REVIEW: Hope in the Valleys by Francesca Capaldi

 

Hope in the Valleys (Wartime in the Valleys #3) by Francesca Capaldi

Genre: Historical fiction, Sagas, WW1

Read: 15th January 2022

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Published: 20th January 2022

★★★★★ 5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

Will Elizabeth choose love over duty?

It’s August 1917 and WW1 continues to take a toll. The villagers of Dorcalon, a mining village in the Rhymney Valley, try to keep hope alive; but every day brings fresh tragedy as more of their sons and fathers are killed on foreign battlefields.

Elizabeth Meredith, daughter of mine manager Herbert, enjoys a privileged position in the village, but she longs to break free of society’s expectations.

Falling in love with miner, Gwilym Owen, brings more joy to her life than she’s ever known… until she’s forced to choose between her love and her disapproving family. Seeking an escape, Elizabeth signs up as a VAD nurse and is swiftly sent to help the troops in France, even as her heart breaks at leaving Gwilym behind.

Separated by society and the Great War, can Elizabeth and Gwilym find their way back together again? Or will their love become another casualty of war?

MY REVIEW:

As soon as I read the dedication page to Rosemary Goodacre, author of the Derwent Chronicles who sadly passed away just days before her last book was published in October 2020, I knew this was going to be a good book. I loved the Derwent Chornicles and despite having never come across Francesca Capaldi before, I devoured HOPE IN THE VALLEYS within a day. I did not, however, realise it was part of a series and the more I read the more I felt like I had missed out on quite a bit that had gone on beforehand...but don't worry, the author does a brilliant job of keeping readers informed as to what has previously occurred so we don't feel as though we really missed out after all. Having said that, since I thoroughly enjoyed this book, I certainly intend on going back and reading the first two at some stage.

It's August 1917 and the Great War continues to rage across Europe claiming many British men despite the belief that it would be over by Christmas the first year...that being 1914. Three years later and it shows no signs of letting up as the small Welsh mining village or Dorcalon in the Rhymney Valley reels from the losses of their sons and fathers in the trenches. Although mining is a dangerous occupation, it is a reserved one and therefore keeping many sons and fathers of villagers from being conscripted into the Army. But mining is not without its dangers with a mine explosion and collapse some 18 months ago which claimed a couple of lives.

Elizabeth is the daughter of the mine manager Herbert Meredith, a fair man who believes in his workers even if the coal company doesn't. He believes that they too should be receiving the same wages as other coal mines as well as the bank holiday others enjoy. Unfortunately the decision is not his to make. Given his position, Elizabeth is able to enjoy a privileged lifestyle and status of the middle class...and yet it is not something of any importance to her. She longs to be free of the social expectations her mother has placed on her and at twenty-seven is expected to settle for whatever suitable husband her mother Margaret can find her. But Elizabeth will not be bullied into a marriage to a man of social standing that she doesn't love. But her mother is quick to claim what has love got to do with it?

Gwilyn Owen is a miner, working class and most unsuitable marriage material for Elizabeth in her mother's eyes. He is a quiet man but a proud one and though he knows nothing can come of his romance with Elizabeth, he loves her just the same...and she him. But as soon as her mother gets wind of the dalliance she is affronted both by the deception and Elizabeth's unsuitable choice. She forbids her to have anything more to do with him or she will see he is dismissed from his position in the mines and encourages her to find a more suitable match. Such as one of Lady Fitzgerald's sons Sidney, a Captain, or Horace, a Lieutenant - the fact that they are officers speaks volumes as to their social standing and suitability. But Elizabeth couldn't think of anything worse. So in an act of rebellion she packs her bags and flees to join the VAD (Voluntary Aid Dispatch) nurse and is sent to France to work in a casualty clearing hospital near the Front, leaving both her family and her love behind.

Not only divided by society, Elizabeth and Gwilym are now separated by war and a continent. In a letter she left for Gwilym, Elizabeth explained their unsuitability and that she was a fool to allow it to continue, leaving Gwilym brokenhearted. In an attempt to dismiss all thoughts of Elizabeth from his mind, he sets to work on the allotment he and Elizabeth had set as a cooperative initiative for villagers to grow their own produce in the wake of rationing and shortages.

Meanwhile, Gwen Austin had been working in a munitions factory some miles away but due to the nature of the job, became ill and was hospitalised with a toxic poisoning as a result of her job. She was advised complete rest for the coming months and not to return to her former employment. So when Margaret Meredith is told her maid is leaving to get married, she knows she must find a replacement quick and soon discovers Gwen is looking for work. The pair come to an understanding and Gwen begins her new job at MacKenzie House which is a far cry from that of the munitions factory.

Life takes a turn for both Elizabeth and Gwen as they fight to overcome social stigmas for their place in life and love. And as the end of the war seems to be drawing closer, another fight is on their hands...one that could prove far more dangerous than war.

HOPE IN THE VALLEYS is a wonderful story of love, loss, friends and family as the world changes in the wake of the Great War and the carnage that it leaves behind. It's a story of social divide between the classes as those that dare to cross it bring a sense of change. It's a story of war and of hope.

I quickly felt at home with the pages as I drew similarities to Rosemary Goodacres "The Derwent Chronicles", also centred around a village with social divides and WW1. I enjoyed my journey to the Welsh mining town even if some of the Welsh phrases and language were a little lost on me (even google didn't help with some of them) but it didn't detract my enjoyment of the story.

