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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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: When She Fell by Karen Cole

When She Fell by Karen Cole

Genre: Psychological thriller, Suspense

Read: 12th February 2023

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Amazon

Published: 10th November 2022

★★★★ 3.5 stars (rounded up)

DESCRIPTION:

A twisty, addictive psychological thriller about family, lies and the secrets we keep from those we love most.

Avery is an obscure author whose recent disappearance is eerily similar to the death of a character in her latest thriller. Last seen walking the cliffs at Bosigran, it is suspected she fell, although her body has still not been found.

When Alex, an ambitious young journalist, receives a copy of Avery's book in the post, she becomes obsessed with finding out what happened to her.

Alex travels to Cornwall to research Avery's death for an article and discovers that the writer's life mirrored her book in more ways than one. She increasingly suspects that all is not as it seems. One question in particular keeps playing on her mind, did Avery jump was she pushed?

MY THOUGHTS:

Did she jump? Or was she pushed?

Alex Georgiou is a young and ambitious journalist who fears her job is on the line. But when she comes up with an idea for an article with a sort of "life imitating art" concept, she has no idea just what a can of worms she is opening.

As a blogger in her spare time, publishers often send Alex books to review for publicity purposes. So when she finds a copy of "Falling" by author Avery Lewis on her doormat one morning, Alex is intrigued by this latest offering which she assumes to be "another run of the mill thriller". As soon as she begins the book she finds herself drawn into the story of a woman found dead at the bottom of a Cornish cliff and the mystery surrounding her demise. But when the story takes a dip into the past introducing a couple who have made the journey from London to Cornwall to begin a new chapter of their lives, it isn't long before all isn't as it seems and Alex finds herself all the more intrigued.

Arriving late to work and thus late for the morning briefing, Alex finds herself in the crosshairs under the watchful eye of her boss. There was an interview and article she was meant to have already handed in but she has been unable to garner the interview, hashing out a lame article in its place. She's no sooner sent it off to her boss when she decides to look into who this Avery Lewis author is and she uncovers a startling piece of information. Ten months ago, Avery fell to her death from the very same cliffs as her character in her latest thriller and her body has yet to be found. Alex is speechless. Coincidence, surely? Or surely not?

After pitching an idea to her boss, who reluctantly agrees it may be a good story, Alex packs herself and her sister Athena off to Cornwall for a week chasing answers which will hopefully see her write the article that will be the making of her career. The sisters stay at the farm on which Avery and her husband Joe lived that seemingly inspired the author.

Throughout the book, Alex finds many similarities between the character Rebecca and Avery's situations...right down to the move from London to Cornwall, the farm and guesthouse and the cliff from which both women fell. Both women had attentive husbands but Rebecca's became abusive when the money began to run out. Avery's husband Joe is nothing like that and appears to be heartbroken at the disappearance and possible death of his wife. But the more she reads of "Falling" and learns about Avery, the more Alex begins to think that this is more than a coincidence. Did Avery have a premonition of her own death and use it as a basis for a story? Or did someone take her story and make it reality?

What an interesting concept for a thriller! A story within a story. I found the premise fascinating and the story fast paced and atmospheric. Admittedly, Cornwall is always a drawcard for me in thrillers. There is something so atmospheric about it that if I see a book is set there I'm drawn to it.

This is the third Karen Cole thriller I've read and I always enjoy them, each of them including that Cypriot touch. WHEN SHE FELL wasn't really what I had expected but it was still a compelling and intriguing quick read that I read in one sitting. I liked Alex and adored Athena, but I really had to question some of Alex's choices and decisions. I mean, one of the key paths she took in the story screamed warnings at me - even Athena tried reasoning with her but Alex's mind was made up. However, had the story not taken that turn then it wouldn't have ended up the way it did I guess. There was a method to Cole's madness in the plot...

Overall, WHEN SHE FELL is an intriguing tale of two stories that are inadvertently entangled together and would appeal to psychological thriller fans. Certainly a compelling read if you like a quick thriller!

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

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Karen Cole grew up in the Cotswolds and got a degree in psychology at Newcastle University. She spent several years teaching English around the world before settling in Cyprus with her husband and two sons, where she works at a British army base as a primary school teacher. She recently completed the Curtis Brown writing course where she found her love of writing psychological thrillers.

Social Media links:

Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

 

REVIEW: The Wrong Mother by Charlotte Duckworth

The Wrong Mother by Charlotte Duckworth

Genre: Psychological thriller, Suspense

Read: 29th December 2022

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Amazon

Published: 14th December 2022

★★★★ 4 stars

DESCRIPTION:

One mother on the run. A safe place to hide. But you can't escape the past forever . . .

Faye is 39 and single. She's terrified she may never have the one thing she always wanted: a child of her own.

Then she discovers a co-parenting app: Acorns. For men and women who want to have a baby, but don't want to do it alone. When she meets Louis through it, it feels as though the fates have aligned.

But just one year later, Faye is on the run from Louis, with baby Jake in tow. In desperate need of a new place to live, she contacts Rachel, who's renting out a room in her remote Norfolk cottage. It's all Faye can afford - and surely she'll be safe from Louis there?

But is Rachel the benevolent landlady she pretends to be? Or does she have a secret of her own?

MY THOUGHTS:

I thought I had read Charlotte Duckworth before as the name is familiar but according to Goodreads, I've not marked any of her books off as read. Hmm...so maybe not. But I could have sworn... Anyway, this thriller is a little bit of a slow burn to start with but enough to keep you engaged particularly as it was the premise that had me intrigued to begin with.

