for what he did to them. To pay the ultimate price...with his life. And so that's what they set out to do. But how do they do it? And how do they now get away with it?

Regardless of the positions they now find themselves in, Liz and Bev continue to make stupid mistakes over and over. Natasha never has the chance, having decided she can't live with what they've done. But is that what really happened? Or did one of the women silence her before she could go to the police and confess?

But the stupid mistakes didn't end there. They went right through to the end (almost). From incriminating texts to the lost phone to confessing to the boss' son without being the least bit suspicious?

The ending was kind of OK but not the shocking twist that was tagged as having and nothing really earth shattering either. In fact, it was an ending I thought the author would naturally come up with as is his style. But the rest of the book was something of a disappointment. I prefer his domestic thrillers and his other psychological ones. 

However, I know that even our favourite authors can publish one we aren't endeared to and up until now that had never been the case with Hurst. I will continue to auto-buy and pre-order his books because I know what great things he is capable of. It's just this one wasn't for me.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Daniel Hurst was born in the northwest of England, a part of the world famous for its comedians, pasties and terrible weather.

He has been employed in several glamorous roles in his lifetime, including bartending, shelf stacking and procurement administration, all while based in some of the most exotic places on the planet, like Bolton, Preston and South London.

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

Since following his lifelong passion for writing in 2020, he has amassed a loyal and devoted set of readers, and regularly has several books in the top 100 of the Psychological Thriller Charts on Amazon. His title The Passenger became the #1 selling psychological thriller in the UK in October 2021. The Doctor's Wife is his first publication with Bookouture.

A prolific writer, Daniel likes to keep readers on their toes by self publishing even more books in between those released through his publisher.

Social Media links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

 

REVIEW: The Prisoner by B.A. Paris

The Prisoner by B.A. Paris

Genre: Psychological thriller, Suspense

Read: 10th September 2023

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 3rd November 2022

★★★ 2.5 stars (rounded up)

DESCRIPTION:

With Behind Closed Doors, B.A. Paris takes the psychological thriller to shocking new heights. Now she'll hold you captive with this stunning new thriller about one woman wed into a family with deadly intentions.

THEN

Amelie has always been a survivor, from losing her parents as a child in Paris to making it on her own in London. As she builds a life for herself, she is swept up into a glamorous lifestyle where she married the handsome billionaire Ned Hawthorne.

NOW

But then, Amelie wakes up in a pitch-black room, not knowing where she is. Why has she been taken? Who are her mysterious captors? And why does she soon feel safer here, imprisoned, than she had begun to feel with her husband Ned?

In true B.A. Paris style, The Prisoner is a gripping survival story, a twisted tale of love and at its dark heart a thriller to keep you up all night.

MY THOUGHTS:

It's dark...you don't know where you are...and you can hear footsteps approaching...

This was a tough one. I have heard such rave reviews of this author so I was so excited to finally get approved for a B.A. Paris book...only to be left somewhat deflated. The book was OK with a complicated story - which is not a bad thing but it ended up with the last 30% or so being somewhat far fetched and just a little weird.

There are two timelines - the past and the present. And I like this format as each timeline drip feeds you just enough information to keep you engaged and turning the pages wanting to know more. Quite honestly, I hate writing negative reviews and really many of them have been mixed so instead of giving my opinion, I think I will just leave it up to you, the reader.

Go out and grab yourself a copy and give it a go. You might just enjoy it. You might not. But either way, you will be the decider.

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

MEET THE AUTHOR:

B.A. Paris (Bernadette MacDougall) is a Franco-British writer of fiction, mainly in the psychological thriller subgenre. Her debut novel, Behind Closed Doors (2016), was a New York Times and Sunday Times bestseller. It has been translated into 40 languages and has sold more than 3.5 million copies worldwide. Her other books include The Breakdown (2017), Bring Me Back (2018), The Dilemma (2019) and The Therapist (2021).

Bernadette was born in Surrey, England, in 1958 to a French mother and Irish father. She is the third of 6 children, including 4 brothers and a sister. After completing her education, she moved to France, where she worked as a trader in an international bank in Paris for several years. During this time, she met her husband, with whom she now has 5 daughters. They eventually left the world of finance to set up a language school together.

