The Garden Party by Wendy Clarke

“The Garden Party” by Wendy Clarke is a novel that beautifully marries the essence of gothic mystery with a contemporary setting, making it an outstanding read. From the outset, the atmosphere is charged with a subtle, eerie tension reminiscent of classic gothic tales, yet it’s distinctly modern in its approach. The protagonist, with whom I felt a deep connection, is intriguingly crafted. Her unique characteristics, although slightly odd at times, only enhanced my ability to relate to her, drawing me deeper into the narrative.

The story unfolds with a blend of suspense and intrigue, as the mystery surrounding a tragic incident in Rachel’s new neighborhood unravels. Clarke’s mastery in weaving a plot that keeps the reader guessing is commendable. I found myself engrossed in the twists and turns of the story, with its rich backdrop of secrets and unresolved questions keeping me hooked till the last page.

What truly sets this novel apart is its ability to create a gothic atmosphere while being set in the modern world. This unusual combination made “The Garden Party” a refreshing read. It’s perfect for those who appreciate a good mystery with a touch of the uncanny, and for fans of authors like Lisa Jewell and K.L. Slater who enjoy a suspenseful story with a strong, relatable protagonist. For me, “The Garden Party” was a delightful journey through a labyrinth of mystery and suspense, making it a highly recommended read.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher, provided through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

The Last Guest House by Caroline Mitchell

“The Last Guest House” by Caroline Mitchell, set in the Isle of Skye, presents an intriguing premise and attempts to weave a complex narrative around a series of suspenseful events. The novel, featuring DC Nicola McKenna in a supposedly restful getaway turned into a fraught experience at The Loch House, aimed to blend elements of suspense and thrill in a unique setting.

However, my reading experience was a mixed bag. While the book sets up a promising storyline filled with potential twists and suspense, it fell short in certain aspects. The plot, in several instances, appeared forced and somewhat unbelievable, detracting from the immersive experience typically expected from thrillers.

Character development was another area where the book didn’t fully deliver for me. I found it challenging to establish a connection with the characters, including the protagonist. A lack of depth or relatability in character portrayal can sometimes create a barrier in fully engaging with the story, which was my experience with this novel.

While there were parts of the book that were okay and certain elements of suspense that were handled well, overall, the book didn’t quite hit the mark for me, warranting a three-star rating. It might appeal to readers who enjoy a straightforward thriller and are less concerned with plausibility or deep character connections.

Try it for yourself and see what you think.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher, provided through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

The Unraveling by Vi Keeland

Vi Keeland’s “The Unraveling” is an entrancing psychological thriller that stands out for its intriguing narrative and unexpected twists. The story, set in New York City, follows psychiatrist Meredith McCall as she spirals into a dark world of obsession and mystery. Keeland, traditionally known for her romance novels, proves her versatility in this new genre, crafting a story that seamlessly blends emotional depth with suspenseful elements.

Readers have praised “The Unraveling” for its gripping plot and well-developed characters, noting that the book is hard to put down. The novel excels in keeping readers guessing, with a plot that unfolds in a way that consistently surprises and captivates. Keeland’s exploration of themes such as obsession, trauma, and ethical boundaries adds layers of complexity to the narrative, making it a rich and compelling read.

What makes “The Unraveling” particularly engaging is its balance of creepiness and mystery, creating an atmosphere that’s both thrilling and deeply immersive, Keeland’s skilful storytelling ensures that even seasoned thriller readers will find themselves engrossed and, at times, caught off guard by the novel’s developments.

Overall, “The Unraveling” is a testament to Vi Keeland’s storytelling prowess and a must-read for fans of psychological thrillers. Its mix of tension, emotional depth, and unforeseen twists makes it an unforgettable read that will leave you pondering long after the last page.

This review is based on a complimentary copy provided by the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Investigating the Mary Celeste by D. Lawrence Young

“Investigating the Mary Celeste” by D. Lawrence-Young

“Investigating the Mary Celeste” by D. Lawrence Young is a compelling dive into one of the greatest maritime mysteries ever recorded. This book stands out in its exploration of the enigmatic disappearance of the crew of the Mary Celeste in 1872, a topic that has intrigued historians and enthusiasts for over a century.

What makes Young’s rendition of this tale unique is his meticulous research and the way he presents various theories surrounding the mystery. The author, with a rich background in crime and historical novels, skilfully brings together different possible explanations, credible hoaxes, and even delves into tales of other ghost ships. This comprehensive approach provides a fresh perspective on a well-trodden subject, making it particularly appealing to history buffs like myself.

The book is well-structured, moving from the initial discovery of the Mary Celeste by Captain Morehouse of the Dei Gratia, through the intense criminal investigation that followed. The narrative is enriched by the author’s detailed descriptions and historical insights, painting a vivid picture of the events and the era.

Reviewers have praised the book for its well-researched content and the author’s attention to detail. They have also appreciated the exploration of various theories about the Mary Celeste’s fate, which adds depth to the narrative and allows readers to ponder the many possibilities.

What I personally enjoyed about “Investigating the Mary Celeste” was its pacing. The story unfolds in a manner that is both engaging and informative, holding the reader’s attention throughout. The book doesn’t just rehash old theories; it provides a nuanced view that makes you think about the Mary Celeste in a way you might not have before.

In conclusion, “Investigating the Mary Celeste” is an excellent read for anyone interested in maritime history and mysteries. Young’s approach to this enduring enigma is both professional and personal, making the book not just a historical account but also a fascinating story that keeps the reader involved. I would recommend it to history enthusiasts and anyone looking for a well-crafted narrative about one of the sea’s most enduring mysteries.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher, provided through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Savage Ridge by Morgan greene

“Savage Ridge” by Morgan Greene

“Savage Ridge,” a darkly atmospheric crime thriller by Morgan Greene, was a book that I found somewhat challenging to engage with. The novel, set in the pine-shaded town of Savage Ridge, involves a deep mystery centred around a high school murder and its long-lasting repercussions. The story unravels through a dual timeline, which adds an intriguing layer to the narrative.

However, I struggled to connect with the characters and found the pacing of the book somewhat slow. This made the reading experience a bit of a slog, I put it down multiple times. Despite these challenges, the ending did provide some redemption, making the journey through the book worthwhile to an extent.

The book is characterised by its tension and suspense, with twists that keep the reader on edge. Greene’s handling of characters and the exploration of moral duty are notable. The story, rich in small-town secrets and simmering resentments, ultimately presents a compelling exploration of guilt and its consequences.

Overall, while “Savage Ridge” has its merits, particularly in its atmospheric setting and the concluding part of the story, it didn’t quite hit the mark for me, earning a three-star rating. It’s a book that may appeal to fans of slow-burn mysteries and those interested in the psychological aspects of crime and guilt.

Check it out for yourself!

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher, Provided through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

The night guest by Hildur Knutsdottir

Review of “The Night Guest” by Hilda Knutsdottir

“The Night Guest” by Hildur Knutsdottir, set to be released in September 2024, is a novel that I find absolutely captivating. It is a book that not only kept me awake for hours after reading but also instilled a slow, creeping dread as the story unfolded. The narrative is set in contemporary Reykjavík and revolves around the protagonist, Iðunn, who grapples with unexplained fatigue and mysterious nocturnal activities.

Knutsdottir’s portrayal of Iðunn’s struggle with her health, and the dismissive attitude of the medical establishment towards her, is both thought-provoking and frustratingly familiar. This theme resonates with the ongoing discourse about women’s health issues often being overlooked or trivialized. The progression of the story is marked by Iðunn’s attempts to understand her condition, leading her into a spiral of anxiety and panic as she uncovers more unsettling truths.

The book does an exceptional job in building tension. The suspense is not just about the physical happenings but also delves into the psychological aspects of Iðunn’s journey. This blend of psychological and physical horror is what makes “The Night Guest” a standout. The narrative, while being fast-paced and tense, maintains an eerie and mysterious atmosphere throughout.

One of the most striking aspects of this novel is its ambiguity and the lingering questions it leaves in the mind of the reader. The book doesn’t provide easy answers, which adds to its haunting quality. The sense of loss of control and identity that Iðunn experiences is conveyed with a breathless intensity, making the reader feel her isolation and vulnerability.

“The Night Guest” is a brilliant example of psychological horror at its finest. Its capacity to evoke a range of emotions, from hopelessness to terror, is remarkable. The novel is a testament to Knutsdottir’s skill as a writer, successfully delivering a story that is both chilling and deeply engaging. For anyone looking for a contemporary thrill that lingers in the mind, “The Night Guest” is an excellent choice. My experience with horror novels this year has been positive, and “The Night Guest” is no exception, earning a glowing recommendation and five stars from me.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher, provided through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer

“We Used to Live Here” by Marcus Kliewer

“We Used to Live Here” by Marcus Kliewer is a masterful addition to the horror genre, and I find it to be the best horror book I’ve read in a long time. Kliewer has crafted a story that is as inventive as it is genuinely scary. With a length of 320 pages, the book holds the reader in its grip with a “creeping, unaccountable, jangly dread” that epitomises the best of horror storytelling.

What sets this novel apart is its unique balance of suspense and minimal gore. It’s a rarity in horror literature to find a book that builds suspense in such a skillful way without relying heavily on graphic details. This approach not only makes the book more accessible but also heightens the psychological impact of the story.

One of the most haunting aspects of “We Used to Live Here” is its open-ended nature. The story leaves you pondering long after you’ve turned the last page, continuing to haunt with its lingering questions and unresolved mysteries. This element of the unknown is what makes the book unforgettable and a compelling read.

In conclusion, “We Used to Live Here” is a brilliantly crafted horror novel that deserves all the stars. Its ability to maintain suspense without excessive gore, combined with its hauntingly open-ended narrative, makes it a must-read. I find this novel to be a testament to his talent and a significant contribution to the genre. My personal rating for this book is a resounding five stars.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher, provided through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Poverty by America by Matthew Desmond

Title: Reflecting on “Poverty, by America” – A Confrontation with America’s Poverty Crisis

In “Poverty, by America,” Matthew Desmond, who previously captured readers’ attention with “Evicted,” continues his exploration of America’s deep-seated issues with poverty. This book, like its predecessor, proves to be a compelling read, offering a blend of rigorous research, engaging storytelling, and a profound moral urgency.

Desmond’s latest work has received a spectrum of reactions, mirroring the complex and emotionally charged nature of the subject. The book is praised for its straightforward approach and actionable insights into eradicating poverty. Kirkus Reviews, for example, highlights it as a clear guide towards this end. Desmond’s role as a national conscience, noted for his passion and eloquence, is underlined by various media outlets including BookBrowse, reflecting the book’s impact in stirring national conversations about poverty.

However, the book is not without its critics. The Cato Institute points out potential shortcomings in Desmond’s arguments regarding causes of poverty, such as the decline in union membership and issues with federal Disability Insurance, suggesting that these aspects may lack sufficient evidence or overlook important factors. This critique is echoed in other reviews, which argue that the book sometimes oversimplifies the intricate dynamics of politics and economics in relation to poverty.

As someone who found “Evicted” compelling, I see a thematic continuity in Desmond’s work. His ability to intertwine personal narratives with larger socio-economic issues remains strong in “Poverty, by America.” However, this book goes a step further, challenging not just our understanding of poverty, but also our role in perpetuating it. It’s an uncomfortable realization, but one that is essential for meaningful discourse.

This book, while offering an incisive look at America’s poverty crisis, also leaves room for debate and further exploration. It serves as a starting point for readers to engage with the complexities of poverty, to question existing systems, and to consider their own roles within these frameworks.

In conclusion, “Poverty, by America” is a significant addition to the conversation about poverty in America. It combines the narrative strength seen in “Evicted” with a more confrontational approach to the systemic issues at play. While it may not provide all the answers, it ignites important questions and challenges us to reflect on our societal structures. This is not just a book for academics or policy makers; it’s a crucial read for anyone interested in understanding and changing the landscape of poverty in America.

Babylon by Michelle Cameron

“Babyon” by Michelle Cameron is an intriguing foray into historical fiction, encapsulating the harrowing yet resilient journey of the Jewish people during their exile to Babylon. The novel, rich in historical detail, offers an immersive experience into a pivotal biblical era. However, the book does present an interesting challenge regarding its target audience. At times, it appears to cater to a younger demographic with its approachable storytelling style, but then shifts to themes and narratives more suited to adult readers.

What stands out in Cameron’s work is her attention to the descriptions of the surroundings and her ability to vividly recreate the ancient world. The novel spans generations, allowing readers to journey through significant historical events from the destruction of Jerusalem to the return to Judea. This sweeping saga is underpinned by themes of survival, faith, and the enduring spirit of a community in the face of adversity.

While the storytelling is engaging, readers might find themselves navigating through extensive family biographies and intricate historical details. This aspect, though enlightening, could pose a challenge for those who prefer a more straightforward narrative. Nonetheless, the novel’s strength lies in its ability to weave a tapestry of characters and settings that are both informative and captivating.

For readers interested in religious and ancient history, “Babyon” offers a compelling narrative that brings to life the trials and tribulations of a people committed to preserving their faith and identity. It’s a book that not only stands out for originality but also immerses you in the struggles and triumphs of its characters.

In summary, “Babyon” by Michelle Cameron is a novel that may oscillate in its appeal to different age groups but ultimately provides a rich and engaging exploration of a significant period in Jewish history. Its combination of historical depth and storytelling prowess makes it a notable addition to the genre of historical fiction.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher, provided through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Fatherland by Burkhard Bilger

“Fatherland: A Memoir of War, Conscience, and Family Secrets” by Burkhard Bilger is a complex and deeply engaging exploration of a family’s past intertwined with the broader historical context of World War II. As you mentioned, the book does require navigating through extensive family biography, which, while detailed, serves as a path to understanding the larger truths and secrets of the author’s family history.

Bilger delves into the life of his grandfather, Karl Gönner, a minor Nazi official, providing a personal and humane perspective on a figure who was part of a notoriously brutal regime. The narrative weaves together Gönner’s experiences in rural Germany, his time on the battlefields of the First World War, and his role in Nazi-occupied Alsace. This journey through his life offers readers a unique insight into the individual lives affected by and involved in the broader historical events of the era.

The book also grapples with broader themes such as the nature of war, complicity, and the lasting impact of history on individuals and families. It poses important questions about our relationship with the past and how we come to terms with complex family legacies. Bilger’s exploration is not just a recounting of historical events but also a reflection on the present and the moral complexities inherent in understanding one’s ancestry.

“Fatherland” is therefore recommended for readers who are interested in a deep and thoughtful exploration of family history set against the backdrop of World War II. It’s a book that combines meticulous historical research with the emotional depth of a personal journey, offering a unique perspective on a widely covered period of history. A rather unique perspective.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher, provided through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Road to Surrender

by Evan Thomas

“Road to Surrender: Three Men and the Countdown to the End of World War II” by Evan Thomas is a complex read that offers a fresh perspective on the final stages of World War II. As an avid reader of WWII books, I found this book particularly engaging, especially when read alongside the release of Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer,” as it delves into similar themes of wartime decision-making and the moral complexities surrounding the use of atomic bombs.