Faye is 39 and her biological clock is ticking...or so she thinks. All her life she has desperately wanted a baby but she has failed to find the perfect man with which to make that dream become a reality. Until her best friend Jonas suggested she go online to meet someone. Which is exactly what she does, albeit reluctantly. What she finds stuns her. Amidst all the usual dating sites and apps, she comes across "Acorn" - a "mating" app, for those who want to co-parent without becoming romantically involved. Faye thinks this is just perfect. Exactly what what she wants. A baby, without the strings attached.

She is surprisingly inundated with messages from men (and one woman) who wish to have a baby with her. But one stands out from them all. Louis. They arrange to meet and after a few dates it isn't long before Faye feels that the stars have aligned to bring them together. Faye is falling in love with the smooth-talking Louis and she feels sure from the signals she is getting from him that he feels the same. Maybe they will be one of the couples that make it real.

But a year later, Faye's dream has turned into a nightmare. She's on the run from Louis with baby Jake in tow, ditching her damp pokey flat and her beloved piano, in search of somewhere safe to hide. And then she sees an advertisement for a room to rent...

Sixty four year returned teacher old Rachel lives in Helston village in rural Norfolk. She is lonely and has been since her mother died many years before. Which is why she's always taken in lodgers. But for some reason, none of them seem to work out. After her last lodger left under a cloud, Rachel advertises her spare double bedroom for rent once again. And Faye answers the ad under the name Fiona and Rachel assures her that having a newborn baby won't be a problem. Well, it isn't for Rachel but it soon turns out that it is for Faye.

As a new mother with a crying newborn, it seems Faye isn't coping and Rachel wants to help but will Faye let her? And what of Rachel? Is she all that she seems? Or is there something darker lurking beneath the surface? And why won't she let her cat roam outside? And what of the overgrown backyard with tendrils creeping under the door and into the house? And Faye? What exactly is she running from? Was Louis abusive? Are her and baby Jake in danger? And amidst all of this is she suffering post natal depression?

There are so many questions to this thriller that will keep you guessing right up to the end. It was an engaging tale with some surprising twists (and some not so surprising) but an entertaining read all the same. I loved the village setting and along with the giant bonfire and Guy being constructed on the village green gave an air of Midsomer about it, making it very atmospheric.

There are some chilling aspects to this story that will resound with great big warning bells going off letting you know that something definitely is not right with these two women...but figuring out what is half the fun!

THE WRONG MOTHER is written in a dual timeline format rewinding back to a year before as Faye embarks on her journey to become a mother to the present day where she is on the run and meets Rachel. The story unfolds through Faye and Rachel's narratives lending something of an interesting curve to the story. It is cleverly crafted and I quite enjoyed it with plenty of twists and tension to keep you guessing and turning the pages.

Overall, THE WRONG MOTHER is an entertaining and somewhat chilling read that is page-turning, twisty and fast paced.

I would like to thank #CharlotteDuckworth, #NetGalley and #QuercusBooks for an ARC of #TheWrongMother in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Charlotte Duckworth is the USA Today bestselling author of The Rival, Unfollow Me, The Perfect Father and The Sanctuary. Her fifth psychological suspense, The Wrong Mother, will be published by Quercus in early 2023.

She started her career working as an interiors and lifestyle journalist, writing for a wide range of consumer magazines and websites.

She also writes contemporary bookclub fiction under the pen name Charlotte Rixon. 

Charlotte lives in Surrey with her partner and their daughter.

Social media links:

Wesbite | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

REVIEW: The Force's Sweethearts by Rosie Archer

The Force's Sweethearts (The Bluebird Girls #3) by Rosie Archer

Genre: Historical fiction, Sagas, Wartime fiction, WW2

Read: 11th February 2022

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Amazon

Published: 6th August 2020

★★★ 3 stars

DESCRIPTION:

Gripping, emotional Second World War saga for fans of Annie Groves, Shirley Dickson and Soraya Lane.

1943, and The Bluebird Girls are at the top of their game. They are touring with ENSA, visiting army bases across the world in order to boost the morale of the brave boys fighting in the desert and the jungle. The hours are long and the travelling uncomfortable, but Bea, Rainey and Ivy wouldn't be anywhere else for the world.

Then tragedy strikes the group and their little showbusiness family. Their manager, Blackie, and Rainey's mother Jo find themselves with heavy new responsibilities, and the change in circumstances causes the girls themselves to reconsider their lives.

For years, singing on stage has been their only dream, and they have made so many sacrifices to get where they are. But now other possibilities - relationships, babies - are on the horizon. Could this be the end for The Bluebird Girls?

MY REVIEW:

It's been so long since I read the previous book in this series, "We'll Meet Again", that I had to try and refresh my memory as to what took place. Luckily, the author gives enough background to remind those of us who have read and forgotten what has already taken place. 

As the third book in the Bluebird Girls series, THE FORCE'S SWEETHEARTS begins in April 1942 and sees Rainey, Ivy and Bea performing for the troops with ENSA in the Libyan Desert in North Africa doing what they enjoy most. But life is hard in the desert heat and the girls find themselves missing their families and loved ones back in England. But then tragedy strikes and the girls find themselves returning home with their manager Blackie and Rainey's mother Jo who had accompanied them out there.