It was only after turning 50 that B.A. Paris began writing, when one of her daughters suggested she enter a writing competition advertised in a magazine. While she didn't win, this led her to write her first novels, including her internationally bestselling debut Behind Closed Doors. She is published by HarperCollins Publishers in the UK and St Martin's Press in the US.

Today, B.A. Paris lives in Hampshire with her husband and continues to write psychological thrillers. They have 5 children together.

Social media links:

Wesbite | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

REVIEW: The New Wife by J.P. Delaney

The New Wife by J.P. Delaney

Genre: Psychological thriller, Suspense

Read: 26th July 2023

Goodreads

Amazon

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.

Social Media links:

Website | Facebook | Goodreads

 

REVIEW: I'll Never Tell by Philippa East

I'll Never Tell by Philippa East

Genre: Psychological thriller, Family Drama

Read: 23rd January 2023

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 5th January 2023

★★ 2.5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

Keep your family close, and your secrets closer…

To the outside world, the Goodlights are perfect.

Julia is a lawyer, Paul a stay-at-home dad who has dedicated his life to helping their daughter Chrissie achieve her dreams as a talented violinist.

But on the night of a prestigious music competition, which has the power to change everything for Chrissie and her family, Chrissie goes missing.

She puts on the performance of a lifetime, then completely disappears. Suddenly every single crack, every single secret that the family is hiding risks being exposed.

Because the Goodlights aren’t perfect. Not even close.

MY THOUGHTS:

A missing teenager...a family with secrets...

This family drama-psychological thriller started out interesting when teenager Chrissie goes missing after a concert in London. Mum Julia is a lawyer and dad Paul is a stay-at-home dad and this rich suburban family lives in an affluent part of Oxford with Chrissie going to a private academy for school. At 16 years old, Chrissie is incredibly gifted having started playing the violin when she was barely at school.

Paul had dreams of becoming a musical virtuoso but his family came from modest beginnings and therefore didn't have the means. He encourages Chrissie to pursue of what he thought were her dreams too...playing, practising and performing...and hopefully gaining a place at an exclusive boarding school academy for musicians. He spends hours upon hours practising with her in her practise room, set up solely for that purpose. And over the ensuing eight months, Chrissie performs and achieves the next step to becoming Young Musician of the Year.

So when they head to London for her to perform in the finals for this prestigious event, the last thing Paul and Julia expect is for Chrissie to disappear. But after an impromptu fire alarm, there is no sign of their daughter and so they head back to Oxford in the hope she has returned home.

But upon arrival, despite Chrissie's bedroom light on, they find her empty room in disarray with her pohne smashed on the floor...and no sign of Chrissie.

As the story flips between "before" and "after" the event, we find her parents' lives are also littered with secrets (some of which make no sense) and a deluge of lies and deception. Little by little, these secrets begin to break the surface as Paul and Julia are put under intense pressure in the wake of Chrissie's disappearance.

The story started off well but then it just meandered off into...I'm not quite sure. The story was weird, as were the family, and I found it all just a little bit confusing. The family is seriously dysfunctional but their level of dysfunctionality was not overly riveting and I found myself longing for it to end. And when it did...I still found there were unanswered questions.

I'LL NEVER TELL is an average read that started off well but lost its pace and spark. In the end I found it was a little waste of my time because I felt nothing was really resolved.

I'm sure it will appeal to readers who enjoy stories of complex family dramas with a slow building tension throughout.

I would like to thank #PhilippaEast, #Netgalley and #HQStories for an ARC of #IllNeverTell in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Philippa East is a fiction writer with HQ/HarperCollins and she also works as a clinical psychologist.

Philippa grew up in Scotland before moving to Oxford and then London to complete her clinical psychology training. A few years ago, she left the NHS to set up her own part-time practice and dedicate more hours to writing. The result was her debut novel LITTLE WHITE LIES, which was longlisted for The Guardian's Not-The-Booker Prize and shortlisted for the CWA "New Blood" Award 2020.

Released in 2021, Philippa's second book SAFE AND SOUND is another twisty and compelling tale. For a fun preview, check out the video trailer on Philippa's Amazon Author page (best with sound on!). Philippa’s brilliant third book, I'LL NEVER TELL, will release in January 2023 and is available to pre-order via Amazon now. You can hear more about the book via Philippa's latest two Author Update videos on this page.

Philippa now lives in the beautiful Lincolnshire countryside with her spouse and cat. She loves reading (of course!) and long country walks, and she also performs in a local folk duo called The Miracle Cure. Alongside her writing, Philippa continues to work as a psychologist and therapist.

