REVIEW: Watch Over You by M.J. Ford

Watch Over You (DS Josie Masters #3) by M.J. Ford

Genre: Crime fiction, Crime thriller, Police procedural

Read: 6th June 2021

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Published: 9th July 2020

★★★ 3 stars

DESCRIPTION:

The hunt is on. And this time, it’s personal…

When DS Josie Masters is called out to a house in North Oxford to investigate a serious incident, things take a personal turn. The body is Harry’s – her friend and former colleague.

Josie thought Harry lived alone, but evidence suggests he’d had a lodger – a young woman who has fled the scene.

And as more killings stun Oxford, the police discover the picture is more complicated than it appeared.

The young woman is on the run, and someone is following her – leaving a stack of bodies in their wake…

MY REVIEW:

Firstly, I didn't know this book was part of a series when requesting it so therefore I probably didn't enjoy it as much has I read the previous two first. I did find it a little slow to begin with and the pace was sporadic throughout and I admit I did feel it dragging at times.

DS Jo Masters (I had to chuckle at sharing her name with another DS Jo Masters previously from "The Bill") has just returned to work after six months maternity leave, despite having to surgically remove herself from 6 month old Theo to do so. She knows she will miss him but feels she is ready to return to work. She was wrong.

Her first day back she responds to an emergency call upon hearing over her radio about a disturbance at her friend and former policeman Harry Ferman. When she arrives, he is unresponsive and covered in blood from a head wound inflicted with a poker laying nearby. Who would do this to Harry? And did his message on her phone have anything to do with what lead someone to attack him? A search of the premises show a young blonde woman has been staying with him but Jo knew nothing of the arrangement. So where is the woman now? And did she have something to do with his attack?

Sadly Harry is pronounced dead shortly after paramedics arrive on scene despite her best efforts to keep him alive through CPR. This is now a murder enquiry and Jo's superior DCI Andy Carrick assigns her as SIO of the investigation.

As an aside, there had been a fatal shooting prior to Jo's return and the whereabouts of a person of interest who fled the scene has been located in a Cotswold village a short distance away. Jo accompanies two of her colleagues, DS George "Dimi" Dimitriou and DC Alice Reeve, to the address where something far more sinister awaits them. The bodies of an affluent couple and prominent  members of the village and local church, Dr and Mr Bailey, in the cellar of their home. A search of the premises shows the crime scene to have been in the master bedroom upstairs where signs of forced entry were visible. Not to mention the dead rodents in the summer house in the back garden who had subsequently died of an overdose of whatever illicit drug had been stored there.

Jo and her team narrow down the couple's two children, Greg and Megan Bailey, as two persons of interest and set to ascertaining their whereabouts. A photo of the blonde Megan shows the possibility that she may have been the young woman staying with Harry and in that case, she is just 16 years old. So what has she got to do with Harry and how is it linked the fatal shooting of Xan Do earlier in the week?

What then ensues is an investigation that leads to more questions and complexities that the team must work tirelessly to unravel. A shooting in a cafe and a car jacking lead them to their prime suspect...but just exactly who is he? And what does he want with Megan Bailey?

While the plot was somewhat gritty and at times graphic, there was a part of me that found it all a little reminiscent of Morse with the mention of the various places around Oxford that continually popped up Colin Dexter's novels of the irascible detective. Woodstock, St Aldates, Banbury, Wolvercote, Jericho as well as the Radcliffe Infirmary. But there, the similarity ends of course as this was a crime on a whole different level than the cosy-type of academia murders that frequented Morse. This was more gung-ho.

I couldn't make up my mind whether I liked WATCH OVER ME or not. The pace was a little slow and despite picking up, it did taper off again here and there. The procedural story, as well as that following Josie's personal life, was interspersed with the preceding thoughts and actions of someone called James. But who he is and what his involvement becomes clearer as the story progresses. I admit to figuring out who he was somewhat early but exactly why was a puzzle that slowly unravelled. And for me, it kind of ended up a bit of an anti climax. The final chapters were spent in a pursuit that ended with nothing really unexpected by its conclusion.

WATCH OVER ME was a gripping read to an extent and I enjoyed Jo's gallows humour at the beginning with the child services visit. But having not read the other two books to appreciate the series more, I doubt I will revisit.

I would like to thank #MJFord, #Netgalley and #AvonBooks for an ARC of #WatchOverYou in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Matthew (M.J.) Ford is a British mystery author from the North of England that is best known for his series of novels featuring Detective Jo Masters. Ford was born in 1980 and as a teenager, he went to Oxford University from where he studied English and the Classics. He has worked as an editor and writer of children’s fiction for many years. His debut novel, Hold My Hand, was published in 2018. Watch Over You is his third crime book.

Matthew lives with his wife and family on the edge of the Peak District in the north of England.

Social Media links:

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REVIEW: Somebody's Daughter by Carol Wyer

Somebody's Daughter (DCI Natalie Ward #7) by Carol Wyer

Genre: Crime fiction, Police procedural, Crime thriller

Read: 4th June 2021

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Amazon

Published: 9th July 2020

★★★★ 4 stars

DESCRIPTION:

One by one the girls disappeared…

When the frail body of a teenage girl is discovered strangled in a parking lot, shards of ice form in Detective Natalie Ward’s veins. As Natalie looks at the freckles scattered on her cheeks and the pale pink lips tinged with blue, she remembers that this innocent girl is somebody’s daughter…

The girl is identified as missing teenager Amelia Saunders, who has run away from home and her controlling father. Natalie’s heart sinks further when it becomes clear that Amelia has been working on the streets, manipulated by her violent new boyfriend Tommy.

A day later, another vulnerable girl is found strangled on a park bench. Like Amelia, Katie Bray was a runaway with connections to Tommy, and Natalie is determined to find him and track down the monster attacking these scared and lonely girls.