The girls are relieved to be home, even if under tragic circumstances, and begin to chart the next chapter of their lives. Rainey has carried a secret from her family and friends but soon after reuniting with Charlie drops a bombshell no one saw coming. Ivy still carries a torch for Bea's brother Eddie and longs to be a mother to his daughter Gracie...but will they want her to be part of their little family? And Bea, distraught over all the changes suddenly taking place, finds herself just a teensy bit jealous of all that others seem to have and decides to make her own way.

For years, singing has been the girls' dream for as long as they can remember but now things are changing...other possibilities and new priorities force their way into the picture as relationships, babies and marriage are on the horizon. Could this spell the end for the Bluebird Girls?

When an opportunity arises for one of the girls to go solo little did she know that there was a codicil that required her to work alongside another performer as part of a double act, utilising both their individual strengths. The only problem was, she couldn't stand the person she was to work with, citing he gave her the creeps. But could she put her personal feelings aside and act in a professional manner to keep Blackie's business afloat?

But things don't always go to plan...especially in wartime. And with life and death at the forefront of their lives, can the Bluebird Girls keep going amidst the bombs that continue to fall over Portsmouth and Gosport?

THE FORCE'S SWEETHEARTS is the third installment to The Bluebird Girls series and is quick and easy read which I ploughed through in a day. There is joy and sorrow to be had as well as good times and bad as we are immersed back into life on the south coast of England. 

For the most part enjoyable, THE FORCE'S SWEETHEARTS will draw you in and you will surely be immersed within the the lives and loves of all the characters therein, tracking their every movement until the very end. It is fairly predictable but that's what makes it an easy read. It's wartime and you kind of know what to expect and so there are tears but there is also some laughter as well.

A nice easy read that can easily suffice as a standalone but is best read as part of the series, THE FORCE'S SWEETHEARTS is a perfect read for anyone who enjoys saga books set in and around WW2.

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

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Rosie Archer was born in Gosport, Hampshire, where she still lives. She has had a variety of jobs including waitress, fruit picker, barmaid, shop assistant and market trader selling second-hand books. Rosie is the author of several Second World War sagas set on the south coast of England, as well as a series of gangster sagas under the name June Hampson.

Social Media links:

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REVIEW: The Marriage Mender by Linda Green

The Marriage Mender by Linda Green

Genre: Contemporary fiction, Family drama, Domestic drama

Read: 25th July 2021

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Amazon

Published: 22nd July 2021

★★★★★ 5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

The only relationship she can't save is her own . . .

Alison is a marriage counsellor. Her job is to help couples who fear they have reached the end of the line. But the trouble with spending your time sorting out other people's problems is that you tend to take your eye off your own. Even when her husband's ex Lydia arrives on the doorstep demanding to see her son, Alison thinks she can handle it. 

But what Alison doesn't realise is that Lydia is the one person who has the ability to destroy their perfect family. And sometimes the cracks can run so deep that even a marriage mender can't repair them . . .

MY REVIEW:

My first thought upon finishing this book was "WOW!" and then it went something like "where has Linda Green been all my life?" Seriously though, this is not my usual genre and when I do read contemporary fiction I tend to be rather picky about them. But this? This was something else entirely. It's a feel-good family drama with love and laughter, sadness and heartbreaks and yet it was still something so much more than that. I can't even begin to put my finger on it...but whatever it was, I loved it. And I loved this book!

The story opens with an initial therapy session to which Alison and husband Chris have come to help them identify the issues they have been facing and how to address them. Which is kind of ironic since Alison is a relationship counsellor herself, and she cannot help but see the irony here or the utter ridiculousness of their situation. Their 9 year old daughter Matilda called her the "marriage mender" as she helps keeps people's mummies and daddies together when they are rowing about stuff a lot. And here she is seeking her own marriage-mender. 

But what has lead her and Chris to this point? Well, where do they start? Chris was the first to speak. It all began on Josh's 16th birthday...

It began like any other day, except that Matilda was bursting with excitement waiting at the breakfast table for her big brother Josh to make an appearance so they could shower him with their gifts. He was ecstatic with the guitar Chris and Ali had bought him and the amp to accompany it closely followed by the black on black clothes Matilda had lovingly chosen for him at Oxfam. And later that day, their gran was coming over and together they would enjoy a birthday tea together completed with an enormous chocolate cake that Ali had made. But something happened between those two events that set the wheels in motion to bring change into their happy contended lives.

Although Alison isn't Josh's biological mum, she has loved and nurtured him for ten years as if he had been. She met single dad Chris when Josh was just six years old, his mother having walked out and left him when he was just six months old. Chris had returned home from work to little Josh screaming in his cot in a sodden nappy with his mother, along with her belongings, gone. And then one day, Chris walked into a library with Josh where Alison was telling the gathered children a story. After that, they were regular fixtures at storytime until Josh invited Alison to his birthday party...and the rest is history. Or is it?

The knock on the door was surprising. Alison wasn't expecting anyone just yet with Josh over at Tom's and Chris having gone for a walk and Barbara wouldn't be arriving till Chris collected her. But as soon as Alison opened the door she knew exactly who it was standing in front of her. Lydia. After sixteen years since walking out on them without a word, she was back. The fact that it was Josh's birthday was hardly a coincidence for with her was a gift for the son she abandoned. Little did Alison know that with Lydia's return would be wreaking ball driven right into the heart of their happy family.

