REVIEW: Last Orders at Mulberry Lane by Rosie Clarke

Last Orders at Mulberry Lane (Mulberry Lane #10) by Rosie Clarke

Genre: Historical fiction, Sagas

Read: 29th January 2024

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Published: 1st February 2024

★★★★★ 5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

The final book in The Mulberry Lane Saga series from Rosie Clarke.

Sweeping changes are on the horizon and Mulberry Lane is in for a shock...

London 1962

At first it was a rumour that Peggy Ronaski and Maureen Hart could hardly believe. If true, it would turn the lives of everyone on Mulberry Lane upside down.

Peggy could lose her beloved pub. Maggie her acclaimed restaurant. Maureen her business and her home. Everyone had something to lose.

Whilst old friends try to come to terms with the shocking news, the younger generation continue to forge ahead in the swinging sixties. Relationships flourish and new opportunities blossom; the ever changing world becoming their oyster. But family bonds remain strong, after all, it's people that matter not the buildings.

Could this be the end of Mulberry Lane or a new beginning for everyone?

MY THOUGHTS:

"And tomorrow we turn the page and begin again..."

"That's right...It is a whole new story, another chapter of our lives..."

I had tears reading the final chapter and pages of this book. It is the end of an era. I may not have been there from the beginning, but I have travelled alongside side them all from "Stormy Days at Mulberry Lane" and became familiar with the characters and fell in love with the spirit of community that is now left behind. Mulberry Lane has become a character all of its own and it is here that the focus has remained throughout...despite sojourns to the country. They all come back to the Lanes. It's where the heart of their community, their lives, beats strongest.

But changes are on the horizon and the Lanes as they all know and love them will never be the same again. What are they to do? Fight for the community they have lived and grown up in? Or accept their fate and find pastures anew?

It's the swinging sixties and times have changed since the dark days of war that Peggy and Maureen were once caught up in. They survived Hitler's bombs, surely they could survive this disruption too? But Peggy isn't getting any younger, in her sixties herself, and trade has died down at the Pig & Whistle in recent times. Maybe their patrons have caught wind of the council's plans and have moved on before they were forced out. 

Her children have grown and have lives of their own now. Janet busy renovating properties, Pip about to take on a new job opportunity, Fay married to rockstar Jace and living in America and Freddie living and studying at Cambridge to become a sports teacher. Even her granddaughter Maggie is about to marry Greg. Maybe it is time for her and Able to retire...or at least take on a smaller project to keep them going.

Then there is Maureen and Gordon, Rose and Tom, Shirley and Ray. What would they all do if Peggy were to leave the Lane and the Pig & Whistle sold? But when an opportunity comes knocking, do they accept it? Or keep looking? What do these changes mean for everyone and the home they know and love?

While this is only a short read, there is a lot packed into it as Rosie Clarke gathers us to bid farewell to the characters we have come to know and love over the years. While times are changing and life goes on, this book highlights the steadfast love of family in the wake of new relationships as the doors begin to open up for the next generation.

I love Rosie Clarke's sagas and while it was sad to bid farewell to Mulberry Lane and its residents, I know I can go back and start the series from the beginning and meet them all over again and those I never knew because they had already gone by the time I joined the series. And I look forward to doing so.

This book is a fitting end to a wonderful saga series I have enjoyed being a part of. I was almost sad to see it end and not join them in their new ventures. But that's would be another story altogether. A new place, a new start, new beginnings. In the words of Able and Peggy in the closing lines of the book...

"And tomorrow we turn the page and begin again..."

"That's right...It is a whole new story, another chapter of our lives..."

Thank you for giving us the community of Mulberry Lane and for sharing their lives and loves with us. A beautiful, fitting farewell.

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

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Rosie Clarke has been writing for several years and has written under various names for a variety of publishers.  She lives in Cambridgeshire, is happily married and enjoys life with her husband.  She likes to walk in the Spanish sunshine and eating out at favourite restaurants in Marbella is a favourite pastime, but writing is her passion.

Rosie loves shoes, especially those impossibly high heels you can buy and has a gorgeous pair of Jimmy Choos but can't wear them so they sit on the mantlepiece.

Rosie also writes under the name of Anne Herries and Linda Sole.

 

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

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REVIEW: The Baby Monitor by Rosie Walker

The Baby Monitor by Rosie Walker

Genre: Psychological thriller, Domestic thriller, Suspense

Read: 25th January 2024

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Amazon

Publish: 1st February 2024

★★★★ 4 stars

DESCRIPTION:

I’m closing my daughter’s bedroom door after putting her to bed and saying I love her one last time, when I hear the baby monitor crackle to life. The voice sends shockwaves to my core: ‘Your mother doesn’t love you.’

