REVIEW: The Weekend Away by Miranda Smith

The Weekend Away by Miranda Smith

Genre: Psychological thriller, Suspense

Read: 2nd October 2023

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 4th October 2023

★★★ 3 stars

DESCRIPTION:

My sister died. Her friends lied. And now I’m going to learn the truth…

A year ago, my twin sister Samantha left me a message: I need you.

A day later, she was dead. I always knew it was suspicious, but no one would listen.

But I’ve just found her journal, tucked into a hidden space in the window seat of our childhood bedroom. It shows who her best friends really are: the fraud. The liar. The cheat. The crush.

Now, they’re all together on a weekend away, in a beautiful wood-panelled cabin in the mountain. And I’m going too. One of them killed her, and I’m going to prove it.

But am I ready for the answers I’m seeking? Because I soon realize that my sister had dark secrets too…

And when fire breaks out on the mountain, leaving us trapped, I must decide: what will I risk to get justice for Samantha? Because finding the truth might cost me my life…

An absolutely compulsive thriller that will have your pulse racing as you flip through the pages at speed. If you like The Hunting Party, Ruth Ware and The Summer House, you’ll love The Weekend Away!

MY THOUGHTS:

Six friends...three days...one killer...

Sienna's life stopped a year ago when her twin sister Samantha died tragically falling from her balcony in the middle of the night. She was in Paris on a six month long adventure across Europe when she received the news that her sister was dead. Adventure cut short, she flew home where her parents requested an autopsy. Samantha was over the limit to drive but as she was at home it wasn't an issue. So her death was ruled an accident by misadventure. But Sienna didn't believe so. However, it was tearing her family apart and for her parents' sake, she put it behind her to get on with her life. 

Unfortunately, that meant moving back in with her parents - with Samantha's old bedroom glaring accusingly at her every time she walked upstairs - and working at the front of her parent's business Roth Family Cleaners. Her life stopped when Samantha's heart did and she has barely lived since.

Until she receives a phone call in her lunch break one day from Jackson, one of her sister's best friends and the only one of her sister's friends she could actually stand. With the anniversary of Samantha's death looming, the friends were getting together to honour their friend in a weekend away in the Smoky Mountains. Sienna inwardly groaned. She could not think of anything worse.

Until she walks upstairs and sees the closed door of her sister's room once again...and before she knows it she has opened the door, switched on the light and is bathed in memories of Samantha. Every inch, every crevice of the room oozes Samantha. And as she sits on the window seat, she recalls the bit of stealthy DIY she and Samantha undertook one day when they made a secret hiding place under the seat. Awash with memories, Sienna opens the seat and reaches in not expecting to find anything knowing it has been years since the sisters had used it. But when her hand finds something, she pulls it out. Samantha's diary. And so she lays down on her sister's bed and begins to read...

Sienna couldn't think of anything worse than a weekend away with Samantha's friends but after what she ready in the diary, she's changed her mind. While some of the pages have been ripped out, what she did read were not only her sister's secrets but those of her friends. And every one of them had something to hide. And very possibly a motive to kill her. So which one did?

A weekend away in the remote Smoky Mountains with five people she doesn't really like to uncover the truth about her sister's death is the motivation she needs to punish herself with their company. But when a wildfire breaks out during their stay, and someone wanting to silence Sienna for good, is she able to make it to safety in one piece? Before it's too late?

OK, so this is a popcorn thriller with not a whole lot of depth to it but a fun read just the same. It's my fourth read by Miranda Smith and while it's not my favourite it is still a quick read that's compelling enough to keep you turning the pages. As for the characters, none of them were really likeable...except maybe the strong silent Troy.

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

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Miranda Smith writes domestic and psychological suspense. She is drawn to stories about ordinary people in extraordinary situations. Her debut novel, SOME DAYS ARE DARK, was released in March 2020. Her second book, WHAT I KNOW, was released in June 2020. THE ONE BEFORE was released November 2020 and her latest NOT MY MOTHER will be published in March 2021.

Miranda has been a staff writer at a local newspaper and a secondary English teacher. When it comes to fiction, Miranda writes about complicated women, dark impulses and Southern settings.

She lives in East Tennessee with her husband and three children.

Social Media links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

PUBLISHER:

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

Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

 

REVIEW: The School Trip by Miranda Smith

The School Trip by Miranda Smith

Genre: Domestic suspense, Psychological thriller, Mystery

Read: 2nd May 2023

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 13th April 2023

★★★★ 4.5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

They should have been watching. But my little girl is gone…

On this crisp October day, the class of six-year-old children are wrapped up warm in gloves and coats for their trip to a local farm. They giggle as they stroke the animals and search for the perfect Halloween pumpkin, and as I watch my daughter Claire race off with her friends, the pink ribbon in her hair bouncing, I breathe a sigh of relief. It’s been so hard since my husband died and my sweet little girl deserves to be happy.