Thomas’s book focuses on three key figures: Henry Stimson, the American Secretary of War; Gen. Carl “Tooey” Spaatz, who supervised the planes that dropped the bombs; and Japanese Foreign Minister Shigenori Togo. Through their stories, Thomas explores the agonising decisions and immense pressures these individuals faced. The narrative is built around crucial moments leading up to the dropping of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki and Japan’s eventual surrender. It’s a narrative that crackles with tension, as Thomas brings these historical events to life with journalistic immediacy.

The book is a detailed and immersive account, drawing from diaries and other first-hand sources to present a well-rounded view of the events and decisions. Thomas successfully brings the reader into the heart of the critical moments, contemplating the immense weight of the decisions made by these historical figures. It’s a story that not only recounts the events but also provides an in-depth look at the psychological pressures and moral dilemmas involved.

As for the writing style, Thomas’s narrative is both meticulously crafted and vivid. He has a knack for making history read like a thriller, filled with suspense and emotional depth. This makes “Road to Surrender” not only an informative historical account but also an emotionally charged and gripping read.

Overall, “Road to Surrender” is a must-read for anyone interested in World War II history, especially in the context of the development and use of nuclear weapons. It’s a book that offers a nuanced, absorbing, and perhaps definitive story of the last weeks of the war, providing new insights into a well-trodden part of history.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher, Provided through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

The Homefront by David Wickenden

**This is my favourite book of the year so far.

David Wickenden’s “The Home Front” is a novel that skillfully intertwines the poignancy of historical fiction with the urgency of contemporary issues. This book is a compassionate exploration of the lasting impacts of war, both on individuals and on society at large. For me, this was a mix of feelings. Dachau always hurts to read about, as do all the horrors the Nazis perpetrated, but on the other hand, this was one of those books where you find yourself wanting to scream “Yeah! Get him!”

The story centres around a 95-year-old World War II veteran facing a terminal cancer diagnosis. Despite his personal struggles, he finds a renewed sense of purpose in combating the rise of neo-Nazism in his hometown. This narrative thread is not just a plot device; it serves as a powerful reminder of the enduring scars of war and the importance of confronting hatred, even decades after the conflict has ended.

Wickenden’s portrayal of the protagonist is deeply moving. It’s a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the capacity for action, no matter the stage of life. The character’s determination to stand against modern-day fascism, drawing from his experiences in the Second World War, is both inspiring and heart-rending.

What makes “The Home Front” particularly compelling is its ability to connect past and present. The novel doesn’t just stay in the realm of historical fiction; it addresses contemporary issues, making it relevant and thought-provoking. The book’s empathetic approach to its characters and their struggles adds depth and realism, making it easy for readers to become invested in their story.

Overall, “The Home Front” is more than just a historical thriller. It’s a poignant narrative that captures the emotional and psychological complexities of war and its aftermath. It’s a book that resonates with compassion and understanding, offering insights into the human condition in times of conflict and peace. For anyone interested in a novel that combines action with deep emotional resonance, “The Home Front” is a compelling choice.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher, provided through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

The blackout Murders by Neil R. Storey

“The Blackout Murders: Homicide in WWII” by Neil R. Storey provides a unique perspective on a lesser-known aspect of the Second World War — the surge in crime and murder during the blackout periods in Britain. While the book covers a fascinating topic that is often overshadowed by the broader narratives of the war, it might not resonate with everyone.

Storey’s work delves into various murders that occurred under the cover of the blackout. Some of these cases are infamous, others almost forgotten, and a few remain unsolved. The author has shed new light on these cases using recently released archives and records, offering insights into wartime conditions and the stories behind these crimes. This aspect of the book is particularly compelling, as it reveals a darker side of the Home Front during the war.

The book is well-researched, and Storey, an award-winning historian, brings his expertise to the subject, providing a detailed look at the impact of war on British society. He highlights the work of men and women who strived to maintain law and order during these challenging times and discusses the development of groundbreaking forensic techniques used to solve some of these crimes.

However, as mentioned above, the book might not appeal to everyone. While the subject matter is intriguing, some readers might find the narration dry or the content heavy, especially if they were expecting a different angle or a more engaging storytelling style. It’s a book that requires a specific interest in the topic to fully appreciate the depth of research and the historical context it provides.

In conclusion, “The Blackout Murders” is a thorough and informative read for those interested in true crime or lesser-known aspects of WWII history. But, as with any book, it might not captivate all readers in the same way, particularly if they’re looking for a lighter or more narrative-driven approach. Personally, I liked it.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher, provided through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

The Real Sir Arthur Conan Doyle by Andrew Norman

“The Real Sir Arthur Conan Doyle” by Andrew Norman is a book that I approached with a particular set of expectations, anticipating a deep dive into the more mystical and metaphysical aspects of Doyle’s life. However, this book takes a different path, focusing more on Doyle’s literary works and career, providing a detailed biography rather than exploring his personal beliefs and involvement in spiritualism in depth.

From the perspective of a reader seeking insight into Doyle’s fascination with spiritualism and the paranormal, the book may come across as somewhat dry and not as engaging as hoped. This shift in focus from the esoteric elements of Doyle’s life to a more conventional biographical account might disappoint those interested in the unique and eccentric aspects of his personality.

On the other hand, for readers interested in a straightforward biographical account of Doyle’s life and literary accomplishments, this book does offer valuable insights. It provides a comprehensive look at his career, including his success as the creator of Sherlock Holmes and his role as a writer of historical novels, among other achievements.

In summary, while “The Real Sir Arthur Conan Doyle” offers a thorough biography of one of the greatest writers of all time, it may not entirely satisfy those looking for an exploration of the more unconventional and mystical aspects of Doyle’s life. It’s a well-researched and detailed account, but perhaps not the best choice for readers primarily interested in Doyle’s spiritualist pursuits and metaphysical beliefs.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher, provided through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

The Worst Medieval Monarchs by Phil Bradford

Diving into “The Worst Medieval Monarchs” by Phil Bradford, I found myself on a surprisingly hilarious historical journey, despite the grim subject matter. Bradford delivers a concise yet engaging exploration of some of England’s most notoriously ineffective rulers.

What really adds flavour to this historical tour is Bradford’s take on the outlandish punishments and political follies of the era. It’s one thing to read about the missteps of medieval kings; it’s another entirely to see their blunders and the often absurd consequences laid out with such aplomb. Bradford’s book is a delightful blend of historical rigour and tongue-in-cheek commentary, making it a standout read for both history buffs and casual readers alike.

Whilst the book is also educational, detailing the reigns of kings like Richard II and Edward II, it’s Bradford’s light-hearted narrative style that keeps the pages turning. You’ll find yourself chuckling at the bizarre world of medieval politics and wondering how some of these monarchs ever made it to the throne.

In summary, “The Worst Medieval Monarchs” offers a unique and amusing perspective on a period often portrayed as dreary and severe. Bradford’s ability to mix solid historical research with a humorous tone makes for a refreshing and enjoyable read. For someone who loves all things monarchy, this foray into a historical narrative was both entertaining and enlightening.

This review is based o a complimentary copy from the publisher, Provided through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Ice Islands by Humphrey Hawksley

As someone who doesn’t often delve into fiction reviews, “Ice Islands” by Humphrey Hawksley offered a refreshing change of pace. This thriller, featuring Alaska native Rake Ozenna, dives into an implausible but entertaining narrative filled with international intrigue and high-stakes drama.

The book’s storyline centre’s around Rake Ozenna, who works for a private security company specialising in transnational crime networks. The plot thickens with Rake closing in on Michio Kato, the new leader of a Yakuza group, while also trying to save the life of Michio’s sister, Sara, an advocate for Indigenous people. The backdrop of a peace conference in Finland’s Åland Islands, disrupted by a murder, adds to the complexity of the story.

One of the book’s strengths is its dynamic setting and the incorporation of international politics. However, it’s worth noting that the narrative sometimes stretches the bounds of plausibility. The prose can feel awkward at times, and the contrived plot might not appeal to everyone. That said, for readers looking for a fast-paced thriller with a global scope, “Ice Islands” offers a decent pick.

In summary, “Ice Islands” is a mix of intrigue, action, and international drama. While it may not stand out for its realism or literary finesse, it provides an engaging read for those who enjoy thrillers with a geopolitical twist. Hawksley’s experience in crafting political thrillers is evident, although this particular instalment might not resonate with fans of more grounded or character-driven narratives.

Pretty good.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher, provided through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

My biography

If there was a biography about you, what would the title be?

“Oops.”

Masters of the Lost Land by Heriberto Araujo

“Masters of the Lost Land” by Heriberto Araujo is an absolutely riveting read that I found both deeply informative and startlingly intense. Set in the heart of the Amazon, this narrative nonfiction uncovers the brutal reality of deforestation and the struggle for control in one of the world’s most vital ecological regions.

What struck me most about this book was its ability to make the heart pound and the breath catch. Araujo’s storytelling is both gripping and haunting, as he delves into the dark underbelly of environmental destruction and the human cost that accompanies it. The detailed account of the city of Rondon do Pará, Brazil, living under the control of land barons, paints a vivid picture of the ruthless destruction of the Amazon rainforest. This isn’t just a tale of environmental woe but a human story of greed, corruption, and the fight for justice.

The book’s central figure, Maria Joel, the widow of murdered union leader Dezinho, brings a compelling and inspiring personal narrative. Her fight against the formidable backdrop of corruption and lawlessness is both harrowing and attention grabbing. Araujo’s work is a testament to the resilience and determination of those who stand against seemingly insurmountable odds.

Araujo’s meticulous research and investigative journalism skills shine throughout the book, bringing to light groundbreaking revelations and exclusive interviews. The narrative skillfully intertwines the personal stories with broader environmental and political issues, making it not just an account of a local struggle but a reflection of a global crisis.

“Masters of the Lost Land” is not just a book; it’s an experience that immerses you in the heart of the Amazon, revealing the harsh realities of its transformation from a virgin forest to an agricultural frontier. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in environmental issues, true crime, or simply a compelling, well-told story.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher, provided through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Hmmmm

What were your parents doing at your age?

If I say the FBI might get involved 😂

Elizabethan Rebellions by Helene Harrison

“Elizabethan Rebellions: Conspiracy, Intrigue and Treason” by Helene Harrison is a book that I found both insightful and unexpectedly entertaining. Delving into the tumultuous era of Elizabeth I’s reign, Harrison masterfully navigates through the complex web of political and religious upheavals that defined Tudor times.

One aspect of the book that particularly stood out to me was the detailed exploration of various rebellions, including those involving Mary Queen of Scots. Harrison’s in-depth analysis of these plots and their impact on the relationship between England and Scotland is fascinating, revealing the intricate dynamics of power, religion, and politics during this period. The exploration of whether these events were rebellions or plots added a layer of intrigue to the narrative, underscoring the ambiguous nature of political dissent in Elizabethan England.

Moreover, Harrison’s passion for the subject is evident throughout the book. Her extensive research shines through, making the complexities of Elizabethan politics accessible and engaging. The book’s focus on characters like Francis Walsingham, Elizabeth’s spymaster, adds a human element to the historical narrative, providing a glimpse into the personal lives and motivations of key figures.

This book makes you realise that no matter how bad your family members might be, it could always be worse. Your cousin could be a Tudor. Just saying.

What I particularly enjoyed about this book were the lighter moments that brought a touch of humour to an otherwise serious topic. These moments of levity not only made the book more enjoyable but also highlighted the human side of historical figures, making them more relatable to the reader.

Overall, “Elizabethan Rebellions” is a well-researched and captivating read. It’s a book I’d recommend to anyone interested in Tudor history or looking to understand the complexity of Elizabethan era politics. Harrison has done a commendable job of bringing this significant period of history to life with a balance of scholarly insight and engaging storytelling.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher, provided through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Different Ways to Heal in Fiction

Healing characters in fiction is always a challenge.  You don’t want to make it too easy or you lose tension.  Too hard and there’s no point in …

Different Ways to Heal in Fiction

Who Can Hold the Sea by James D. Hornfischer

“Who Can Hold the Sea: The U.S. Navy in the Cold War 1945–1960” by James D. Hornfischer is a book that deeply resonated with me, as someone who has a bit of an obsession with war and war related books. What I loved about this book was its comprehensive and spellbinding account of a critical yet often overlooked period in naval history. Hornfischer’s narrative seamlessly navigates the post-World War II era, exploring the challenges and transformations the U.S. Navy faced during the early Cold War years.

The book brilliantly captures the transition of the U.S. Navy from its zenith of power in 1945, through the bureaucratic battles in Washington D.C., to its pivotal role in the Korean War. I was particularly fascinated by the portrayal of key figures like James Forrestal, the first Secretary of Defense, and the brilliant but controversial Hyman Rickover, father of the Nuclear Navy. Hornfischer’s sympathetic portrayal of these figures adds a rich layer of depth to the narrative.

Another aspect that stood out for me was the detailed coverage of technological advancements such as the development of nuclear power in submarines and the Sidewinder missile. These innovations not only redefined naval warfare but also left a lasting impact on military strategy–fascinating topic to read about.

However, the book’s conclusion feels somewhat abrupt, likely due to Hornfischer’s untimely passing. May he be blessed. This unfinished aspect left me desiring more, a testament to the engaging nature of Hornfischer’s storytelling. It’s a poignant reminder of the author’s talent and his contribution to the field of naval history.

Overall, “Who Can Hold the Sea” is a compelling blend of military history and narrative artistry. It’s a fitting tribute to Hornfischer’s legacy, offering readers a unique insight into an era that shaped much of today’s geopolitical landscape. For anyone interested in naval history or the intricacies of post-World War II military strategy, this book is a must-read.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher, provided by NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Dream home…

Write about your dream home.

I found a post on facebook that about describes it.

Against All Odds-Alex Kershaw

In my years of reviewing nonfiction books, “Against All Odds: A True Story of Ultimate Courage and Survival in World War II” by Alex Kershaw stands out as a profoundly humanistic and captivating read. This book delves into the lives and heroics of four highly decorated soldiers of the Second World War, offering a rich narrative that combines military history with deeply personal stories.

Kershaw’s narrative style is both detailed and engaging, successfully bringing to life the extraordinary heroics of these men. The book vividly portrays the intense and often brutal realities of war, while also providing a thoughtful exploration of what drives individuals to acts of remarkable bravery. The author’s meticulous research, including personal documents, interviews, and official records, lends an authenticity to the storytelling that is both impactful and enlightening.