But when a wealthy young woman is found murdered the next morning, the word ‘guilty’ scrawled on her forehead, Natalie realises that the case is more complex than she first thought. Determined to establish a connection between her three victims, Natalie wastes no time in chasing down the evidence, tracing everyone who crossed their paths. Then, a key suspect’s body turns up in the canal, a mole in Natalie’s department leaks vital information and everything seems to be against her. Can Natalie stop this clever and manipulative killer before they strike again?

An unputdownable crime thriller from an Amazon bestselling author that will have you sleeping with the light on. This gripping rollercoaster ride is perfect for fans of Angela Marsons, Rachel Abbott and Rachel Caine. Prepare to be totally hooked!

MY REVIEW:

It's been a long time coming but I finally got around to reading the last in the DI Natalie Ward series by Carol Wyer. Published last July, I still had every intention of getting to it eventually despite venturing into her latest and equally addictive DI Kate Young series. Over the course of the series we have watched Natalie grow as she suffers grief on a whole new level and her personal life began to implode. In SOMEBODY'S DAUGHTER, things come full circle for Natalie as she begins a new chapter of her life while tendrils from her past tease readers with what may be awaiting us should Carol revisit Natalie and her team at a later date. 

The prologue opens with promise as two sisters fight over a boy they were both interested in. Although the boy in question is actually a man or twenty fours years and 17 year old Sophia is tearing strips of her 15 year old sister Katie for snaffling him from under her nose, knowing how she felt about him. Katie, on the other hand, was sick of copping the blame for everything and of her older sister lording it over her at every turn. She knew her parents would side with Sophia so with one final burst of anger, she pushed Sophia and raced upstairs to pack. With her parents out of town tonight, Katie would leave the shackles of authority and her family behind to start a new life with Tommy.

Natalie Ward has seen a lot of changes both professionally and personally since the previous book "The Secret Admirer", where she had left her husband David after he gambled away most of their life and their savings. Now a year has passed and she has divorced David and a new and elite crime unit has been created in the newly renovated Victorian building of Holborn House for which Natalie has been promoted to DCI to oversee, with newly promoted DI Lucy Carmichael heading up things under Natalie's command. 

Meanwhile, after a stop-gap in a poky little flat not far from HQ, she and son Josh have now moved in with Mike Sullivan, who is Head of Forensics at Samford HQ, whilst trying to win over Mike's 7 year old daughter Thea, who thinks that Natalie is keeping her already divorced parents apart. As this is Mike's weekend to have Thea, Natalie has organised a Bonfire Party with loads of food like toffee apples, has decked out the yard with fairy lights and has even bought her an Olaf the talking snowman from "Frozen". Some of Thea's friends have been invited to enjoy the festivities with her while Mike puts on a modest display of fireworks.

And then she gets the call.

The body of a teenage girl has been found in West Gate car park, apparently strangled. She is soon identified as Amelia Saunders, a runaway from Nottinghamshire who left home eighteen months previously after an arguement with her father for which he blamed himself and then took his own life. The team learn that Amelia had been working as a prostitute and that she was last seen in the company of a scruffy young man with frizzy hair in a "man bun" known as Tommy. The investigation is barely underway when the team, whilst looking for another young teenager called Katie Bray who'd also run away, come across the emaciated body of a young teenage girl whom DS Murray Anderson recognises immediately as Katie the following day. After speaking with her older sister Sophia and father Phil, they learnt that Katie left after a fight with Sophia to be with the boyfriend she'd stolen from her whose name was none other than Tommy.

With the bodies of two teenage girls, both emaciated and very obviously soliciting as prostitutes, the team begin looking for Tommy. But with no idea what he looks like or even his surname, they have no idea where to start. Until they come across some CCTV of Katie behind the Hardy's department store in which they see a white van drive away. Freeze frame the picture, zoom in and they have a registration which comes back to one Tommy Field and a local address in some dilapidated flats marked for demolition. But upon visiting the address there is no sign of Tommy, but there are those of a woman having shared the flat with prints coming back to those of Katie. So while she may have believed him to be her boyfriend, he saw her as a meal ticket pimping her out to pay for his obvious habit.

The following day, the investigation is ramped up a notch with the discovery of the body of Rachel Hardy, daughter of affluent businessman, Eugene Hardy,  owner of local department store Hardy's. But the MO for this murder is different. While Rachel was indeed strangled, the word "GUILTY" had been written in biro across her forehead. The team are baffled. Why would the murderer suddenly switch MO? And why target an affluent member of Samford society as opposed to prostitutes? What has changed? Questioning her father proves fruitless as he becomes enraged with the direction of enquiries before throwing them out. Then another two bodies are discovered on consecutive days, both with the word "GUILTY" scrawled across their foreheads. What does this mean? And is Tommy or rival pimp Valentine responsible for these murders?

But when Tommy's semi-decomposed body is found in the canal partially eaten by fish, the team are thoroughly stumped. They have lost their prime suspect to all five murders and the top brass is gunning for a clean result. But with the death of Tommy, Superintendent Tasker is happy to conclude that he was responsible for the deaths and then threw himself in the canal. But then the autopsy reveals that Tommy was dead before he went into the water. So who is responsible for the now six murders they are under pressure to solve quickly?

SOMEBODY'S DAUGHTER has a slightly different feel to it than the previous books in this series in that I think it would suffice quite sufficiently as a standalone. Although it is always best to read a series from the beginning, the format of this this book is different providing flashbacks to Natalie's life as well as enough backstory to keep readers in the loop. There is also more information regarding her estrangement from her younger sister Frances who she alludes to in previous books but doesn't detail. In this book, she provides the backstory to what lead to the estrangement through flashbacks. It has provided readers with a yearning for more wanting to know how Natalie will handle the new turn of events we are left with by the book's end. I do hope Carol will return at some point to give us some answers.

