REVIEW: Who She Was by Tony Parsons

Who She Was by Tony Parsons

Genre: Psychological thriller

Read: 23rd August 2023

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 17th August 2023

★★★★ 4 stars

DESCRIPTION:

A bonfire burns on a Cornish beach in the middle of the night.

Nearby, a young woman waits for morning, and for the estate agent to arrive with the keys to her new life in the peaceful fishing village.

She carries with her no trace of her previous life or the past she has left behind.

Quickly she becomes an object of fascination among the locals; one in particular finds that he is falling in love with her.

But can anyone really have a new life?

What happened to this woman's old life?

And what price did she pay to escape it?

When secrets long buried explode into the light, they will change the lives of everyone around her.

MY THOUGHTS:

Obsession...lies...murder...

Now THIS! THIS is much better than my first foray with Tony Parsons that I read yesterday. "The People Next Door" was such a disappointment and so far fetched even the elasticity of my imagination could not stretch that far. But this...this is so much better. And I love the Cornish setting which is a character in itself. The windswept seas and the jagged cliffs only add to the atmospheric chills that are felt within these pages.

A bonfire on the beach captures the attention of locals. An incomer, emmet, townie no doubt hunkered down for warmth only to be taken out on the next tide if they're not careful. And so locals Bet and Will Farthing bring young Clementine home and give her shelter for the night as she awaits to collect the keys to the blue and white cottage she's taken a lease out on for the year. She carries nothing with her to identify from where she's come or what she's left behind. But it isn't long before the young redhead becomes a source of fascination amongst the locals in the fishing village of St Judes she has chosen to call home.

But one man soon falls under Clementine's spell and his fascination soon becomes obsession. Tom Cooper, owner of the Lobster Pot restaurant, cannot keep his eyes or his thoughts from the beautiful young redhead. Even when she took Charlie Farthing home and they stayed in her cottage all night. Even when her past comes looking for her in the furtherest county in the country. Even when he hears rumours of her life before. Even then. Tom is obsessed with Clementine and will do anything for her. Anything? Even murder?

But Tom finds himself in a quandary as he tries to separate the truth from the lies about Clementine's somewhat complex past. Is she all she appears to be? And then when a body is discovered in the waters of the estuary, the people of St Judes find they have the police digging around when the Cornish have their own way of meting out justice. But DCI Graves won't be put off...nor will she be fooled. She may be about to retire but she won't rest until she solves the case.

This sweeping tale had me feeling a but like I was in Portwenn but with the ruggedness of Poldark and the chilling atmosphere of du Maurier, whom I am pleased to see been given a nod throughout the story. Even Winston Graham gets a mention. But the secret is in the setting. There is something mysterious and atmospheric about Cornwall. The perfect setting for psychological thrillers and this one was no different.

I was so pleased to have enjoyed this one so much more than the previous one though the ending does leave a few questions. I'm still not sure how to take it but I think Parsons must like the open-ended conclusions, leaving the reader to make up their own minds maybe. Either way, this was an enthralling tale that kept me intrigued throughout that I devoured it in a day. And a few good twists thrown in to keep you on your toes also.

I would like to thank #TonyParsons, #Netgalley and #RandomHouseCentury for an ARC of #WhoSheWas in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Tony Parsons was born in 1955 in Essex. Although he had already written a novel at the age of seventeen, he worked at the Gordon's gin distillery in London until summer 1976, when he started working for the NME (New Musical Express) as a punk journalist. This took him on the road with bands like The Sex Pistols.

He married Julie Burchill, a fellow NME journalist, and they had a son, Bobby, before divorcing.

He has a regular column in The Mirror and participates in the BBC arts programme, Newsnight Review. He has also written for, among other publications, The Face, Marie Claire, The Daily Mail, Arena, The Guardian, Elle, The Daily Telegraph, The Spectator, The Sunday Times, GQ and Red.

He has now re-married, and lives in London.

Social media links:

Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

 

REVIEW: The People Next Door by Tony Parsons

The People Next Door by Tony Parsons

Genre: Psychological thriller

Read: 22nd August 2023

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 31st March 2022

★★ 2 stars

DESCRIPTION:

Lana and Roman Wade have fled the city for a little corner of paradise, exchanging their flat with its unhappy memories for a small honey-coloured house among the rolling green hills of Oxfordshire. Their new home, set in a residential Close known as The Gardens, is their dream and their new neighbours are charming.

So why is Lana feeling so uneasy?