HOPE IN THE VALLEYS is a delightfully easy read in which the characters who had featured in the first two books are feature here, though the focus in this installment is mostly on Elizabeth and Gwen. Some of the characters you really love to hate - such as Elizabeth's mother Margaret who is so completely overbearing, for one, amongst others - while others are completely endearing.

I have no hesitation in recommending HOPE IN THE VALLEYS to fans of historical fiction sagas such as Rosemary Goodacre, Dilly Court and Catherine Cookson.

I would like to thank #FrancescaCapaldi, #Netgalley, #HeraBooks and #RachelsRandomResources for an ARC of #HopeInTheValleys in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Francesca has enjoyed writing since she was a child, largely influenced by a Welsh mother who was good at improvised story telling. A history graduate and qualified teacher, she decided to turn her writing hobby into a career in 2006. She is a member of the Romantic Novelists' Association and the Society of Women Writers and Journalists. Each month she writes a competition post for the Romantic Novelists' Association blog.

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REVIEW: The Hidden Village by Imogen Matthews

The Hidden Village (Wartime Holland #1) by Imogen Matthews

Genre: Historical fiction, Holocaust, WW2

Read: 14th January 2022

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Published: 17th January 2022

★★★★ 4.5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

A Nazi soldier slams his rifle into her father’s head. From her hiding place, Sofie stifles a scream as tears roll down her face. Suddenly she can’t take it any more. ‘Stop, stop!’ she sobs, rushing out and pushing the soldier away. And then freezes, as he snarls and whips the gun round to point at her…

Holland, 1943: the Nazis are in occupation. German soldiers patrol the streets, and each week more families disappear without trace, never to be seen again. So when armed soldiers storm Sofie’s house and threaten her father at gunpoint, she knows their time – and luck – has run out.

Fleeing in the middle of the night to hide in a neighbour’s secret attic, the constant threat of a German raid means they can’t stay long. So Sofie’s parents make the heart-rending decision to send their daughter away. Concealed in the woods is a secret village, built by the town as a haven for Jewish families like Sofie’s. Remote, cold and bleak, yet filled with the hopeful laughter of children playing, it is the one place Sofie has the chance to live.

But rumours of the hidden village have been swirling, and the Nazis are determined to find it. As soldiers patrol the woods in ever-greater numbers, snow cuts the villagers off from the outside world and starvation sets in. Sofie knows what she must do, even though it means putting herself in danger. And when the worst happens, Sofie is faced with a terrible decision – save the village, or save herself…

An absolutely heart-breaking and gripping WWII historical novel based on the true story of an entire town who put themselves in danger to keep strangers safe. What happens will restore your faith in humanity. Fans of Fiona Valpy, The Tattooist of Auschwitz and The Choice will never forget this incredibly moving tale and the real-life heroes who inspired it.

MY REVIEW:

I am excited to be taking part in the #BooksOnTour #BlogTour for Imogen Matthews' inspiring tale of THE HIDDEN VILLAGE.

Upon reading the premise for THE HIDDEN VILLAGE I immediately became intrigued as it offered something a little different than your usual Holocaust stories. The author was inspired by her own Dutch family's tales of their personal experiences during wartime Holland and though based on actual events, it is otherwise entirely fictional. 

A compelling tale, THE HIDDEN VILLAGE comes across as an easy read for young adults to understand which is what I particularly liked as it wasn't bogged down with historical facts that tend to lose me in the quagmire. It was written in an easy to understand way featuring all young children and adults as the main perspectives.

It is not clear which year what year it is when the story begins, as with most books of this genre, so it is therefore left to the reader's imagination. It starts of with the innocence of childhood as Sofie, a young Jewish Dutch girl, grumbles about the teacher overlooking her abilities despite her topping her class in a maths test. She is too busy harbouring a resentment for Oscar with whom she shares a teenage affection and flits between being annoyed with him and being in love with him. Her best friend Liesbeth nudges her playfully which only makes Sofie frown more.

Oscar is the same age as Sofie and though he is not Jewish, he and his family do not welcome the Nazi occupation. His father Max is strict but reasonably fair as he works for the underground movement in helping to keep those in danger from the Germans safe. His mother Sara is English and while she is not involved in the underground she silently supports it. No one wants or welcomes a Nazi regime in Holland. And while Oscar yearns to see more of Sofie, circumstances soon make that impossible.

Then there is Oscar's 11 year old brother Jan, a young tearaway who gets himself into mischief with his two friends Nico and Lex. Together they roam the woods, despite being told countless times by his mother not to, looking for fun and adventure. Fate brings fallen pilots to their den in the woods as Jan endeavours to help the airmen. And while the woods are not teeming with Germans yet, they could be and so Jan brings the pilot home to keep him safe. Was that a wise move? Jan didn't care because now he was playing a part in a big adventure and for him it was exciting.

Then when the net closes in and Germans begin to steal the Jews away, forbidding them any birthright or privilege, the villagers know the time has come when they must hide them. And so plans are made...

A secret purpose-built village deep in the Veluwe woods called Berkenhout. There dozens of persecuted people, mostly Jews, were sheltered in the underground huts that soon became home for them. They were helped by a community of men, women and children from the nearby village who gather food and other necessities for all those who were hidden there. The need for secrecy was paramount and instilled in anyone who knew of its existence...for a betrayal could cost many of them their lives.

Sofie was one of the first to be hidden in Berkenhout where she moved in with a family of strangers who soon became a second family to her. Her own parents went to a Dutch family who only had room for two of them, thereby paving the way for Sofie to live in Berkenhout. There she learnt how to cook under surrogate mum Corrie's guidance and even set up a little school alongside  Laura, another girl her age who was from Ghent in Belgium. Together they taught the younger children and created activities to keep them occupied. It was not an easy life but it was one they adapted to. And all the while, Sofie longed to see Oscar and spend a few moments alone with him.