Social media links:

Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

REVIEW: The Perfect Husband by Iain Maitland

The Perfect Husband by Iain Maitland

Genre: Domestic thriller, Suspense

Read: 23rd October 2022

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 19th October 2022

★★★ 2.5 stars (rounded up)

DESCRIPTION:

He was gentle, kind, loving. Until he moved in.

A small-town barbeque in summer’s dying days. There, gentle, bookish Laura meets a man who makes her laugh, hangs on her every word.

He’s the one. Isn’t he?

But once Laura falls pregnant, Robert’s mask slips. She can never quite keep him happy. He is cold and judgemental with a temper that can flare up at any moment. He goes out for hours and won’t tell her where he’s been, he even locks her own door against her.

Laura realises she has married a total stranger, a man governed by dark impulses and darker secrets who seems determined to gain control of every part of her life. Who is this man she’s living with and what terrible things has he done?

As Laura slowly discovers the truth about Robert, she begins to realise that she and her unborn child are in terrible danger. And finally she understands she will have to answer one terrifying question – how far is she willing to go to protect her baby?

The Perfect Husband – the stunning psychological thriller from the author of The Girl Downstairs and Mr. Todd’s Reckoning.

MY THOUGHTS:

This is the second book by this author that I have tackled - the first I DNF and this one I only read because I accidentally downloaded it from Netgalley mistaking it for another book. And really, I'm not sure how to review this book because although it seemed to drone on, I found it almost impossible to put down! 

Laura is an awkward shy self conscious 37 year old single woman at a neighbourhood BBQ when neighbour Harry introduces her to Robert. He is charming, good-looking and a successful investments advisor...and he is interested in her, hanging on to her every word. He walks her home that evening but is the complete gentleman. Laura knows she is at once in love.

And so their whirlwind romance begins and a few months later, Robert moves in and Laura couldn't be happier. But it isn't the happy ever after she imagined it would be. The charming, attentive man he had been suddenly morphs into an angry, dismissive tyrant, taking every opportunity to point out her flaws...of which there are many. He even has a little notebook in which he makes her write in detail her past indiscretions which he would later quiz her about...again and again. He isolates her and won't allow her to have friends, is furious if she is even a minute late home from work and he laughs at any attempt she makes to look attractive, accusing her of being a tart. He is jealous, controlling and abusive. He is not the man she fell in love with.

Who is this stranger she allowed to move into her house? She is on the verge of asking him to leave. She cannot live like this. And then she discovers she is pregnant. A baby. That's what they need. A baby will bring them closer again.

But she couldn't be more wrong.

I really wanted to like this book as it had all the ingredients. Lonely vulnerable woman meets who she thinks is the charming man of her dreams only for it to end in abuse. Enter pregnancy and a fight to save herself and that of her unborn child. I would follow her plight in which she would eventually find help and hopefully make her escape, assuming it would an intriguing and compelling story that only got better. I was wrong.

The first part was sluggishly slow in which Laura continually and repetitively droned on and one and continually second guessed herself. She obviously had her remaining self confidence destroyed by Robert's nit-picking remarks that chipped away at her. But gosh, her monologuing was truly depressing. I noted that the second part was nearing so I resolved to continue in the hope it would change pace at that stage...or at least, something...anything...would happen. Thankfully, and quite surprisingly, it did. I thought "yes, this is more like it!" but then the further I read Laura just kept going around in circles and second guessing everything she did or didn't do or could do but didn't. In the end, what did she do? Not a whole lot. Except continue to drone on and on. 

The story was broken into three parts, with the first one slow and somewhat disturbing. I found Laura's behaviour frustrating as she went back and forth, to and fro between leaving or hoping to salvage their relationship. I'm not sure how she thought that was ever going to happen walking around on eggshells all the time. It was blindingly obvious how controlling Robert was and that nothing will salvage their relationship. I could sympathise with her to a point but in the end she was only fooling herself.

I was all ready to shelve this book until the end of part one, which ended with a shocking incident that left me turning the pages eagerly wanting to know what would happen next. This was more like it! The pace was ramped up as was the tension as I urged Laura on. But things started to spiral pretty quickly and it just continued downhill into the ridiculous. I kept reading in the hope it would improve...it didn't. And part three? Seriously?