The pace of this story does begin a little slower than some but soon builds up enough as the bodycount continues to rise and the pieces of the puzzle are unscrambled. As with all of Carol's books, the story is realistic if not shocking as the lives of society's dregs are picked apart in an effort to find out who murdered them. And as is usually the way, the moment more prominent members of the community become victims the focus of the investigation moves to them, leaving the sorry lives of two teenage girls at the bottom of the scrap heap. Although not under this team, if Lucy or Natalie have anything to do with it. All lives matter...even teenage runaways who end up sex workers. 

A good solid procedural, SOMEBODY'S DAUGHTER is a complex mystery with all the grit of a Natalie Ward crime thriller. There are plenty of twists as the dark truth is slowly uncovered, revealing what is actually a very sad tale. I do, however, hope that this is not Natalie's last hurrah and look forward to Carol bringing life back into her again and revealing some answers we readers would love to see pan out with where things left off. Although, that is to say this book did not actually end on a cliffhanger but there are some unanswered questions about Natalie's past which threatened to come to light...and then didn't.

A definite twisted tale, SOMEBODY'S DAUGHTER brings Natalie's professional and personal life full circle in this seventh book that, while should be read alongside the others in the series, can work well enough as a standalone. I certainly enjoyed this book but of the series, I think "The Blossom Twins" was the best. And the most tragic.

Recommended for Carol Wyer fans and lovers of crime fiction.

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

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Carol Wyer writes feel-good comedies and gripping crime fiction.

A move from humour to the 'dark side' in 2017, saw the introduction of popular DI Robyn Carter in Little Girl Lost and demonstrated that stand-up comedian Carol, had found her true niche.

To date, her crime novels have sold over 800,000 copies and been translated for various overseas markets.

The much-anticipated new series, featuring DI Kate Young, was published on 1st February 2021 with the first novel, An Eye For An Eye, and a second, A Cut for a Cut, to be  published on 24th June 2021.

Carol has been interviewed on numerous radio shows discussing ''Irritable Male Syndrome' and 'Ageing Disgracefully' and on BBC Breakfast television. She has had articles published in national magazines 'Woman's Weekly', featured in 'Take A Break', 'Choice', 'Yours' and 'Woman's Own' magazines and the Huffington Post.

She currently lives on a windy hill in rural Staffordshire with her husband Mr Grumpy... who is very, very grumpy.

When she is not plotting devious murders, she can be found performing her comedy routine, Smile While You Still Have Teeth.

Social Media links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

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REVIEW: The Forever Home by Sue Watson

The Forever Home by Sue Watson

Genre: Psychological thriller, Domestic thriller, Suspense

Read: 31st May 2021

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Published: 4th June 2021

★★★★★ 4.5 stars (rounded up)

DESCRIPTION:

You thought you’d always be safe there… you were wrong.

Carly had thought they’d always live there. The beautiful Cornish cliffside house they’d taken on as a wreck, that Mark had obsessively re-designed and renovated – a project that had made him famous. It was where they’d raised their children, where they’d sat cosily on the sofa watching storms raging over the sea below. It was where they’d promised to keep each other’s secrets…

Until now. Because Mark has fallen in love. With someone he definitely shouldn’t have. Someone who isn’t Carly. And suddenly their family home doesn’t feel like so much of a safe haven.

Carly thinks forever should mean forever though: it’s her home and she’ll stay there. Even the dark family secrets it contains feel like they belong to her. But someone disagrees. And, as threats start to arrive at her front door, it becomes clear, someone will stop at nothing. Because someone wants to demolish every last thing that makes Carly feel safe. Forever.

An utterly unputdownable psychological thriller about what lies are hidden in the most beautiful homes. Perfect for fans of Date Night, Gone Girl and The Woman in the Window.

MY REVIEW:

I am excited to be taking part in the #BooksOnTour #BlogTour for Sue Watson's psychological thriller THE FOREVER HOME.

I'm sure Sue Watson sits and dreams up ways to tie her readers in knots with her characters that just love to get under your skin! She once told me that I'm one of her favourite readers...probably because her characters get me so worked up I could happily poke my own eyes out they do my head in so much! Now she says "I write them just for you Stina! I know you love to hate them!" lol The last time she did that to me was in "The Sister in Law"...but in that case there was only one irritating character. In THE FOREVER HOME there are two of them! Give me strength...!!

But having said that, I know when I pick up a Sue Watson book I am going to get a good fast paced thriller with plenty of twists that will have me turning pages long into the night. This book is no exception. And the setting...omg! Cornwall is one of my favourite settings and just visualising the house on the cliff overlooking the Atlantic and those stormy nights with the rain beating against the windows and those mornings you wake to see the colours reflected in the ocean depths...I was in heaven. Always a perfect setting for a thriller.

The house was in dire need of repairs when her mother gifted it Carly as a wedding present when she married Mark, but to Carly it is her forever home. The house of her childhood. Where her memories were made. But it has been open to the elements for so long that it needs bringing back to life. Newly married with a baby on the way, Carly and her architect husband Mark set to renovating and repairing the house. 

Carly captured the many moments spent renovating on video as Mark talked through the process, uploading to their YouTube channel and social media sites and quickly gaining followers. Tagging DIY suppliers where they purchased supplied, this generated support from the various businesses and in turn their costs were kept to a minimum enabling the project to keep going. It wasn't long before their renovation was picked up by producers and turned into a TV programme titled "The Forever Home" watched by millions around the UK. And while Carly is the brains behind the concept, Mark is the handsome charismatic face of it and soon went on to renovate homes all over the UK for TV. And now a US streaming service is interested in "The Forever Home" with the promise of a multi-million dollar contract and the temporary relocation to America for TV's perfect couple. It's a dream come true. But is it really?