Lana and Roman may seem like an attractive, popular couple. But they are also a couple with a secret; a secret buried in the life they have left behind, a secret they have shared with no-one.

But their new neighbours - these charming, affluent men and women in the Gardens - have secrets of their own.

Terrible secrets; unimaginable secrets that include the apparently happy family who lived - and tragically died - in Lana and Roman's new home.

As Lana struggles to adjust to her new life in Paradise, she becomes convinced that her new neighbours are hiding something from her, something connected with the deaths of the family who lived in her house before she did, something that could put her own life in danger...

The People Next Door is a psychological thriller full of twists and turns, a murder mystery wrapped in a love story, and a love story wrapped in a murder mystery. It is about the secrets we all keep - and what we will do for love.

MY THOUGHTS:

What started out as an intriguing thriller ended in...what, exactly?

Lana and Roman Wade move from London to rural Oxfordshire and their pretty thatched cottages for a fresh start after a horrific experience that changed their lives. The new home in the residential close known as The Gardens is idyllic and charming. But is it too good to be true?

Lana soon makes friends with their neighbours and is warmly welcomed. She is told everyone is so happy in this corner of the world that "nobody ever leaves". If that is true then what happened to the people who lived in their house before them? And the doctor Roman is replacing in the village? If no one ever leaves, why did they? 

Soon Lana discovers the truth behind what happened in their dream home and it is increasingly making her uneasy. She can't settle, especially when she discovers strangers trespassing on her property stealing a photo of her house or two. When she discovers that Roman knew about the house's history she is furious. How could he even think she would want to live here with that hanging over them? And then a chance encounter with the internet sleuths who she caught on her property has her digging for answers about what really happened behind these closed doors. But the more Lana digs, the more uneasy she feels.

I thought I was going to enjoy my first foray with Tony Parsons as it began as an intriguing slow burning psychological thriller. I thought secrets would be uncovered, mysteries would be solved...but instead everything ends up a convoluted mess and stretching credibility and believability beyond belief. I know as readers we must often suspend belief...but seriously? 

By the end, there were far more questions than answers and the end itself became an effort to finish. And what's worse...he killed a beloved dog with oleander! And for what?

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Tony Parsons was born in 1955 in Essex. Although he had already written a novel at the age of seventeen, he worked at the Gordon's gin distillery in London until summer 1976, when he started working for the NME (New Musical Express) as a punk journalist. This took him on the road with bands like The Sex Pistols.

He married Julie Burchill, a fellow NME journalist, and they had a son, Bobby, before divorcing.

He has a regular column in The Mirror and participates in the BBC arts programme, Newsnight Review. He has also written for, among other publications, The Face, Marie Claire, The Daily Mail, Arena, The Guardian, Elle, The Daily Telegraph, The Spectator, The Sunday Times, GQ and Red.

He has now re-married, and lives in London.

Social media links:

Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

REVIEW: Murder in the Bookshop by Anita Davison

Murder at the Bookshop (Miss Merrill & Aunt Violet Mysteries #1) by Anita Davison

Genre: Historical mysteries, Cosy mystery

Read: 14th August 2023

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 22nd August 2023

★★★★ 4 stars

DESCRIPTION:

1915, London: Working in the dusty bookshop that her Aunt Violet mysteriously inherited, Hannah Merrill is accustomed to finding twists in every tale. But discovering her beloved best friend Lily-Anne – with a paperknife through her heart – in the middle of the bookshop, is not a plotline she saw coming.

The case is anything but textbook. With the discovery of a coded German message, and Hannah’s instinct that Lily-Anne’s husband is keeping secrets, she determines to get to the bottom of it.

She can’t do it alone though. To crack this case, Hannah will need the enlist the help of her outrageous, opinionated, only-occasionally-objectionable Aunt Violet.

They think they’re making progress until one of their chief suspects is found dead. And Hannah realises that she is herself now in the murderer’s sights. Will the final chapter be the ending of a killer… or just a killer ending?

A totally addictive, WW1-set cozy mystery, perfect for fans of Verity Bright, T.E. Kinsey, and Agatha Christie

MY THOUGHTS:

What a delightfully fun read this was! Filled with German spies, suffragettes, bombings, nefarious employees, family secrets and a murder or two, well, what more can you want? I loved both Hannah and her Aunt Violet.