By the time I got to the epilogue I was shaking my head. It was an interesting ending, I'll say that, but the entire book that culminated into what exactly? Laura's bad decisions, inaction and second guessing everything. She should have dialed 999 in the beginning and this would have been an entirely different story I'd be reviewing.

I will say I am not a fan of Iain Maitland's writing style. Sometimes I couldn't decipher whether what was written was actually happening or if it was all what "could happen" playing out in Laura's mind. She was clearly suffering mental health issues, and I'm not surprised given Robert's abuse and coercive control of her. She'd had a lonely upbringing with her elderly parents and though it is one she clearly cherishes, it set her up to become vulnerable later in life.

As I said in the beginning, this is a hard book to review...and rate...because it is riddled with so many frustrating decisions and actions that by the end I wasn't sure what to make of it. I must say that as the reader I felt so far apart from the other characters as if there were a great divide between Laura and everyone else. Particularly between Laura and Andrew. There was no connection between her and anyone. It was if she were an island and everyone was just floating around her, unable to reach them.

I wasn't surprised by the turn of events at the end as I suspected things heading that way anyway...I mean, where else could it possibly go if she didn't do anything but stand there and fret all day?

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

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Iain Maitland is the author of three previous psych thrillers, The Scribbler (2020), Mr Todd’s Reckoning (2019) and Sweet William (2017), all published by Contraband, an imprint of Saraband. Mr Todd’s Reckoning is coming to the big screen in 2023.

Iain is also the author of two memoirs, Dear Michael, Love Dad (Hodder, 2016), a book of letters written to his eldest son who experienced depression and anorexia, and (co-authored with Michael) Out Of The Madhouse (Jessica Kingsley, 2018).

He is also an Ambassador for Stem4, the teenage mental health charity. He talks regularly about mental health issues in schools and colleges and workplaces. 

Social Media links:

Website | Twitter | Goodreads

 

REVIEW: The Infinity Pool by Claire S. Lewis

The Infinity Pool by Claire S. Lewis

Genre: Psychological thriller

Read: 15th April 2022

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 14th April 2022

★★ 2.5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

A body in a pool. A rifle. And a scream that carries across the valley.

But is that the end, or just the beginning?

It's been a hard couple of years, but things finally seem to be looking up for Danielle. Her boyfriend Matteo has inherited a dilapidated old farmhouse in Tuscany, complete with olive groves, vineyards and – most importantly – a pool. They will swim, drink wine and sit out under the stars. It couldn't be more perfect.

But when she gets there, Danielle finds it's not quite as idyllic as she thought. There's a lot of work to be done on the house, but first she turns her attention to turning the algae-infested concrete swamp into the infinity pool of her dreams.

As she digs up the old foundations, Danielle brings to light long-buried secrets that will shatter the tranquillity of her Tuscan dream forever – and make her question how well we ever know the people we claim to love...

A page-turning psychological supsense for fans of C.L. Taylor and T.M. Logan.

MY REVIEW:

I admit, what initially drew me to this book was its title and its cover. There is something relaxing and refreshing about a pool...and an infinity pool is just the ultimate of luxuries. Apart from that, I had to question myself what else - besides my dream of swimming in an infinity pool - drew me to this book? Because the premise was moderately intriguing, with the storyline only marginally so. I have to be honest though...THE INFINITY POOL started out with promise. But then what happened?

The story begins in London in the midst of the COVID pandemic. Danielle is fed up with her humdrum life as an entertainment and media lawyer, which all but dried up thanks to the pandemic, and returns home to boyfriend Matt lounging on the couch in front of a football rerun. Despite having seen it before, he can't drag his eyes away from the screen for a second. Nor can he load the dishwasher or do anything remotely domestic while Danielle is at work. But Matt is a writer...or a wannabe writer, more like. He spends his time editing for a publishing company whilst trying to come up with the perfect story of his own to publish.

And then an official letter from Italy arrives. Matt has inherited a farmhouse, vineyard and olive grove in Tuscany. Danielle is ecstatic. So much so, she takes a voluntary redundancy, sells her one bed flat and they pack up their lives and move to Italy. But her dream and their reality are two different things. And upon arriving at the Tuscan farmhouse, Danielle discovers that she may have been a little too hasty in chucking her life away in London for a derelict old farmhouse, overgrown vineyard and algae infested pool. Danielle dreams of ripping up the ancient pool and putting in an infinity pool, overlooking the Tuscan countryside to compliment the panoramic view. But there is more to this place than the eye can see.