On the surface, Carly and Mark appear to be the perfect couple with the perfect marriage and living in the perfect house...their forever home where it all began. But on the night of their 25th wedding anniversary celebrations, the perfect facade to the perfect life comes crashing down.

Not only is Mark late for their own party leaving Carly to welcome their guests alone, but she finds herself at the forefront of a media circus that her husband has created for a PR show! But when she catches her husband arguing with her best friend Lara she wonders if she is just another in his long list of affairs...but the truth is far worse. Mark, it seems, has been sleeping with Lara's 24 year old daughter Erin. The same girl who used to play with their children and they sometimes babysat for as a four year old! But it gets worse...Erin is pregnant and the couple are in love. Could things get any worse?? Trust me, it does...

While Carly remains in the house that was her family's, it appears Mark is telling Erin a different story. Added to that, Mark's agent creates a  narrative that puts Carly in a bad light but she agrees to the "story" they will tell the public to enable Carly to keep the house and Mark to get the US deal and therefore an amicable divorce settlement that will benefit them both. It is what they agreed. But then Mark and Erin go on national TV, rewriting the narrative yet again when Erin announces sweetly that she wants people to know how generous Carly is and that she said how "the house is too big for her, that she's too old to have any more kids, so rather than rattle around in there she is giving Mark his house back". Carly is livid. This is NOT what they agreed. And it seems that Erin mistakenly believes that THE house, the forever home, HER house is Mark's...since she stupidly believes everything Mark tells her. But Erin has always been spoilt and thrown tantrums whenever things never went her way, even as a child, and she's too greedy to let Carly live in that gorgeous spacious house alone while they are forced to rent a tiny two bedroom cottage with a baby on the way.

And then Carly starts getting threatening notes, seeing shadows and hearing noises in the house. A shattered vase, photos rearranged on the wall, a dead rat. A campaign to scare her from her home? Or is there something more sinister going on?

At first she suspects Ryan, the thirty five year old builder who she employed to start much-needed repairs and maintenance on the house...which Mark neglected after reaching the heights of success the forever home had brought him in the first place. But Ryan has been incredibly supportive throughout everything she couldn't see him behind the scare tactics. But then her daughter Phoebe warns her to be careful of him as "the Jarvis boys have a bit of a reputation". Is Ryan all that he appears to be? Should she be worried? But as their relationship becomes more intimate, Carly finds herself sharing the true nature of her marriage to Mark and the dark secrets that they kept from the public. And while they portrayed the image of the perfect couple to the nation, no one knew the truth of what happened behind the closed doors of their marriage.

So why didn't Carly kick him out years ago? Why keep up the pretense for the world, her friends, her children even when they clearly were not? Even after the children grew up and made lives of their own? What did Mark have over Carly to keep up the facade? And is it that which now keeps Carly from revealing the truth about Mark and shattering his perfect persona to the world? And what secrets does the forever home hold?

Then when Erin disappears having last been seen at Carly's house, the tension mounts as police are called in to investigate. A blood-spotted throw of Carly's is found on the beach and Erin's shattered phone hidden behind the shed and suddenly Carly finds herself in the spotlight and under suspicion of having done something to her husband's new girlfriend in an attempt to keep her house. But Carly can't help but think maybe Mark was behind the disappearance...after all, he admitted to her that he was finding Erin far too high maintenance and her behaviour was threatening the American deal. Could he behind it after all?

Oh my word! What a tension-filled suspense-driven thriller THE FOREVER HOME is! I could not swipe the pages quick enough waiting for Mark to get his comeuppance...not to mention the awful Erin as well. She was just vile. The way they both treated Carly was despicable I could hardly believe it. I was so angered on Carly's behalf. Mark was complete b****** and Erin behaved like a spoilt princess - they were perfect for each other. But it was the scene in the cafe soon after their separation that had me reeling with disbelief. The nerve of that woman! And then to turn it all around to make Carly out to be the vengeful ex-wife that Erin lived in fear of just made my blood boil.

The story is told from the first person narrative in Carly's perspective throughout, making the reader sympathise with her from the start. I was Team Carly from the beginning and like her, I didn't know who to trust or believe. Even Ryan, who Carly grew attached to and fell into a relationship of sorts with after her separation from Mark, I felt I could never quite trust him either. He just always seemed to be there at the right time when something happened. He even turned up moments after Erin disappeared which seemed somewhat suspicious. This added to the tension and left us wondering if Carly was doing the right thing letting him in...

And then there is the whole cliffside house setting, particularly on stormy nights which simply adds to the suspense on a Daphne du Maurier scale. The house which is a character in itself. It's the centrepiece of the entire story. Like Manderlay in "Rebecca", the house is the beginning and the end. I had visions of it burning down so no one could get it, particularly when it seemed like Carly had no way out when Mark depleted their entire savings and left her with nothing and no way to pay for the upkeep on the said house that is open to the coastal elements year round and in constant need of maintenance. 

THE FOREVER HOME is the perfect title for this tension-filled tale of secrets, lies and jealousy. I could not devour it quick enough although I had real life rudely get in the way making the journey a little longer than anticipated. But still, it was an enjoyable ride that Sue took us on with an ending that you might think you know is coming...but it isn't. Although I thought it would have been a slightly more evil touch had the result been one of my other theories, the ending was still satisfactory and very well done. And as always, I love the short snappy chapters that just add to the building tension. 

If you're a fan of psychological thrillers, I'm sure you will devour THE FOREVER HOME. There are so many secrets and lies that it is one truly twisted read drawing you in from the beginning and doesn't let go till that final page. 

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

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Sue Watson was a TV Producer at the BBC until she wrote her first book and was hooked.

Now a USA Today bestselling author, Sue has written sixteen novels (many involving cake), and many have been translated into several languages. Sue is now exploring the darker side of life with her latest thrillers OUR LITTLE LIES, THE WOMAN NEXT DOOR, THE EMPTY NEST, THE SISTER-IN-LAW, FIRST DATE and THE FOREVER HOME out on 4th June.