But as the sun sets and the teachers gather the children, Claire is nowhere to be seen.

We call the police and frantically scour the fields and playgrounds, my heart breaking as I cry out Claire’s name. And then a detective shows me a video: my daughter, skipping away from the farm, holding hands with an adult in a bulky coat, their cap pulled down low.

My blood turns to ice. Claire would never leave with a stranger. Whoever took her must be someone I know.

But who could want to punish me this badly? Is it linked to the night I refuse to think about—the terrible night my husband died?

Did my mistakes put my baby girl in danger?

Can I save her by finally facing the past?

Or will I lose her forever when the truth comes out?

A brilliantly twisty thriller that will have you gripped from the first page to the final reveal. Perfect for fans of Gillian Flynn, Ruth Ware and Lisa Jewell.

MY THOUGHTS:

You looked away for a moment...And then she was gone...

I read this book in one afternoon. It's THAT good! My third read by Miranda Smith, THE SCHOOL TRIP is just as thrilling and just as compelling as "Not My Mother" which I just loved. Of course, as soon as it mentioned a missing child I knew this would be right up my alley...and it was. It was everything I love about missing children tropes and thensome. What is even more impressive is that the entire story (bar the final chapter) takes place in one single day. How can an author do that and keep things interesting? Who cares? She did!

Emma is a widowed mother to six year old Claire and a kindergarten teacher. And although she is busy trying to remain present for her daughter, today is a special day for the school where she teaches as it's a field trip day. Most of the childrens' parents have come along to act as chaperone but those who couldn't remained in groups of two or three with their teachers. The teachers have planned things to the nth degree. Security is solid. What could possibly go wrong?

Of course, Claire had hoped to be spending the day solely with her mum at the Pumpkin Patch farm and isn't at all impressed to be having to share her with other students whose parents couldn't come on the school trip. But Claire's attention is soon diverted with the promise of feeding the animals and playing on the ten foot slide and play equipment the farm have. Tantrum diverted.

The past two years have been tough for Emma. Having been on extended maternity leave during Claire's early years, she returned to work to find juggling motherhood and a full time job was not as easy as she'd first thought. And then just as she was trying to find her footing in both camps, her husband David is killed in a car accident leaving her to raise their daughter alone. To make matters worse, Emma and David had been arguing the day of his death and she has never forgiven herself for it. Now Claire is all she has left.

Now Emma is busy navigating the field trip and allocating chaperones with children before heading off to enjoy the day. Claire is busy with her friends, calling out to her mum every so often which Emma obliges. Despite this, she still seems to be having a wonderful time. 

And then every teacher's worst nightmare happens...a child goes missing. The farm is placed into lockdown and the police are called as Emma assists in searching for the missing girl. After a couple of hours, the child is thankfully located in the middle of a cornfield maze, sobbing and scared. Everyone is relieved as news spreads that the little girl has been found. Police release the scene and parents begin to leave the farm with their children. But relief is shortlived because while Emma was out searching for the missing child, her own daughter went missing. Frantic, she asks Sarah, her friend and colleague, where Claire is but Sarah can only respond tearfully that she only took her eyes off her for a second. But a second is all it takes.

But the day is almost at an end and night is drawing in, meaning they are now losing daylight. If Claire is out there, she will be in the dark and frightened. But the owner of the farm reassures her that all sections of the farm are now closed so she won't be anywhere on the property. So where is she? And then police discover park footage of Claire leaving with an unknown person. A stranger. But Claire wouldn't have left with a stranger...so who is it that lead her child out of the park?

It's every parent's worst nightmare - your child going missing. And the author brings the reader to the forefront of the investigation as police search for missing Claire. Emma is placed in the spotlight as the media speculate a neglectful mother leaving her child in the care of another at the time she disappeared which only serves to infuriate her further. Why aren't the police updating them with the facts instead of wasting time. Then soon Emma discovers some of those closest to her aren't at all who they appear to be and she begins to wonder just who can she trust? Any one of them could have Claire. Everyone seems to be lying so who can she trust?

The story unfolds through Emma's perspective as well as the first person narrative of the kidnapper and their unhinged "plan". I did question some of Emma's decisions but as I'm not a mother I guess I can't fully comprehend her reasoning behind her behaviour which seemed a little unhinged herself. But the mystery itself was thrilling, emotive and made for addictive reading. There are plenty of suspects to sift through but the real surprise was who. I really didn't see that coming...but it so made perfect sense.