As Danielle becomes a little too obsessed with renovating the property she soon discovers that the pool holds a deep dark secret of its own. What is Matt not telling her? And what secrets is the book he's writing also holding?

THE INFINITY POOL is a slow burn that is a relatively quick read despite its slow pace. I finished it in an evening but it's not a memorable story that will stay with me and none of the characters were incredibly likeable. Danielle was a little too eager to swap her safe existing life for a fantasy that could end up costing her her life. Matt was shifty to say the least. I didn't like or trust him from the moment I met him. I wasn't sure about Antonio but he did seem to lurk an awful lot.

The story unfolds through Danielle's narrative with alternating chapters peppered throughout about "The Hitchhiker". It didn't take long to join the respective dots for the intervening chapters as it was fairly predictable and easy to figure out. But that never detracts my enjoyment of a good story. The slowish pace and the unrelateable characters, not to mention the somewhat far fetched backstory that jumped all over the place, is what let it down. I found myself struggling to maintain interest and by the end, I've already forgotten how it ended. That's how memorable I found it.

I wanted to love THE INFINITY POOL but I just couldn't. The pace never really picked up and the story just sort of petered out into something far fetched that ended up with rushed conclusion. I think the point of this infinity pool was to drown oneself in it because the story certainly doesn't hold enough interest.

I would like to thank #ClaireSLewis, #Netgalley, #HeadOfZeus for an ARC of #TheInfinityPool in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Claire Simone Lewis studied philosophy, French literature and international relations at the universities of Oxford and Cambridge before starting her career in aviation law with a City law firm and later as an in-house lawyer at Virgin Atlantic Airways.  More recently, she turned to writing psychological suspense, taking courses at the Faber Academy. She’s Mine is her first novel. Born in Paris, she’s bilingual and lives in Surrey with her family. 

 

Social Media links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

REVIEW: The Perfect Holiday by T.J. Emerson

The Perfect Holiday by T.J. Emerson

Genre: Psychological thriller

Read: 11th April 2022

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 20th April 2022

★★ 2.5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

Olivia and Julian are enjoying lazy days in their Spanish villa, a well deserved break from their busy lives. Especially for Julian, who after a lifetime as a carer was thrust into the public eye following the tragic murder of his first wife.

The languid heat and peace of the villa is broken only by clifftop walks, sun drenched lunches and cooling swims. Until a chance encounter with Gabriel - an attractive man, many years their junior - changes everything.

Soon their idyllic break turns into a dangerous, high-stakes game of cat-and-mouse. Will any of them get out alive?

MY REVIEW:

Vacation thrillers tend to be a little hit and miss for me and I've found I've generally only really enjoyed those written by a favourite author. But this one intrigued me...sadly, that was all it did. And that was just in the premise because the story itself did not live up to its promise, I feel. In fact, I almost DNF by the time I reached 30% and instead I ploughed on and really wish I hadn't. Maybe I should have just left it where it was...stuck in a caravan in remote Perthshire in the bouts of hot sex while his invalid wife was back in Edinburgh.

The perfect book of the perfect holiday? I don't think so. In fact I didn't really warm to Julian's wife Olivia while Julian himself seemed a little distant that I had to wonder what was going on here in the opening chapters because they didn't seem at all devoted to one another. 

Julian and Olivia are holidaying in their Mallorca villa, having escaped London for the summer. Or should I say, Olivia's villa? Because let's face it, it really was Olivia's villa. She inherited it from her incredibly wealthy parents leaving her as equally incredibly wealthy. And a villa in Spain is just one of the perks of being that wealthy.

Olivia is Julian's second wife, his first having been murdered in her sleep in their pokey little council flat in Edinburgh while he was out at a Young Carers event. The police put it down to a burglary gone wrong and they panicked and smothered the invalid Helen, incapacitated and brain injured as a result of a car accident ten years before. Julian had been her sole carer throughout that whole time. After she died, he set up an Award foundation in her name. And it is through this he met Olivia and after a brief romance, the couple married. To live happily ever after...or not.

Enter Gabriel. On a hot dun drenched beach in Mallorca all cheery and matey...and Julian knew then that there was no escape. And things just went downhill from there. However, the only saving grace was the delicious little twist at the very end. But that is all it was...it certainly didn't redeem this psychological chaos that was meant to entertain.