London 1915: War is raging in Europe while Zeppelin raids over London leave the city in tatters, much to the dismay of Hannah's mother who wishes her daughter would return to the safety of Surrey. On the morning after a raid, Hannah hurriedly heads to the bookshop her Aunt Violet owns in Covent Garden and is relieved to find it undamaged. Their apprentice Archie is instilled behind the counter but their manager is nowhere to be found. Hannah casts her eye over the bookshop and is horrified to see the state it is in. It seems manager Monty Carstairs has been somewhat lackadaisical in keeping shop. It seems he is never there and leaves the running of the shop to their apprentice.

Hannah begins the task of tidying up and comes across what appears to be a deck of cards but upon closer inspection reveals they are postcards of scantilly clad girls that Archie informs her Monty has been selling on the side. Stuffing them into her handbag when she hears the bell over the shop door ring out and turns to find their absentee manager. But it seems he is not stopping. He only wanted to make sure Archie was doing his job before he headed off to lunch. Hannah fires him on the spot and declares that she will manage the shop herself. Monty threatens that this won't be the last she hears from him. After he storms out, Hannah realises she neglected to ask for his keys back.

The next morning when she arrives bright and early to continue with the work she and Archie made a start on the day before, she is horrified to discover her best friend Lily-Anne in her reading nook...with a paper knife protruding from her chest. She has Archie run for a policeman, who calls for his superior Inspector Farrell, who then investigates the murder.

Despite knowing she is a suspect, Hannah wants to know who killed her friend and so she and Aunt Violet stealthily do their own sleuthing.

There is so much more to this cosy little fun read but I won't spoil it for you. Let's just say there are red herrings aplenty and a little bit of romance along the way. There are no sex scenes and this is just good clean fun, in the form of Agatha Christie. But with more witty humour added.

I will be interested to see where things head next for the sleuthing duo as well as with Darius. Overall, an entertaining fun read that whiled away a few hours I read in one sitting.

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

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Born and raised in London, Anita has always had a penchant for all things historical. The citys colourful history has always influenced Anita's writing, even when it was stories scribbled in lined exercise books. Having lived all over the UK and parts of Europe, she is now back in her home city where she immerses herself in writing about the 17th Century.

Anita now lives in the beautiful Cotswolds, the backdrop for her Flora Maquire mysteries.

Social media links:

Wesbite | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

REVIEW: Nanny Wanted by Lizzy Barber

Nanny Wanted by Lizzy Barber

Genre: Psychological thriller, Suspense, Domestic noir

Read: 20th August 2023

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 17th August 2023

★★★★ 3.5 stars (rounded up)

DESCRIPTION:

A remote Cornish mansion. The perfect couple. And the deadly secrets that bind them.

When Lily finally leaves her toxic relationship, a job as a nanny at Kewney Manor seems like the perfect solution. There, she can cut herself off from her old life, and never have to see him again.

The Rowes seem like a model family, and Lily falls instantly in love with her new home. But she can’t help feeling that something isn’t quite right. Why will nobody tell her about the nanny before? Where does Laurie go at night? And what does Charles really want?

As Lily becomes increasingly entangled in the Rowes’ lives, she realizes that the perfect family may not be all that they seem. And as that as much as she fears the past she is running from, perhaps the present is where the real danger lies...

But will she find the answer before it tears her family apart?

MY THOUGHTS:

Keeping secrets is a must...

Last night I dreamt I went to Manderlay again...oops, nope. Wrong book! But seriously, this one had modern day Daphne du Maurier vibes running through it. The author even got a mention here and there throughout. She was most definitely an inspiring factor for this tale.

Lily leaves her toxic relationship with Nick behind and flees to Cornwall when she sees a job for a nanny at Kewney Manor. The perfect solution, she can cut herself off from her old life and all that went with it and focus on moving forward. Only trouble is, she can't seem to leave him behind. Nick seems to be in her every thought or action...even in her new life.

The family she is working for - Charles and Laurie Rowe - seem like the perfect couple with the perfect family. They have two children, Bess and William, and Lily falls instantly in love with her new home. But then strange things begin to happen, as they inevitably do. And soon Lily begins to wonder what she's really got herself into. Where does Laurie disappear to at night in nothing but a robe? And why won't anyone tell her about the nanny before her? What happened to her? And is Charles too smooth?

There is an element of claustrophobia throughout making NANNY WANTED an atmospheric read. It is dark and compelling examining toxic and coercive relationships, mental health all wrapped up into nature versus nurture. It's deliciously dark and disturbing in parts with that hint of du Maurier.

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

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Lizzy Barber studied English at Corpus Christ College, Cambridge University. After 'previous lives' acting and working in film development, she has spent the last ten years as Head of Brand and Marketing for The Hush Collection, a boutique group of restaurants founded by her brother, Jamie.