So why has Lydia returned after all these years? Why now? She wants to see Josh and the young man he is becoming but surely she had to know that her sudden reappearance after sixteen years without a word would throw his life into turmoil? He's a teenager and is not equipped to deal with such a disruption to his life, particularly with his exams approaching. But she had a special gift she had always meant to give him should she ever seen him again...and in that moment when he unwrapped it, Alison knew that Josh was going to give his mother a chance - he was that sort of person. But with that chance came broken promises, impromptu visits, drunken insults and broken hearts. And in the middle was Alison, trying to do the right thing for everyone...to keep her family together and keep everyone happy.

Soon cracks began to appear. And the sniping started. And then after one too many drunken outbursts and attacks on their family, Lydia threw a grenade into the mix with explosive consequences that no one could have foreseen. And in a blink of an eye, Josh was gone. And in the aftermath, blame was assigned as tears fell and life began to fall apart.

Then when Barbara revealed a secret that she was never to reveal, Alison knew then that her family needed help. And so she and Chris sought relationship counselling to help find a way through the rubble and back to each other.

But nothing prepared either of them for what was about to come...

I absolutely loved THE MARRIAGE MENDER, almost reading it in one sitting if not for the extremely late hour and needing sleep. That said, upon waking this morning I went straight back to it and didn't stop until the last tear-jerking page. Completely absorbing from the first page, THE MARRIAGE MENDER is a delightful and emotional read that is sure to tug at your heartstrings.

Ali was a wonderful character and I connected with her from the beginning, caring for her deeply as well as her beautiful family. Even Matilda I found to be endearing, and I am not one to be enchanted by children, but she had an uncanny knack of the most uncomfortable questions but she is rather intelligent beyond her years. Her relationship with her half-brother Josh is an endearing one to read. Chris is a wonderful father and husband although he could be annoyingly silent when you just wanted to shake him into sharing what was deeply troubling him and why. He was incredibly hurt by Lydia so his wanting to protect Josh from his train wreck of a mother is completely understandable. Barbara is Chris' mother and is the stoic matriarch with enough love and understanding to envelop the family in. Until secrets are revealed to put everyone and everything they knew to the test. But it was Josh who my heart went out to the most, having his world turned upside down and is so utterly confused by the new revelations in his life. His struggles were heartbreaking to read as is the final extreme decision he made.

The issues addressed in THE MARRIAGE MENDER cover abandonment, domestic violence, alcoholism, adoption, runaways, teenage pregnancy and depression which may be a trigger for some but each is approached and explored sensitively. 

Overall, THE MARRIAGE MENDER is a wonderful emotional read that is compelling from beginning to end that even when I turned that final page I wasn't ready to let go of the characters and their stories. This is my first read by Linda Green and, if this book is anything to go by, it won't be my last.

A well-written family drama that is perfect for fans of Nicole Trope, Kerry Fisher, Amanda Prowse and Julia Roberts.

I would like to thank #LindaGreen, #Netgalley and #Quercus for an ARC of #TheMarriageMender in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Linda Green is the bestselling author of ten novels, which have sold more than 1.4 million copies in the UK, with foreign rights sold in 15 territories. Her latest novel, One Moment, was a Radio 2 Book Club pick, and her previous novel, The Last Thing She Told Me was a Richard and Judy Book Club selection.

She wrote her first novella at the age of nine, but unfortunately, the pony-based time-travel thriller genre never took off. She wrote her first novel twenty years later and persevered through 102 rejections from agents, before getting her first book deal. Linda is also an award-winning journalist who has written for The Guardian and The Big Issue, and a creative writing tutor, working with students aged from eight to eighty-four.

Linda retains a keen interest in news, current affairs and politics. She has appeared on Newsnight, Radio 5 Live, Radio Four's Woman's Hour and BBC News. She particularly enjoyed taking former PM David Cameron to task on Leadership Question Time in 2015.

In a previous life, Linda enjoyed travelling and has trekked through the Bornean jungle to see wild orangutans, travelled to the edge of the Arctic Circle to watch polar bears, and as far south as Tierra del Fuego to photograph penguins. 

She lives in West Yorkshire with her husband, teenage son and two rescue guinea pigs.

Social Media links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | Goodreads

REVIEW: The Murder Box by Olivia Kiernan

 

The Murder Box (DCS Frankie Sheehan #4) by Olivia Kiernan

Genre: Crime fiction, Police procedural

Read: 24th July 2021

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Amazon

Published: 22nd July 2021

★★★ 2.5 stars (rounded up)

DESCRIPTION:

At first, Detective Chief Superintendent Frankie Sheehan believes the murder mystery game sent to her office is a birthday gift from one of her colleagues. But when Frankie studies the game's contents, she notices a striking resemblance between the 'murder victim' and missing twenty-two-year-old Lydia Callin.

As Frankie and her team investigate, a series of grisly crimes connected to the game are discovered across Dublin city and Lydia's involvement with a shadowy network of murder mystery players becomes clear.

On the hunt for Lydia's murderer, Frankie is drawn more deeply into the game. Every successful move brings her closer to the killer. But the real question is not what happens should she lose -- but what happens if she wins.

MY REVIEW:

Well...that was some hours I'll never get back. I can't even begin to detail my thoughts because I simply could not connect to the story. I don't know why because I really enjoyed the previous book "If Looks Could Kill" in this series. The premise for THE MURDER BOX was intriguing to say the least and I was looking forward to beginning the game that DCS Frankie Sheehan found herself playing.