My husband says it’s just exhaustion and I’m hearing things. But he has no idea what that voice is doing to Olivia. He doesn’t see the look in my daughter’s eyes as she pushes me away and says, ‘I want my other mother.’

Then Olivia plunges down the stairs screaming. In my worst nightmares, I never imagined I could come so close to losing my child. As I watch Olivia sleep in a hospital bed, her broken arm in a sling, I decide this has to stop. Someone unscrewed our baby gate from the wall. I know I’ve been unwell in the past, but I’m not making this up.

The only people who’ve been inside our house are the ones I thought I could trust. Someone close is watching me, speaking to Olivia and trying to make me look like a bad parent. I don’t care what my husband says. I’m more scared than I’ve ever been in my life, but my precious child means everything to me. They have no idea how far I’ll go to protect my daughter…

An absolutely gripping and addictive psychological thriller that will keep you turning the pages until late into the night. If you love The Housemaid, Gone Girl or The Woman in the Window, you’ll adore The Baby Monitor.

MY THOUGHTS:

I hear a voice speaking to my child...'Your mother doesn't love you'...

I thoroughly enjoyed Rosie Walker's first two thrillers "Secrets of a Serial Killer" and "The House Fire", both of which were phenomenal! So I had high expectations for this one. It didn't disappoint, on the whole, but the ending lacked a little in execution. And left me with a few questions (something of a pet peeve of mine as I like things to be neatly tied up). Don't get me wrong, this is a fantastic story and at times it was decidedly creepy. I still really enjoyed it for the most part.

An addictive thriller with a solid storyline, and coming off the backs of the author's first two, I was excited to dive into this domestic thriller extraordinaire. But her previous two were a lot darker than this one taking instead a domestic approach with creepy messages and a ton of gaslighting. The question is...who is behind it all?

Miriam and Jeremy's family is now complete with 5 year old Liv and now newborn baby Samuel to add to the fold. Ever since they discovered Miriam was pregnant, they have worked hard at preparing little Liv for the new addition reiterating that she will be a big sister to her new baby brother. But from the moment they come home, their perfectly curated plan (and lives) fall to pieces. Liv refuses to have anything to do with the baby insisting she didn't want him and asking when were his real mummy and daddy coming to get him. It broke Miriam's heart to see her daughter reject her little brother and the confusing emotions she must be feeling about his sudden appearance. She has been an only child for five years, has had her parents' sole attention for all of that time. Suddenly there is a new baby that will inevitably take their attention away from her...and she doesn't like it one bit.

But it's as Miriam closes the bedroom door to Liv's room on the way out that she hears a disembodied voice whisper to her daughter "She's lying. Your mother doesn't love you."

Miriam is furious. Who is talking to her daughter and filling her head with lies? A quick glance around the nursery and her eyes fall on the new WiFi baby monitor. Could that be the culprit? Is someone watching her every move and speaking to Liv that way? But when she tries to voice her concerns to Jeremy he doesn't believe her. He immediately thinks she is imagining things, it's an auditory hallucination brought on by Samuel's birth and a pre-cursor to post partum psychosis, which she suffered badly after Liv's birth.

So what does Jeremy do? He gathers her friends, her mum and himself and has her sent to a "retreat" but basically it is a private mental health facility, for two weeks. During that time Liv refuses to join in the daily video calls and visits. The one time she does visit she punches Miriam in the face then insists "Can we visit my other mummy now?" Miriam feels the sting of rejection not only from Liv but also Samuel who she has ached to breastfeed since admission to the facility but when she unbuttons her blouse Samuel rejects her too. Jeremy, in his stupid wisdom, gave him a bottle of formula before coming into the visiting room. Why would he do that? He knows Miriam wanted to breastfeed him. And he organised for a state of the art breast pump to be supplied so she could express every day and freeze her milk which would later be delivered to Jeremy to feed him with. And he feeds him formula? I could slap that guy from the very first moment for his stupid behaviour.

When Miriam is finally discharged, she returns home to find that she is under continued surveillance. Hidden cameras everywhere. Her house has suddenly become a smart home which she has no control over. The only consolation is that Jeremy had disposed of the baby monitor and now she has a cheaper non-WiFi model so that no one can hack in and whisper lies to her little girl. Miriam doesn't know who to trust or who to confide in? Who is watching her? And why? What do they want?

There is so much going on in this story, some of which you will have to suspend belief while others will leave you scratching your head. Both Jeremy and Miriam were clueless and failed to talk to each other. He automatically dismisses her claims as being part of a psychosis and rejects anything she has to say without actually listening to her. Miriam wasn't much better but at least she was better than Jeremy and Liv put together. That child was like the devil incarnate. She made my blood boil behaving like a spoilt princess. I'm the oldest in my family and I was excited about my baby brother's arrival. I certainly didn't behave like that.