The stories of Audie Murphy, Maurice Britt, Michael Daly, and Keith Ware, all from the US Army’s 3rd Infantry Division, are told with a keen eye for detail and emotional depth. These men, coming from diverse backgrounds, displayed unparalleled courage and resilience, often in the face of overwhelming odds. Kershaw doesn’t shy away from the grim realities of war, presenting a balanced narrative that also acknowledges the emotional and physical toll of their service.

However, the book is not without its intense moments. The detailed accounts of combat may be challenging for some readers, but these elements are crucial in illustrating the raw and unfiltered experiences of the soldiers. The narrative skilfully captures the chaotic and fearful atmosphere of the battlefield, offering insights into the mindset and motivations of these soldiers.

“Against All Odds” also thoughtfully addresses the aftermath of the war for these heroes. The transition from war heroes to life post-war is portrayed with sensitivity, highlighting their struggles with issues such as post-traumatic stress and adjusting to civilian life. This aspect of the book provides a poignant reminder of the long-lasting impacts of war on individuals.

I enjoyed this book because it not only provided a detailed account of military heroics but also painted a deeply human picture of its subjects. It’s a story of courage, sacrifice, and the human spirit, reminding us of the extraordinary feats of ordinary individuals in times of crisis.

In conclusion, “Against All Odds” by Alex Kershaw is a significant contribution to World War II literature. It’s a compelling read for anyone interested in military history, heroism, and the human aspects of warfare. The book is a testament to the bravery of the Greatest Generation and a poignant reminder of the sacrifices made in times of war.
This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher, provided through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Fantastic news.

You get some great, amazingly fantastic news. What’s the first thing you do?

Check to make sure I’m not dreaming.

David I. Kertzer’s “The Pope at War: The Secret History of Pius XII, Mussolini, and Hitler” is an emotionally intelligent and compelling examination of a deeply controversial figure in history. This book, grounded in extensive research from newly opened Vatican archives, offers a nuanced and detailed exploration of Pope Pius XII’s complex role during World War II and the Holocaust.

Kertzer’s narrative is both spellbinding and unsettling, as it delves into the moral ambiguities and choices faced by the Pope amidst the horrors of war. His painstaking research brings to light how Pius XII often favored the preservation of the Catholic Church’s power over taking a firm moral stance against the atrocities committed by the Nazis and Fascists. There were times when I felt anger and sadness whilst reading this book.

“The Pope at War” is a testament to Kertzer’s skillful blending of historical fact with emotional depth, offering a narrative that is as informative as it is thought-provoking. It’s a crucial read for those interested in understanding the intricate intersections of religion, politics, and ethics during one of history’s darkest hours.

This work is not just a historical account; it’s an emotional journey into the heart of human conflict and the weighty decisions that shape our world. Its emotional intelligence and detailed research make it a standout piece of historical literature.

I would recommend this book to anyone interested in this period, in the war and in moral choices.

This review is based on a complimentary copy provided by the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

George Harrison as we’ve rarely seen him before

George Harrison: The Reluctant Beatle by Philip Norman

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


In “George Harrison: The Reluctant Beatle,” Philip Norman masterfully weaves an emotional and human portrait of George Harrison, the enigmatic and often overlooked member of The Beatles. Norman’s book stands out as a deeply engaging exploration, delving into the soul of a man who was more than just a musician.

The narrative is rich with intimate details, painting a vivid picture of Harrison’s journey from his humble beginnings to becoming an integral part of the world’s most famous band. Norman’s portrayal is nuanced, capturing Harrison’s complex personality and his struggles with fame, spirituality, and his identity within and beyond The Beatles. I personally liked that this book showed so many different sides of this man. It wasn’t just a fan boy book about how wonderful Harrison was, but told the real story. The one the public does not often get to see.

What makes this biography truly compelling is the emotional depth with which Norman explores Harrison’s life. The book doesn’t just chronicle events; it breathes life into them, allowing the reader to feel the joys, sorrows, and the underlying sense of seeking that defined Harrison. The exploration of Harrison’s spiritual journey, his passion for music, and his personal challenges adds a layer of authenticity that resonates deeply.

Norman’s meticulous research and clear admiration for his subject shine through, offering insights not just into Harrison’s life but also into the era that shaped him and his music. The narrative balances Harrison’s public persona with his private struggles, revealing the man behind the myth. This approach lends the book a human touch that is often missing in celebrity biographies.

For fans of The Beatles and music history, “George Harrison: The Reluctant Beatle” is a treasure trove of information. But more than that, it is a moving tribute to an extraordinary individual. Norman’s writing style is both fluid and captivating, making the book a pleasure to read.

In summary, “George Harrison: The Reluctant Beatle” is not just a biography; it’s a heartfelt narrative that captures the essence of George Harrison’s life. It’s a book I would enthusiastically recommend to anyone interested in understanding the man behind the guitar, the quiet Beatle whose depth and talent extended far beyond the stage.

This review was possible thanks to a galley copy from the publisher, provided through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.



View all my reviews

Hello, — Wildlife_Arts

I am an artist. Not a professional one, yet, but an artist nonetheless. My goal is to forever memorialize the beauty of nature on paper, and have fun doing it. My hope is that anyone who views my work enjoys it. I have always had a fascination and appreciation for art, and I look forward to showcasing my creations!

Hello, — Wildlife_Arts

New book release

What a cover!

Check out the latest book by Author Charles E. Yallowitz
see it here

Description

As Dawn Fang vampires are found dead across Windemere, their infamous leader will remember what it is to be afraid.

With the truce between Nyte and Nytefall nearing its end, an old enemy has emerged to rekindle the vampires’ most ancient feud. A Duragian priest is on the move and he is wielding a weapon that can depower and kill Dawn Fangs. This follower of the Sun God has claimed enough victims that Lord Tempest wants the weapon for himself and Clyde is beginning to worry that his fledgling kingdom is in danger of extinction. When it becomes clear that the mysterious relic and Clyde’s transformation into the first Dawn Fang are connected, he will be forced to face a past that he can barely remember.

What can Clyde do to defend his people, his life, and the child he does not know is on the way from the terrifying Fist of Durag?

The House of Secrets (The Sarah Bennett Mysteries, #2) by Terry Lynn Thomas

Sarah Bennett has two secrets: she sees ghosts, and she is in love with a spy.

When Sarah takes a job with occult expert Dr Matthew Geisler, he promises to help her understand the sorrowful spirit that seems to have attached itself to her.

As Sarah struggles to cope with the ghostly presence, she runs into Zeke, the man who left her six months earlier and is recovering from injuries suffered in an alleged accident. But Zeke has secrets of his own, and when an attempt is made on Geisler’s life, Sarah finds herself caught in a struggle between the living and the dead.

Unsure who she can trust, Sarah must solve the mystery of the soul determined to haunt her, and save Dr Geisler and herself from an unknown threat.

The House of Secrets by Terry Lynn Thomas

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I enjoyed this book, but it was sometimes a bit slower than I would have liked. Nothing terribly frightening happens in it, but it does have an interesting plot with relatively well-developed characters and a believable storyline.

I liked that the paranormal elements didn’t overshadow the entire story and allowed the different character traits to shine. I liked the main character and thought her psychic abilities were interesting, precisely because they were not so overblown that they seemed silly. This author has a good quality to her writing and her sense of setting a scene with the proper ambience for the moment occurring in the book is excellent.

This is part love-story, part ghost story and part psychological thriller. Basically, there’s a little something for everyone.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

The Forgotten Ones by Steena Holmes

A spellbinding novel about an unspeakable secret that could destroy a family, from the New York Times bestselling author of Finding Emma.

Elle is a survivor. She’s managed to piece together a solid life from a childhood of broken memories and fairy tales her mom told her to explain away bad dreams. But weekly visits to her mother still fill Elle with a paralyzing fear she can’t explain. It’s just another of so many unanswered questions she grew up with in a family estranged by silence and secrets.

Elle’s world turns upside down when she receives a deathbed request from her grandfather, a man she was told had died years ago. Racked by grief, regrets, and a haunted conscience, he has a tale of his own to tell Elle: about her mother, an imaginary friend, and two strangers who came to the house one night and never left.

As Elle’s past unfolds, so does the truth—if she can believe it. She must face the reasons for her inexplicable dread. As dark as they are, Elle must listen…before her grandfather’s death buries the family’s secrets forever.

The Forgotten Ones by Steena Holmes

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I have gotten really Lucky with fiction reads so far this year, and this book is certainly no exception. This book shocked me, frightened me, made me think and doubt my own sanity a few times and I could hardly wait to recommend it to everyone.

If you think you have read so much that you know every possible fictional scenario and outcome, the good news is, you haven’t. This book stayed surprising all the way to the very end and I was still captivated by it even after finishing.

One of the things that was so intensely fascinating about this book was that I never knew who was telling the truth from the very beginning, but not just that–it was whether they were intentionally being deceptive or not. This is an emotional book with many different layers in it that deals with a lot of themes, from loss to abuse to mental issues and a variety of other things.

There are times during reading this when you will no doubt want to scream at a character to wake up and see what is right in front of them, but then stop and wonder what you would have done if you were in the same situation. I really do hope you will read this book, it is worthy of all the praise it has received.

True Places by Sonja Yoerg

A Washington Post and Amazon Charts bestseller

A girl emerges from the woods, starved, ill, and alone…and collapses.

Suzanne Blakemore hurtles along the Blue Ridge Parkway, away from her overscheduled and completely normal life, and encounters the girl. As Suzanne rushes her to the hospital, she never imagines how the encounter will change her—a change she both fears and desperately needs.

Suzanne has the perfect house, a successful husband, and a thriving family. But beneath the veneer of an ideal life, her daughter is rebelling, her son is withdrawing, her husband is oblivious to it all, and Suzanne is increasingly unsure of her place in the world. After her discovery of the ethereal sixteen-year-old who has never experienced civilization, Suzanne is compelled to invite Iris into her family’s life and all its apparent privileges.

But Iris has an independence, a love of solitude, and a discomfort with materialism that contrasts with everything the Blakemores stand for—qualities that awaken in Suzanne first a fascination, then a longing. Now Suzanne can’t help but wonder: Is she destined to save Iris, or is Iris the one who will save her?

True Places by Sonja Yoerg

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Filled with beautiful prose that will allow your mind to wander to previously unreached places, this book is worth every minute it takes to read it. From the beginning I was enthralled by this story. The author has such a way of expressing herself through beautiful language, that I quickly became immersed in this story, losing all other reality than her words.

I love it when you can read a book and feel that it consumes you so fully that there is nothing else in the world around you, and this book did that for me. I wanted to hold Iris and make the world right for her again. I could relate to the issues that Suzanne was facing, being a mother of teenagers myself. It has been a long time since I loved a book this much, and I honestly can’t recommend it enough.

If you are looking for a novel that is more than just words, that will make you stop and think about how we live, what we live for and what’s really important, look no further. I went from listening to portions of this book to reading others, and both experiences were lovely. The audiobook version is amazing as well. Definitely give this one a try. You won’t be sorry you did.


Favourite book of 2019 so far.

The Resurrection Fireplace by Hiroko Minagawa

London, 1770. Brilliant physician Daniel Barton and his students are pioneering the modern science of anatomy with cadavers supplied by the “resurrection men” who prowl cemeteries for fresh graves. But their position becomes precarious with the appearance of two unexpected corpses: a boy with amputated limbs and a man without a face. When magistrate Sir John Fielding and his Bow Street Runners become involved, Barton’s students must clear their teacher’s name by uncovering the origin of the corpses—and their connection to Nathan Cullen, an aspiring poet recently arrived in London’s coffee houses whose work attracts the wrong kind of attention from publishers. Unfolding across a lovingly recreated panorama of early modern London, this tale by legendary Japanese novelist Hiroko Minagawa was awarded the 2012 Honkaku Mystery Grand Prize in Japan

The Resurrection Fireplace by Hiroko Minagawa

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This book starts out rather slow, but it picks up at about 20% and from there, it is exciting and refreshing. I liked the history included in this book and thought the author did an excellent job of recreating London during the period the book is set in. The descriptions were sometimes a bit graphic, but that should well be expected with a book of this nature and subject matter.


I liked the characters a lot, and thought the mysteries were interesting and fun to work out. This is a decently long book, so it will give you a solid day or so of entertainment and would be a good one to bring along with you on a trip. I particularly liked the descriptions of the old books and the processes of binding that were done in those days. Makes mass market paperbacks look so sad by comparison.


Overall, I thought this was a wonderful book with a lot to keep the reader interested in it. I look forward to hearing the thoughts of others as word about this book spreads.


This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

An Easter Killing by Paul Toolan

Crown of Thorns Hill, clad in April mist, towers over the quiet village of East Thorne.

But on Good Friday, when the mist clears, the villagers wake to a malign vision at the hill’s peak – a sight which catapults a flu-ridden Inspector Zig Batten from his holiday bed to a scene of desecration.

Who is the victim? And what vengeful mind would dispose of a body here, like this?

In his search for reasons, Batten finds himself at odds with warring churchmen, lost lovers, ranting conservationists and shady developers. Even Batten and his colleagues struggle with their own mixed motives.

Do the threatened dwellings and apple-orchard of Turks Lane hold the answer? Or is it buried in the victim’s past?

As the Easter weekend unfolds, Batten fears the worst is still to come…

An Easter Killing by Paul Toolan

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


For the most part, I thought this was a pretty great procedural. The crime aspects of the book were believable enough as was the investigation. Some of the characters come off a bit rough at the beginning and it took me some time to warm to them, but eventually, I did and found that I quite enjoyed most of this book.

There are some parts of this novel that can seem a bit thick and heavy to wade through at times, but then it begins to flow nicely again, thus, the reason I went for four stars instead of five. I liked the suspense in this novel and the certain way the author allowed the tension to build along with the mysteries, before giving any definite answers to the audience. I haven’t read the other books in this series, but I like this author’s style of writing and look forward to going back and reading what else there is in his catalogue.

The descriptions of the village are excellent and I love that the characters actually seem like real people with human needs and wants rather than one-dimensional paper people as so often happens in mysteries and thrillers.

I would definitely recommend this book to other lovers of crime stories.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

War of Nytefall: Rivalry by Charles E. Yallowitz

Seeking the pleasure of revenge, an ancient rumor will reveal herself to be a deadly legend.

Lurking within the shadows for centuries, the Vampire Queen has been drawn to the conflict that surrounds Clyde. Only whispers have been spread about this elusive figure, who has amassed a kingdom that can rival Nyte and Nytefall. All that she is missing is the strongest vampire to crown as her king. In one fell swoop, she has taken the most powerful of her kind, including Clyde and Xavier Tempest. Hosting a tournament where the rules seem to change at her whim, the Vampire Queen threatens to shatter the already strained world that lurks beneath Windemere’s surface. Yet, there is more to her desires, which seep from a soul that is pulsing with fury. For her kingdom can never be complete until she holds the head of the one who wronged her centuries ago.

Can Mab stand against her ancient rival and save her monstrous partner?