The day before her birthday, Frankie receives an anonymous gift sent to her at the Bureau for Serious Crime. Inside is a box containing forensic clues to a hypothetical murder of a 22 year old woman, including an earring and a histology slide with a piece of human tissue, and an authentic looking post mortem report. Instructions invite her to play the game on a website and to share her findings with the other amateur sleuths also participating so as to advance further and ultimately win the game. 

Welcome to the Murder Box murder mystery game. Where participants play to win or play to survive?

However, Frankie and her team are already investigating a high profile missing persons case of celebrity Teddy Dolan who disappeared over a month ago with no leads thus far as to his whereabouts or even if he is dead or alive. Of course it hasn't helped matters that Teddy is the nephew of the Commissioner, explaining why after over a month of no leads and no no clues and no idea they are still investigating. That and Teddy's wife play up to the media to ensure his case remains in the spotlight.

But then a woman comes into the Bureau, asking for Frankie, to report her friend and flatmate missing. Lydia Callin was last seen four weeks previously, just a week after teddy's disappearance, and has not been seen since. Not only that, Lydia had been seeing Teddy prior to her disappearance. Frankie immediately suspects the two cases are linked and that the similarities between her case and the clues in the Murder Box cannot be coincidence. This is more than a party game. It's a deadly game. And Lydia Callin, the hypothetical victim, is missing. Frankie knows that she and her team must play to it's conclusion to catch the killer, becoming part of the game herself.

But the game has a counter...ticking down the time left to play...to solve the riddle which she's been handed in the form of a game. But can she outsmart the killer before it's too late?

Despite being the fourth book in the series, THE MURDER BOX can be read as a standalone. There really isn't anything that remotely connects it with previous books so the reader is not lost in a wealth of useless information. Maybe what I didn't like so much in this book was the partnership I had so enjoyed between Frankie and Baz wasn't there this time. Baz was distracted by his on/off girlfriend maybe? Or was it something else? Either way, he wasn't riding shotgun to Frankie this time whereas the Assistant Commissioner Jack Clancy or ring-in DI Smith Mullins were in his place.

The pace was steady and the plot gritty. The ending was somewhat shocking but also cleverly played. It's not that I didn't like the book...I just didn't enjoy as much a I had anticipated and I found that disappointing.

THE MURDER BOX is taut and tense throughout that is tightly written and perfect for fans of gritty police procedurals like Stuart MacBride, Angela Marsons and M.L. Arlidge.

I would like to thank #OliviaKiernan, #Netgalley and #Quercus for an ARC of #TheMurderBox in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Olivia Kiernan is an Irish writer. In a previous life, she completed a diploma in anatomy and physiology then a BSc in Chiropractic before she succumbed to the creative itch and embarked on an MA in Creative writing. In 2015, she began writing Play Dead For Me (formerly titled Too Close to Breathe), a crime thriller that was published to critical acclaim in 2018 and features Dublin detective, Frankie Sheehan.

The second in the series The Killer In Me was called a “captivating new thriller” by the Wall Street Journal, “a high-stakes noir page-turner” by Bookpage.com and “a nail-bitingly good read” by Mystery Scene. The third in the DCS Frankie Sheehan series If Looks Could Kill was released in 2020 and the fourth The Murder Box is now available to pre-order and will be published on 22nd of July.

Social Media links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | BookBub | Goodreads

REVIEW: Deny Me by Karen Cole

 

Deny Me by Karen Cole
Genre: Psychological thriller, Domestic thriller, Suspense
Read: 29th August 2020
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Amazon

Published: 30th April 2020

★★★★★ 4.5 stars (rounded up)

DESCRIPTION:

From the bestselling author of Deliver Me comes a gripping new thriller with a twist you'll never see coming!

Thirty-two-year-old Jessica is newly divorced and has returned home to live with her parents whilst she puts the pieces of her life back together. But Jessica isn't the only one with problems, as her mother, Jean, has recently been diagnosed with dementia.

Shortly after Jessica's arrival, one of the neighbours falls to her death, in what appears to be a terrible accident. However, Jean claims that the woman was murdered by her husband and that she witnessed the whole thing.

With Jean's memory rapidly deteriorating, her family dismiss her story, believing Jean is confused. But when Jessica learns that the couple next door's marriage may have been in trouble, she begins to wonder if her mother did see something after all.

Jessica is determined to discover the truth, but soon uncovers much more than she bargained for...

MY REVIEW:

Having enjoyed Karen Cole's previous book "Deceive Me" I was looking forward to sinking my teeth into DENY ME. And I have to say, I think I loved this one even more!

He said it was an accident.

She said it was murder.

How far would YOU go to discover the truth?

Jessica Delaney has recently returned to England after her life fell apart in Spain. Leaving her controlling partner Matteo behind and a job she loved teaching, she returned home after spiraling into anxiety and depression after a mental health episode. But upon her arrival she discovered her mother, Jean, is suffering from Alzheimer's and her condition is gradually deteriorating.

One night after learning their neighbour's wife had fallen to her death from a window in recent weeks, Jean declares the woman was pushed and that she saw it happen. But given her gradual decline with dementia, how much of what Jean says can be believed? Is she confused? Or is she a witness to murder? 

Jess believes her mother knows something but her father Brian and her brother Howie dismiss her claims as the dementia talking. But Jess is not so sure. Is her mother's claim just fantasy mingled with reality? Or are her memories confused with the present? Whatever the case may be, Jean appears to be truly frightened of something or someone.