Sue explored the darker side of life for her latest book 'Our Little Lies,' a dark, psychological thriller completely devoid of cake. She's hoping this change in direction will be reflected on the weighing scales.

Originally from Manchester, she now lives with her family in leafy Worcestershire where much of her day is spent writing – and procrastinating. Her hobby is eating cake while watching diet and exercise programmes from the sofa, a skill she’s perfected after many years of practice.

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REVIEW: The Bridesmaid by Nina Manning

The Bridesmaid by Nina Manning

Genre: Contemporary fiction, Suspense, Domestic drama

Read: 28th May 2021

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Amazon

Published: 27th May 2021

★★★★ 3.5 stars (rounded up)

DESCRIPTION:

‘Promise me? If you hear any secrets, never tell me. That would make you a most treasured friend. More than a friend really. You’re almost like a sister to me…’

 

Your best friend….

From the moment they met as children, Sasha knew that beautiful, wealthy, and confident Caitlin would always be her absolute best friend.  Sasha would do anything to make Caitlin happy.  

Even keep her darkest secrets…

The years have passed, but their friendship remains.  And when Caitlin announces she’s getting married there is only one choice for the role of bridesmaid.  

Sasha will make sure Caitlin’s wedding is as beautiful and perfect as she is.  Won’t she? 

Your worst nightmare?

 

But Sasha is growing tired of always being in Caitlin's shadow  - always the bridesmaid, never the bride.  And as the big day approaches, cracks begin to appear between the two woman.  Secrets and lies swirl between the two friends like confetti. Both of them are hiding dark secrets, both of them are lying. 

 

Could the secrets that once bound these two friends, rip them apart for good?

MY REVIEW:

I'm excited to be taking part in the #BlogTour for Nina Manning's latest offering THE BRIDESMAID.

This is one of those books that despite being fraught with suspense and drama it leaves you wondering how on earth to categorise it. It's marketed as a thriller and yet it isn't really. More of a dark contemporary suspense-filled drama that will have you reading well into the night. I have to say that I enjoyed this book far more than her last but it still doesn't beat her fantastic debut thriller "The Daughter in Law" which was phenomenally brilliant.

The story begins with an unnamed character slipping into bed and snuggling up to a child as she relives the memories of the past that still haunt her, a letter clutched in her hand. Then it slips back in time to 1991 then forwards to 2009 and then back again to 1988...where the story really begins. The timelines might appear confusing at first but they become clearer as the story progresses, after which the main timelines are 1988 and 2009 with the progression of time going forward. I will begin where the story does...

Dorset 1988: Eleven year old Sasha lives on the vast estate of Saxby House where her parents are employed by matriarch Josephine Clemonte as housekeeper and head gardener respectively. They live in a cottage provided to them under the terms of their employment and their children, Sasha and Hunter, enjoy the vast grounds in which to play. In the summer of that year, the lady of the manor's granddaughter comes to stay along with her parents and Sasha is excited at the prospect of meeting someone her own age. The moment she meets Caitlin Sasha is completely enamoured and a friendship is born.

However, Caitlin is not always as she appears and Sasha often hears her mumbling to herself and when she asks her to repeat it, Caitlin just stares at her blankly before continuing on her way. In awe of her beauty, Sasha revels in this new-found friendship despite Caitlin's odd behaviour and often cruel treatment of her new best friend. Regardless, Sasha is eager to be the bestest friend, hungry for her acceptance and approval and eager to please.

What follows is a foray into Sasha's sometimes lonely existence throughout the rest of the year when Caitlin is back at school in London. She longs for the summer when for three months, she and Caitlin are together once again. The following year Sasha meets Chuck, the son of a family friend, who attends the various parties the family hold whether it be New Years Eve or a birthday celebration. Sasha is drawn to Chuck who isn't as snobbish or as aloof as Caitlin though she realises that nothing could ever come of their friendship because people like them don't really mix or marry people like her. Still, she enjoys her time with Chuck...when she isn't with Caitlin, that is...because he accepts her for who she is while Caitlin is quick to point out the differences in their social status, as if some kind of power play to keep Sasha in her place.

And yet, Sasha is still eager to maintain their friendship and will do anything to please the girl who so obviously regards her more of a toy that can be picked up and put down whenever she chooses. As if Sasha is merely someone to entertain her during months of boredom.

Then one night Sasha discovers a secret about the Clemontes but is persuaded by Caitlin's mother Ava never to reveal it. As the reader, we are not privy to the secret until towards the end when the bombshell is revealed at Caitlin's wedding.

London 2009: It's been twenty years since Sasha and Caitlin became friends and yet the status quo remains the same. Despite everything she dishes out to her "best friend", Caitlin proudly proclaims that she never apologises. While as an adolescent I can understand her need for acceptance but as an adult I'm surprise Sasha continues to stand for it. But then Sasha has a plan...for what? Revenge? Or truth?

Caitlin's on-off relationship with Chuck over the years has somehow managed to earn a proposal which promptly preceded an impromptu trip to Greece for a "hen holiday". Her role as bridesmaid was to ensure everything from the trip to Greece to the choosing of the gown to the fittings to the party favours to the actual wedding itself went smoothly. Caitlin didn't appear to be at all interested in organising her own wedding and left it all in the hands of her competent best friend and bridesmaid, Sasha. In fact, the bride herself is completely indifferent about the whole event which puzzles Sasha. Surely Caitlin would be revelling in the glow of engagement and excited at the prospect of marrying Chuck...but it seems she's not particularly bothered. Until she sees the perfect wedding dress which bears a striking resemblance to her mother's own, stained red after convincing her mother to allow her to wear it for a play they put on one summer in which Caitlin had the starring role. But is it marrying Chuck that is at the forefront of her mind? Or is it the prospect of getting revenge on her emotionally-absent mother? Sasha isn't sure. But one thing remains clear...Sasha's own plans for Caitlin's big day.