And then there is the gaslighting. That is on a whole other level. It sometimes makes for uncomfortable reading because you sympathise with Miriam as no one is listening to her, which then leaves her questioning herself and her own sanity.

I knew who was behind it almost from the start. But then when the ending came it left things a little confusing. Who was actually to blame? We are given a couple of suspects at the end but it's not really clear which of them was actually the guilty party. 

POSSIBLE SPOILER AHEAD

And there was the whole hidden network thing. Miriam was told that whoever set it up knew exactly what they were doing and it was beyond her husband's and her friend's expertise. So the two suspects we are given, how did they have the nous to set up an entire hidden network and then remove it with barely a trace? It doesn't make any sense. It would make a little more sense for one of them but I still question their actual knowledge when others had a lot more. I really couldn't get my head around that and it's for this reason I had to knock off a star. Throughout the entire book it was five stars all the way...until I got to the end.

Misgivings aside, this was a taut tense and thrilling read. I devoured the entire book in one day. It is compelling addicive and wholly entertaining.

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

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Rosie gained a Masters in Creative Writing with distinction from the University of Edinburgh in 2011, where she learned to talk about writing over a gin and tonic, and accept critical feedback with grace.

She also has an undergraduate degree in Psychology from Lancaster University, where she learned how to pull an all-nighter to hit a deadline right at the last minute.

She lives in Edinburgh with her husband Kevin, daughter Elsie and their dog Bella.

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REVIEW: The Missing Mother by Casey Kelleher

The Missing Mother by Casey Kelleher

Genre: Psychological thriller, Suspense

Read: 30th January 2024

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Amazon

Published: 5th February 2024

★★★★ 4 stars

DESCRIPTION:

I place my tiny, newborn baby in the box. A ‘safe haven’, they call it, for unwanted babies. She’ll be warm, someone will find her soon. She’ll be cared for. But not by me. I will always want her, but I can never be her mother. And she can never know why.

Jenna has never truly known who she is or where she came from. Abandoned as a baby, she grew up with a caring adopted family, and never felt the need to know more about her birth parents. Until one night, nearly thirty years later, when she sees a desperate young woman tearfully kiss her little baby, put it gently down in a safe haven box, and walk away.

In that moment, Jenna’s mind starts to race. Who could abandon their child like that, and why? She may never find her own parents, but Jenna is determined to uncover the truth behind this baby’s missing mother. Because Jenna has a terrible feeling that she knows who the mother is, and what happened…

As Jenna digs deeper she uncovers something – someone – far more dangerous than she ever feared. And the secrets they’re hiding are much bigger than just one night, just one woman, just one baby. But what Jenna hasn’t realised is that they know what she’s doing and they are watching her. Whatever the cost, they’ll do anything to keep Jenna from revealing the truth…

This utterly addictive psychological thriller will have you reading late into the night. Perfect for fans of Freida McFadden, Lisa Jewell and Claire McGowan.

MY THOUGHTS:

The only way to stay safe...is to stay hidden...

Well that wasn't what I expected. I mean that in a good way. I thought this would be another missing baby/mother thriller but oh no, this was so much more. The only let down was the main character and the fact she was a journalist. I find them parasitic scourges of society feeding off the misfortune of others and had it not been for that aspect I may have enjoyed it more. BUT...it is a key element of the story, so all is forgiven.

They call is "safely surrendered". A safe box provided by a charity which women who find themselves in impossible situations where they find themselves unable to care for their babies, can safely surrender them in these boxes where they are quickly collected and in the care of social services. The mother has a right to anonymity and will not be sought or vilified for her decision.

Journalist Jenna receives a tip off that a baby has been left at the local fire station, the first locality in the UK to trial the safe box. Eager for a scoop, Jenna is quick to gather as much information and a photograph of the hours old baby before social services swoop in. She calls her boss with the news and he is eager to publish the story highlighting the trial without treading on the charity's toes by going public with it. After all, it's a human interest story...isn't it?

But deep down, Jenna fears for the mother. That she may need help and feel she cannot reach out. She's hoping her story will encourage the woman to come forward. But she has no idea of the rabbit warren she is going down...or what she will uncover.

Scared and alone, Evie can't believe it when she sees her baby girl's photo in the paper the following morning. After everything she went through, the hiding, the secrecy, the torment...all to keep her little girl safe and this journalist bandies her photo around in the local paper which is soon picked up by the nationals. Fearing for her safety, she is terrified what this means for her now that this has become public knowledge. Despite the assurances that her anonymity is guaranteed, the nation is soon searching for "the missing mother". What will happen to her and her baby girl when they catch up with her? Or worst still...if "he" does?