Her debut novel, MY NAME IS ANNA, is the winner of the Daily Mail First Novel Competition, and was published in 2019 in the UK by Penguin Random House, by Mira/Harper Collins in the US and by Albatros in Slovakia.

OUT OF HER DEPTH was published in 2022 by Pan Macmillan in the UK and Harper Collins in the US and was a Richard & Judy Book Club pick. The TV rights have been optioned by Sony.

Her third novel, NANNY WANTED, was published in 2023 by Pan Macmillan.

Lizzy lives in London with her husband, George, a food writer and strategy consultant, and their son, Marlowe.

Social media links:

Wesbite | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

REVIEW: The Midwives' War by Chrissie Walsh

The Midwives' War by Chrissie Walsh

Genre: Historical fiction, WW2

Read: 13th August 2023

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 18th August 2023

★★★★★ 4.5 stars (rounded up)

DESCRIPTION:

‘See that patch of blue sky,’ he said. ‘Whenever you see one, that’s where I’ll be – thinking of you.’

Against the chaotic backdrop of World War II, Grace Murphy is working as a midwife in Doncaster Royal Infirmary with her two friends, Clodagh and Patsy. In between delivering babies and tending wounded airmen, the girls endure bombing raids, rationing and the hardships and heartbreak that war brings. But in the faces of the new babies she welcomes to the world, Grace always looks for hope, as she dreams of a time when the war will end.

When the midwives get the chance to go to a dance at the nearby RAF Finningly, they jump at the offer. The hangar is crowded with happy dancing couples but when the glamourous Spitfire pilots saunter in, looking dashing in their leather flying jackets and brightly coloured silk scarves, Grace can’t resist taking a peek. And the moment Grace meets pilot, Richard Carmichael, she knows he will capture her heart.

With every daring flying raid, Grace and Richard risk losing each other forever. All Grace can do is look out for Richard in the patches of blue sky, and hope that fate will bring them their very own wartime happy-ever-after…

Chrissie Walsh is back with this heart-breaking tale of love against the odds, perfect for fans of Fenella Miller, Daisy Styles and Margaret Dickinson.

MY THOUGHTS:

"To love and be loved is a very precious thing, even when the person you shared that love with is no longer part of your life...You carry it with you through life and it gives you the strength to keep on looking for the patch of blue sky."

1942: As bombs are falling, in a little corner of Yorkshire babies are being born under the care of three midwives - Grace Murphy, Clodagh Flynn and Patsy O'Grady. Three Irish nurses who came to England where nurses were desperately needed in light of the war. It's at Doncaster Royal Infirmary where these three nurses trained in midwifery join the maternity team and in their own way make their mark.

It's a Friday evening when Grace and Clodagh finish their shift and return to the house they share with Patsy, and after a meal, they don their gladrags and head to the local RAF airbase where a dance is underway. There, Grace meets handsome pilot Richard Carmichael and the pair fall hopelessly in love. But life as a fighter pilot is a short one and tomorrow may never come. Richard vowed never to involve himself seriously with a girl under these circumstances but upon meeting Grace all that fell by the wayside. They were soulmates destined to be together despite their different backgrounds. He from Yorkshire aristocracy (so his mother would have everyone believe) while she is a Catholic girl from County Clare. But none of that matters to them for they know they were meant to be together.

But when tragedy strikes, Richard finds comfort in Grace's arms and in her bed but upon returning to base is dealt another blow that sees him fall further into the depths of despair and thus he makes a rash decision from which there is no coming back from. Whilst Grace finds herself in trouble but by then it is too late as she receives a heartbroken letter and no way of reaching Richard. She too finds herself in the depths of despair, pregnant and alone. No job, no home and nowhere safe for her and her baby. She cannot return to Ireland and be branded a wanton woman and bringing shame on her family.

Alone with no prospects and nowhere to go, Grace must find her own way in the world and make a home for herself and her child.

1969: In a care home nestled in Yorkshire, Richard Carmichael ruminates over his life and the box in which he keeps his most precious mementos. A silk scarf from his time as a pilot, a photo of him and the lads who never got to come home, a photo of a pretty nurse who still holds his heart and the brooch he had specially made for her. His daughter Sara sees him and the memories it evokes and wonders of the story that lays there untold. She thought her mother was the great love of his life but as her father begins his story, she discovers the truth of his greatest love and the regret he has carried since.