Overall, THE SCHOOL TRIP is a real pageturner and perfect for fans of domestic suspense and anyone who loves a good missing child trope.

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

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Miranda Smith writes domestic and psychological suspense. She is drawn to stories about ordinary people in extraordinary situations. Her debut novel, SOME DAYS ARE DARK, was released in March 2020. Her second book, WHAT I KNOW, was released in June 2020. THE ONE BEFORE was released November 2020 and her latest NOT MY MOTHER will be published in March 2021.

Miranda has been a staff writer at a local newspaper and a secondary English teacher. When it comes to fiction, Miranda writes about complicated women, dark impulses and Southern settings.

She lives in East Tennessee with her husband and three children.

Social Media links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

PUBLISHER:

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

Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

 

REVIEW: Not My Mother by Miranda Smith

Not My Mother by Miranda Smith

Genre: Domestic drama, Domestic thriller, Suspense, Contemporary fiction

Read: 24th March 2021

Goodreads

Amazon

Apple

Google

Kobo

Published: 30th March 2021

★★★★★ 4.5 stars (rounded up)

DESCRIPTION:

What if the person you trust most in the world is lying to you?

I’d heard of the Baby Caroline case, of course. When a baby is snatched from her mother’s arms, the whole country knows about it. I knew about the parents left lying by the swimming pool, the open window in the nursery. But I never dreamed it had anything to do with me.

Today, my beautiful daughter turned one. We were unwrapping gifts and blowing out candles when the knock came at the door, and they took my mother away.

The police say she’s not really my mother. That she stole me, thirty years ago.

When I visit her, desperate for answers, she looks me in the eye, and says nothing. I can barely breathe. Is my whole life a lie?

I have to find out, but the more I learn, the more scared I become. And soon I start to wonder, am I losing my grip on reality or is my own daughter in terrible danger?

An absolutely gripping psychological thriller, perfect for fans of Gillian Flynn, Ruth Ware and Lisa Jewell.

MY REVIEW:

I am excited to be taking part in the #BooksOnTour #BlogTour for Miranda Smith's intriguing domestic drama NOT MY MOTHER.

After the last book by this author, which I found extremely disappointing, I wasn't sure what to expect. However, I was pleasantly surprised. NOT MY MOTHER is an intriguing thriller of sorts that keeps you engaged from beginning to end with a few surprising twists along the way.

The story takes place in North Bay, a small beach town on the east coast bordering the Atlantic Ocean. Thirtysomething Marion Sams is holding a first birthday party for her baby girl Ava in the restaurant she co-runs with business partner and friend Des. Her mother Eileen lives in the two bedroom apartment above the restaurant where Marion grew up when she and her mother first came to town three decades ago. The three women have become a family of sorts and now there is baby Ava, whom everyone dotes on.

When there is an unexpected commotion at the front of the restaurant, Marion goes to investigate only to be greeted by police asking for someone named Sarah Paxton. Marion tells them that there is no one here by that name and that they were in the middle of hosting a private party. When Eileen comes looking for her daughter, the police swoop down on her asking if she was Eileen Sams and nodding her ascent, they handcuff and arrest her, placing her in the back of the police car. Marion is shocked. What the hell is going on?  Marion's best friend, Carmen Banks, is a defence lawyer and promises to find out just exactly what is happening. But nothing will prepare Marion for the truth. Eileen is suspected of custodial interference, kidnapping and murder.

Over thirty years ago back in the late 80s, baby Caroline was stolen from her parents in New Hutton. A woman broke into the rich couple's home, attacked the mother and killed the father before making off with 3 month old baby Caroline. Amelia Parker, the mother, named Sarah Paxton as the woman who took her child and killed her husband. And now police believe that Eileen is Sarah Paxton and that Marion is the missing baby Caroline.

In a matter of hours, Marion's world is turned upside down as her loving mother who raised her single-handedly sits in a jail cell accused of these unbelievable crimes. Marion cannot correlate those crimes with the mother she knows and loves. But as days pass and Eileen refuses to answer her questions when she visits, Marion begins to question everything she knows. Suddenly the past that was always just that little bit out of reach, the questions never answered, the excursions never allowed, the mysteries never explained...all seemed to make sense. Why she was never allowed to go to New York with school. Why her mother never told her anything about her father or grandparents. Why their lives never really begun until they came to North Bay. And Marion finds herself wondering...could she really be baby Caroline? If so, then her mother is not who she thinks she is.