This was an intriguing read from start to finish despite the irritating journalist aspect. I kept turning the pages wanting to know if I was right in my assumptions. My first guess was too obvious but my second was spot on!

The story unfolds through both Jenna and Evie's eyes and the two threads are carefully interwoven leading to a thrilling nail-biting finish.

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

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Casey Kelleher was born in Cuckfield, West Sussex, and she grew up as an avid reader.

Whilst working as a beauty therapist and bringing up their three children together with my husband, she penned her debut novel Rotten to the Core. Its success meant that Casey could give up her day job and concentrate on writing full time. 

If you click the yellow 'follow' button, Amazon will send you an email when she has a new release, or if there's a special deal you might be interested in. It's the best way to make sure you never miss a book! Casey loves connecting with her readers, and there are plenty of ways you can get in touch: 

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REVIEW: A Soul for a Soul by Carol Wyer

A Soul for a Soul (Detective Kate Young #5) by Carol Wyer

Genre: Crime fiction, Crime thriller, Police procedural, Mystery

Read: 24th January 2024

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Amazon

Published: 30th January 2024

★★★★ 4 stars

DESCRIPTION:

The syndicate have taken everything from her. It’s time to take them down—or die trying.

DCI Kate Young never meant to shoot Superintendent John Dickson at the reservoir that night—even if, as a scheming corrupt cop and head of the shady syndicate, he probably had it coming. But now Kate has photographic evidence that someone else knows her terrible secret…

Tormented by guilt and the voices of the dead, Kate is desperate to unmask the rest of the corrupt officers before her own sins catch up with her. When DI Harriet Khatri, awaiting trial for the murder of Kate’s mentor, claims she was framed by Dickson’s syndicate, Kate reluctantly agrees to help in the hope of finding answers.

Meanwhile, DI Emma Donaldson finds herself on the hunt for a double murderer—a man who incapacitates his victims with a powerful narcotic called Devil’s Breath. Desperate to measure up to her role-model boss, Emma finds herself hurled into the deep end in more ways than one…

While Kate’s grip on reality wavers and the syndicate closes in, and with the mystery killer taking a special interest in Emma, could this be the case that defeats both detectives?

MY THOUGHTS:

Where to even begin?

I have followed this series from the start so I'm familiar with Kate's flaws and foibles. Does she get on my nerves? A little. Especially with the constant monologuing with the dead William and Dickson. Chris' dialogue was enough but now we have her mentor and her nemesis to battle it out in her head!

OK, so if you haven't read any of the previous books, don't start this one until you have done so as the culmination of events and everything that went beforehand will make absolutely no sense. Some series you can pick up here and there and read without missing out on anything else. But this series is not one of them. In fact, the entire series hinges on Kate's relentless investigating into a corrupt syndicate involved in sex trafficking, drugs and murder - and that of the murder of her husband Chris. A syndicate compromised of corrupt police officers, some of whom were at senior level. It's like a series of "Line of Duty"...lol

Since the previous book, Kate has been promoted to DCI and taking the place of her mentor and friend William Chase who was brutally murdered by one of the syndicate, DI Harriet Khatri. Harriet, however, is protesting her innocence loudly though no one is listening. Least of all Kate who was not her biggest fan in the first place. But Harriet calls on Kate with a special request...but how will Kate react?

Since Kate's promotion, it has left room for her previous position as DI open as well as Harriet's also, since she now sits under house arrest with strict bail conditions awaiting trial for William's murder. And so Kate handpicks her two DS's, Emma and Morgan, to step into the Acting DI role until they can take their Inspector's exams.

Emma's first big case comes along investigating a killer who maims his victims with a psychoactive drug, leaving no trace in their systems. Or so he thought. It seems he is cockier than he is clever. But will he outsmart Emma before she can uncover the truth?

Meanwhile, Morgan has been tasked to Operation Moonbeam who are investigating the people trafficking and with a mole in their midst, Morgan is feeling frustrated with the slow progress, despite months of work. And it's affecting his home life with Emma.

On top of it all, Kate must maintain a professional integrity in overseeing her teams but she misses being in the thick of the investigation. But under the mantle of DCI she is also able to continue looking further into the syndicate and its remaining members, and attempt to bring it all down once and for all.

Then just when you think that's the end of it...Wyer delivers those final lines. Is this the end? Or is it not?

I admit to having further suspicions but in hindsight, I'd like this to be the end for Kate. To sit back and relax and just let it all go. To remain and continue digging would just be tempting fate. 