Oh my. I was not prepared for the emotions this story evoked. I devoured it in one sitting and was in tears by its final pages. It is such a moving, heartbreaking tale that envelops you completely. I didn't think I would enjoy this book as much as I did but oh I did.  I will never look up at and see that patch of blue sky again without being moved.

A truly delightful tale. Keep on looking for that patch of blue sky.

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

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Chrissie Walsh was born and raised in West Yorkshire and is a retired schoolteacher with a passion for history. She has written several successful sagas documenting feisty women in challenging times for Aria. Welcome to Weaver Street, the first title in her new WW1 saga series for Boldwood.

Social Media links:

Twitter | Facebook | BookBub | Goodreads

REVIEW: The Marriage Retreat by Laura Elliot

The Marriage Retreat by Laura Elliot

Genre: Psychological thriller, Suspense

Read: 12th August 2023

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 17th August 223

★★★ 3.5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

My husband saved other people’s marriages.

But his secrets will destroy ours…

I stand in the mortuary and take a deep breath before identifying the body of the man I’ve been married to for twenty-six years. Victor and I built Serenity Falls, a successful couples’ retreat, together. Honesty and trust were the bedrocks of our marriage, and we helped other couples repair their relationships too.

Now my whole world has been turned upside down and I don’t know what to think. A woman lies in a coma, in a stark, white hospital room. She was by Victor’s side when he died. The police have been unable to identify her and I’m forced to confront the painful reality that my own husband was hiding something. My grief is laced with anger. How could he lie to me?

But as I begin to uncover the secrets of my husband’s past, I discover the shocking truth about the woman with no name and no memory. And to protect my family, I have to make a choice.

A choice that will turn me into a liar, just like Victor.

And will end in murder…

MY THOUGHTS:

My Husband saved other people’s marriages...But his secret will destroy ours...

To be honest, I found this book a bit of a struggle. It's a slow paced thriller which I don't mind sometimes, but this one was a struggle. It felt a bit too long and I felt like I was drowning part the way through. But having said that, it WAS a good story. Intriguing and compelling...just too long.

When Lorraine Gordon receives the news that her husband Victor was killed in a car accident on the motorway a few miles from Dublin when he should have been at a conference in London, her world collapses. Everything she thought she knew was a lie. And she was determined to right every last wrong.

She met Victor at some airy fairy hippies retreat in Texas where they lived on mung beans and gazed at their navels or something. I don't know but Victor seemed to be a guru that had an aura that shone from him. Every woman wanted to be with him, every man wanted to be him. He was an enigma that Lorraine fell in love with and together they returned to Ireland and built up their business in the hotel she inherited from her father, Serenity Falls, to become Rekindle Connections. And here, Victor became known as the "love guru".

So when the gardai come knocking to inform her of Victor's death, they have another piece of news to impart. He was not alone in the car. His travelling companion was a young woman who remains in a critical condition in a coma in hospital. Now it seems everything Lorraine thought she knew about her husband was a lie. Who is this young woman? And how does Victor know her?

But it seems Lorraine's troubles are only just beginning. When she visits Victor's solicitor's office for the reading of the Will with their son Aidan, it appears Victor had recently changed his Will in light of his health problems. Both of which were news to her. But, fortunately for her, the new Will had not yet been signed so therefore was invalid and given that Victor had revoked his previous Will meant that he died intestate. So where exactly did that leave Lorraine? And more importantly, Serenity Falls?

There is so much more I could say about this story but it would probably give a little too much away. So I shall just leave it at that and let you be the judge. To be honest, Lorraine is not very likeable which is hard in a main character because I really didn't care what happened to her. But I did want to find out what happened.

I almost DNF this book because I found it to be so long and drawn out. I was glad I stuck it out because it got marginally better in the last 25% which by then it should have had me enthralled (which I wasn't). I really wanted to like this book but it is hard to review because on the one hand it's a great story but on the other it is too long winded. I felt it would have been better editted down a little to be shorter and made pacier with short snappy chapters.

Overall, a good solid read that was atmospheric and chilling in parts.

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

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Laura Elliot is an Irish novelist who writes psychological thrillers and lives in Dublin, Ireland. Her novels are: The Thorn Girl, The Wife Before Me, Guilty, Sleep Sister, The Betrayal, Fragile Lies, Stolen Child and The Prodigal Sister. Her latest novel,

The Tinderbox is due for release in December 2020. AKA June Considine, she had written twelve books for children and young adults. She has worked as a journalist and magazine editor.