While I went into this book expecting a thriller, I was surprised to discover that I enjoyed it even though it wasn't. Despite its slow start, the tension builds throughout where the pace picks up towards the halfway mark after which it explodes in a myriad of rainbow coloured shards to reveal the truth. However, everything is smoke and mirrors as the reader is left assuming something that isn't truth whilst revealing something completely different in the end.

A real page-turner I was surprised to enjoy THE BRIDESMAID more than I thought I would. But I wouldn't categorise it as a thriller. It's more of a dark contemporary suspense-filled drama with a twist. But in the end, even the twist kind of fell flat, not just to the reader but to the characters it was aimed at in the first place. I could relate to adolescent Sasha and her desire to please Caitlin in an attempt to maintain their friendship because I was Sasha at that age too. It's a difficult time where you are navigating the change from child to young adult and some of us are just eaten alive by the Caitlins of this world.

A story about friendship, co-dependency, family and secrets, THE BRIDESMAID is a compelling and somewhat addictive tale of two friends from two different worlds. Recommended to those who like dark contemporary tales.

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

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Nina Manning began her career in the catering industry. She has worked as a private chef cooking for royalty and TV personalities.

She has a degree in Psychology and has three books published with Boldwood: The Daughter In Law, The Guilty Wife and The House Mate.

Her fourth Psychological thriller, The Bridesmaid, was published 27th May 2021. Her debut psychological thriller, The Daughter in Law, was a bestseller in the UK, US, Australia and Canada.

Nina is a voracious reader of many genres, is the founding member of a long standing book club and the founder and co-host of a book podcast called Sniffing The Pages.

She is a mother to three young children so when she is not writing or reading she can usually be found scaling a soft play tower or romping in the woods with the family and her chocolate Labrador. She lives in Dorset.

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REVIEW: The Happy Family by Jackie Kabler

The Happy Family by Jackie Kabler

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

Read: 29th May 2021

Goodreads

Amazon - UK

Amazon - US

Published: 4th June 2021

★★★★★ 4.5 stars (rounded up)

DESCRIPTION:

A mother who disappeared… 

When Beth was 10 years old, her beautiful, wild mother Alice walked out and never came back. Beth’s life since hasn’t always been smooth sailing, but now she is happy and settled, with a successful career, a loving family and a beautiful home. 

 

An unexpected visitor…

Then one day there’s a knock at the door. Alice has returned. Overjoyed to have the chance to rebuild their relationship, Beth invites her mother to move in.

 

A life that comes crashing down…

At first, everything seems wonderful. But then Beth’s friends begin to drift away, strange things start to happen at home, and rumours begin to circle about her past. As the mysterious events around Beth become darker and more dangerous, she is forced to question everything. Is somebody in her life trying to destroy her happiness? And how far will they go?

MY REVIEW:

I'm excited to be taking part in the #BlogTour for Jackie Kabler's latest tale of domestic suspense THE HAPPY FAMILY.

Having read her previous thriller "The Perfect Couple", I had high hopes for this book...and I wasn't disappointed. Addicted pretty much from the beginning, THE HAPPY FAMILY is anything but a happy family. But oh how it's dysfunctionality worked!

When Beth was ten years old her mother walked out of their lives and never came back. Now she is forty, amicably divorced from Jacob with two children - Eloise (10) and Finley (7) - and a practice manager for a local GP surgery. Her father who brought her up single-handedly after her mother left is now 80 and living in a care home having suffered a stroke where Beth visits him regularly. Despite the upsets of her childhood and the ensuing adolescent years, Beth has found a happy contentment in her life for which she is grateful.

But Beth has a secret. A deep dark secret which haunts her still. In her thoughts and in her nightmares. And Beth believes it is only a matter of time before her past catches up to her and her secret shame is revealed for all to see.

And then something surprising happens. A knock on the door is about to turn her life upside down as an unfamiliar woman stands on her doorstep. Beth has no idea who she is...until she sees the familiar tattoo on her collarbone. Three stars - one for Beth, one for her dad and one for her mum. No...it can't be...can it? All at once, Beth is overwhelmed by a flood of tears as emotions run rampant at the realisation that the woman standing before her is her mother. She has come back.

Welcoming Alice with open arms, Beth invites her into her home and into her life, asking her to stay for a few days (at first) and then for however long she likes. So thrilled to be reunited with her long lost mother after thirty years, the questions she had about her absent years and why she left just disappear into the background as unimportant. Her mother is back and that's all that matters now. Soon Beth is introducing her mother to her friends and colleagues and they are all incredibly happy for her and accepting of Alice.

And then things start to go wrong.

Almost instantly, strange things begin to happen. Beth loses her keys, not once, but several times. The central heating develops bipolar heating the place up like a sauna despite the thermostat set at the usual temperature. Things go missing or are moved about and Beth begins to wonder if she is losing her grip on reality. Then it seems she is alienating her friends, losing her appetite and drinking far too much. Everyone around her seems to notice the change in her behaviour and become worried, but it's when her children start to suffer that Jacob steps in and tells her to get her act together.

And then videos appear online of Beth...naked...in the bath and rather lewdly in front of a mirror. Not only that, but the videos are linked on several Facebook pages - the surgery where she works, her ex-husband's business page, the care home where her father resides, her friends' pages - all posted from her personal account and is going viral. But the humiliation doesn't end there. It seems a tabloid has picked up the videos and have delved into her background and uncovered the deep dark secret she never wanted to make public.

Within a couple of months, her life has gone from happy contentment to a complete humiliating mess. And the only one who remains in her corner is her mum. Thank goodness she is there to support her. Or is she?