Buy the Book HERE

Rivalry by Charles E. Yallowitz

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


In the interest of full disclosure, I am personally acquainted with the author of this book, and I have not read the second book in the series.

I am not someone who typically loves books that are centred around vampires. I have never had much of a fascination with them, (perhaps this comes from Romanian roots and the eye-rolls that go along with those roots,) however, I feel like the author has created a new and interesting breed of vampire in his Dawn Fangs. They extend the normal parameters that one expects with vampires and I like that they are not all simply humans, but other species as well. They have a range of personalities, which, is nice to see.

This book is not light on action and there is always something happening to capture the reader’s attention. It is a bit gorier than some of the other works set in Windemere, but one should probably expect that when the book is about vampires. I like the various settings in the book and the author does a good job of visual imagery and transporting the reader to a new location each time the characters move on to a different place. There has been quite a lot of character development and some fantastic new arrivals since the first book in the series.

All of that being said, I do have some fundamental issues with this book, as with the other books by this author. I want his characters to take themselves more seriously. I can appreciate a moment of levity here and there when it is called for, but sometimes, I feel like you never get to feel the pain these characters truly feel, because there is usually comedy of one variety or another involved. For me, this takes away from a serious situation and makes it seem superficial, casting the same unfortunate glow on the characters. I want to hurt and feel pain when the characters I have grown to love are feeling it. I want to feel their joy and triumph when they overcome an obstacle or share something special. I don’t always want the two things to be mixed.

It seems to me, that the author is fully capable of producing material that will shock and please an audience and could grow these books into something much bigger than they are. Still, I feel he is holding back. Perhaps is afraid to offend the audience with too much darkness when exploring the depths of his characters? I personally think any author with the talent to write such creative works, should not be afraid to express themselves fully and take ordinary to extraordinary by not worrying so much about what the audience may think.

In any case, there were a lot of good things about this book, and a lot of reasons that you might want to pick it up and give it a read. I, for one, love the tournament style fighting–which is kind of Roman Colosseum with added magic. I enjoyed the suspense of those fights and never knowing what kind of opponent the characters were going to face.

Overall, this is a good book, written by a highly talented author who is good at provoking the reader’s imagination.



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The Woman in Our House by Andrew Hart

What happens when you open your home to the perfect stranger?

Anna Klein is ready to return to work as a literary agent for the first time since having children. She and her husband, Josh, decide to hire a live-in nanny with some trepidation, but all their misgivings disappear as soon as they meet Oaklynn Durst. She has stellar references, a calm disposition, and a natural way with children. Not to mention their kids simply adore her.

But not long after Oaklynn arrives, the children start to come down with the most puzzling illnesses and inexplicable injuries. When the maternal Oaklynn is there to comfort everyone, Anna can’t help feeling a little eclipsed. And suspicious. Her husband and friends assure her that her anxieties are getting the best of her—Oaklynn is perfect. But Anna’s not so sure…

As she delves into Oaklynn’s past, she discovers too late that the woman who has been living in her house is not at all who she claims to be. But Oaklynn’s not the only one who has been lying. And when everyone’s dark secrets are forced into the light, the consequences may just turn deadly

The Woman in Our House by Andrew Hart

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This is a very frightening book and just when you think you know exactly what is going on and how it is going to end, surprise! You didn’t. That is what makes me want to read a thriller and this one has just about everything going for it. From the beginning, you know that something is off with the Nanny that will eventually become one of the star-players in this novel, but although you might think you have her all figured out by the last chapter, that turns out not to be the case.

This author is truly amazing at making you think about how a seemingly ordinary situation could become dangerous. I will now think twice about who I associate with–thanks to him. What I loved about this book most, was that he did such a fantastic job of portraying character’s innermost feelings for the audience of readers. I felt like I knew these people, and could sympathise with them. The goings on in the neighbourhood seemed very real, as did the internal thoughts of all the people involved in the various aspects of the book.

There were many times where I found myself holding my breath whilst reading this and that is a great reason to want to recommend it to other readers. This really is a great book.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.





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A Stranger on the Beach by Michele Campbell

from Goodreads:

There is a stranger outside Caroline’s house.

Her spectacular new beach house, built for hosting expensive parties and vacationing with the family she thought she’d have. But her husband is lying to her and everything in her life is upside down, so when the stranger, Aiden, shows up as a bartender at the same party where Caroline and her husband have a very public fight, it doesn’t seem like anything out of the ordinary.

As her marriage collapses around her and the lavish lifestyle she’s built for herself starts to crumble, Caroline turns to Aiden for comfort…and revenge. After a brief and desperate fling that means nothing to Caroline and everything to him, Aiden’s obsession with Caroline, her family, and her house grows more and more disturbing. And when Caroline’s husband goes missing, her life descends into a nightmare that leaves her accused of her own husband’s murder.

A Stranger on the Beach by Michele Campbell

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This book started out absolutely fascinating. I was hooked, but then it slowed down before getting into anything particularly interesting. There was a long period, from about 25 percent to sixty percent where I wasn’t sure I was going to finish it. The good news is, it does get better and the end makes it all worth the time to read.

I found the characters interesting, mostly because, honestly, I didn’t really like any of them very much, but the author wrote the story in such a way that I was still compelled to keep reading it regardless. This book quickly becomes a guessing game, making you wonder who is right and who is wrong and trying to put the pieces together as you read so it makes sense. I found out at the end that I was both right and wrong about what was going on.

I gave this book four stars, because in the end, I didn’t manage to guess exactly what was going on before it happened, as I so often do. That was exciting. This is an interesting read with just the right amount of psychological suspense to satisfy. Give it a read.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.



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Where the **** have I been?

See, My good friend and co-conspirator Pamela Beckford

convinced me that we could easily pull off a Thelma and Louise. So after the heist, we retired to a beautiful island in the South Pacific. We were subsequently kidnapped by a band of nearly nude male islanders and taken to their king. This Guy:

image courtesy of bing image search

So anyway, we enjoyed that. But unfortunately, all things must come to an end eventually as real life tends to cloud our daydreams. So we will get to that real life bit, right after this:

Photo by mali maeder on Pexels.com

Or–Pam doing Yoga. Obviously the sun has bleached her hair.

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

and of course that’s me…15 years ago or so…okay not even then.

Now for the Actually:

Actual photo of me escaping from the undersea king

Pam, still looks lithe and gorgeous as she does in the photo I showed you above. I have, however, not aged quite so well. Oink. But I can still swim like the dickens.

The truth is, since we must eventually get to that, I got tired of the wordpress time demands and a good friend of mine, Audrey, pointed out to me that I was burning out. I needed to spend some time with my family and deal with people who weren’t on the other side of a computer screen. She was right, so thank you, Audrey, for showing me a different path in life.

During the last couple of years that I haven’t been blogging, I have done a lot of things. I became a minister. Actually ordained–true blue. I became a clay artist. I’ll save that for another post, or perhaps another blog. I home schooled my kids. I am going back to university to complete degrees in Theology and Philosophy. I spent time with my husband, Julian Froment

(Yes, he is the Lewd Englishman I used to flirt with on this blog before I forced him to submit to my awesome power and marry me. Poor Guy.)

I continued to do reviews on consumer websites and work with Netgalley as the mood struck me. I have done a lot of reading and a lot of learning and I think I’ve now gotten to a place where I feel like returning to my blogging home is something that interests me.

I miss interacting with all of you, and the daily smiles that you put on my face. I miss bantering with Charles and John and everyone else. Mostly, I miss being able to share with you the things I read and enjoy (or don’t as occasionally happens) and get your feedback. I miss reading your posts and seeing what you do and how you think. So, I will slowly try to rebuild this thing that I have let fall into decay, before the wind carries away the remaining ashes.

I am also blogging at The Philosophical Theologian if anyone is interested in knowing more about my other life.

The Almanack by Martine Bailey

The philosophy of time, destiny and the stars pervade this intricate historical mystery in which a young woman determines to avenge her mother’s death. 1752, Midsummer. Following a desperate summons from her mother, Tabitha Hart departs London for her home village of Netherlea – only to discover that her mother has drowned. Determined to discover the truth about the Widow Hart’s death, Tabitha consults her almanack and uncovers a series of cryptic notes describing her mother’s terror of someone she names only as ‘D’. Teaming up with young writer Nat Starling, Tabitha begins a race against time to unmask ‘D’ before more deaths follow. But as the summer draws to a close and the snow sets in, cutting off Netherlea from the outside world, Tabitha and Nat are forced to face the darkest hours of their lives. With the year predicted to meet a ‘violent, bloody end” will Tabitha survive long enough to bring her mother’s killer to justice?

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  Photo by Wendy van Zyl on Pexels.com

The Almanack by Martine Bailey

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Eventually, I came to like this book, but it wasn’t until I was a good way through it before my opinion changed. The problem was, I thought the main character was an unrelatable, spoiled brat and it made it hard to follow her portions of the storyline when I wasn’t exactly concerned with what happened to her.

Later on, as the mysteries continued to build and the main character did some maturing and growing, I came to appreciate this author and how the story was being told. This is one of those books that is highly atmospheric and will make you see every page that you read. I definitely appreciate that in a book.

The mysteries weren’t overly easy to solve and the result could have gone many ways at the end. Now that I have finished it, I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical mysteries.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher, Provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.



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Into the Jungle

Into the Jungle by Erica Ferencik

In this pulse-pounding thriller from the author of the “haunting, twisting thrill ride” (Megan Miranda, New York Times bestselling author) The River at Night, a young woman leaves behind everything she knows to take on the Bolivian jungle, but her excursion abroad quickly turns into a fight for her life.

Lily Bushwold thought she’d found the antidote to endless foster care and group homes: a teaching job in Cochabamba, Bolivia. As soon as she could steal enough cash for the plane, she was on it.

When the gig falls through and Lily stays in Bolivia, she finds bonding with other broke, rudderless girls at the local hostel isn’t the life she wants either. Tired of hustling and already world-weary, crazy love finds her in the form she least expected: Omar, a savvy, handsome local man who’d abandoned his life as a hunter in Ayachero—a remote jungle village—to try his hand at city life.

When Omar learns that a jaguar has killed his four-year-old nephew in Ayachero, he gives Lily a choice: Stay alone in the unforgiving city, or travel to the last in a string of ever-more-isolated river towns in the jungles of Bolivia. Thirty-foot anaconda? Puppy-sized spiders? Vengeful shamans with unspeakable powers? Love-struck Lily is oblivious. She follows Omar to this ruthless new world of lawless poachers, bullheaded missionaries, and desperate indigenous tribes driven to the brink of extinction. To survive, Lily must navigate the jungle–its wonders as well as its terrors—using only her wits and resilience.

Primal, gripping, and terrifying, Into the Jungle features Erica Ferencik’s signature “visceral, white-knuckle” (Entertainment Weekly) prose that will sink its fangs into you and not let go.–From Goodreads

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  Photo by Oliver Sjöström on Pexels.com

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I don’t rate very many fiction books with five stars, because most of the time I can’t see any reason to do so by the end of the book. In this case, I didn’t feel that way at all. After I was done reading this I was hoping someone would hand me some jungle leaves to hide my face in after I had finished the ugly-cry.

This is a beautiful book, intensely researched and full of imagery so amazing that as a reader, I felt like I had been swallowed by the jungle along with the main character. At no point during reading this, did I ever have the desire to lift a finger to do anything other than turn the next page. The descriptions alone make this book worth reading, but there is so much more to the story than that.

The sense that the author understands the communities she writes about, that she knows what it feels like to be frightened, to love, to lose those we love and to take a huge step into something unknown radiate through this story. So either’s she’s been through some stuff–or she is just that great of an author and can fool us all into believing she did. Either way, this is one you don’t want to miss.

If I were planning a retirement in the wilds of South America, the terantulas in this book cured me of the idea.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

A book review…finally.

From Goodreads: 

New Testament scholar N.T. Wright reveals how we have been misreading the Gospels for centuries, powerfully restoring the lost central story of the Scripture: that the coronation of God through the acts of Jesus was the climax of human history. Wright fills the gaps that centuries of misdirection have opened up in our collective spiritual story, tracing a narrative from Eden, to Jesus, to today. Wright’s powerful re-reading of the Gospels helps us re-align the focus of our spiritual beliefs, which have for too long been focused on the afterlife. Instead, the forgotten story of the Gospels reveals why we should understand that our real charge is to sustain and cooperating with God’s kingdom here and now. Echoing the triumphs of Simply Christian and The Meaning of Jesus, Wright’s How God Became King is required reading for any Christian searching to understand their mission in the world today.

Photo by rawpixel.com on Pexels.com

Review: Five Stars 

As someone who finds the Hebrew Scriptures both interesting and important, it was nice to see a book by a prominent Christian author that took the Torah and the earlier scriptures seriously and also to read such a thought-provoking book. I truly believe that he is correct when he says that most people (I’m including myself here) do not understand the scriptures and the meanings the original authors intended for them to have.

I thought this was a very fair assessment of the problems people, including the general public and even the clergy experience when they read the scriptures. This book really highlights the history of these important documents and makes the reader think about what the words really mean. Even some of the more popular phrases and quotes from the Bible actually have deeper meanings than they seem to at first glance.

One of the things I enjoyed about this book, was that it explained how the New and Old Testaments actually work together to form a cohesive theory, rather than treating the Hebrew/Aramaic scriptures as something that has now been lost to the sands of time in the name of supersessionism. I find both the New and Old testaments fascinating, and it was good to see that they were treated equally in this book.

If you are curious about the scriptures you have read or have listened to and want to know more about their history and purpose, this would be a good book to choose. Worth every star and the time it took to read.

Happy birthday Mr. YALLOWITZ

Happy birthday to you!

Happy birthday to you!

You’re a talented author,

And a fine looking Jew.

Thanks to Adam Sandler for that last bit.

Check out the books and blog of Charles Yallowitz here: https://legendsofwindemere.com

Sink Your Fangs Into War of Nytefall: Rivalry on Amazon! #fantasy #vampires #newrelease

(Thank you to Ionia for letting me post about my newest book.  I really appreciate it.)

Clyde & the Dawn Fangs return to face a new enemy: The Vampire Queen!

Cover Art by Alison Hunt

Seeking the pleasure of revenge, an ancient rumor will reveal herself to be a deadly legend.

Lurking within the shadows for centuries, the Vampire Queen has been drawn to the conflict that surrounds Clyde. Only whispers have been spread about this elusive figure, who has amassed a kingdom that can rival Nyte and Nytefall. All that she is missing is the strongest vampire to crown as her king. In one fell swoop, she has taken the most powerful of her kind, including Clyde and Xavier Tempest. Hosting a tournament where the rules seem to change at her whim, the Vampire Queen threatens to shatter the already strained world that lurks beneath Windemere’s surface. Yet, there is more to her desires, which seep from a soul that is pulsing with fury. For her kingdom can never be complete until she holds the head of the one who wronged her centuries ago.