Oscar and his family worked tirelessly with others to keep Berkenhout and its inhabitants secret and safe. Even Sofie's best friend Liesbeth helped with gathering supplies for the village. Jan longed to be privy to whatever secrets were being kept from him and his yearning to help often put them in danger. Berkenhout must remain secret; its inhabitants kept safe.

But little did they know that trouble was a lot closer than they thought...

The easy style of this story made it an enjoyable quick read I devoured in a day. I wondered how on earth you could hide an entire village from discovery but the people of this village did just that to all intents and purposes. And that's what compelled me to read this story as it didn't read like any other Holocaust tale I have come across. I have read many Auschwitz like stories and after a while they all become too similar...so I was after something similar but different. And THE HIDDEN VILLAGE is just that.

The sheer terror at being discovered by the Germans is felt upon the pages - by both adults and children alike. Such as when Jan hides in the woods from the Nazi officers he encounters. So it was difficult to appreciate their courage as well as their fears in helping those in this hidden village.

I thoroughly enjoyed THE HIDDEN VILLAGE but I do however have one complaint. The ending. The story was unfolding at a perfect pace with the reveal of a major event when suddenly the last chapter jumps twenty years to a whole other era and I felt like...what just happened? It felt rushed and unexplained and it almost leaves the reader feeling a little bit cheated having invested so much in getting to know the characters. I don't even know what happened to some of them. And one explanation from Henk Hauer was just unbelievable. Just no. Maybe we'll get more answers in the sequel "Hidden in the Shadows"...

Despite this, THE HIDDEN VILLAGE is a thoroughly engrossing read and a very easy one at that. Perfect for fans of historical fiction, particularly those surrounding the Holocaust and the underground movement working against the Nazi regime.

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

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Imogen Matthews writes novels based on true stories about the Netherlands during the German occupation in World War 2. Some stories she discovered by chance, others are based on her Dutch mother's own experiences of hardship and survival during the Hunger Winter of 1944-45.

Her first novel, The Hidden Village, is set in the Veluwe woods, a beautiful part of Holland that Imogen has visited frequently over the past 30 years. It was in these woods that she discovered the story of the real hidden village which provided shelter in underground huts for Jews during WW2. Imogen retells the story of the hidden village with characters drawn from real life and from her imagination.

Within weeks of publication in 2017, The Hidden Village became an international bestseller, ranking at the top of a number Amazon's most-read book lists.

Following on from The Hidden Village comes Hidden in the Shadows, which has the pace of a thriller yet is also a love story. It tells the story about two young people who are brutally torn apart and must find a way to be together against all odds.

Imogen's third WW2 novel, The Girl Across the Wire Fence, is set in Amersfoort, Netherlands, and is based on the unforgettable tale of two young lovers who risked everything to keep hope alive in the very depths of hell - the little known Dutch concentration camp called Kamp Amersfoort.

Imogen's WW2 novels are published by Bookouture, a digital imprint of Hachette.

Learn more about Imogen's story in this video.

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REVIEW: The Daughters of Victory Street by Pam Howes

The Daughters of Victory Street (The Bryant Sisters #4) by Pam Howes

Genre: Sagas, Historical fiction, Post-war

Read: 13th January 2022

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Published: 14th January 2022

★★★★ 4 stars

DESCRIPTION:

From Amazon charts bestseller Pam Howes comes a heart-breaking and uplifting historical novel about a community pulling together in the shadows of war, and one young woman’s fight to make her mark on the world.

1952, Liverpool. The Second World War has cast a long shadow over Victory Street, and who knows if the remaining families will ever fully recover?

In the face of hardship, Bella Harrison is determined to see the bright side. She is back recording songs with her singing trio, The Bryant Sisters, and against all odds, Bella and her husband Bobby are finding ways to muddle through life as newlyweds whilst raising little Levi, Bella’s child with Black American pilot Earl Franklin Junior.

Meanwhile Earl’s daughter Dianna is adjusting to her new life in Liverpool. Determined to forge her own path, she has her heart set on becoming a nurse. However Dianna soon discovers that the reality of nursing is long hours of gruelling work, performed under constant scrutiny from the dreaded matron – who seems to take pleasure in making Dianna’s life miserable. When a handsome art student catches her eye, Dianna finds herself at the crossroads between ambition and love.

But just as the young women settle into their new lives, the close-knit community of Victory Street is rocked once more. Can the daughters of Victory Street face their challenges together, and seize a chance at happiness now that it is finally within reach?

A totally unforgettable, heart-warming historical novel, packed with family secrets, perfect for fans of Dilly Court, Diney Costeloe and Nancy Revell.

MY REVIEW:

I am excited to be taking part in the #BooksOnTour #BlogTour for Pam Howes' continuation in this saga series THE DAUGHTERS OF VICTORY STREET.

I couldn't wait to catch up with the girls in this delightful saga series by Pam Howes to see how they were all faring in this new post-war Britain. Time has moved on and the Bryant Sisters have become mothers and their extended families just seem to keep growing. It is now the 1950s but some scars still remain as the country rebuilds after the battering it took during the six years of war. There is still some rationing but on the whole the people of Britain have come back stronger...and it's no different to those on the other side of the Mersey.