And then there was the sex scenes. OK, so I don't have a problem with gay characters or even couples...but I really don't want to read graphic sex scenes giving me a detailed account of their coupling. Just no. And how it all began was a little out of nowhere and somewhat random. Locked away in a grotty little caravan, where Julian was meant to be taking time out for himself - a respite break - from his 24/7 care of wife Helen. Instead, he picks up hitchhiker Gabriel and they end up rolling around in the sheets together...and thensome. Like I said...random. And then Gabriel just wouldn't go away, even after he did. So when he turned up in Mallorca, and his presence was then explained in the "Before" chapters after his initial appearance in Spain, I am just like...here we go again. But the plot just got worse. Enter a full blown love triangle, cheating on his second wife Helen with freeloader Gabriel who, really, is just in it for whatever he can get out of it.

I didn't like any of the characters. I know Gabriel was meant to be unlikeable but so was Julian. If the reader was meant to feel sorry for him in his life as a carer, I didn't. He came across as morose, self-pitying and something else I can't quite put my finger on. But I didn't like him at all. And Olivia? Well, she was astute but she felt a little shallow to me as well. Born into money, raised with money, living with money...she took it all for granted a bit, I thought. And even Julian, as well. I kind of felt like she saw him as a kind of pet project. "There, there. Good boy, Julian." It was nauseating.

There is also a lot of useless information in the story that I feel doesn't really need to be there. For example the excessive inclusion of a character's toileting - do we really need a rundown on what he's doing in there? We get the picture without having one painted, please. There should also be a warning as to the gay content because not everyone wants gay sex played out for them. As this is such a focal point of the story it should be in the LGBT category, giving readers fair notice. 

Added to that, the story was a real slow burn that didn't really go anywhere interesting. It doesn't even really fit into the psychological thriller genre. As I said, the final twist at the end was the book's saving grace, but not enough to earn it more than 2.5 stars.

I would like to thank #TJEmerson, #BoldwoodBooks and #RachelsRandomResources for an ARC of #ThePerfectHoliday in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

As the daughter of a soldier, Tracey Emerson spent her childhood and most of her teenage years moving between army camps in the UK, Germany, the Middle East and the Far East. After a short stint in boarding school, she did a degree in Dramatic Arts at Bretton Hall College, University of Leeds. Not long after graduating, she moved to Edinburgh on a whim, intending to stay for six months. She has lived in Scotland ever since.

Before writing fiction, Tracey worked in theatre and community arts. As well as acting, she ran drama workshops in hospitals, focusing on adults with learning difficulties and mental health issues. After a period of poor health, she began writing as a way of reconnecting with her creativity. She started attending creative writing classes at the University of Edinburgh’s Lifelong Learning Centre and was lucky enough to meet the author Helen Lamb, who encouraged her to send in one of her first short stories to The Scotland and Orange Short Story prize. The story, ‘Our Big Day Out’, was a runner up in the competition, and this early success gave Tracey the confidence to keep writing. Other story publications in anthologies and literary magazines followed, and Tracey went on to study for an MSc in Creative writing at the University of Edinburgh. After completing this course, she received a scholarship to do her PhD in Creative Writing at the university, working on the novel that would eventually become her debut thriller, She Chose Me.

Since then, she has continued to publish short stories and her feature writing has appeared in Stella magazine, Woman’s Own and The Sydney Morning Herald. In June 2021, she signed with Boldwood Books to publish her second thriller, The Perfect Holiday, under the name TJ Emerson.

As well as writing her own fiction, Tracey works as a literary consultant and writing tutor and is also the Creative Director of The Bridge Awards, a philanthropic organisation that provides micro-funding for the arts.

When not travelling, Tracey lives in the hills of Perthshire. She can often be found tramping around the countryside and, occasionally, braving a dip in the chilly rivers and lochs.

 

Social Media links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Newsletter | Goodreads

REVIEW: Nettie's Secret by Dilly Court

Nettie's Secret by Dilly Court

Genre: Historical fiction, Sagas, Victorian era

Read: 21st March 2022

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 16th May, 2019

★★ 2.5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

Taking one last look around her attic room in Covent Garden Nettie knows there is no turning back, they must run for their lives…

London, 1875. Thanks to her hapless father, Nettie Carroll has had to grow up quickly. While Nettie is sewing night and day to keep food on the table, her gullible father has trusted the wrong man again. Left with virtually nothing but the clothes they stand up in, he’s convinced that their only hope lies across the English Channel in France.