The twists are delivered with fervour in this story but alas, I could not be hoodwinked. I correctly figured two out of three. That last one had me surprised. But the identity of the killer nor the first of the remaining syndicate members revealed were not. Sorry (not sorry!).

This series is so different from Carol Wyer's others and I could see how it could be so all-encompassing, when she locks herself away in her office for hours on end leaving Mr Grumpy to fend for himself. I think I'd be exhausted with navigating all this!

Overall, an entertaining taut crime thriller that will have you turning the pages until the very end, and then leaving you scratching your head.

I would like to thank #CarolWyer, #Netgalley and #AmazonPub for an ARC of #ASoulForASoul 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,  a second, A Cut for a Cut, published on 24th June 2021 and a third A Life for a Life to be published 15th March 2022. An Eye for an Eye was chosen as a Kindle First Reads and became the #1 bestselling book on Amazon UK and Amazon Australia.

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:

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REVIEW: The Girl on the News by Elisabeth Carpenter

The Girl on the News by Elisabeth Carpenter

Genre: Psychological thriller, Suspense, Mystery

Read: 23rd January 2024

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Amazon

Published: 29th January 2024

★★★★★ 5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

My heart pounds as I take in the headline: ‘Missing girl believed kidnapped’. Underneath is a photo of my beautiful daughter Mia, her gap-toothed grin unmistakable. But Mia is safe beside me, snuggled up on the sofa. Why would someone pretend my child has been taken?

I thought my husband Mark and I had built a perfect new life with our precious daughter Mia. She is everything to us. I thought we were finally safe from my past. But I know Mia’s picture on the news means someone has uncovered who I really am…

They must know about the terrible accusations I faced. Those other missing little girls. I was only a child myself but no-one believed I was innocent. Not even my own family. It still haunts me, every day.

Then my worst nightmares come true. Mia is taken, snatched from the playground, and my world collapses.

My sweet daughter is in danger. Because whoever took those children years ago must still be out there. Why are they trying to destroy my life again? And if they knew where to find me, how to take my daughter – does that mean they are someone close to home?

I can’t trust anyone. But it’s not like last time. I’m not a child any longer. And I will do anything to get Mia back, before it’s too late…

An utterly shocking and page-turning psychological thriller perfect for fans of Shari Lapena, The Housemaid and All Her Fault.

MY THOUGHTS:

Missing girl...believed kidnapped...

My first book I ever read by Elisabeth Carpenter was her debut, also about a missing girl called "99 Red Balloons". That book was phenomenal! I somehow missed her next few but since she has signed with Bookouture I was lucky enough to read "The Family on Smith Street", also five stars. This book is no different. Three out of three five start reads, I think I'm going to have to find some time to devour her earlier ones. I think Carpenter was one of the first authors I read with multiple narratives and timelines, and this has since become one of my favourite formats, with just enough information being drip-fed to the reader with each unfolding chapter.

Rosie McShane is a name that is synonomous with child killers when at 12 years old she was convicted of murdering her best friend Lauren Jones. Rosie had always pleaded her innocence but the police, the jury and everyone involved thought her to be unremorseful, cold and calculating. She was sentenced to seven years in a secure unit for very young offenders, and upon her release was given a whole new identity. But the people of Clayton of Greater Manchester have never forgotten.

For all intents and purposes, Jessie Donovan has the perfect life. The perfect husband, the cute little daughter and a beautiful home. But no one knows the trauma she has suffered or what it has taken to get her where she is today. When her mother calls babbling about news reports online saying that her 4 year old daughter Mia has been kidnapped, Jessie is beside herself with worry.  Who would post such allegations that were clearly untrue? Nevertheless, Jessie is determined not to let Mia out of her sight.

When her husband Mark reveals his business is in trouble and he has taken out a dodgy loan to cover expenses of which they are now demanding payment, Jessie is furious with him for being so careless as to put their lives in danger. She decides then that the best thing for her is to spend a few days with her mum but surely returning to the area in which she grew up is tempting fate. 

Almost from the moment she arrives, Jessie finds herself jumping at shadows. Her mother is acting strangely and her friend back home is sending her weird texts that she dismisses as annoying. But when Liza tells her that she is at her place and hasn't been able to raise Mark's attention, Jessie begins to worry. Where is Mark and why is not answering the door, her text messages or phone calls?

Things get even stranger when faces from the past threaten to throw Jessie's life into turmoil with even more social media posts about her daughter being missing. 

And then Mia really does goes missing.

What is going on and why has Mia been taken? Is someone seeking retribution for a past crime? Or are they just trying to even the odds? Jessie is going out of her mind with worry when she still can't raise Mark on the phone. But is she prepared for what's about to come?