As we return to Wavertree, the three friends - Bella, Edie and Fran - once a great singing trio for ENSA during the war as the Bryant Sisters, have little time for singing these days as each of them raise families of their own. All have settled into motherhood as has Bella's sister Molly who married Earl, the father of Bella's son Levi, who now has a little son of their own, Harry. In the previous book, Earl with his sister Ruby and his daughter Dianna emigrated from America to settle in England so he could enjoy Levi's childhood, though Bella's husband Bobby has adopted Levi as his own. Edie gave birth to a boy whilst Fran escaped her abusive husband Frankie and moved away to escape the stigma and whispers.

Now it is February 1952 and the country is in shock at the death of King George VI. Many shed tears over the loss of the man who was never meant to be King and having lead them through the war. Now Princess Elizabeth, who was at their hunting lodge in Kenya with her husband Prince Philip, has become Queen at the age of 25 and a mother herself.

As the women of Victory Street and the home on Prince Alfred Road - where Bella, Bobby and their extended family live - mourn the loss of their King, each one of them are about to embark on new journeys of their own. Everyone is faced with new challenges that have the power to bring them together or tear them apart, as their families are about to be extended yet again.

In the previous book, Earl suffered a brutal racist attack but this time it is his daughter Dianna who discovers that racists don't always use their fists as she comes up against prejudice in her new workplace where she and her best friend Sally are training to become nurses. Her father, however, had set his hopes on Dianna following in his footsteps in a singing career with her beautiful voice but her heart is set on nursing...just like her aunt Ruby. As the years pass we see Dianna blossom as she starts taking charge of her own life making big decisions involving her future. All the while, life changes for everyone on Victory Street as people and attitudes change also. There are life-changing health issues for a couple of characters but they each face these challenges in their stride...after all, they'd been through a war and countless air raids and yet they still stand tall.

While the focus in the past three books has been on Bryant Sisters themselves, in this one Bella, Edie and Fran take a little more of a backseat to the blossoming Dianna and the changes happening within and around their families. There are marriages, births and deaths as well as a big move for several of our favourites.

THE DAUGHTERS OF VICTORY STREET is the fourth in the Bryant Sisters series and, while it cane be read as a standalone, readers will appreciate the story far better having read the rest of the series first, as so much has lead to where they all are now and you really don't want to miss out on the journey.

Although it is a quick read, THE DAUGHTERS OF VICTORY STREET packs a lot into its 240 pages covering the early years of the 50s and everything within as we watch the families grow and adapt to the changing years. There is joy and laughter, sadness and tears in this fabulous addition to this heartwarming saga and I can't wait to see where Book 5 takes the girls.

I can recommend this book in conjunction with the rest of the series for fans of historical fiction sagas such as Nancy Revell, Rosie Clarke, Nadine Dorries and Dilly Court.

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

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Pam Howes is an ex Interior Designer who loves creating stories, but only started writing seriously about twelve years ago. The idea for her first novel, set in the sixties, came from her time as a teenager, working in a local record store and hanging round with the musicians who frequented the business.

That first novel evolved into a series set in the fictional town of Pickford, based on her home town of Stockport. Three Steps to Heaven; 'Til I Kissed You; Always On My Mind; Not Fade Away, and That'll Be The Day, follow the lives and loves through the decades of fictional Rock'n'Roll band The Raiders.

Pam signed a second contract with the award winning publisher Bookouture with the first novel in her Lark Lane series, The Factory Girls of Lark Lane, published in July 2018. Her first series for Bookouture - The Mersey Trilogy featuring The Liverpool Girls, The Forgotten Family of Liverpool and The Lost Daughter of Liverpool - is also available in E book, paperback and as audio books.

Pam is a big fan of sixties music and it's this love and the support and encouragement of her musician partner that compelled her to write the series. Pam has three adult daughters and seven grandchildren. She lives in Cheshire and as well as writing novels, writes short stories, which have appeared in charity anthologies and online e-zines, and poems, many of which are published.

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REVIEW: Left for Dead by Joy Kluver

Left for Dead (DI Bernadette Noel #3) by Joy Kluver

Genre: Crime fiction, Crime thriller, Police procedural

Read: 8th January 2022

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Published: 10th January 2022

★★★★★ 5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

The detective stared at the young woman lying on the bed. She almost looked peaceful, her face like porcelain. Despite everything she had been through, she was still beautiful.

When DI Bernie Noel hurries to Keira Howard’s hospital bedside, she knows that Keira has been lucky. Barely conscious and badly injured, at least she is alive. Convinced that Keira’s attack is the latest in a string of increasingly violent assaults on young women in the area, the next victim might not be so fortunate. So she vows to find the man who did this, and to stop him before anyone else gets hurt.

Spurring her team into action, she quickly hones in on a prime suspect. But then he suddenly dies while on police watch, and Bernie’s investigation goes into freefall. When Bernie’s superiors won’t let her take the case any further, her gut instinct tells her there’s much more to his death than meets the eye. If it was murder, who would want him dead, and why? So she determines to set out on her own to find out what happened.

But the closer Bernie comes to discovering the truth, the more she is putting her own life in danger. And with Keira finally strong enough to talk her about her attack, Bernie worries she may be at risk yet again. There’s someone out there who has killed to stay safe in the shadows; can Bernie stop another senseless death, and save Keira, before it’s too late?

An utterly compelling crime thriller full of twists and suspense, perfect for fans of Val McDermid, Angela Marsons and Cara Hunter.

MY REVIEW:

I am excited to be taking part in the #BooksOnTour #BlogTour for Joy Kluver's thrilling LEFT FOR DEAD.