Social Media Links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

PUBLISHER:

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

Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

 

REVIEW: The Family on Smith Street by Elisabeth Carpenter

The Family on Smith Street by Elisabeth Carpenter

Genre: Psychological thriller, Suspense

Read: 10th August 2023

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 14th August 2023

★★★★★ 4.5 stars (rounded up)

DESCRIPTION:

A happy family. A picture-perfect street. A secret someone would kill for.

My husband James and I love living on Smith Street, with its neat houses and friendly family barbecues. Our daughter Scarlett grew up playing outside with the other local kids – it’s somewhere nothing bad could ever happen. Or so I thought…

Because when I wake terrified, head pounding, in a cramped windowless room, I realise I was entirely wrong. As my eyes adjust to the dark, I see creased pictures of missing local people I vaguely recognise from the news covering the walls. Then my skin turns ice-cold when I notice the newest pictures are of me, of James, of Scarlett…

A terrified sob catches in my throat. It seems there’s been a killer hiding in our neighbourhood for years. And I’m their next victim.

I stare at the photos in horror. Because if they’ve got me, they could also have James or, worst of all, my precious daughter Scarlett... In that moment, I know I’ll do anything, everything, to save my family. Especially because, deep down, I know this is all my fault…

A completely compelling and page-turning psychological thriller perfect for fans of My Lovely Wife, The Serial Killer’s Wife and The Housemaid.

MY THOUGHTS:

How well do you really know them...?

How has it been so long since I've read Elisabeth Carpenter? When her debut "99 Red Balloons" was published, I devoured it it was THAT good! (Although my review of it is pretty crap - it was written in my early review days). And when a debut is THAT good, the bar is set that much higher and it is hard to beat. And this one comes close...very close.

Told through three different narratives, the story begins with Joanna who disappears on her way home one night after having a few too many drinks. She's clever enough to pretend to be walking up to her door when approached by a strange car but she's not quick enough to avoid a quick-thinking kidnapper from snatching her from the street. She awakes in a strange room that is eerily decorated much like her own at home...only it isn't. And she's tied up with a gag across her mouth. But why did they take her? What do they want from her? Surely, they have the wrong person. And the longer they hold her, the more she's convinced they have made a mistake. Nothing they tell her makes any kind of sense. She doesn't know these people. They have made a mistake.

Scarlett wakes the following morning surprised that her mum hasn't already beaten her to it, as she usually does. She gets herself ready for college and heads downstairs. The curtains are still drawn in the living room. Strange. And then she sees her dad still sprawled with his head on the table. Has he not been to bed yet? Wait...is he even breathing? Is he dead? Scarlett can almost taste the relief when she sees her dad slowly blink his eyes open. She asks him where mum is. Did she not come home? He assures her all is fine but Scarlett isn't stupid. Her dad may be saying all the right things but there's something he's not telling her. Does he know where her mum is? 

Rewind back nearly forty years to 1985 and we meet ten year old Alexander, a young boy whose mother is an alcoholic and whose father may as well not even be there. By the time he's 14, his father has been arrested for his mother's murder and he is is shipped off to his maternal grandparents in Yorkshire. Life hasn't been kind to Alex but maybe now it will be. Because now he has grandparents who love him...like his mother never did.

As the story unfolds through the three perspectives, we are lead on a merry chase trying to figure out exactly why Joanna has been kidnapped and by who? And how do the two timelines intersect? It's clear as the past timeline starts to catch up that Alex is a very troubled individual. In fact, being inside his head was creepy but oh it was such fun!

We are fed snippets along the way - some red herrings, some real clues - but how to decipher the fact from fiction? There are many threads weaved around each other, cleverly crafted and deftly driven to give you just enough without giving too much away. And then twist after twist came, blowing everything out of the water. What I thought was true wasn't and then it was and then what the...? How did that happen? And when?

Elisabeth Carpenter has expertly maneovured each thread into an expertly woven tapestry. As you stand back, just look at the picture and I just think - WOW. She's done it again. 

I was thoroughly entertained from start to finish which is the most important factor in a book. If I'm entertained, I'm happy. And happy I was. And thoroughly entertained. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough, even though I was falling asleep. I just wanted to keep reading.

Another absolute winner for me. Now I really have to find time to go back and read all the others in between her debut to now. Until then, I can't wait to see what she delivers us next!

I would like to thank #ElisabethCarpenter, #Netgalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheFamilyOnSmithStreet 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.

Social media links:

Wesbite | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Newsletter SignUp | Goodreads