This was a quick and easy read that I started in the wee hours of the night and picked up again as soon as I woke to finish. The suspense kept me turning the pages throughout from start to finish. My only complaint was that the ending was a little ambiguous. Who was the real guilty party? I do prefer my endings to be a little more cut and dried rather than ambiguous, leaving me guessing a little. 

One part I did find a little unbelievable was the fact that after Rosie was given a new identity, no one thought it strange that she continued to associate with faces from her past such as a childhood friend and her family. In these cases, the person is given a new identity and a new life away from the old one so as to protect their new identity. Aren't they? And there is the fact that Rosie was convicted on such little evidence when there was clear evidence refuting that which they convicted her on. Why did they ignore it?

Either way, this is still an absorbing, thrilling and entertaining read as you turn the pages looking for the clues from the past in the interviews transcribed and actions in the present. Who took Mia Donovan? And why did they take her?

Despite my misgivings, they weren't enough to overshadow my enjoyment of this addictive read...although one does have to suspend belief at times, as one is wont to do in the case of an entertaining and addictive story such as this one.

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

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Elisabeth Carpenter lives in Preston with her family. She completed a BA in English Literature and Language with the Open University in 2008.

Elisabeth was awarded a Northern Writers’ New Fiction award, and was longlisted for Yeovil Literary Prize (2015 and 2016) and the MsLexia Women’s Novel award (2015). She loves living in the north of England and sets most of her stories in the area, including the novel she is writing at the moment.

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REVIEW: The Lost Child by Kathleen McGurl

 

The Lost Child by Kathleen McGurl

Genre: Historical fiction, Dual timeline, Contemporary fiction

Read: 22nd January 2024

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Amazon

Published: 30th January 2024

★★★★★ 5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

All she wanted was a child of her own…

1912. As the steamship Carpathia takes the survivors of the Titanic to New York, Lucy desperately searches the decks for her baby, thrust into the arms of another woman as a lifeboat left, and now nowhere to be found. Madeleine is helping her journalist husband to interview the survivors, and when she meets Lucy, she promises she will do anything she can to help her find her lost child.

2022. When archivist Jackie finds a notebook containing the stories of women saved by the Carpathia amongst an auction lot, she learns the story of the missing baby. Desperate to start a family of her own, she feels compelled to dig further. And her search will lead her to a century-old mystery…

Inspired by true events, bestselling author Kathleen McGurl weaves history and fiction together in this captivating, deeply moving story.

MY THOUGHTS:

A woman, a baby and a secret hidden for a hundred years...

I simply adore Kathleen McGurl's dual timeline tales and although I didn't her previous two quite as much, THE LOST CHILD is the author at her tear-jerkingly best. What I also loved about this story was that she incorporated a couple of previous characters from "The Lost Sister" which also featured Titanic and beyond. I was thrilled to see Violet Jessop (who was a real person an stewardess on Titanic) and Emma Higgins (the main character in "The Lost Sister") searching for her missing sister Ruby, also a stewardess. I recognised them at once and was endeared to see them included, albeit briefly.

1912: Onboard the transatlantic steamship Carpathia, Madeleine and Ralph Meyer are on a three month sojourn after the tragic loss of their baby and any chance of motherhood. Their destination is Gibraltar, a far cry from the freezing climes of New York. Ralph is a journalist but all Madeleine wanted to be was a mother. The couple are finding the crossing somewhat tiresome with little to do other than drink, play cards and watch the ocean pass by and wish for something a little more exciting to fill their days with.

Be careful what you wish for...

In the early hours of 15th April, Madeleine is awoken from her sleep by Ralph shaking her. He tells her the engines are now running at capacity and they appeared to have changed direction, for the pole star which should have been to their left is now ahead of them. Why have they changed course and what's the hurry that all engines are chugging heavily away to get them there? And then they hear whispers on deck that Titanic has hit an iceberg on its maiden voyage and has transmitted a mayday call. The crew think that those on Titanic have jumped the gun and they will arrive to find they are not needed after all...after all, the ship was said to be unsinkable.

But when Carpathia arrives at the coordinates given, all they see are lifeboats laden with people with many more in the water crying and calling for help, debris all around them. But there was no sign of Titanic.

Madeleine assists the crew with the survivors as they are brought aboard by giving them blankets and leading them to where a doctor awaits their arrival to check them over. Many are freezing cold, most are in shock. As one woman is brought on board with a swaddled baby in her arms, she thrusts the child at Madeleine but before she could react, another woman exclaims "My baby!" and grabs the bundle, disappearng into the crowd.