Rejoining DI Bernie Noel a few months from where book 2 left off, LEFT FOR DEAD is the best yet. I absolutely loved it and couldn't put it down! And while each book can be read as standalones, to get the most out of Bernie's background and ongoing story, it's best to have read Books 1 and 2 first. Readers will be less likely to be in the dark surrounding some aspects as they fall into place rather leave you wondering what went on before.

As I said, I think this book is the best one yet. The team have not only grown but so has Bernie. Having transferred from the Met to Wiltshire a short while ago, Bernie was running from a past she would rather have left in London. Hence, her reluctance to front press conferences or to be seen on camera. In the first two books, there appeared to be quite a bit of angst among the ranks...particularly regarding her stand-in superior in the last book who was filling in for DCS Wilson, and DI Dougie Anderson brought in as FLO in the first book and to whom Bernie took an immediate dislike. Things didn't improve in the second book either as he was drafted in once again by her stand-in superintendent.

LEFT FOR DEAD opens with Bernie being awoken from sleep with the baby she is now expecting pressing down on her bladder but before she can answer the call of nature, her phone rings with the news that a nineteen year old woman, Keira Howard, has been found in Town Gardens brutally attacked and sexually assaulted. Without another thought she is up and on her way to the scene with her now live-in partner Dougie Anderson on route to headquarters to which he's been summoned.

At the scene Bernie meets Local Crime Investigator Leigh Roberts, based out of the local nick in Swindon, who has been investigating a spate of sexual attacks on young woman in the area. It appears that Keira could be the fifth victim but Bernie's not so sure. Still, she seconds Leigh to help on the investigation given her knowledge of the case and her thorough investigative skills. But she soon learns that Leigh is not all that she appears to be leaving her team wondering if she has made an error in drafting her to the team.

Meanwhile, Dougie has been working on a covert op in Serious Crime but when it goes belly-up and the suspect makes a run for it only to be collected by a lorry, Dougie finds his neck is on the line and is suspended from duty pending further enquiries. But when Bernie overhears a conversation between DCS Wilson and the Chief Constable regarding the identity of the suspect who was no in ICU, she wonders what bearing it has on her and why they deem it imperative to keep his true identity from her. Something else is going on here and despite it being none of her business, Bernie resolves to get to the bottom of it somehow. Especially as Dougie is being made the scapegoat for an operation that was, in effect, the Met's.

When Keira wakes, Bernie and her DS Kerry Allen head to the hospital to question her, hoping she can offer them the answers they need to move forward in the case that appears thus far to be stalling. But the nurse only allows five minutes with Keira during which time they could ascertain nothing that didn't already know before being shuffled out.

Investigations lead Bernie and the team back and forth from Swindon, including Bernie's introduction to Swindon's magic roundabout (google it and prepared to be wowed) which left her somewhat addled amidst her aching wrist from a previous injury and baby brain. 

Then when the team finally hone in on a suspect, with surprising results, they are then further shocked when he dies whilst in police custody, thrusting Bernie's investigation into freefall. Given the gravity of the situation and apparent tenuous links, her superiors recuse her from the case sending her home for some much needed rest and placing her DS Kerry Allen in charge. But Bernie refuses to let go as her instinct tells her there is more to his death than it seems. So if is was murder, who would want him dead? And why? And how, given that he was in a secure unit under police watch? Surely someone had seen something. 

Regardless of the circumstances, Bernie is determined to uncover the truth and find out what happened. But the closer she gets, the more she is placing herself and that of her unborn child, in danger. And now that Keira is awake and able to talk, she too could be at risk yet again. But the clock is ticking...Can Bernie find her attacker and her suspect's killer before it's too late?

WOW! This certainly is a gripping crime thriller and, I say it again, the best one yet in the DI Bernadette Noel series. At last all the team are working from the same page and no longer is there any angst amongst the ranks. And the developing relationship between Bernie and Dougie is rather sweet and a refreshing change from the usual single workaholic detectives that find themselves alone with a bottle to drown their sorrows. And how the two cases entwined was very clever and even lead me in a different direction. I have to say, Joy Kluver has hoodwinked me yet again because I don't think I have ever correctly guessed the villain in her books when I easily do in others. And this one was no different. While I did partially guess correctly, I was completely off-base with the rest of it.

LEFT FOR DEAD is a thrilling and addictive fast paced read, made pacier with the delightfully short and snappy chapters. As in most cases with the series, the book leaves us on something of a cliffhanger but in a good way. The ending actually left me with tears in my eyes. Bring on Book 4!! I can't wait, especially as Bernie's pregnancy advances and where that will leave her in future books.

Fantastic read, LEFT FOR DEAD is perfect for fans of Val McDermid, Carol Wyer and Carla Kovach.

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

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Joy Kluver has been an avid reader and writer since childhood. More recently she's been escaping the madness of motherhood by turning her hand to crime novels. A book blogger, she's also part of the First Monday Crime team and if you've been to any of their events it's likely you've eaten one of her cookies. She also organises author talks for her local library. Joy lives in SW London with her husband and three children. 'Last Seen' is her debut novel and the first book in the DI Bernadette Noel series.

Joy is represented by Anne Williams at the Kate Horden Literary Agency.

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REVIEW: The Innocent Dead by Lin Anderson

The Innocent Dead (Dr Rhona MacLeod #15) by Lin Anderson

Genre: Crime thriller, Crime fiction

Read: 11th January 2022

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Published: 6th August 2020

★★★★★ 5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

The Innocent Dead is a gripping crime novel by Lin Anderson featuring forensic scientist Rhona MacLeod who must solve the case of a young girl who went missing forty-five years ago.