Nettie has little but her dreams left to lose. Even far from home trouble follows them, with their enemies quietly drawing closer. But Nettie has a secret, and it’s one with the power to save them.

Can she find the courage to trust in herself and pave the way for a brighter future?

MY REVIEW:

There hasn't been a Dilly Court book that hasn't enthralled me from beginning to end...until now. In fact, I sadly couldn't wait for the whole drama to end, sadly. It's not that I didn't like it, but I didn't love it. And Dilly is capable of such wonderful Victorian sagas but I can't say that this was one of them. She always pens a strong female lead and we had that in Nettie but she was forever overshadowed by all the silly characters around her and their collective dramas to really shine. Even her romance came in at the last moment in the final leg that it seemed out of kilter with the rest of the story.

Beginning in London in 1875, Nettie Carroll is more like the parent to her feckless artist father Robert who is easily lead and even easier duped. It appears he has been conned into producing copies of the artistic greats by a less than reliable art dealer, Marmaduke Dexter, who palms them off as originals, whilst Robert is given a measly sum for his trouble which he spends lavishly giving no thought to rent or food or coal - things they actually need. Nettie tries her best to have him tow the financial line but it is a battle she often loses. 

One day she returns home afternoon to find her father packing hurriedly and instructing her to gather her things but to pack lightly. When she questions him he tells her than the police are seeking both him and Duke Dexter for the forgeries that he supplied Dexter with in good faith. Really? Is he that naive?

And so they go on the run, along with Byron who lived in the same boarding house, and use the last of their funds for a train fare to Dover and a passage to Calais. There they try to make their own way but before long find themselves reliant on the nefarious Dexter once again. However, their travels take them through France to Paris, along the Seine on a river barge before fleeing once again, this time to Spain. Why Spain? Because Byron had a purpose that would take him there and so naturally the others followed. They garner yet more dependents along the way before they must once again flee back to Paris and onto England once again. In the end they pretty much ended up where they started and in the same boat yet again! Did they not learn from the first time round? However, this time they had in tow a spoilt young woman and a Contessa who both believed work of any form was below them and left anything more arduous than taking tea and enjoying comfort of any kind to others. Basically, Nettie was left to wait on everyone and do everything because Constance and Lisette found anything like that beneath them and Robert wastes any money that came into his hands.

Aside from everyone else's flair for dramatics, Nettie has a secret of her own. She aspires to be published author but after having her first novella rejected she began work on yet another which she took with her from pillar to post from London to France to Spain and back again. If she could only get her work published then she would be able to take care of herself and her father. However, she has little time for her dream when everyone else has dramas of their own playing out before her that she must often play referee to. And so her secret dream takes a backseat.

The tale is honestly just a tad too drawn out with Nettie and her growing entourage going back and forth, back and forth from London to France and Spain then back again...only to return to France again...and again! One could get whiplash for all the to-ing and fro-ing they did, particularly as travel to the continent and back wasn't undertaken by people of their class nor to such an extent. 

And then there are the cast of characters which includes an artist with no business sense, a young man who speaks fluent French despite having seen his French mother since he was about 4, a spoilt young French woman, a Spanish contessa who isn't actually a contessa, her son who went to Cambridge but never worked a day in his life, an heir to a brewery in Kent with questionable intentions towards our heroine, a bargee who likes to greet the morning in all his glory, not to mention our nefarious art dealer who is as slippery as an eel, various other questionable characters and of course our heroine Nettie who can cook soup but not stew...

Dilly's books are known for their length and usually this is never a problem as once you begin, you're soon immersed within the Victorian era living alongside our heroines and their cohorts. But not so with NETTIE'S SECRET. I found it drawn out and I just wanted it to be over because no one was going anywhere, except back and forth constantly and all to no real avail. And then there is Nettie's romance which pretty much came out of nowhere...and then the story ended.

I had high hopes for NETTIE'S SECRET as I have so enjoyed Dilly's books in the past but this one was disappointing. None of the characters were particularly endearing except Byron. In fact I found Constance to be a spoiled child, Lisette equally spoiled if not entitled, Robert was selfish and thoughtless thinking of no one but himself half the time and Dexter was meant to be disliked as that is how his character was written. Everyone else was somewhat bearable with the except of Rufus Norwood's horrible mother.