Can Mab stand against her ancient rival and save her monstrous partner?

 Excerpt: Party Crashers

Among the well-dressed vampires, the pair are obviously out of place, but they are not approached thanks to everyone seeing them enter with the beautiful desserts. The lack of suspicion allows them to move around the room and mingle with the waitstaff, who they talk to about the other dishes. Clyde makes sure to stay as far away from Xavier and Nadia as possible, but not appear too obvious. He watches the couple talk with their new council, all of them standing atop the dais where the thrones of Nyte have been placed. There are a set of nine smaller chairs being set up at the base of the steps, each one adorned with its owner’s house symbol. The Dawn Fang notes that they are all some kind of flower, which mimics the fanged orchid crest of the Tempest family. Meeting Lady Sylvan’s blue and yellow eyes, Clyde politely bows his head and is relieved to see that she ignores his presence. He chuckles at how her sparrow pendant does not match her black and red dress, the wooden bauble still on the leather strap it came with centuries ago. A gentle elbow to the ribs from Mab stops him from smirking at his own thoughts and reminds him that he is dressed like a woman, so he tries to walk with more of a sway in his hips. The exaggerated motion causes his partner to put an arm around his waist and end the horrible imitation that is earning a lustful leer from Archillious.

“Thank you to everyone for attending!” Xavier declares, his voice rising above the music and conversations. Taking his wife’s hand in his, he directs Nadia to her throne and waves for the council to take their seats. “On this day, the vampire nobility has been reborn. There will be no infighting or schemes to overthrow each other like with our predecessors. All of us have agreed that the only way for our kind to survive is to work together and form a global society with Nyte at its center. Many say that I have done this in order to call myself the Vampire King, but I assure you that this is a lie. Not that I would say no to the title, but my goals are not so vain and simplistic. Windemere is still changing and we need to be united under one flag. Otherwise, we will go the way of those who were lost in the Great Cataclysm. With these wise and powerful nobles at my side, I will make sure that our people will live and thrive. Extinction is not the destiny for vampires as long as I draw breath . . . so to speak.”

“We move as soon as he finishes the toast,” Clyde whispers to Mab.

The Lord of Nyte raises his drink over his head and says, “I am honored to present to all of you-”

“A real king requires the true queen!” a voice shouts from the back of the crowd. A vampiric halfling dressed in a bejeweled suit jumps onto one of the tables and shivers even though he is sweating. “This ceremony is a farce because it does not carry the favor of the Vampire Queen. It has been centuries, but now she is ready to assume the throne. As her emissary, I have come to warn all who would dare to deny her that they will be crushed. I also come with an invitation to those who have been granted permission to compete for the Vampire Queen’s hand. It is only through her blessing may you claim to rule our people. Do not accept forgeries who wish to draw you off the path!”

The halfling stops when a fang strikes him between the eyes, the shot from Archillious having very little effect. Stepping out from behind the tapestry on the back wall, Lou charges at the intruder. The hairy ogre knocks guests out of the way and lowers his head to display his horns, one of which is adorned with a colorful bow. He leaps for the smaller vampire, which he can easily crush in one hand. Decker is not far behind the bodyguard, his keen senses screaming that they are in danger. Crossbow bolts soar over the dwarf’s head to strike the halfling in the knees, but he does not buckle. The advancing warriors skid to a stop when Clyde, still wearing his dress, appears above the emissary and rears back to deliver a full-strength punch. His fist is about to make contact when the halfling suddenly bloats and the jewels on his suit begin to crack. The entire castle is rocked by a violent explosion, which fills the ballroom with a crystalline dust that hangs in the air like an immovable curtain.

Get War of Nytefall: Rivalry on Amazon for $2.99!
Add it to your Goodreads To-Read Lists!

*****

Start the adventure from the beginning with War of Nytefall: Loyalty!

Cover Art by Alison Hunt

Then, continue the vampire-filled fun with War of Nytefall: Lost!

Cover art by Alison Hunt

Interested in more Windemere?  Then don’t forget to check out Charles E. Yallowitz’s first series: Legends of Windemere

All Cover Art by Jason Pedersen

About the Author:

Charles Yallowitz was born and raised on Long Island, NY, but he has spent most of his life wandering his own imagination in a blissful haze. Occasionally, he would return from this world for the necessities such as food, showers, and Saturday morning cartoons. One day he returned from his imagination and decided he would share his stories with the world. After spending many years fiddling with his thoughts and notebooks, he decided that it was time to follow his dream of being a fantasy author. So, locked within the house with only pizza and seltzer to sustain him, Charles brings you tales from the world of Windemere. He looks forward to sharing all of his stories with you and drawing you into a world of magic.

Blog: www.legendsofwindemere.com
Twitter: @cyallowitz
Facebook: Charles Yallowitz
Website: www.charleseyallowitz.com

 

Right Where We Belong Brenda Novak

Right Where We Belong by Brenda Novak

New York Times bestselling author Brenda Novak returns to Silver Springs with a moving story about rebuilding your life when you’ve got nothing left to lose 

Savanna Gray needs a do-over. Her “perfect” life unraveled when, to her absolute shock, her husband was arrested for attacking three women. With her divorce settled, she takes her two children home to Silver Springs to seek refuge between the walls of the farmhouse where she was born. It needs a little TLC, but she’s eager to take control of something.

Gavin Turner understands the struggle of starting over. Abandoned at a gas station when he was five, it wasn’t until he landed at New Horizons Boys Ranch as a teen that he finally found some peace. He steps up when Savanna needs help fixing things—even when those things go beyond the farmhouse.

Despite an escalating attraction to Gavin, Savanna resolves to keep her distance. She trusted her ex, who had a similarly tragic background, and is unwilling to repeat her past mistakes. But it’s hard to resist a man whose heart is as capable as his hands.–Goodreads

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

You can always count on Brenda Novak to write a compelling book that makes you want to keep reading regardless of your other responsibilities. I was so happy to be settled down with another of her books and immediately felt hooked. This is far more than your average romance.

As someone who makes a hobby out of reading true crime books, the threads of that theme that I found in this fiction book satisfied me far more than a basic boy meets girl romance. Still, as a romance, this is fantastic. The steam level was perfect. The sex scenes weren’t overdone and didn’t feel pointless, the sparks between the main characters were genuine and they were the kind of people that it isn’t hard to like. The relationship didn’t feel forced and I thought their personalities meshed really well. Plus, the kids tugged at my heartstrings. I may or may not have shed a few tears during this…

I loved the way the author interwove the stories from Savanna’s married life and her suspicions about her husband into the plot, using them to create tension for the current love affair in the story. This is a wonderful book and was full of unexpected twists and turns. There were times during reading this that I was holding my breath waiting to see what would happen next.

This is one of the best romance books that I have had the pleasure of reading all year long and I happily recommend it to others, particularly anyone that is looking for a suspenseful romance. Also, I want to move to Silver Springs, California now, too.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Wyoming Winter by Diana Palmer

Wyoming Winter by Diana Palmer

There’s something about those Wyoming men… New York Times bestselling author Diana Palmer returns to the Cowboy State with a brand-new tale of desire and deception

Cultivating his vast Wyoming ranch is all security expert J. C. Calhoun wants. His land is the only thing the betrayed rancher can trust in after discovering his fiancee was pregnant by another man. But all J.C. holds dear becomes compromised when a lost little girl leads him to Colie Jackson, the woman who destroyed his life.

Colie stops at nothing to protect the people she loves. Years ago she left J.C. for his own good. Now, for the sake of her daughter, she must depend on a hard-hearted man who won’t forgive her. As a band of ruthless criminals tracks their every move through the frozen Wyoming winter, Colie and J.C. will be forced to confront the lies that separated them–and the startling truth that will bind them forever…–from Goodreads

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I love these ranch and western themed books. Diana Palmer is an amazing author that has a true knack for telling a story that will melt your icy heart and this book is no exception.

I have to be honest, in the beginning I didn’t think this book was going to work for me. I didn’t Like JC very much and thought the potential for him to become the hero of the story seemed thin. He had such an attitude problem and I didn’t see how it could work, but once again, this author proved that not everything is what it seems.

If you like your romance to come with some thrills, this would be a good book for you to choose. The love story elements are all there, but this is more than just a simple boy meets girl romance. There is danger and excitement, a bit of mystery and hard feelings to take you on a ride that you won’t forget when you’ve finished.

In order for a romance to work for me, there has to be a decent amount of believable tension between the characters and this one has it in spades. The Wyoming air is so thick with the chemistry between these characters you could cut it with a knife. With both of them suffering from memories of their pasts and afraid to move forward, this book got it just right.

Overall, I really liked the characters by the end, and am happy to recommend this book to other romance readers. This is a complex story that a lot of thought went into and it shows in the tight plot and solid writing.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

 

Christmas in Icicle Falls by Sheila Roberts

Christmas in Icicle Falls by Sheila Roberts

When Muriel Sterling released her new book, A Guide to Happy Holidays, she felt like the queen of Christmas. She’s thrilled when the new tree she ordered online arrives and is eager to show it off–until she gets it out of the box and realizes it’s a mangy dud. But rather than give up on the ugly tree, Muriel decides to make a project out of it. As she pretties up her tree, she realizes there’s a lesson to be learned: everything and everyone has potential. Maybe even her old friend Arnie, who’s loved her for years. Except, she’s not the only one seeing Arnie’s potential…

Meanwhile, Muriel’s ugly-tree project has also inspired her friends. Sienna Moreno is trying to bring out the best in the grouchy man next door, who hates noise, hates kids and hates his new neighbors. And while Olivia Claussen would love to send her obnoxious new daughter-in-law packing, she’s adjusting her attitude and trying to discover what her son sees in the girl. If these women can learn to see the beauty in the “ugly trees” in their lives, perhaps this might turn out to be the happiest holiday yet.–from goodreads

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

If you want a feel good book this upcoming holiday season that will make your heart melt, this is the one you want to get. There are a bunch of different story lines going on all at the same time in this novel and the author manages to tie them together perfectly by the end.

Even with so much going on, it is easy to keep what is happening straight because the characters are so varied. Each of them has an “Ugly Tree,” situation that they must overcome in order to follow the helpful hints in a new book released by one of the members of the community. I loved the way the author used Cratchett as a name in the book and showed that even the most unlikely people can sometimes be redeemed with a bit of generosity.

There are a few different romances developing simultaneously in this novel and other friendships and family relationships building and being tested as well. This is the kind of novel where there is something for everyone. I thought this was a wonderful book and look forward to recommending it to others.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

View all my reviews

Lilac Lane

Lilac Lane by Sherryl Woods

At the heart of Lilac Lane is Keira Malone, who raised her three children alone after her first marriage broke apart, and who, after years of guarding her heart, finally finds love again. But that love is short-lived when her fiancé suffers a fatal heart attack. Grieving and unsure of what’s next, Keira agrees to move from Dublin to Chesapeake Shores, Maryland, to spend time with her daughter, Moira, and her new granddaughter, Kate, as well as to help her son-in-law, Luke, with his Irish pub, O’Briens

Not wanting to live underfoot, she rents a charming cottage on Lilac Lane, replete with views of the ocean and her neighbor’s thriving garden—not to mention views of the neighbor himself. The neighbor is none other than Bryan Laramie, the brusque and moody chef at the pub, with whom Keira is constantly butting heads. But things get real when Bryan’s long-lost daughter, whom he hasn’t seen since she was a baby, shows up out of the blue. As Bryan and Keira each delve into their pasts, reopening wounds, the rest of the town is gearing up for the Fall Festival Irish Stew cook-off, and making no bones about whose side they’re on. It’s Kitchen Wars meets This is Your Life—a recipe for disaster…or a new take on love?

You won’t want to miss this epic return to Chesapeake Shores, a place we’re betting you’ll want to stay forever.–goodreads

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

If you want to fall in love with the characters and setting in a book and be treated to an escape without having to leave the comfort of your favourite chair, this is the book to do it.

I loved the characters right away and found myself engrossed in this story before I was even finished with the first chapter. Keira is the kind of character that will make you nod your head in agreement as you relate to what she’s going through. I loved learning more about her and her family.

One of the things that impressed me about this book was how full of important characters it was. Everyone had a purpose and everyone was lovable in their own way. The story of Bryan captured my heart and kept me excited to see what was going to happen next. This novel is also filled with delicious sounding food–I dare you to read it and not walk away hungry for some Irish Stew and soda bread.

This book made me laugh and cry in all the right places. If you are looking for a romance with some substance and a lot of reasons to read it, may I recommend this one. Lilac Lane is a wonderfully rich, atmospheric novel you are sure to enjoy. I know I did.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Best Day Ever Kaira Rouda

Best Day Ever by Kaira Rouda

I glance at my wife as she climbs into the passenger seat, and I am bursting with confidence. Today will be everything I’ve promised her…and more…

Paul Strom has the perfect life: a glittering career as an advertising executive, a beautiful wife, two healthy boys and a big house in a wealthy suburb. And he’s the perfect husband: breadwinner, protector, provider. That’s why he’s planned a romantic weekend for his wife, Mia, at their lake house, just the two of them. And he’s promised today will be the best day ever.

But as Paul and Mia drive out of the city and toward the countryside, a spike of tension begins to wedge itself between them and doubts start to arise. How much do they trust each other? And how perfect is their marriage, or any marriage, really?

Forcing us to ask ourselves just how well we know those who are closest to us, Best Day Ever crackles with dark energy, spinning ever tighter toward its shocking conclusion. In the bestselling, page-turning vein of The Couple Next Door and The Dinner, Kaira Rouda weaves a gripping, tautly suspenseful tale of deception and betrayal dark enough to destroy a marriage…or a life.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is what I would call a strangely compelling read. I absolutely detested the main character and wanted to see the worst happen to him throughout the entire book, and yet–I found it impossible to stop reading no matter how annoyed or disgusted with him I found myself. I have to hand it to the author, she has written a very memorable book.

From the beginning, you know that this is one of those novels where appearances from the outside can be deceiving and that the happy couple you first meet probably aren’t all that happy. When that is confirmed and then reinforced later in the story, you might find yourself looking at the people around you and wondering if you really know them as well as you think you do. Any book that can do that, must be a good one, in my opinion.

I was curious to see how this would all end, there is a lot of build up throughout the story that leads you to believe there is going to be a dramatic ending and I had hopes that it would end with the main character fully getting what he deserved, but things didn’t go as I expected. I didn’t necessarily dislike the ending of the book, but I didn’t feel like it was a good as it could have been. I think I wanted to see the end be worthy of the rest of the book and I didn’t really think it was. Perhaps there is a reason the author chose to go the way she did with it, but for me it was a bit of a let down.

Still, this book is different and that was refreshing. it will keep you wondering what is ahead the whole time and will probably keep you up at night. It did that to me. One thing is for certain, I won’t forget about it any time soon.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

Awwe Shucks:)

Hello Again by Brenda Novak

From NYT bestseller Brenda Novak comes the next installment of Dr. Evelyn Talbot and her murderous home for psychopaths in Hello Again.