Mary McIntyre's disappearance tore the local community apart, inflicting wounds that still prove raw for those who knew her.

So when the present-day discovery of a child’s remains are found in a peat bog south of Glasgow, it seems the decades-old mystery may finally be solved.

Called in to excavate the body, forensic scientist Rhona MacLeod uses the advances made in forensic science since Mary’s vanishing to determine what really happened all those years ago . . . and who was responsible.

One key person had been Karen Marshall who was devastated by her best friend’s abduction. Questioned by the police at the time had led to a dead end and the case soon went cold.

Now the news of the discovered body brings the nightmares back. But added to that, memories long-buried by Karen are returning, memories that begin to reveal her role in her friend’s disappearance and perhaps even the identity of the killer . . .

MY REVIEW:

OMG! How have I not heard of Lin Anderson or this series before? Having just finished this book I know now that I just need this series in my life...I loved it! It's just what I love in a crime thriller. A little bit of crime, a little bit of procedural, a little bit of thriller...and best of all, the various perspectives of the main players of the story...without it being all about Rhona and "the investigation". This way readers get a bit of everything as we puzzle it out for ourselves whilst being lead on the thrill-ride of our lives. I have read many crime thriller series but this one ticks most of the boxes and kept my engaged right the way through. Now I just have to find time to go back to the beginning sometime and see where it all began...

The opening chapter drew me in right away. Karen wakes from a fitful sleep and disturbing nightmares that have haunted her since childhood. And now even in her waking hours as black crows on the hearth seemingly sending messages from the dead as well as visions of her dead cat outside her window. This can't be happening. She seeks her husband Jack for answers...but he isn't there. For he, too, is dead...from dementia some time ago. It appears caring for him has taken it's toll on her and she can no longer distinguish fact from fiction; fantasy from reality. So what is haunting her dreams and turning them into nightmares...did it really happen? The diary, she suddenly remembers. The diary will tell her if what she imagines is true...because she wrote about it at the time. The diary will hold the truth...

Mary McIntyre was 11 years old when she disappeared from East Kilbride on 1st May 1975, just two days before her twelfth birthday. And despite investigations at the time, she was never found and no one was ever brought to justice. It was the case that haunted former DI Jimmy McCreadie since he was unwillingly shunted off the case and from the police. Now forty five years later, swimmers have made a gruesome discovery in a peat bog in a lochan south of Glasgow. Dr Rhona MacLeod and her assistant Chrissy are called to the scene where they carefully unearth and carefully extract the complete and mummified remains of what appears to be a child. Could this be Mary McIntyre?

Now with the advancement on forensic science, any trace evidence found with the remains can be tested for DNA and hopefully matched with someone in the system. But DNA extraction from the mummified remains could be tricky and take time but Rhona will not give up until she has the answers to lay this innocent child to rest. As news circulates about the gruesome find, many ruminate on the possibility of it being Mary McIntyre as the most likely. This in turn creates another avalanche of events an hour away in Stirling as Karen tunes in to the new of the discovery and her fears, it seem, become reality. The crow was right. It's Mary. She knows it is.

Whilst Rhona and Chrissy test the samples taken from the scene, DS Michael McNab and his partner DS Janice Clark begin the investigations into the discovery and on the notion that it is Mary McIntyre. Their DI, Bill Wilson, leads them to the original lead investigator on the case and youngest DI of his time, Jimmy McCreadie, who now lives in Stirling. McNab and Janice make the journey to see McCreadie, who it appears is now a best-selling crime fiction author writing under the name J.D. Smart, to pick his brains about the investigation into Mary's disappearance forty five years ago. And while much of the evidence and notes from the case has mysteriously disappeared, McCreadie/Smart kept his own notes on the case which he glady handed over to McNab in the hope it would help them solve the case which has haunted him for nearly five decades.

But the investigation is not without its dramas...and with the help of Professor Magnus Pirie along the way, McNab and Rhona sift through the evidence they have in the hope of uncovering the truth. 

The story is told from the various narratives of mainly Rhona, McNab and Karen Marshall, Mary's childhood best friend, with the odd viewpoint of Professor Pirie from time to time. These perspectives combined together make for compelling reading as they each provide crucial pieces of the puzzle that becomes clearer as events unfold. Rhona brings the science and logic, McNab the investigative side, the Professor the psychology behind the crime as Karen provides an unreliability of lucidity between what's imagination and what's reality.

As the story unfolds, many possibilities for the killer are suggested but are dismissed as more suspects come to light. Who could have killed an 11 year old girl? And why? And what is the significance of the burial site and the confirmation dress buried with her which remained in tact due to the protection of the plastic bag it was found in? But as Rhona knows, every contact leaves a trace...and she is determined to uncover the truth through forensic science and to give this child the dignity in her true place of rest.

Gripping from the very first page, THE INNOCENT DEAD is the fifteenth book in the Dr Rhona MacLeod series and, while I normally don't like joining a series so far in, I can safely say it worked well enough as a standalone with enough background given to keep any new readers coming late to the party...like me. But as with all series such as this, to get the complete benefit and understanding of the series it is always best to start from the beginning.

This is not my first Scottish crime thriller series but I have to say it is one of the best I have come across and I am eager to read more by Lin Anderson. How have I not heard of her before? 

One of these days I will venture back to the beginning...but until then I have no hesitation in recommending THE INNOCENT DEAD to fans of gritty crime thrillers with a compelling plot that is fast paced thanks to the short snappy chapters. Atmospheric and entertaining, THE INNOCENT DEAD is nothing short of brilliant...even if I did figure out the villain...but the ride was worth it!