Then when Jess receives a call that her mother has taken an overdose of her medication, Jess rushes to the hospital only to arrive too late. Her father is devastated but Jess can't help but feel something is wrong. Her father always doled out her mother's medication for her - how could she overdose on it intentionally or accidentally? Unless... Jess has a horrible feeling that her mother's fears weren't completely unfounded. 

Just days before, Jean had started to tell Jess something that she had kept secret for years, whispering fearfully that "he wants me dead" and "I know too much". But her father walked in, ending their conversation. What was her mother about to tell her that was obviously so important? Jess thought she would get another opportunity to find out but sadly her mother died before she could ask her about it. But before she did, Jean had given Jess her jewellery box claiming that a lot of memories were stored in there. Was her mother trying to tell her something?

Knowing her previous mental health breakdown will preclude anyone from accepting her belief that her mother knew something, Jess decides to investigate but will she get more than she bargained for? As her quest for answers takes her back to the past Jess wants to know the truth, but she can't possibly prepare herself for what she'll uncover...

Told solely in Jess' narrative, DENY ME is a fast paced quick read that will have you turning the pages at the speed of light. Jess battles her own demons whilst on a journey for the truth with a number of events that not only affect her but also her family and friends. 

The topics of mental health and dementia are dealt with sensitively and accurately and, as I am no stranger to either, I found myself in tears as I drew parallels to my own experiences. Watching Jean's confusion mingled with her moments of lucidity were both accurate and heartbreaking. As the dementia adds another dimension to the story, like Jess, we also question how much of one's memories real or imagined or mingled with reality? And did that make her mother's claims all the more real or a figment of her imagination?

Filled with family drama and secrets, DENY ME is a compelling and captivating thriller that will have you questioning everyone and everything. I hovered between two characters as the guilty party but still had it figured out before the shocking reveal came. It was clever and well written and I enjoyed every moment of the ride. 

My only flaw I found with it was...how on earth did Jess get a passport without ever seeing her birth certificate? Because if she had...? Just a slight unanswered question that is a little fuzzy. And as such, the Spanish back story may have been better to have been left out altogether in that case. The same could have still taken place in England without the need for a passport, leaving the validity of that question dangling.

But nevertheless, DENY ME is an engaging and twisty psychological thriller that is addictive throughout. Right up to that shocking end. Packed with enough twists to give you whiplash and whether you see what is coming or not, that Epilogue will leave you breathless!

Definitely recommend!

I would like to thank #KarenCole, #NetGalley and #Quercus for an ARC of #DenyMe in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Karen Cole grew up in the Cotswolds and got a degree in psychology at Newcastle University. She spent several years teaching English around the world before settling in Cyprus with her husband and two sons, where she works at a British army base as a primary school teacher. She recently completed the Curtis Brown writing course where she found her love of writing psychological thrillers.

Social Media links:

Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

REVIEW: If Looks Could Kill by Olivia Kiernan (ARC)

If Looks Could Kill (DCS Frankie Sheehan #3) by Olivia Kiernan

Genre: Crime fiction, police procedural

Read: 19th July 2020

Goodreads

Amazon

(publication date: 23rd July 2020)

★★★★ 3.5 stars (rounded up)

When I requested this book I had no idea it was part of a series, and I do prefer to read them in order if possible. It felt as though I may have missed something by coming in on the third book and I was somewhat puzzled with its introduction although that is cleared up further into the story. Still, I felt as though I was missing something.

IF LOOKS COULD KILL opens with a very dramatic scene in a park in Dublin as a man places a gun to his temple in full view of all around and pulls the trigger. Several weeks later, Detective Chief Superintendant Frankie Sheehan and DS Baz Harwood are on their way to rural Wicklow to investigate the disappearance of Debbie Nugent.

A bloody scene greets them in Debbie's home with the living room covered in blood, and yet there is no body. Judging by the amount of blood, Frankie suspects that the woman almost certainly dead but the behaviour of her daughter is even more puzzling. Margot has been living in the house amidst the scene for three days, having not reported her mother missing until after her sister Kristen arrives from France. And even then, it is her boyfriend David Sutton who calls it in.

Frankie launches an investigation into Debbie's life but before long discovers that the woman kept to herself and practically lived off the grid. She had no mobile phone, no internet and no real contact with the outside world but for her job at the garden centre and her weekly trips to Dublin.

Believing Debbie to be almost certainly dead, Frankie organises a search team of volunteers to work alongside the Gardai to scour to woodlands near Debbie's home, in the hope of uncovering her remains. Meanwhile, Frankie and Baz question friends, neighbours and Debbie's two daughters. But as they question them over the coming days, it soon becomes clear that something strange surrounds the Nugent house.

As the team delve deeper, it is revealed the case has links to something darker and leads them into very dangerous territory.

Somewhat slow to begin with, I wasn't sure which direction the story was taking at first. The crime and the story appeared to be predictable with a hint of something untoward. As the story unfolded, it soon became clear that there was something else at play though I didn't expect it to take the turn it did.

An intruiging plot, IF LOOKS COULD KILL had plenty of twists filled with contradictions as the mystery continued to deepen. The pace picked up about 40% into the story which resulted in a compelling read. It's only as you near the end that the opening Prologue suddenly falls into place, giving it an interesting twist.

Told solely from Frankie's first person perspective, with the exception of the Prologue, IF LOOKS COULD KILL is certainly an interesting read and by the end I was congratulating the author that I had started out cursing for the slow beginning.