SHE CAN MAKE SENSE OF A COMPLEX CRIMINAL MIND.
Evelyn Talbot, a psychiatrist at a maximum-security prison in Alaska, studies some of the world’s worst serial killers. But she’s about to meet her most elusive patient at Hanover House yet: Dr. Lyman Bishop, AKA the Zombie Maker given his fondness for performing ice-pick lobotomies on his victims. A brilliant cancer researcher, Bishop is either the most cunning psychopath Evelyn has ever encountered—or he is wrongly convicted.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A CRIMINAL CAN SEE INTO HER OWN?
When a new ice-pick fatality occurs, it seems Bishop really was wrongly convicted. Except…Evelyn has a personal connection to the victim and that suggests the killer may be someone from her own past: Jasper Moore, her high school boyfriend who tortured her and left her for dead when she was only sixteen. Jasper also murdered three of her friends—and was never caught. Is he trying to send a message with this copycat crime? The only thing Evelyn knows for sure is that if Jasper is on her trail, she might not be able to escape again . .–goodreads

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is shaping up to be a very interesting series with a complex plot that keeps getting more dangerous and compelling. I liked Evelyn Talbot in the first book, but in this one she gets even better. The author offers us a chance to get to know her main character much better, recounting the events in her past and showing us glimpses of what could be in store for her future.

Brenda Novak handled the murders in this book with grace. They aren’t overly graphic or disgusting, but she gives just enough to terrify you and make you want to double check the locks on your doors at night. I liked the way she depicted the strain on the relationship between Evelyn and her boyfriend, caused by the stresses of the jobs they hold and other, outside factors.

You can tell that a lot of research into criminology went into this book and I found the entire thing interesting and well-written. This book has a tight plot and makes you want to keep turning pages. The ending was unexpected and left me wanting another in the series as soon as possible.

This is the kind of book that will not fade from your memory and will keep you checking to see when the next novel is out. Definitely recommended for those who like suspense thrillers.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. Al opinions are my own.

View all my reviews

The Surrogate by Louise Jensen

The Surrogate by Louise Jensen

‘You know that feeling? When you want something so badly, you almost feel you’d kill for it?’

Be careful what you wish for…

Kat and her husband Nick have tried everything to become parents, and are on the point of giving up. Then a chance encounter with Kat’s childhood friend Lisa gives Kat and Nick one last chance to achieve their dream.

But Kat and Lisa’s history hides dark secrets.

And there is more to Lisa than meets the eye.

As dangerous cracks start to appear in Kat’s perfect picture of happily-ever-after, she realises that she must face her fear of the past to save her family…

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book will keep you up at night.

I found myself lost in the pages of this book right away, literally within the first few pages. I loved the writing style as it made me feel close to the story and like I was experiencing everything the characters experienced.

From the beginning I felt bad for the main character, wanting her to make her dream of becoming a mother a reality, but not knowing what the future held. All the struggles she and her husband faced made me empathetic to her situation and feel like she was someone I could trust–until later in the story when I wasn’t sure who to believe.

I love stories where you aren’t sure if the main character is really experiencing something out of the ordinary or if they are simply losing their grip on reality. This was a very well written and compelling book with the perfect amount of suspense to keep me right at the edge of my seat. If you enjoy books where the past comes calling, this is one that you won’t want to miss out on.

I really liked the way the author ended this book–with as many questions as there were answers. I definitely recommend this book as being one of the best of 2017.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher, provided through netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Sugar Pine Trail

Sugar Pine Trail by RaeAnne Thayne

An unlikely attraction brings comfort, joy and unforgettable romance this holiday season!

Librarian Julia Winston is ready to ditch the quiet existence she’s been living. She’s made a list of new things to experience, but falling for Jamie Caine, her sexy military pilot neighbor, isn’t one of them. Julia’s looking to conquer life, not become the heartbreaker’s latest conquest. But when two young brothers wind up in Julia’s care for the holidays, she’ll take any help she can get—even Jamie’s.

Happy to step in, Jamie reveals a side of himself that’s much harder to resist. Not only is he fantastic with kids, he provides the strength Julia needs to tackle her list. She knows their temporary family can’t last beyond the holidays, but the closer she gets to Jamie, the more she wonders if things could be this merry and bright forever… goodreads

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved this book from the first couple of pages on. Julia is a great character, especially if you are a rather introverted sort that likes your romance heroines to be a normal person that could be any one of us.

Jamie is a sweet and charming hero with a lot going for him but isn’t just good looks and loads of cash. The author made sure he had a background worthy of reading about and that he came to the table with his own bundle of insecurities. This book made me laugh on more than one occasion but also made me tear up a few times. Reading this long into the evening was a great experience that took me out of everyday life and allowed me to focus on something else.

If you are worried about reading this book if you haven’t read the rest of the series, don’t be. It still makes perfect sense even if you haven’t read all the other books. I’ve missed a couple but it wasn’t a problem.

This is a sweet and yet sexy, fun book to read any time of year. I loved the cats and the two little boys at the heart of the story and recommend it to all romance readers. Perfect.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

View all my reviews

The Plague Diaries by Ronlyn Domingue

The Plague Diaries by Ronlyn Domingue

The astounding, epic conclusion to the Keeper of Tales Trilogy brings together the cryptic prophecy in The Mapmaker’s War and the troubling mysteries in The Chronicle of Secret Riven—leading to an unforgettable reckoning between lies and truth.

We are all born made of gold.

Secret Riven—the mystically gifted heroine who now represses her uncanny telepathic power—works for the mysterious magnate Fewmany as an archivist in his private library. There, she stumbles upon the arcane manuscript that had vanished following her mother’s untimely death. She suspects the manuscript contains a profound secret, and she is yet unaware of its link to a thousand-year-old war and her own family’s legacy.

The tasks before her are clear: Secret must finally learn what Fewmany wants from her as well as the meaning of a strange symbol she’s dreamed of since childhood. At last, she must confront the questions haunting her and depart on a quest to find the truth about herself, her dead mother, and her fate—to unleash a Plague of Silences meant to destroy, and transform, the world as all have known it.

A dazzling, genre-bending masterwork, The Plague Diaries illuminates the power of our choices, the scars they leave, and the wounds they heal.

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Ever get to the end of a really great series and desperately want to read the last book, but not want to at the same time because you don’t want it to end? That was me with this book. I knew it would be great, and it was even better than I thought, but I feared turning that last page because I knew once I did I would feel a bit lost. Now what am I going to read that will be this good?

In this final book of the series, a lot of things have happened that will make the reader want to find out more. There’s magic and mystery, events from the past that surface and change the outcome of the future and at the center of it all is Secret, a perfect name for a character that must deal with just that–many secrets. I loved the genre boundaries that this book pushed. It is the kind of story that will make you think, make you question what you know about the world of the characters and their lives and even your own.

The writing is clear and concise, the best words chosen to help the reader see the surroundings through the character’s eyes at all times. There are lines in this novel that are so flawlessly beautiful that you want to print them and tack them up on the wall and that, to me, is the sign of a very talented writer. I loved the descriptions of the library, the grounds and the overall atmosphere of this book. I was able to get lost in it and forget that anything else existed. if you enjoy books where you are never quite sure what is going to happen to the characters you have come to care about, this book will be a great addition to your collection.

I was pleased with the ending, finding myself satisfied (if a little misty-eyed) with the way the author chose to conclude her series. Loose ends were tied up nicely and I walked away happy to have had the opportunity to read this final book and hoping for more from Ronlyn Domingue in the near future.

This is a wonderfully imaginative series and “The Plague Diaries,” is the perfect conclusion. You would be remiss not to read this book. Recommended to everyone that wants a good, strong story to get your mind’s cogs turning.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

The Doll House by Phoebe Morgan

**One of my favourite books of the year thus far. Creepy and spine-chilling and totally worth the read.

The Doll House by Phoebe Morgan

You never know who’s watching…

Corinne’s life might look perfect on the outside, but after three failed IVF attempts it’s her last chance to have a baby. And when she finds a tiny part of a doll house outside her flat, it feels as if it’s a sign.

But as more pieces begin to turn up, Corinne realises that they are far too familiar. Someone knows about the miniature rocking horse and the little doll with its red velvet dress. Someone has been inside her house…

How does the stranger know so much about her life? How long have they been watching? And what are they waiting for…?–Goodreads

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

You shouldn’t read this book unless you want to give up everything else in your life until you are finished with it. It really is that good.

From the beginning, you are aware that there is something strange going on with Corinne and her sister, Ashley, but you don’t know quite what. As the story progresses, you glimpse the past and things begin to make sense, but only just. This story is told from different points of view, but instead of making it confusing for the reader, I thought it added to the overall atmosphere and feeling that not everything is what it seems.

I liked the way the author used a red herring or two in order to throw the reader off the trail. I figured out who was responsible before the halfway mark of the book, but it didn’t matter because in the end it didn’t go the way I expected it to. Knowing who did what was only half the excitement.

All of the unimportant things in life–you know–like eating, sleeping and bathroom breaks were shoved to the side while I read this compelling book. I could not stop turning the pages. Yep. I loved it. I suspect you will, too.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

The girl who came back

The Girl Who Came Back by Kerry Wilkinson

Thirteen years ago Olivia Adams went missing. Now she’s back… or is she?

When five-year-old Olivia Adams disappeared from her back garden, the small community of Stoneridge was thrown into turmoil. How could a child vanish in the middle of a cosy English village?

Thirteen years on and Olivia is back. Her mother is convinced it’s her but not everyone is sure. If this is the missing girl, then where has she been – and what happened to her on that sunny afternoon?

If she’s an imposter, then who would be bold enough to try to fool a child’s own mother – and why?

Then there are those who would rather Olivia stayed missing. The past is the past and some secrets must remain buried.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I liked this book. Even from the very beginning you know there is something interesting going on but throughout most of it, you’ll be hard put to figure out exactly what it is. The characters were intriguing and I liked the fact that the author kept the dark and mysterious ambiance going throughout the novel all the way to the end.

The main character was exciting because I wasn’t sure if she could be trusted or not and if she was who she said she was. I liked the way the author intertwined more than one story together and made me question whether or not the two different stories would tie neatly together in the end.

This is the kind of book that will keep you up at night thinking about the story even after you have closed the book. The descriptions were good and the ending was surprising. I thought I had it all figured out, but it was a little different than I expected. Overall, I thought this was a great book and would recommend it to others that enjoy mystery and suspense.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Tangled Moon by Olivia Stocum

Tangled Moon by Olivia Stocum

She could feel her blood pulsing through her veins. Her heightened senses had turned inward and all she knew was this moment and what he was doing to her. She held him tightly, wishing she could pull him inside of her. Pull her inside of him. Something. Someplace where the unrelenting tug and pull between them could finally end…

Danielle Howard likes her life, as strange as it is. For her, this is as good as it gets. Who needs things like family, a home, and romance, anyway?
She spends her days as a mortal woman, and her nights as a wolf, killing vampires for a living. What could be better than that?

Well, maybe there is one thing missing…

Danielle thought one day she and her hunting partner, Lothar, would be more than friends. But some things just can’t be. Lothar is next in line for the High Council seat, and that means he is way out of her league. She’s talked herself into doing her job, with or without his love. He’s still her alpha, and that has its own appeal.

Nick Shepard knew there was more to life. He’d just never been able to find it. When the sexy Danielle comes into his life, everything changes.
All he’s ever wanted is to know who he is, and why he’s different.
Being unprepared for the truth, isn’t going to stop him from embracing it. Whether Danielle is a part of his future or not, he’s not sure, but he knows one thing…

He is never going back.

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

There are a lot of books out there with werewolf and vampire characters, but few of them hold my interest. This one did. I liked the way the author handled the story, making sure this was not just another repeat of other books that have come before it.

Lothar, Nick and Danielle are all really interesting characters and the strained relationship between them gives this series a solid foundation to work from. As is the norm with this author’s books, you know from the beginning that you are in for some serious surprises and she doesn’t let you down. There is plenty of action in this novel to keep you whipping through pages, but she also gives you the emotional aspects of her characters and their relationships to one another. Even the side characters come off as important and integral to the overall plot.

There is enough steam in this novel to keep the romance readers happy, but not so much that it is intolerable for those of us that don’t want to read a book with a million pointless love scenes. The descriptions of the scenery and the shifting in this book are fantastic. I could feel the atmosphere from the first page, perfectly appropriate to the plot.

If you are looking for something paranormal but different, this will satisfy the craving. I’m looking forward to seeing where this series goes next.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

The Education of a Coroner

The Education of a Coroner: Lessons in Investigating Death by John Bateson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

If you are tired of TV shows getting it all wrong and sugar coating what a real coroner does, read this book and you will come to a new understanding of how it all works. Ken Holmes built his career in Marin County and has been through it all. This collection of his experiences is not only interesting, difficult to read at times, perhaps, but also makes you think about the realities of the world we live in.

From inner office politics to the actual hands on job of dealing with bodies and investigating, the author leaves nothing out of this gritty book. I found that once I began reading this, it was impossible to put down. The pages flew by until I reached the end. In some ways, it’s hard to believe that these cases could be real, but they do say that truth is stranger than fiction. The level of human depravity and violence that Ken encountered day to day would break most people. You have to respect him for what he’s seen during his career.

Overall, I thought this was a fantastic book filled with interesting details that will likely make most people stop and think, perhaps even appreciate the lives we lives each day. This is eye opening and terrifying, well-written and thought provoking. Definitely worth the time to read.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

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Why do you read?

As an author, I am always curious about what motivates people to read. I’ve done posts before about how people choose books, about covers and colors and what you seek in a blurb, but this post poses a simpler question with perhaps an opportunity for more complex answers.

Why do you read?

Sometimes I read to learn, sometimes to go on an adventure in a far away place I will probably never get to in real life. Occasionally, I read because it is such a part of me. Whereas some people enjoy movies, music or the theatre, favourite sports or socialising with others, I like books. I love the feel of them, the scent of them, the way they make you feel like someone understands when no one else does.

Sometimes I read to improve my craft. There are so many reasons. I also love the feeling of finding a new book–you know the rush of wondering what is inside the cover and if it will be as good as it sounds. The excitement of a new book can be better than…

My heart flutters and I dance from foot to foot until I can get the book home and see what it has to offer. I might be a little obsessed.

So what about you? What makes you return to the pages of a book? Why do you read?

Stalking–a serious matter

This blog tends to be lighthearted most of the time and about books, the ones I’ve read and the ones I want to read. Sometimes it is about writing and my personal pursuits. But on occasion something happens in life and I feel the need to get a bit more serious.

Today, I wanted to share some important info with everyone about stalking. Sure, people joke about it, make passing remarks and everyone seems to have their own ideas about what it means, but when it happens to you, it can be a truly frightening and even dangerous situation.