With her life crumbling around her, Beth looks in danger of losing everything and everyone close to her until someone totally unexpected comes to her rescue – a fabulous twist I admittedly guessed early on. But it was still a brilliant twist. So who is Beth's saviour?

There are several twists and reveals in THE HAPPY FAMILY and though I guessed a couple of the big ones it didn't ruin my enjoyment of it. For me, it made the most sense...even if Beth didn't have a clue. But what had me scratching my head was why would Beth take the word of the mother who had only just reappeared in her life (after being absent for the most part) over that of her friends who she knew far better in any case? She was so quick to believe the worst of them on the say so of her mother...and yet didn't question if Alice really had her best interests at heart? She may have briefly entertained the idea but she dismissed it just as quickly also. I realise the woman may have spent her whole life yearning for her mother but after being absent for thirty years, I'd want to be asking some questions. And yet Beth pushed all those aside. Still, maybe Alice just wanted Beth all to herself after being away for so long.

There are so many hints dropped throughout the story that lead the reader trying to figure our exactly what is going on, tying some in knots in the process. There were always going to be questions behind Alice's sudden reappearance...even if Beth failed to ask them. But should we be suspicious? Should Beth? Nothing was ever going to be straightforward, that's for sure, but is it too good to be true? Or are we just set up to be cynical about the obvious? Kabler has certainly played upon the more conspicuous to leave us all scratching our heads wondering what to believe. Is it Beth being gas-lighted? Or is it the reader?

Throughout the story, THE HAPPY FAMILY is, of course, anything but. But the mystery, the suspense, the tension...oh, it was a car crash moment. We simply couldn't look away. We were baited in the beginning then slowly drawn in and by this stage were well and truly hooked as we witness Beth's slow decline into self doubt and self destruction.

Part psychological part domestic, THE HAPPY FAMILY is an addictive read that will keep you turning the pages long into the night. Perfect for fans of psychological drama and domestic thrillers such as Shalini Boland, K.L. Slater, Sheryl Browne, Ruth Heald, Rona Halsall and Lisa Jewell.

I would like to thank #JackieKabler, #Netgalley, #RachelsRandomResources and #OneMoreChapter for an ARC of #TheHappyFamily in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Jackie Kabler is a television presenter and crime writer.

A former news reporter, she spent more than nine years with GMTV as a roving correspondent and newsreader, covering some of the biggest stories of the decade including President Clinton’s impeachment trial, the Asian tsunami, the Kosovo crisis, famine in Ethiopia, the Athens Olympics, the Soham murders and the disappearance of Madeleine McCann.

Jackie left GMTV to work as a freelance broadcaster in 2008. She became a regular presenter of the ITV national morning news and a reporter across ITN’s news programmes including News at Ten; a reporter and presenter on the BBC’s Midlands Today programme; presenter of property show Selfbuilder TV on Sky’s Information TV channel; and guested as a TV gardening expert. Her work also appeared on the BBC’s News Channel and on CNN.

She also worked as a media trainer and in media simulation – in particular with the armed forces – and produced, wrote and presented corporate and promotional films.

In January 2013 Jackie joined the UK’s biggest shopping channel, QVC, as a presenter.

A former newspaper reporter, she has also worked as a reporter and presenter for Channel TV, ITV West, Central TV, Five News and Setanta Sports News.

Jackie is also an internationally bestselling crime writer, author of the Cora Baxter Mysteries, a series of humorous murder mysteries set in a television room, and of psychological thrillers Am I Guilty? and The Perfect Couple. The Happy Family is her sixth book. 

Jackie lives in Gloucestershire with her husband.

Social Media links:

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REVIEW: The Marriage Lie by Ali Mercer

The Marriage Lie by Ali Mercer

Genre: Contemporary fiction, Domestic drama, Family drama

Read: 25th May 2021

Goodreads

Amazon

Apple

Google

Kobo

Published: 28th May 2021

★★★ 3 stars

DESCRIPTION:

My husband is asking me to do the impossible. But if I don’t do what he wants, he will tell our daughter everything…

 

Stella follows her handsome husband Rob to the beautifully laid-out table in the restaurant he’s chosen specially for her fortieth birthday lunch. As the waiter pops the champagne, Rob proposes a toast and their crystal glasses clink together in celebration. Stella knows how they must look to anyone watching. Two people very much in love, with the perfect marriage and the perfect life.

 

But Rob is about to drop a bombshell on Stella. He wants a divorce.

 

If she doesn’t give him exactly what he wants – the house, the money and full custody of fourteen-year-old Georgie – he will tell their precious daughter the one secret Stella has worked so hard to protect her from.

 

Stella has a choice to make. To fight for her daughter, there is only one person she can turn to for help. Someone she hasn’t spoken to in over a decade. If she doesn’t, Rob will win. But to do it means facing up to her biggest regret, and risks losing Georgie forever, once she learns the truth…

 

An absolutely heart-breaking and gripping novel about the price of keeping a secret. Fans of Amanda Prowse, Kate Hewitt and Susan Lewis will be gripped by this emotional family drama from the very first page.

MY REVIEW:

I am excited to be taking part in the #BooksOnTour #BlogTour for Ali Mercer's THE MARRIAGE LIE.

I'm not sure how to categorise Ali Mercer...it's not thriller but it's not just contemporary fiction either. It's a bit of domestic drama, a bit of suspense and plenty of surprises. I found it slow to begin with but that just could have been me because I was dealing with my senior dog, who has a bit of dementia, getting up every two minutes in the middle of the night whilst trying to read. Once she finally settled after a couple of hours I also settled more into the book.

The story begins with Stella, excited for her 40th birthday her husband Rob is taking her on. Then he drives her to an isolated house at the end of a lane and she wonders what are they doing here? He assured her it would only take a minute to have a look around as he was eager for her feedback on the place. Rob is a kind of property developer, buying houses and doing them up and then selling them for a profit. He doesn't normally share them with her so she was surprised he wanted her feedback on this one. As soon as she walks in she is hit with traces of Rob all over. The interior is stark white with a minimalist touch throughout. It was sparsely furnished with just a small table and two chairs in the kitchen, a sofa and flat screen TV in the sitting room and although there were three bedrooms upstairs there was a single bed in only one of them. 