I would like to thank #LinAnderson, #Netgalley and #PanMacmillan for an ARC of #TheInnocentDead in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Lin (Linda) Anderson is a Tartan Noir crime novelist and screenwriter, best known as the creator of forensic scientist Rhona MacLeod. As of 2010 the Rhona MacLeod books are being developed for ITV.

lin was born in Greenock, of Scottish and Irish parents. Her father was a detective in the CID. She worked in the Nigerian bush for five years during the 1980s, and later wrote an African short story which was broadcast on BBC Radio Four. Another of her African stories was published in the 10th Anniversary Macallan/Scotland on Sunday Short Story Collection. Before turning full-time to writing, she used to teach maths and computing at George Watson's College, Edinburgh.

A film of her screenplay Small Love was shown at London Film Festival and Edinburgh International Film Festival in 2001, and broadcast on Scottish Television in 2001 and 2002. Since then she has graduated from the newly founded Screen Academy Scotland, and has further screenplays in production.

Lin is a massive fan of the film Braveheart, claiming to have seen it over fifty times, and in 2004 wrote a book about the making of it.

Lin is a member of the Femmes Fatales crime writing trio, together with Alanna Knight and Alex Gray. She and Alex Gray are amongst the co-founders of Bloody Scotland, a Tartan Noir and Scottish crime writer's festival, which is held in Stirling since 2012.

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REVIEW: The War Girls of Goodwill House by Fenella J. Miller

The War Girls of Goodwill House (Goodwill House #1) by Fenella J. Miller

Genre: Historical fiction, Wartime fiction, Sagas, WW2, General fiction

Read: 7th January 2022

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Published: 12th January 2022

★★★★★ 5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

Lady Joanna Harcourt and her daughter Sarah discover their life of luxury at Goodwill House is over. Because with Lord Harcourt away fighting, the Harcourt girls are facing financial ruin.

Lady Joanna is terrified of losing their home, but for Sarah, this means her dreams of becoming a doctor are over. Headstrong Sarah isn’t one to quit! War or not, she’s determined to find a way to save her home and follow her dreams– whatever it takes!

Dashing RAF officer Angus Trent might just save the day. The new RAF base at Marston will soon be full of young women all hoping to serve their country, and Goodwill House will make the perfect home for them. But can Sarah convince Lady Joanna to agree to her plan?

Angus has never met a woman quite like Sarah – courageous, brave, unwavering. She has a huge task ahead of her, but if anyone can do it, his war girl can.

MY REVIEW:

What could be better than a new wartime saga series set against the backdrop of the onset of WW2? One that has a touch of "Downton Abbey" about it with the Lady of the manor and her daughter on such good terms with their employees they treat them as friends rather than servants. It is such a breath of fresh air and a delight to read and I am thrilled that this is just the beginning of the series.

Lady Joanna Harcourt and her daughter Sarah are left to run the estate with less than a handful of staff and very little means to do so after Lord Harcourt spared no time in rejoining the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) and going off to France to fight the Germans in a war they believed would be over by Christmas. By January 1940, in the grip of a terribly harsh winter, there was no sign of the war coming to an end and Joanna and Sarah found that the funds that Lord Harcourt had left them with were fast running out as he had expected to be home in the autumn. 

Despite having an extensive estate with an enormous house, the Harcourts are facing financial ruin if they don't do something fast. Goodwill House is a mammoth house that has been in the Harcourt family for generations, with both Georgian and Victorian extensions added onto the original house respectively, making it even bigger. With a harshly cold winter and only the two of them in residence, it seems ridiculous to run such a monstrosity. And to heat it, even worse. With just a housekeeper/cook who doesn't live in and a smattering of outdoor staff with no way to continue paying them, Lady Joanne and Sarah are therefore faced with a conundrum. And so they begin to take in paying boarders to help with the running costs. The first of their guests are six WAAFs seconded to the local RAF base which have no appropriate accommodation for them so they are billeted at Goodwill House. As they are WAAFs, the RAF supply coal for heating and remuneration for food and keep.

Lady Joanna knows that her husband Lord Harcourt would be apoplectic at the thought of the family lowering their standards to take in paying guests. But if he hadn't such a tight reign on the finances and having left no further instructions or means to make ends meet, then they wouldn't be taking in guests or selling his prized horses. But needs must.

Sarah Harcourt is just seventeen but is older than her years when she steps up to take the reigns and help her mother run Goodwill House in her father's absence. Social etiquette of the upper class would preferably see her married off to a suitable husband rather than making up rooms for paying guests, doing servants' menial tasks and running around the countryside on horseback or a Hillman with a rather dashing Flight Lieutenant. What Sarah really wants to do is become a doctor, as has been her dream for so long, but in the absence of funds to pay for her tuition at Oxford she has resigned herself to helping her mother run Goodwill House until she turns 18 in September and can then become a student nurse. But still she dreams of becoming a doctor.

When RAF Flight Lieutenant Angus Trent first sets eyes on Sarah, his mistakes her for a maid as no lady of the house would answer a door. But as soon as he realises his faux pas he is certainly not endeared to this somewhat snobbish and headstrong young woman. The feeling, as it happens, is mutual. For Sarah finds him to be overconfident and arrogant. But then Sarah also has experience with men at all.

As luck would have it, given that Goodwill House is be the billet for the WAAFs soon to arrive, Angus is the point of contact between the Harcourts and the RAF much to his irritation. As circumstances places them both in regular contact, social etiquette has Sarah being as polite to Angus as necessitates but soon the pair will find themselves thrown together in ways they could not have foreseen.