What is stalking? According to the United States Department of Justice:

Stalking is a pattern of repeated and unwanted attention, harassment, contact, or any other course of conduct directed at a specific person that would cause a reasonable person to feel fear.

Stalking can include:

Repeated, unwanted, intrusive, and frightening communications from the perpetrator by phone, mail, and/or email.

Repeatedly leaving or sending victim unwanted items, presents, or flowers.

Following or laying in wait for the victim at places such as home, school, work, or recreation place.

Making direct or indirect threats to harm the victim, the victim’s children, relatives, friends, or pets.

Damaging or threatening to damage the victim’s property.

Harassing victim through the internet.

Posting information or spreading rumors about the victim on the internet, in a public place, or by word of mouth.

Obtaining personal information about the victim by accessing public records, using internet search services, hiring private investigators, going through the victim’s garbage, following the victim, contacting victim’s friends, family work, or neighbors, etc.

Source: Stalking Resource Center, National Center for Victims of Crime

So what should you do if this is happening to you? First of all, you have to accept that it can happen to anyone, male or female and that downplaying these types of behaviours can result in bodily harm to you or someone you love. This is NOT okay. You should have a right to use social media, your phone and live your life without fear of someone always being there making you miserable and making you feel insecure and unsafe.

What can you do about it?

There are many steps that can be taken to help protect yourself and to let the person involved in these actions know that you will not tolerate it.

 

Stalking is a dangerous crime that affects an estimated 6.6 million women and men each year.

Stalking—generally

defined as a pattern of behavior directed at a specific person that would cause a reasonable person to feel fear—is

a crime under the laws of all 50 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. territories, and the federal government.

As many as 1 in 4 women and 1 in 13 men have experienced stalking victimization at some point during their lifetime

and most often the stalker is someone the victim knows—an acquaintance, a relative, or a current or former intimate

partner.

• Stalking is unpredictable and dangerous.
• No two stalking situations are alike.
• There are no guarantees that what works for one person will work for another, yet victims can take steps to increase their safety

.

What To Do If You Are Being Stalked

1. Trust your instincts.

Victims of stalking often feel pressured by friends or family to downplay the stalker’s

behavior, but stalking poses a real threat of harm. Your safety is paramount.

2. Call the police if you feel you are in any immediate danger.

Explain why even some actions that seem

harmless—like

leaving

you a gift—are causing you fear.

3. Keep a record or log of each contact with the stalker.

Be sure to also document any police reports.

4. Stalkers often use technology to contact their victims.

Save all e-mails, text messages, photos, and postings on

social networking sites as evidence of the stalking behavior.

5. Get connected with a local victim advocate to talk through your options and discuss safety planning.

Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1–800–799–SAFE.

For More Information

National Stalking Awareness Month

Stalking Resource Center

http://stalkingawarenessmonth.org/

www.victimsofcrime.org/src

You should never have to live your life in fear. If you or someone you know is dealing with this type of situation, do something about it. Do not assume that it will get better or just go away on its own.

If you want to know more, please check out https://www.justice.gov/ovw/stalking

 

The Big Little Festival

The Big Little Festival by Kellie Hailes

Join the whole village at The Big Little Festival for the perfect summer day out!

With only weeks until the little Devon village of Rabbit’s Leap holds its first ever festival, Jody McArthur is desperate. She – more than anyone – wants to raise the funds to rebuild the local swimming pool and when she fell pregnant with her twin boys, it was the village who was there to support her. So, to stop disaster in its tracks, she brings in bigshot London events manager Christian Middlemore to make The Big Little Festival the huge success everyone deserves.

But Jody is totally unprepared for the impact reserved-but-gorgeous Christian has on Rabbit’s Leap – and her heart! Except Jody has avoided relationships for so long, and anyway, she’s sure romance between a country-born-and-bred single mum and a career-focused city boy would be impossible – wouldn’t it?

As tensions rise along with the home baked scones and miles and miles of bunting, Jody is about to find out!

The second book set in the picture-perfect Rabbit’s Leap, this little village is where love blooms!–from goodreads

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book was adorable and a fun way to pass a couple of lazy afternoons. I liked Jody and Christian both and they had plenty of chemistry to keep the romance reader in me happy. There are a lot of small, English village romances to choose from these days, but I thought this one was better than most. These characters had real struggles to overcome and mistakes in their past that haunted them. It was nice to see some depth rather than the fluff that a lot of romances are made up of.

The twin boys were fun and I enjoyed their antics, having twin boys of my own, I could relate to the things the main character went through and how she felt about the possibility of a new relationship. The author did a great job with descriptions and I like the way she made the secondary characters feel so real and full of life.

This is a really cute story with a bit of steam and a story line that won’t let you down. Recommended for those who like romance with a cosy feel.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

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Any Dream Will Do

Any Dream Will Do by Debbie Macomber

Shay Benson adored her younger brother, Caden, and that got her into trouble. When he owed money, Shay realized she would do anything to help him avoid the men who were threatening him, and she crossed lines she never should have crossed. Now, determined to start fresh, she finds herself in search of a place to stay and wanders into a church to escape from the cold.

Pastor Drew Douglas adored his wife. But when he lost her, it was all he could do to focus on his two beautiful kids, and his flock came in a distant third. Now, as he too is thinking about a fresh start, he walks through his sanctuary and finds Shay sitting in a pew.

The pair strike up a friendship—Drew helps Shay get back on her feet, and she reignites his sense of purpose—that, over time, turns into something deeper, something soulful, spiritual, and possibly romantic. Even Drew’s two children are taken with this woman who has brought light back into their lives. Perhaps most important, Shay learns to trust again as she, in turn, proves herself trustworthy to her adopted community.

But Caden’s return to town and a disastrous secret threaten to undo the life Shay has tried so hard to rebuild. It will take the utmost courage and faith if she and Drew hope to find healing and open their hearts to a brighter future.–goodreads

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book reminded me of all the reasons that I look forward to Debbie Macomber novels. The friendships formed during the course of the book were wonderful and the romance was sweet and charming.

This author has always been good at making unlikely love matches work and this book is no exception. I really liked the characters here, both the main characters and the supporting cast. Shay had quite a history and from the beginning, she touched my heart and I wanted to see here settle down and succeed. Drew was lovable right away and the descriptions of his children made me feel like they were family.

I like books where there is a point to the love story and the characters have to work to overcome obstacles and that’s what happens here. The hurdles they face are things that any one of us could be up against and that makes the book more authentic. Regular people with pasts and current concerns make Debbie’s romances close to the heart. This was a heartstring-tugging book.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

It was Always You

It Was Always You by Georgie Capron
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book will give you all the feels. I laughed and fell in love and cried and wished I could be seeing the sights that the main characters saw during her time in Italy. You want to eat before you read this because it will also make you hungry if you don’t.

I liked the main character, Libby, from the beginning. She starts out the book mostly carefree as she takes a final trip for herself before embarking on a serious career. I liked the way the author used such beautiful descriptions to enhance the reader’s experience and make it feel like you were right there alongside her characters. I also thought she did a stellar job of showing how we can get our hearts involved in a relationship without letting our brains control us, even when we should know better.

As the book progressed, I felt even closer to the main character as her future goals were basically the same as mine. I loved the emerging relationship that the author describes in the second half of the book and couldn’t wait to see where things led. If you are looking for a novel that you can throw your heart into, this would be a good one to choose.

With many different themes in this novel, including betrayal, forgiveness, family, friendships, new beginnings and more, there is sure to be something in these pages to satisfy anyone. I loved this novel.

I’m looking forward to further books from this talented author.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

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the Tannenbaum Tailors and the Brethren of the Saints by JB Michaels

The Tannenbaum Tailors and the Brethren of the Saints by J.B. Michaels

Thrills and mayhem run rampant in the continuing saga of suspense, sacrifice, and the spirit of Christmas.

The Spiritless are angry with Captain Brendan for making them think they’d stolen the Secret Snowball, and they get their revenge by attacking the Christmas tree of a human boy named Jack with termites. And another very special tree is in danger…

The Spiritless trap Brendan and the other Tailors and entice Jack to tell his parents all about the Tailors. But doing so would ruin the magic of Christmas!

The Tailors swoop in at the last moment, preventing Jack from spilling the beans, and send the Spiritless packing. For over a year, Brendan searches for the Spiritless leader—to no avail. He’s arrested and imprisoned for telling a human about the Tailors, so the Spiritless are able to continue in their diabolical plan.

Can the Tailors save the Home Tree—and Christmas?–Goodreads

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

After reading the first book in this series, I was excited to see that the author had written another. Whilst the first in the series set the pace for future stories, this one really took off with new characters and an exciting adventure that children and adults alike are sure to love. From the beginning of this story interesting events unfold and continue to keep the characters rushing to solve the mysteries until the very last page.

There are a lot of things about these books that make me happy, but it is always the creativity of the author–the Christmas related gadgets and gizmos that I love the most. Full of fresh and original ideas, these books light up the imagination. I can just see those tiny little elves zipping around the Christmas trees performing their unique tasks to ensure that kids everywhere have the holiday they deserve. The imagery alone is worth the read.

I like it when I can see a series grow from humble beginnings and this one is doing just that. This book is packed with a sense of adventure and exuberance and leaves you wanting more when it is finished. The characters are cute and will definitely keep the attention of a child, but they also have a way of working themselves into your heart. This book is charming, has a good overall message about the spirit of giving and reminds you why Christmas is such a joyous time.

The only thing I can see that might be a small negative, is that there isn’t much of a back story in the beginning, so if you haven’t read the first book, you might find yourself a bit lost when you start this one. Otherwise, I thought this was delightful and am happy to recommend it to others. A perfect read for Christmas Eve, settled beside the fireplace with the stockings hung–or any other time of year that you want to entertain the kids.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the author, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Leave the Night on

Leave The Night On by Laura Trentham

Love, betrayal, and sweet revenge–life in Cottonbloom is about to get a whole lot hotter . . .

Sutton Mize is known for lavishing attention on the customers who flock to her boutique on the wealthy side of her Mississippi town. So when she finds a lace thong in her fiance’s classic cherry-red Camaro, she knows just who she sold it to: her own best friend. In an instant, Sutton’s whole world goes up in flames. . .

Wyatt Abbott has harbored a crush on Sutton since he was a young kid from the other side of the tracks. He witnessed Sutton’s shocking discovery in the Camaro at his family-owned garage–and it made him angry. What kind of man could take lovely, gorgeous Sutton for granted? But then Sutton comes up with an idea: Why not give her betrothed a taste of his own medicine and pretend that she’s got a lover of her own? Wyatt is more than happy to play the hot-and-heavy boyfriend. But what begins as a fictional affair soon develops into something more real, and more passionate, than either Sutton or Wyatt could have imagined. Could it be that true love has been waiting under the hood all along?–Goodreads

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Such a great book! It is no secret that I have issues with a lot of romance novels because I feel like they aren’t really going anywhere or because I feel like they have all been done before, but this one I loved.

The romance between Sutton and Wyatt was electric from the beginning and the other elements of the story that included his family and her relationship with her best friend made this one worth reading. In fact, I read it nearly in one sitting, not wanting to put it down to get back to real life.

I love the kind of romance that starts out as a slow sizzle and builds and builds, taking the reader along for the ride and this novel does that perfectly. I didn’t feel the sex scenes were added as an afterthought, they were perfect for the book and matched the personalities of the characters. I was rooting for their love affair from the very beginning and was satisfied with the way things worked out for everyone involved in the story.

The author is great at dialogue and the characters felt very real. I like the way she expressed their emotions through their actions as well as through their thoughts. Reading this book made me forget about everything else for a while. That’s how I measure a good novel. I was sad when it was finished because I wanted more.

A small town. well–two I guess, actually, and characters that will touch your heart. Definitely recommended for those who love romance.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

The Cotswolds Cookery Club

The Cotswolds Cookery Club – Italy by Alice Ross

…where the ingredients to happiness are found.

Connie has had enough. Enough of the city, enough of her job – and most importantly, enough of her cheating husband! So, when her best friend jets off to sunny Australia and calls on Connie to house and dog-sit, the timing couldn’t be more perfect.

When Connie arrives at the gorgeous Cotswolds getaway, she can’t resist opening the doors to the town, offering up cooking lessons – and a lot of wine! Cue the three – very different – women who respond to Connie’s cookery club advert. But it’s soon clear they will need more than a glass of wine to overcome their problems…

Can Connie conjure up the right ingredients to help her new friends? And with two gorgeous men thrown in the mix, Connie may have just ended up with a recipe for disaster!-Goodreads

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really liked this book. It was cute and charming and made me happy, but it will also make you hungry, so make sure you stock up on snacks before you start reading. You don’t want empty cupboard syndrome when you get into this one.

Whilst I enjoyed the characters in this book and got a big kick out of Connie and her internal thoughts, I did question why the fling she has in the book seemed to take precedence in the story over the potentially longer lasting and more important relationship between her and Max. Liam was more of a side fling and yet, he got more screen time, as it were, than Max did. I wanted to see more than a date between Connie and Max and know what happened with them, but the book had a rather abrupt ending.

Otherwise, I thought this was a lot of fun. It was comical and sweet and spicy enough to satisfy those looking for a steamy scene or two. The descriptions of food in the book were excellent and made me want to move to the Cotswolds and join the cookery club.

This book was light and fun and I recommend it to those looking for a good summer read.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

The Light in Summer

The Light In Summer by Mary McNear

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Mary McNear brings you home to Butternut Lake and a novel filled with irresistible characters who you will want to call your friends.

It’s summertime on Butternut Lake, where the heat of noon is soothed by the cool breezes of the evening, where the pace grows slower, and sometimes, just sometimes, the summer light makes everything clearer…

For the lovely Billy Harper, Butternut Lake is the place she feels most at home, even though lately she feels the only one listening to her is Murphy…her faithful Labrador Retriever. Her teenage son, Luke, has gone from precious to precocious practically overnight. Her friends are wrapped up in their own lives, and Luke’s father, Wesley, disappeared before his son was even born. No wonder she prefers to spend time with a good book, especially ones where everything ends in perfection.

But Billy is about to learn that anything is possible during the heady days of summer. Coming to terms with her past—the death of her father, the arrival of Cal Cooper, a complicated man with a definite interest in Billy, even the return of Wesley, will force her to have a little bit of faith in herself and others…and realize that happiness doesn’t always mean perfection.

“Butternut Lake is so beautifully rendered, you’ll wish it was real.”—Susan Wiggs, #1 New York Times bestselling author  

“This triumphant story had me reading until the wee hours of the morning.”—#1 New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber on The Space Between Sisters.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I thought this was a good book. I particularly liked the descriptions of the relationship between the main character and her son. The author did an excellent job of representing the awkward relationship between a mother and her teenage son.