I liked both Frankie and Baz, who clearly work well together. The two complement each other and is far more enjoyable to read than the angst between partners and ranks found in other novels. I even liked the gruff Jack Clancy, assistant commissioner. Whilst the crime is a puzzling one for the team, when the direction changed I became suspicious of exactly who might be involved and correctly guessed two of the big reveals. But that doesn't spoil my enjoyment of a book. I love trying to work out "whodunnit" and quietly congratulate myself when I get it right. It's like a goal I set myself in trying to work it out...lol

Olivia Kiernan is not an author I have heard of before and I will be interested to read her other books in the Frankie Sheehan series. I was pleasantly surprised by this one, considering I was disappointed with the start and found it slow and ungripping at that stage. However, that all changed and it ended up being a compelling crime thriller that kept both Frankie and the reader on their toes.

IF LOOKS COULD KILL is perfect for fans who like their crime thrillers with a twist.

I would like to thank #OliviaKiernan, #NetGalley and #Quercus for an ARC of #IfLooksCouldKill in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: A Widow's Hope by Elizabeth Gill (ARC)

A Widow's Hope (aka The Road to Berry Edge) by Elizabeth Gill

Genre: Historical fiction

Read: 21st May 2020

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(publication date: 6th February 2020)

★★★ 3 stars

Once again, readers are given a misleading description. The premise outlined for A WIDOW'S HOPE is not the sole focus of the story. In fact, it is only one part of a much bigger picture. It is really a pet peeve of mine that readers are misled because what we expect from a book upon starting is in fact something entirely different.

It should also be noted that A WIDOW'S HOPE is a re-release of "The Road the Berry Edge" originally published in 2017.

The story begins in 1903 with Faith Norman visiting the grave her intended, ruminating over what was, what might have been and what she had been robbed of. She lay the blame solely at the feet of his younger brother Rob Berkeley who, one night, got his brother drunk, argued with him afterwhich brother John fell in the river and drowned. No one in Berry Edge had forgiven him for the loss of their favourite son. Soon after, Rob packed his bags and left Berry Edge for good.

The Berkeleys were well known and, up to that point, well respected in Berry Edge. They owned the steelworks and half the mines in the area which supplied work to the men in the village. But since John's death a decade earlier, the Berkeleys had lost the will for just about anything. The steelworks had been run into the ground and was fast failing. The men were restless and wondering if they would still have a job. A year before, Josiah Berkeley had collapsed at work and was now bedridden at home where his wife cared for his every need. He did not seem to be improving and neither were the works. So Mrs Berkeley wrote to her estranged son Rob begging him to return.

In Notthingham, Rob Berkeley had received and ignored most of his mother's letters. But it had come to the point that something had to be done. The steelworks was in dire need of assistance if it were to succeed and make money again so Rob begrudgingly made the decision to return. Harry Shaw, his closest friend who was almost like a brother, chose to return with him. Rob had made his fortune alongside Harry and his father Vincent and they lived in an abbey of the grandest scale, with Harry's mother Ida, that they purchased together. The men were business together and Vince and Ida considered Rob as a second son, and not just because he had married their daughter Sarah who had tragically died Christmas Eve two years before.

Rob returned to Berry Edge with Harry in tow who, despite knowing that Durham was in the north country, thought that Scotland came after Yorkshire. Neither man was welcomed but they were needed.

Before Rob returned home, Mrs Berkeley had employed a local girl Nancy MacFadden to cook and clean in preparation of the men's return. Nancy was a young widow whose brutish husband had died at the works while drunk on duty. He was not missed by either workers or his family...least of all by Nancy. In fact, she felt nothing but relief when she heard the news. No more dreading the time Sean would return hom drunk from the pub to beat her or to have his way with her, to leave her with no money while he drank it away at the pub, nor to be on the receiving end of his jealousy and anger. Sean MacFadden never wanted a wife or children. He wanted a cook, a cleaner and a whore on demand. No, Nancy MacFadden didn't mourn her husband's passing - she rejoiced in it.

Since her fiance John's untimely death ten years before, Faith has lived a dull and chaste life, her only real outings were to his grave and to chapel. When she first set eyes on Rob Berkeley again she hated the sight of him, but over time she began to see that he was not the same man he once was. Time and guilt had changed him. But it had also changed her. She was now 30 and a spinster and considered too old for marriage. Her future seemed entirely bleak. Until Rob Berkeley and Harry Shaw came to Berry Edge.

There is so much more to the story than that of Faith Norman. I'm not even sure why it is called A WIDOW'S HOPE because Faith was never actually married. The only widow who had any real place in the story was Nancy. And yet there was still alot more to come.

The characters were a diverse bunch although when it came down it, none of them were all that different from the other. The only thing that separated them was money and class. Most were likable and the only ones who weren't were quickly disposed of. The development of the setting was engrossing as were those of the characters...but that is pretty much where it ended. I would have enjoyed a little more depth and a few twists thrown in to make it interesting. As it was, it was far too predictable - though that doesn't necessarily detract from my enjoyment of a book but this one was sadly lacking in something or other...I just can't figure out what.

I did enjoy A WIDOW'S HOPE, especially the ending, and a particular character who always made me laugh with his witty quips that were most inappropriate but amusing just the same. I just didn't enjoy it as much I have other historical fiction. It IS the first book I have read by this author so I do look forward to reading other works before I decide whether her style is for me or not.

A poignant tale, A WIDOW'S HOPE is an easy read that many fans of historical fiction will surely enjoy.