When he had finished showing her around, he asked what did she think. Stella was at a loss for words...what could she say that wouldn't offend him and spark a row? He assured her he could take her criticism. When she said that she was sure it would be someone's dream home but it wasn't her's, he answered her with "I'm sure you'll get used to it" and placed a set of keys in her hand. She looked at them and asked what was going on? He informed her that this was her birthday surprise, that he wanted a divorce and she would comply...or else he would reveal her biggest secret. Thus losing the greatest love of her life - her daughter Georgie - who he apparently would allow her to have on weekends though she would live with him throughout the week. And she would agree to his terms. If she didn't, she would be sorry.

Without a backward glance, Rob leaves Stella standing dumbfounded in her new house with instructions that she would be at the mediator's the following morning to begin the process of their divorce. Almost at once I thought how the hell did he expect her to get there when she was in the middle of nowhere with no car, since he drove her and left her there? But Stella was nothing if nor resourceful. She began trudging down the lane looking for a bus stop to take her back to Kettlebridge and their house in an affluent neighbourhood. However she was in heels that weren't made for walking and after taking a tumble, her kindly neighbour called her a taxi which took her back home. And there, she got another nasty surprise. Suddenly it was clear why Rob wanted this divorce.

Her world crumbling around her, Stella needed a voice of reason as well as comfort so she went to the only other person she could turn to - her mother. Unfortunately, her mother was a fully paid up member of the Rob Castle fan club and in her eyes he could do no wrong. She told her what had happened and as expected her mum really had no sympathy and pretty much hustled her out the door as soon as her terminally ill husband awoke from his nap. She had one other person to call...who she hadn't seen in years and who had turned their back on not only her, but all of them. Her younger sister Molly. But the reception she received was cold and dispassionate. 

Stella suddenly realised she was in this on her own and if she was to get through this she could only rely on herself. After spending the first 30% feeling a little sorry for herself, Stella finally got her bitch face on and started to fight back and when she walked into that mediator's office the next morning, Rob didn't know what hit him. Yes, Stella knew there was no going back for them but they had a daughter whom they both adored and for her they needed to do this amicably with as little fallout as possible. But on one thing she was clear - Georgie was living with her and he could see her weekends.

But when they were in the midst of a war of words at the mediator's Stella's phone rang, her mum's name flashing on the screen. She took the call and everything changed. Even Rob sat up and asked if everything was alright. No, it wasn't. Her mother was dead. I have to hand it to Rob. As dastardly as he was, he showed some compassion for the woman he was tearing apart by jumping up and being with her through the difficult time. But when she mentioned contacting Molly to let her know, he became agitated and tried to dissuade her. But Molly had a right to know her mother had died. As her phone calls were going unanswered, Stella had only one option left - to go to London and tell Molly in person. And the reception she received upon arrival was anything but warm. She thanked her for letting her know and asked her to leave. 

She wasn't surprised by Molly's coldness but Stella had other things to worry about...like how she was going to break the news to Georgie when she returned from her school trip the following morning. At least she had convinced Rob to allow her to stay at the house while they worked out how to tell their daughter they were separating. But Georgie was more perceptive than they gave her credit for. 

And yet the secret of Stella's past still haunted her. The one that Rob had dangled in front of her that if Georgie were to find out she would hate her. But Stella reminded Rob that he was just as complicit as she though she had to agree...she could lose her daughter if the truth ever came out.

Throughout the book, readers are teased with "the secret" that threatened to tear Stella's world apart should people, particularly Georgie, were to find out. Which has everyone guessing as to what it possibly was. I figured out fairly early on what I thought it was, and I was proved correct, but the manner in which it happened wasn't really any great drama I thought. As it was hinted as being something so terrible, I had envisioned a much darker playout. But I was hoodwinked by one aspect that I never saw coming...and that made everything else fall into place and why the family was so estranged.

THE MARRIAGE LIE is a domestic drama filled with suspense but it is not a thriller. It pulls you in from the beginning as you turn the pages wanting to uncover Stella's dirty little secret and why she should be so ashamed. The family dynamics between them all are strange to say the least. And then I had to laugh...Rob got what he wanted and when he did, he realised it wasn't what he wanted after all. But by then it was too late.

The characters weren't all that likeable honestly. Stella drove me nuts at times and Rob was a complete jerk from the beginning. His arrogance was astounding that I was surprised Stella fell for it at all. He is manipulative, controlling and pretentious. I don't know what any woman saw in him, to be honest.

The story is told solely from Stella's perspective, mainly in the present but also with flashbacks to the past. And through her narrative we see her grow from strength to strength as she fights to keep her equilibrium and her some of comebacks had me chuckling and wishing I had her balls. 

THE MARRIAGE LIE is not a fast paced tale but it's not a slow one either. Still it's not as fast as I like my stories but I enjoyed it just the same. I do recommend it for those who like family dramas and contemporary fiction with a little bit of suspense thrown in.

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

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Ali decided she wanted to be a writer early on and wrote her first novel when she was at primary school. She did an English degree and spent her early twenties working in various jobs in journalism, including as a reporter for the showbusiness newspaper The Stage. She started writing fiction in earnest after getting married, moving out of London to the Oxfordshire market town of Abingdon and starting a family. She has two children, a daughter and a son who is autistic and was diagnosed when he was four years old.

Ali is fascinated by families, their myths and secrets, and the forces that hold them together, split them up and (sometimes) bring them back together again. She always travels with tissues and a book and has been known to cry over a good story, but is also a big fan of the hopeful ending.

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