Meanwhile, young mother Lucy Watts is brought aboard with her own bundle swaddled in her arms crying for her baby. The other women dismiss her as being doolally as the child is clearly in her arms. But as Lucy searches for baby Norah, her story touches Madeleine who begins to search the ship for her too. But is Lucy confused and in shocks as a result of the trauma she has suffered? Or is there a second baby that no one, except Lucy and Madeleine, is looking for?

2022: Archivist Jackie Summers has worked for an antiques collector for several years. It began as a short term job sorting some of her employer's old books and has morphed into collating his vast collection of antique everything. Having just acquired a box labeled as "Carpathia", Henry is hopeful of finding a medal that was awarded to all crew of the only ship that answered Titanic's distress call. But when Jackie comes across a notebook, what she unearths is a mystery that pulls at her heartstrings so much that she endeavours to uncover the truth behind what happened to Lucy Watts and her baby, and that of Madeleine Meyer.

In her mid-thirties herself and her desire to start a family with long term partner Tim, Jackie feels a kinship with Madeleine despite the years that separate them. Through Lucy's story in the notebook, Madeleine's own pain surfaces. And when Jackie discovers she's pregnant, she's thrilled. But is Tim really as excited as he says he is?

Through both women's stories the reader is drawn into their worlds - both on Carpathia and in the present day. McGurl draws on her research and uses factual details from the pages of history to draw her fictional characters and sweeping tale that spans one hundred and ten years. She has incorporated factual happenings, such as the news blackout as ordered by Carpathia's captain and the rumours that brewed back in New York as to Titanic's fate, into this fictional story and put her own stamp on it. Whilst not losing the emotions, the feeling of devastation and helplessness, the shock and trauma, the reality of the world's most famous maritime tragedy ever seen.

THE LOST CHILD is a tragic yet beautiful story that, while it is heartbreaking and bittersweet, is also an emotional and compelling read. If you enjoyed "The Lost Sister", you will love this one even more.

A definite five star read I highly recommend.

I would like to thank #KathleenMcGurl, #Netgalley and #HQDigital for an ARC of #TheLostChild in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Kathleen McGurl lives in Christchurch, UK, with her husband. She has two sons who have both now left home.

Kathleen always wanted to write, and for many years was waiting until she had the time. Eventually she came to the bitter realisation that no one would pay her for a year off work to write a book, so she sat down and started to write one anyway. Since then she has published several novels with HQ and self-published another. She has also sold dozens of short stories to women's magazines, and written three How To books for writers.

After a long career in the IT industry she became a full time writer in 2019. When she's not writing, she's often out running, slowly.

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REVIEW: The School Reunion by Shalini Boland

The School Reunion by Shalini Boland

Genre: Psychological thriller, Suspense

Read: 20th January 2024

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 16th January 2024

★★★★ 4 stars

DESCRIPTION:

The invitation to her school reunion couldn’t have come at a better time for Chloe Flynn. Divorced, broke and bored at work, she’s living a life her teenage self would hate. Turning the clock back fifteen years might be just what she needs to wipe the slate clean and start again. And then there’s the chance she’ll bump into Nathan Blake, the one she still regrets letting get away…

Back at her elite private school, Chloe sparkles as she reunites with old friends and long-forgotten love interests. And then, just as she’d hoped, there’s Nathan, more handsome than ever before. Even better, he’s single too, and seems to be just as keen to make up for lost time…

But as the evening progresses, Chloe can’t help feeling that something’s not quite right—that she’s not the only one who’s come here for more than just a party. When the secrets of the past start to emerge and the reunion takes a sinister turn, it’s clear that nothing is what it seems—and nothing will be the same again.

MY THOUGHTS:

Secrets can only stay buried for so long...

Have you ever attended a high school reunion? Not me. No thanks. Not ever. And if this tale is any indication of such events then I'm lucky to be missing out.

After her divorce, Chloe is living a somewhat bland life in a job she hates but in a flat she loves on Bath's royal terrace, thanks to her divorce settlement. And currently she is on the receiving end of her mother's endless criticism of everything that has ever gone wrong in her life.

And then an email arrives to distract her from her mother's tirade. An invitation to her school reunion back in Bournemouth. Oh no. Not touching that one, she thinks. But before she can hit delete her mother spies the email and its contents, and reiterates all the good things to come out West Cliff high school and she would do well to reconnect with her old friends...maybe hook up with her ex-boyfriend Chris Tamber who is now stinking rich and she could do a lot worse. Chloe just rolls her eyes. She is not touching that one. No way is she getting involved with her ex again. She has all but decided NOT to go...until she catches up with her old bestie, Harriet Walsh, and decides...why not?!