Then a knock on the door brings Amelia Parker into Marion's life. Claiming to be her mother, she paints a sad - almost sinister - picture of Eileen, whom she calls Sarah. The two women go for coffee, somewhere out of the way where the press can't find them. Or so they think. The next thing Marion knows, she's plastered all over the paper as "Baby Caroline has a baby of her own" and photos of her meeting up with Amelia. Carmen is livid, saying this will not help Eileen's case at all. But Marion is conflicted. She loves Eileen...but if she stole her then she couldn't condone that, surely? And what of Amelia's pain? Three decades of searching for her missing child? And what about her? She's the innocent victim in all of this. As is Ava, who she must protect at all costs.

Starting off with a bang depicting the scene of the initial crime committed in the past, the story immediately reels you in. Told in alternating narratives - Marion's in the present and Eileen's in the past, with the odd narrative by Amelia - NOT MY MOTHER is a domestic drama in which the suspense builds and the tension is palpable as Marion's narrative reveals her inner turmoil and search for the truth. While she loves the woman who raised her and is angered by her secrets, lies and betrayal, she also feels a compassion and empathy for the mother she was torn away from and who had never stopped searching for her.

What we discover through Eileen's narrative is the backstory leading up to the crime, told through a series of letters penned by Eileen in the hope that Marion never has to read them. But written for her in case she must. Through these letters we hear Eileen's voice tell her story as a young, confused and disillusioned girl and the circumstances of her childhood. And then her life changes when she meets to co-workers at the cafe she worked at - Cliff and Jamie. They would become her best friends and from there on in, Eileen's life changed. It's not difficult to feel sympathy for Eileen as her story unfolds. She's not had it easy. But does it extenuate the crime for which she is now being accused?

I love a good kidnapping story and this one is just so different from others I have read in the fact it is an historic case. How a grown woman must then come to terms with that fact and the mother she has always known may not be her biological mother. It's an intriguing tale that pulls you in from the beginning. But...just when you think you have it all figured out, nothing is as it seems and everything turns on its head once more.

NOT MY MOTHER is riddled with secrets, lies, deception and betrayals. There are twists to be had, truths to reveal, lies to uncover and tangled stories to unravel. Can Marion trust anyone in her life again? And then help comes from the past giving her much needed assistance and helping her to move forward.

A thoroughly enjoyable quick read, NOT MY MOTHER is an engaging domestic drama that borders on the thriller genre and is perfect for fans of both genres as well as Lisa Jewell, Ali Mercer, Kim Slater and Shalini Boland.

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

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Miranda Smith writes domestic and psychological suspense. She is drawn to stories about ordinary people in extraordinary situations. Her debut novel, SOME DAYS ARE DARK, was released in March 2020. Her second book, WHAT I KNOW, was released in June 2020. THE ONE BEFORE was released November 2020 and her latest NOT MY MOTHER will be published in March 2021.

Miranda has been a staff writer at a local newspaper and a secondary English teacher. When it comes to fiction, Miranda writes about complicated women, dark impulses and Southern settings.

She lives in East Tennessee with her husband and three children.

Social Media links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

PUBLISHER:

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

Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

REVIEW: What I Know by Miranda Smith

What I Know (formerly titled "Good Girl") by Miranda Smith

Genre: Psychological thriller

Read: 18th March 2021

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 24th June 2020

★ 1 star

DESCRIPTION:

This is what Della knows: that the worst monsters hide behind a confident smile. That most people don’t want to accept that. That no matter what you say, they won’t believe you…

Della was just eleven years old when her brother first tried to kill her. She has never forgotten the lessons she learned as a child—or forgiven herself for the mistakes she made.

So when Della meets Zoey, and looks into her cold, calculating eyes, she freezes. For a moment, terrifying memories threaten to overwhelm her. She has been watching out for people like her brother all her life, and she’s convinced that Zoey has darkness inside her.

When someone is attacked in their small town, and Della is sent a detailed description of the crime, she knows that Zoey is taunting her. She knows she has to stop her.

But to make people believe her, Della needs proof. Will she risk everything to get it? And without it, can she be sure she’s right?

Prepare to be hooked by this dark, gripping crime thriller, perfect for fans of Karin Slaughter, Gillian Flynn and Rachel Caine.

MY REVIEW:

Family can be evil. People can be evil. And evil can make its presence felt.