Unfortunately, NETTIE'S SECRET was a disappointing read when I know Dilly can offer so much better. I do look forward to other reads from her which I know will be of her usual outstanding quality. Sadly, this was not one of them.

I would like to thank #DillyCourt, #Netgalley, #HarperCollinsUK for an ARC of #NettiesSecret in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Dilly Court grew up in North-east London and began her career in television, writing scripts for commercials. She is married with two grown-up children and four grandchildren, and now lives in Dorset on the beautiful Jurassic Coast with her husband. She is the author of eighteen novels and also writes under the name of Lily Baxter.

Social Media links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

PUBLISHER:

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

Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

REVIEW: I'll Be Home for Christmas by M.W. Arnold

I'll Be Home for Christmas (Broken Wings #3) by M.W. Arnold

Genre: Historical fiction, WW2, Wartime fiction

Read: 5th December 2021

Goodreads

Amazon

UK

US

Published: 20th October 2021

★★ 2.5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

A mysterious key left by her murdered sister, leads Air Transport Auxiliary pilot Betty Palmer on a journey of discovery and danger. Given up to an orphanage upon birth, the parents she’s long thought had no part in her life force themselves back in, purely out of greed and self-preservation.

Penny's life is unexpectedly turned upside down by a potentially life-changing situation, which causes her wounded husband to question their marriage. No-one seems safe in this year of turmoil in the middle years of the war, as some relationships face breaking point whilst others become stronger.

Kidnap, crashes and dogfights, the girls of the Air Transport Auxiliary Mystery have never faced such dangers. To survive may not be enough as they must find the strength to rise above the most trying times yet of their lives.

MY REVIEW:

I'LL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS is an historical saga tale that follows the friends and women of the ATA - Air Transport Auxiliary - who ferried planes around the nation during the second world war for pilots to take to the skies against the Luftwaffe. However, when I requested this book, I had no idea it was the third in a series and, while that doesn't always matter...in this case I feel it does. From the first page, I felt as if I could never quite keep up with what was happening. As if I was always a step behind. And sadly, this spoilt my enjoyment of what essentially could have been an engaging tale.

Tere are so many characters in the story that I could quite keep up with who was who - whether they were Arthur or Martha, or even Tom, Dick or Harry! There was Betty, Penny, Doris (the American, I gleaned that much), Jane, Thelma, Shirley, Mavis, Mary, Ruth...is that all the women? I can't remember. And then there are the men, of which there are fewer. Lawrence, who is stepping out with Mary, Walter - I think he may be Doris' fiance, though I'm not sure, I think there was a Tom but I have no idea who he is, and then there is Major Jim Fredericks with whom Betty seems enamoured, and even Ruth has a love interest though I can't recall his name.

In all, there were just so many names thrown at me within the first few chapters, I just couldn't keep up. Maybe I needed to be abreast of the first two books to follow this one because I couldn't make head nor tail of it unfortunately. And I didn't have time to go back and read the first two before this one, or I would have.

Overall, I'LL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS is an historical tale with a mystery entwined within its plot that the girls are left to unravel with a mysterious key left to Betty after her sister's death. I think I would have enjoyed the book far more had I read the preceding two books first.

I can't say that I don't recommend it because it very probably is an engaging story to those who are familiar with all the players, and I was not. I do however recommend reading the preceding two books first as it will help to make sense of everyone involved and their parts in the story.

I would like to thank #MWArnold, #Netgalley, #WildRosePress and #RachelsRandomResources for an ARC of #IllBeHomeForChristmas in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Mick spent fifteen-odd years roaming around the world, courtesy of HM Queen Elizabeth II - gawd bless her - before becoming a civilian and realizing what working for a living really was.

He loves traveling, and the music of the Beach Boys, Queen, Muse, and Bon Jovi. Books play a large part in his life, not only writing, but also reading and reviewing, as well as supporting his many author friends.

He’s the proud keeper of two Romanian Were-Cats bent on world domination, and enjoys the theatre and humoring his Manchester United-supporting wife. Finally, and most importantly, Mick is a full member of the Romantic Novelists Association. I’ll be Home for Christmas will be his third novel with The Wild Rose Press.

Social Media links:

Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | Goodreads