Of course she does have an ulterior motive for attending. And that is to hopefully hook up with Nathan Blake, the object of her secret crush fifteen years ago. If he's as hot now as he was then...

But then the night of the reunion dawns and Chloe finds herself face to face with the group of girls she'd gladly never set eyes on again. Abigail Matthews and her band of mean girls. And it seems age has not improved Abigail and she is as bitchy and as catty as ever.

And let's not forget the boyfriend she'd rather forget, Chris Tamber. But is he ready to let her go? It seems not as where ever Chloe goes, Chris never seems to be far away.

But there is something else bubbling beneath the surface at this reunion. Something out of all of their control...but will they be too late?

Shalini Boland has gone a touch darker with this psychological thriller about bullying, its effects and the revenge plot at its core. It makes for some uncomfortable reading at times, particularly for those familiar with the cruelty of bullies, despite them now being in their 30s.

As with all of Boland's thrillers, nothing is quite as it seems as the twists start to unravel a plot so tightly wound the reader will get whiplash at the change in the story unfolding before their eyes.

It's not the author's fastest plot but it is just as twisty as her others but a whole lot darker than her run of the m‎ill domestic thrillers. We are given a handful of characters, some of whom we'll love to hate, and through them we will sift through the clues laid out before us to see where it is all headed. You probably won't see it coming but if you do, be sure to enjoy the ride.

Once again, Shalini delivers a powerful punch in the form of revisiting teenage angst and the horrors of those school years. And remember...nothing is at all as it seems.

I would like to thank #ShaliniBoland, #Netgalley and #AmazonPublishing for an ARC of #TheSchoolReunion in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Shalini Boland lives in Dorset, England with her husband, two sons and their cheeky poodle-terrier cross. Before kids, she was signed to Universal Music Publishing as a singer/songwriter, but now she spends her days writing suspense thrillers (in between school runs and hanging out endless baskets of laundry).

Her debut psychological thriller "The Girl from the Sea" published in June 2016 reached Number 1 in the US Audible charts. Her second thriller "The Best Friend" published in October 2016 reached a high of number 10 in Amazon's UK Kindle charts. It also achieved number 1 in all its categories and was a Kindle All Star title for several months in a row.

Shalini has recently signed with Thomas and Mercer publishers with her first publication with them being "The Silent Bride".

She is also not a morning person.

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10 Things My Readers Might Not Know About Me

My dreams (nightmares) nearly always involve the characters and settings that I’m currently writing about. For example, last night I dreamt that I’d abducted a baby and tried to hide him in my husband’s car, but I couldn’t get the doors to lock. It was awful! Maybe I’d have a better night’s sleep if I wrote rom coms.

I love all fruit except bananas. The smell, texture, taste – ugh. No. Just no. Keep that evil fruit away from me.

I write for a living, and so does my husband, but neither of our children are particularly avid readers. My eldest is dyslexic and has never enjoyed reading or writing. My youngest quite enjoys it, but has to be pretty much forced into trying a new book. How did this happen? I have no idea. We always read to them when they were younger. We have a houseful of all kinds of books. Ah, well, I’ll keep trying.

When I was nineteen, I hitchhiked at night in Israel and ended up in the middle of nowhere convinced I was going to die. Turns out I only needed to walk another two minutes to find myself back at the kibbutz where I was staying. I’ve never hitchhiked since.

My writing companion is a little Poodle/Lhasa Apso/Terrier cross called Jess who sits at my feet while I type. Sometimes she sneaks up onto the sofa and rests her chin on my keyboard. I’m not sure I could write without her nearby.

When we were in our twenties, my husband and I set up VW car shows. Our events were all jinxed. Over the course of six shows we had four instances of major theft, a forest fire, the worst storm on record, someone set up illegal rave, an outbreak of foot and mouth disease, and an actual bomb scare with police cordoning off the area and evacuating everyone. Plus, we only made a profit during our first show, the other times we just about broke even. Not a huge success.

Nearly all my novels are set in and around the area of Dorset where I live. I moved here when I was eighteen, but I feel like this is my true home. I love it – the towns, beaches and countryside are beautiful.

Good coffee and chocolate are my weaknesses.

I used to be a singer songwriter and once sang on stage at The Brixton Academy in front of four thousand people. I don’t know how I did it. I’m such an introvert these days.

I feel very lucky to write for a living. Every day, I’m truly thankful and appreciate that I’ve finally discovered what it is I love to do – it only took me forty years to work it out! It isn’t always easy and some days I need a kick up the backside to stop procrastinating and get working. Other days are overwhelming and I do get anxious about what my readers will think of each book. But I wouldn’t change it for the world. I only hope people will continue to enjoy my books and allow me to keep doing what I love.

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