The story opens with the words "My brother was thirteen the first time he tried to kill me". Okay. So that gives sibling rivalry a whole new meaning in that case. But Della's brother Brian was not normal. Not in the sense that we know it. Brian was a psychopath - that much was clear. Even at 13 years of age. And if he wasn't a psychopath he was just plain cruel. I hated him on sight. And that wasn't the first time he tried to kill her either. The whole watermelon wrestle I could see that coming...besides the fact the juvenile game was dangerous and went against pool safety anyway. And what was it about Della's mum? Brian could do no wrong in her eyes. Was the woman blind, or what? Everything, and I mean everything, was always Della's fault. She needed a good slap and I felt like delivering it more than once.

Then the story moves into the present day. Della is now a teacher of American Literature (why can't they just call it English like everyone else?) and happily married to her brother's former best friend Danny Mayfair, a doctor now in general practice. The couple live, not an extravagant life, but a comfortable one with no children so they could enjoy late nights and have the means to travel to various parts of the world on holiday. Della was adamant that she didn't want children...not after her childhood growing up with Brian. Brian who was no in prison for murder. And she put him there. Della and Danny escaped Florida to start their lives somewhere new...somewhere where they were unknown and people wouldn't be pointing the finger at Della and knowing what her brother did.

As a teacher at Victory Falls, Della has kept her past a secret and only Danny and her therapist know pain and shame she bears. She spends every day trying to block out any memory of her past...and she's succeeded fairly well. Until a new student arrives late in the school year, just a few weeks until summer. Something about Zoey Peterson reminds her of Brian. Her eyes have that same dead stare he gave her most of her childhood. They are cold and calculating. They are empty of emotion. Like black pools of nothingness. Zoey gets under Della's skin from the moment she arrives, causing controversy over the literature they are reading which Zoey claims to have read "just for fun". 

And when, with that dead stare of hers, Zoey mentions she is from Florida Della freezes and feels her heartrate quicken. But upon checking with admin she learns that there is no mention of Zoey having come from Florida. So why did she say that she was? She can't know about her past...can she? Something about this girl doesn't ring true. Something about her is dangerous and Della feels she must do something before it's too late.

But Della's fears go unnoticed by others. The other teachers think Zoey is charming and don't take Della's suspicions that she may be dangerous seriously. But instinctively Della knows there is something evil about Zoey. Just like before, when no one believed her about her brother - the town's darling - no one sees the evil in Zoey. But psychopaths can be charming. They can be likeable. They can be the person next door. But that's what makes them so dangerous...their ability to blend in and appear normal. A chameleon.

But Della knows that if she doesn't do something soon before it's too late that history will repeat itself.

One word for this book - besides boring - is evil. Evil made its presence felt. And I felt it from the first pages, despite it not being enough to hold my interest. I've no idea why I requested this book and upon re-reading the premise I'm still none the wiser. But I dived in with an open mind ready to devour whatever it threw at me. However, I only got 15% in when I couldn't stomach any more and flipped to the final three chapters to find out how it all ended. It was really no surprise and if there was a big reveal, then I missed it.

The premise did promise a dark, disturbing creepy thriller and I guess it was that but...everyone just irritated me too damn much! From Della to her mum to Brian to Zoey to basically everyone. They were all pretty much unlikeable. And I felt like I knew the ending before I had barely begun. Brian and Zoey was just too evil for words and I honestly couldn't stomach them...or really anyone else for that matter.

Maybe it's just me, having come from a brilliant read I devoured in a day to something as confusing and as disturbing as this...I don't know. I usually enjoy deliciously dark and disturbing. I love creepy and twisted. But this just didn't do it for me. It could be that I prefer British thrillers and American personalities are a whole lot different. Or that I am just not a fan of teenage angst and anger and behaviour. I generally don't read books where the focus is on a school and teenagers. 

Whatever it is, WHAT I KNOW just didn't do it for me. I couldn't finish it and at the same time I feel like I didn't miss much either. I really hope her next one is better as I am on the publicity tour for it.

I would like to thank #MirandaSmith, #NetGalley, #Bookouture for an ARC of #WhatIKnow in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Miranda Smith writes domestic and psychological suspense. She is drawn to stories about ordinary people in extraordinary situations. Her debut novel, SOME DAYS ARE DARK, was released in March 2020. Her second book, WHAT I KNOW, was released in June 2020. THE ONE BEFORE was released November 2020 and her latest NOT MY MOTHER will be published in March 2021.

Miranda has been a staff writer at a local newspaper and a secondary English teacher. When it comes to fiction, Miranda writes about complicated women, dark impulses and Southern settings.

She lives in East Tennessee with her husband and three children.

Social Media links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

PUBLISHER:

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

Twitter | Facebook | Instagram