Meanwhile, Lady Joanna has had correspondence from her husband who strictly forbids Sarah to lower herself to that of a nurse and instructs Sarah to remain at home until he can return and find her a suitable husband. But Sarah, it seems, has other ideas. The freedom that has come from her father being in France has given both her and Lady Joanna a new lease of life as both women step out from under two decades of control...and they like it. War has changed the world and nothing is as it used to be as the women of Goodwill House give the house a new lease of life that hasn't seen laughter or happiness for decades.

I'm so glad I came in at the beginning of this series as I seem to stumble across many a couple of books in. I love wartime sagas like this one highlighting the struggles of daily life, even for the upper class who find themselves facing financial ruin. And while they aren't quite as comfortable as those in "Downton Abbey", society of the past has deemed a divide between the classes which now come together in the face of war as the world they know begins to change...and nothing is guaranteed anymore. THE WAR GIRLS OF GOODWILL HOUSE differs in that respect as most wartime sagas focus on the working class. It was a refreshing change to see it from the perspective of the upper class and how they bring change to their own lives in the face of war.

THE WAR GIRLS OF GOODWILL HOUSE is a delightful read that is enjoyable from start to finish. I was absorbed from the beginning that when I flipped the last page I was left with wanting more. I grew to love many of the characters, whilst some not so much. Lady Joanna, Sarah, Angus, Betty, Liza and Joe are all wonderful characters. But the Dowager and Lord Harcourt, who does not essentially appear except through thought and letter, are equally distasteful as well as Mrs Thomas who thankfully only fleetingly appears.

I cannot wait to see how this series develops especially as the Blitz has yet to begin and Angus being a fighter pilot whose desire is to run a squadron of Spitfires just as much as Sarah longs to become a doctor. Until we meet again...

Historical fiction and wartime saga fans will love THE WAR GIRLS OF GOODWILL HOUSE and I thoroughly recommend it.

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

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Fenella Jane Miller was born in the Isle of Man and is the bestselling writer of eighteen historical sagas. She also has apassion for Regency romantic adventures and has published over fifty to greatacclaim. Her father was a Yorkshireman and her mother the daughter of a Rajah. She has worked as a nanny, cleaner, field worker,hotelier,chef, secondary and primary teacher and is now a full time writer.

She has over twenty five Regency romantic adventures published plus one Jane Austen re-telling and one YA romantic fantasy.

Fenella lives in a small village in Essex with her British Shorthair cat.

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REVIEW: Between the Lines by S.J. Butler

Between the Lines by S.J. Butler

Genre: Psychological thriller

Read: 10th January 2022

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Published: 6th August 2020

★ 1 star

DESCRIPTION:

The closer you are, the less you see . . .

When Kev's girlfriend is killed in a hit-and-run, he thinks he's suffered the worst.

Haunted by his past, Kev attempts to put his life back together, throwing himself into his new relationship with Stella and his job as a literary agent.

Then a book lands on his desk that changes everything. And he quickly realises his nightmare has only just begun.

Between the Lines is a darkly gripping psychological thriller, perfect for fans of Teresa Driscoll, K.L Slater and Shalini Bolland.

MY REVIEW:

I must be in the minority here because although I really wanted to enjoy S.J. Butler's debut thriller BETWEEN THE LINES, I didn't. In fact I found it incredibly difficult to follow. The story seemed to jump around with the writing somewhat convoluted that I found myself thoroughly confused at times. In fact there were times I wasn't sure what was happening as the narrative appeared to be outlining something completely different and off the wall...before returning back to the actual present. And I was left with...what the hell just happened?

I admit I was drawn to the book for it's tagline "a darkly gripping psychological thriller...perfect for fans of Teresa Driscoll, K.L. Slater and Shalini Boland". Sadly, in my opinion, this book doesn't even touch the even outer echelons of these other more well known and prolific writers.

I can't even say I liked the characters. I couldn't connect with Kev as he seemed to be daydreaming most of the time, stuck in a realm I've no idea where, with bursts of dialogue to reiterate that he was still in the land of the living.

Unfortunately, BETWEEN THE LINES wasn't for me but that isn't to say that it isn't for everyone...as other reviews show that many people loved it. And sadly, one cannot like every book they read just as not everyone will like the same books as everyone else. After all, reading is subjective and tastes differ.

So while I was intrigued by the premise of this book that was to cross his desk at some point and whether the hit and run driver was ever found, I wasn't enough so to continue reading to find out what it was and what it meant. Had I done so, the book may have improved. But for me, if 20 or 30% in and it hasn't garnered my interest by then, I move on. Life's too short for books I don't enjoy.

I would like to thank #SJButler, #Netgalley and #HeadlineAccent for an ARC of #BetweenTheLines in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Sean Butler was born in London but lives in County Mayo in the west of Ireland where he works as an English teacher. He attended Queen Mary & Westfield college, University of London 1993-96. He worked for a magazine called ‘Police Review’ in the circulation department which is the magazine for all the police forces in the UK. Their offices were at Canary Wharf, blown up by the IRA before he joined. 

Upon meeting his Irish wife in London, Sean returned to Ireland in 1999 where he gained a job as an English and Literacy teacher in Castlerea prison in County Roscommon. The job brought him into contact with all kinds of people where he saw a darker side to life. Upon hearing stories about peoples' lives, split second decisions and mistakes that threw their lives off course which thus inspired his writing of psychological thrillers.

Sean's debut novel 'Between the Lines' was published in August 2020 by Accent/Headline with his second novel 'Deadly Lesson' released in July 2021.

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