I would like to thank #ElizabethGill, #NetGalley and #Quercus for an ARC of #AWidowsHope in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: The House at Silvermoor by Tracy Rees (ARC)

The House at Silvermoor by Tracy Rees

Genre: Historical fiction

Read: 1st April 2020

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(publication date: 2nd April 2020)

★★★★★ 5 stars

I am taking part in the blog tour for THE HOUSE AT SILVERMOOR by Tracy Rees and published by Quercus on 2nd April 2020.

A rags to riches story in the vein of Catherine Cookson, THE HOUSE AT SILVERMOOR is my first book by Tracy Rees and having devoured this one I am eager to read more.

Set in Yorkshire at the turn of the 20th century, Tommy and Josie are little more than children when they meet. Both are from mining communities in neighbouring villages that rival the other with nothing more than the knowledge that their paths had already been mapped out for them by generations of tradition. For Tommy, it's to go underground as a miner - for Josie, it's to be the wife and mother of a miner. Together they form an unlikely friendship, chasing dreams, asking questions and sharing secrets...as we follow their journey from children into young adults.

At the age of 12, Tommy Green leaves school to begin work at the mine where his father and brothers work, and where his brother had died before him. But Tommy yearns for an education, to learn more than just what's expected of him. On his final day of school, he asks the schoolmaster what he may do to further his education, but the schoolmaster just shrugs his queries off as shirking his responsibilities to his family of miners. And so down the mine Tommy goes. But surely there is something more than this life? What's wrong with wanting to better yourself? What's wrong with wanting something different rather than what's expected? 

Tommy found himself fascinated with the Sedgewick family who lived at Silvermoor, and who owned the mines in which the village worked. Ever since his 5th birthday when the villagers were invited to attend the christening party of their newest addition Lord Walter, Tommy has felt an affinity to the family. He even secretly imagined that he was the long lost son of the Earl who would take him under his wing and that he would live at Silvermoor. But it was just a dream.

It was on one Sunday afternoon when Tommy was out walking, instead of attending church with his family, that he found himself near the village of Arden and the silent halls of Heston Manor, where the feared Barridges had once lived before the death of their heir. Winthrop Barridge, a cruel and hateful man many feared, owned the mines of Arden and ran them with a brutal hand. He was in a daydream when he came across a pretty young slip of a girl with the blackest eyes and the reddest hair he had ever seen picking bluebells and violets for her sister's wedding. Her name was Josie.

At 11 years old, Josie Westgate knows she is nothing special. Her ma reminds her of that fact daily, should she ever get any ideas above her station. She is one of four daughters and one son, the second youngest with little Tansy the last of them all. On the day she meets Tommy, her ma sent her out to pick violets for her older sister Alice's hair for her wedding. At this time of year there was only one place she knew to find them...and that was in Heston Manor grounds. After collecting the violets she gathered some bluebells for herself until a surprise appearance by the gamekeeper in which he bullies her and tramples on those she held in her shaking hands. 

In Tommy, Josie finds a kindred spirit. He comes to her rescue and warns her to steer clear of Heston grounds, for even in the village of Grindley folk knew not to cross paths with the Barridge's gamekeeper. Every Sunday, the two meet in the lanes between their villages to walk, talk and dream of a better life beyond that which is expected of them.

For both Tommy and Josie, life couldn't be more different and yet still be the same. Both are from mining families in mining communities living hand to mouth. And yet that is where the similarities end. Tommy is from a loving family with thirteen mouths to feed but they are happy. Josie is from a bitter and disparate family who have mainly daughters that cannot earn a living down the mines to keep food on their table...and a secret that threatens to destroy everything she has ever known.

One night, Josie is shocked to discover that her parents intend to send her down the mines and her dear friend Miss Embry knocks on Tommy's door in the middle of the night, begging for his help. After her father locks her in the coal shed and the house soon goes off to sleep, Tommy deftly opens the shed to rescue Josie and they run off into the night.

As fate intervenes and a chance encounter with a stranger at Heston Manor, Tommy and Josie find themselves at Silvermoor on a promise from one of the family. They are welcomed with open arms, given food and warmth and a place to sleep as both their stories take on different turns. Although Tommy remains down the pits, Josie is taken into service in York but spends many weeks and months back at Silvermoor with Lady Coralie, for whom she is now a lady's maid. 

And all the while, both Tommy and Josie await for his chance at a different life... Will it come? Or will Tommy be destined to remain down the pits forever? And die the same death as his brother before him?

Told solely from Tommy and Josie's perspectives, THE HOUSE AT SILVERMOOR is a beautifully written tale weaves both their stories together with an expert hand. As readers we watch those stories unfold as Tommy and Josie overcome heartache, tragedy and loss to find love, happiness and contentment. From Grindley and Arden to Silvermoor, York...and beyond!

Beginning in 1897 through to 1905, THE HOUSE AT SILVERMOOR is a captivating journey at the turn of the century surrounding the South Yorkshire mining community and the house at the centre of it all - Silvermoor. It is a sweeping tale of love, loss and family that is both heartbreaking and heartwarming.

There is so much to just love about this book with plenty you'll love to hate and even more you'll love to love. A novel to get swept away in, to lose yourself for a day, to just enjoy the journey and to savour it once it's over. THE HOUSE AT SILVERMOOR is everything and more. It is a must for fans of historical fiction. It is Catherine Cookson of the 21st century.

I would like to thank #TracyRees, #NetGalley and #Quercus for an ARC of #TheHouseAtSilvermoor in exchange for an honest review.