As for the romance, I thought it was perfect. It wasn’t so far fetched that it was impossible to believe. The characters not only seemed realistic, but had real word problems to deal with outside of their emerging relationship with one another. This novel has the perfect amount of sensuality without pushing the line into disgusting territory. I loved the way the author handled the attraction between her characters and I found myself rooting for both of them.

I love it when you can read a book and feel good about all of the characters. I liked everyone in this book equally and even now, after it has been a while since I finished it, I still think of them as if they were real people. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys beautiful scenery, family and good friends. I loved it. The Jane Austen references made it even better.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher, in exchange for an honest review.

Hum if You don’t Know the Words

Hum If You Don’t Know the Words by Bianca Marais

Perfect for readers of The Secret Life of Bees and The Help, a perceptive and searing look at Apartheid-era South Africa, told through one unique family brought together by tragedy.

Life under Apartheid has created a secure future for Robin Conrad, a nine-year-old white girl living with her parents in 1970s Johannesburg. In the same nation but worlds apart, Beauty Mbali, a Xhosa woman in a rural village in the Bantu homeland of the Transkei, struggles to raise her children alone after her husband’s death. Both lives have been built upon the division of race, and their meeting should never have occurred . . . until the Soweto Uprising, in which a protest by black students ignites racial conflict, alters the fault lines on which their society is built, and shatters their worlds when Robin’s parents are left dead and Beauty’s daughter goes missing.

After Robin is sent to live with her loving but irresponsible aunt, Beauty is hired to care for Robin while continuing the search for her daughter. In Beauty, Robin finds the security and family that she craves, and the two forge an inextricable bond through their deep personal losses. But Robin knows that if Beauty finds her daughter, Robin could lose her new caretaker forever, so she makes a desperate decision with devastating consequences. Her quest to make amends and find redemption is a journey of self-discovery in which she learns the harsh truths of the society that once promised her protection.

Told through Beauty and Robin’s alternating perspectives, the interwoven narratives create a rich and complex tapestry of the emotions and tensions at the heart of Apartheid-era South Africa. Hum if You Don’t Know the Words is a beautifully rendered look at loss, racism, and the creation of family.–Goodreads

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

While this book is based on tragic events, the author did a good job of making it beautiful, too. The novel has more than one main story line to follow, although one is focused on more than the other. If you are familiar with any of the events that this book is centered around in South Africa, then you will probably go into this knowing that some parts of it will be difficult to read. That said, this is an engaging, interesting book with a lot to recommend it.

I felt horrible for what the characters had to go through, but the author was also good at helping the reader retain hope that something might change for them in the future. This book prompted me to learn more about the actual events the book mentions and I found there was a lot that I didn’t know. It’s great when a fiction novel can be so realistic that it makes you feel things on the deepest level, and this book certainly did that for me.

Emotionally moving and thought provoking, this is a book that will stay with you once you finish reading it. I believe this is the kind of book that you will want others to read and would be a great choice to share with reading groups and book clubs. You won’t run out of things to discuss once you finish reading this.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

The Little Cottage in the Country

The Little Cottage in the Country by Lottie Phillips

Escape to the country!

Anna Compton thought that moving to the countryside, leaving London and her past firmly behind her was the perfect solution. Goodbye life of thirty-something, crazed single mum of two, hello country glamour queen, domestic goddess and yummy-mummy extraordinaire.

But her new life at Primrose Cottage isn’t quite what she expected! Very soon she’s chasing pork pies down hills, disguising her shop-bought cakes at the school bake sale – and trying to resist oh-so-handsome Horatio Spencerville, who just so happens to be the Lord of the Manor…

Could moving to the country be the biggest mistake she’s ever made?

A delightfully uplifting romantic comedy to get you in the mood for summer! Perfect for fans of Christie Barlow, Holly Martin and Tilly Tennant.

-from goodreads

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book started out a bit on the slow side in my opinion and I wasn’t sure what to think at first, but soon it picks up and the comedy ensues as the main character, her children and her friend try to adjust to life in the country.

I liked the boisterous characters in this book because you never really knew what to expect with them next. The main character’s internal thoughts are good for a laugh and a head nod of agreement. I think any woman that has children will be able to easily relate to the struggles depicted in this book. The romance is creative and fun and the side characters really bring the story to life.

If you are looking for a book that has a setting you can really get into where you can use your five senses to explore the worldview of the characters, this is a good book to choose.

Recommended for those who like their romances to be fun and lighthearted.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Free on Amazon – Brute by Eve Adams

Free romance novel Saturday and Sunday

Julian Froment's Blog

Eve Adams first full length Romance novel is available free on Amazon Saturday 1st July and Sunday 2nd July. This is the first book in the ‘Pine Point’ series. Also available in paperback.

Description:

“Brute,” by Eve Adams is the first steamy romance novel in the “Pine Point” series.

Welcome to Pine Point, North Carolina, where the summers aren’t the only thing that are too hot to handle.

Heathe Campbell is a sexy, hardworking mountain man. Good with his hands, bad with his manners—at least in the beginning.

Bianca Stone is a big city girl from Los Angeles, with a quick tongue and a no-nonsense attitude.

When she comes to Pine Point to help her very pregnant sister get ready for the baby’s arrival, she will get more than she bargained for. Surely this thing she has for Heathe is just a passing attraction, they’re like night and day. How…

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That Crazy Perfect Someday

That Crazy Perfect Someday by Michael Mazza

The year is 2024. Climate change has altered the world’s wave patterns. Drones crisscross the sky, cars drive themselves, and surfing is a new Olympic sport. Mafuri Long, UCSD marine biology grad, champion surfer, and only female to dominate a record eighty-foot wave, still has something to prove. Having achieved Internet fame, along with sponsorship from Google and Nike, she’s intent on winning Olympic gold. But when her father, a clinically depressed former Navy captain and widower, learns that his beloved supercarrier, the USS Hillary Rodham Clinton, is to be sunk, he draws Mafuri into a powerful undertow. Conflicts compound as Mafuri’s personal life comes undone via social media, and a vicious Aussie competitor levels bogus doping charges against her. Mafuri forms an unlikely friendship with an awkward teen, a Ferrari-driving professional gamer who will prove to be her support and ballast. Authentic, brutal, and at times funny, Mafuri lays it all out in a sprightly, hot-wired voice. From San Diego to Sydney, Key West, and Manila, That Crazy Perfect Someday goes beyond the sports/surf cliché to explore the depths of sorrow and hope, yearning and family bonds, and the bootstrap power of a bold young woman climbing back into the light.

Michael Mazza is a San Francisco-area fiction writer whose stories have appeared in Other Voices, WORDS, Blue Mesa Review, TINGE, and ZYZZYVA. He is also an internationally acclaimed art and creative director working in the advertising industry. That Crazy Perfect Someday is his first novel.–from goodreads

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I’m usually not much for books that are set in the future, but this one was different. First of all, it was believable and there wasn’t a tremendous amount of boring tech descriptions so that worked for me and second, I loved the big wave surfing descriptions.

The characters in this novel are unique and kept me interested throughout the story, particularly what was going on with the main character’s father. I liked the plot and pacing of this story and thought the author did a really good job of coming up with interesting new ideas. This book made me wonder what’s in the future and if things will be like he described them–thought provoking.

The way he combined the future and the past as well as the way the characters reacted to the situations they found themselves in made this an exciting read from the first page to the last. You should give this book a try, it was worth the time to read. What I liked most, was the level of creativity the author used. This book makes you dream.

This review based on a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

The Child by Fiona Barton

The Child by Fiona Barton

As an old house is demolished in a gentrifying section of London, a workman discovers a tiny skeleton, buried for years. For journalist Kate Waters, it’s a story that deserves attention. She cobbles together a piece for her newspaper, but at a loss for answers, she can only pose a question: Who is the Building Site Baby?

As Kate investigates, she unearths connections to a crime that rocked the city decades earlier: A newborn baby was stolen from the maternity ward in a local hospital and was never found. Her heartbroken parents were left devastated by the loss.

But there is more to the story, and Kate is drawn—house by house—into the pasts of the people who once lived in this neighborhood that has given up its greatest mystery. And she soon finds herself the keeper of unexpected secrets that erupt in the lives of three women—and torn between what she can and cannot tell…–goodreads

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a phenomenal book if you enjoy mysteries. I love it when I can’t figure out the mystery in a book until the very end, and this is like that. Throughout reading this I guessed a lot, was wrong quite often on what I thought was going on, and then was satisfied at the ending when I found out there was even more to it than I had originally thought. So…it’s a great book.

Right away when you begin reading this, you know that there is something strange going on, but it isn’t immediately clear what is at the heart of it all. I liked the way the author combined many different story lines to create a complex book with a lot going on in it. Her characters are strong and memorable and the past meets with the present in just the right way to make the book work.

Fiona Barton takes a strong plot and makes it that much stronger by using well-designed characters and a descriptive setting that makes it easy to imagine being there, right alongside the action. The relationships she creates are believable and last in the memory of the reader long after the last page has been read.

Highly recommended for those who love mysteries.

This review is based on a complementary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

The Suffering Tree

The Suffering Tree by Elle Cosimano

“It’s dark magic brings him back.”

Tori Burns and her family left D.C. for claustrophobic Chaptico, Maryland, after suddenly inheriting a house under mysterious circumstances. That inheritance puts her at odds with the entire town, especially Jesse Slaughter and his family—it’s their generations-old land the Burns have “stolen.” But none of that seems to matter after Tori witnesses a young man claw his way out of a grave under the gnarled oak in her new backyard.

Nathaniel Bishop may not understand what brought him back, but it’s clear to Tori that he hates the Slaughters for what they did to him centuries ago. Wary yet drawn to him by a shared sense of loss, she gives him shelter. But in the wake of his arrival comes a string of troubling events—including the disappearance of Jesse Slaughter’s cousin—that seem to point back to Nathaniel.

As Tori digs for the truth—and slowly begins to fall for Nathaniel—she uncovers something much darker in the tangled branches of the Slaughter family tree. In order to break the centuries-old curse that binds Nathaniel there and discover the true nature of her inheritance, Tori must unravel the Slaughter family’s oldest and most guarded secrets. But the Slaughters want to keep them buried… at any cost.

From award-winning author Elle Cosimano comes a haunting, atmospheric thriller perfect to hand to readers of the Mara Dyer trilogy and Bone Gap.–Goodreads

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I realise that a lot of people have taken issue with this book for the graphic descriptions of self harm involved in the story, and I can understand why to some extent. Still, this is a fictional book, and that is what I’m keeping in mind when writing this review. I did not judge fiction books on their ability to make people so things they ordinarily would not do. If a fictional character can fly after jumping off a ten story building, I’m not going to try it just because I read about it. I thought this was a very well-written, unique and wonderful story and that is why it earned five stars in my opinion.

If you like YA books that have outstanding and memorable characters, this is one that you want to get your hands on. From the very first few pages this book hooked me into the story and refused to let go. I found myself walking around with my kindle because I didn’t want to put it down to do menial life tasks without reading the next paragraph.

I liked Tori right away and found her family’s situation interesting. The chapters often began with things that happened in the past and that was just as interesting as the current story. Although Emmeline was not a character in the present portion of the book, she was integral to the plot and I liked her character a lot as well. There were a lot of surprises and unexpected events in this book and it thrilled me to uncover them a page at a time.

This book has stayed with me since I finished reading it a few weeks ago, and I would happily recommend it to those that like a bit of magic and mystery with their historical YA. The romance was sweet and the ending was great.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

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Reported Missing by Sarah Wray

Reported Missing by Sarah Wray

Four months ago, Rebecca Pendle’s husband disappeared. So did 14-year-old Kayleigh Jackson.

Just a coincidence? Rebecca wants to believe so… But as the police start to draw parallels between Chris and Kayleigh, it’s getting harder for her to trust his innocence.

Faced with an angry town that believes Chris has abducted the teenager, Rebecca tries to discover the truth.

But what she finds shocks her more than she ever thought. How well does she really know the man she loves?

A completely gripping, suspenseful thriller, with a shocking twist. Fans of Louise Jensen, K.L Slater and and The Girl on the Train will be hooked until the very last page. –goodreads

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I thought this book had a really interesting premise, but I was never sure that it lived up to the potential of the idea.

Whilst I didn’t expect the tone of this book to be light and happy based on the subject matter, I wasn’t prepared for it to be as dark and gloomy as it was. The main character wasn’t the type that I felt close to throughout the story, and I felt like the author took this too slow. I kept wanting something major to happen that would keep me hooked and turning pages, but it never happened. Even when the truth was revealed toward the end, I kind of just shrugged. It felt like effort to get there, so it wasn’t all that enjoyable.

This wasn’t a bad book, but I certainly wouldn’t say it was one of the better psychological thrillers that I’ve read, either. The story moved from one event to another, but without much excitement and at a relatively slow pace. Perhaps if I could have felt more connected to the main character I would have enjoyed it more. I was hoping for a better turnout at the ending, perhaps a surprise that I didn’t see coming, but that didn’t happen either.

It is a thought provoking book, but one that I wouldn’t read again.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

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The Spring Cleaning Murders

The Spring Cleaning Murders by Dorothy Cannell

Ellie Haskell swaps scrubbing for sleuthing when yet another member of the Chitterton Fells Charwomen’s Association bites the dust. Someone has more than dust bunnies and dirty dishes to hide. Ellie is helped by handsome husband Bentley, feckless cousin Freddy, and caustic home helper Mrs Malloy.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the first of these books that I have had the pleasure of reading, and I found it to be delightful. If you are a lover of cosy mystery as I am, then you will undoubtedly get a kick out of this novel. The author is witty and her characters are both believable and charming. I really like Mrs. Malloy in particular, she has a certain way about her that makes her rather difficult to forget.

The mysteries in this book pile up just as quick as the body count and I loved that the main character didn’t spend her time freaking out over every little thing, but kept her head about her throughout most of the book. There weren’t a lot of ridiculous situations that forced me to suspend belief, so I was able to read right along, satisfied without stopping to roll my eyes as I do with a lot of mystery books.

The family atmosphere and the descriptions of the twins and their antics made me happy, having twins of my own I could relate. I didn’t guess the culprit until they were revealed either, which made me happy.

This book was a lot of fun and I look forward to catching up on this series. Recommended for mystery lovers.

This review is based on a complementary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

The Curious Affair of the Somnambulist and the Psychic Thief

The Curious Affair of the Somnambulist & the Psychic Thief by Lisa Tuttle

Should you find yourself in need of a discreet investigation into any sort of mystery, crime or puzzling circumstances, think of Jesperson and Lane . . .

Should you find yourself in need of a discreet investigation into any sort of mystery, crime or puzzling circumstances, think of Jesperson and Lane . . .

For several years Miss Lane was companion, amanuensis, collaborator and friend to the lady known to the Psychical Societs only as Miss X – until she discovered that Miss X was actually a fraud.

Now she works with Mr Jasper Jesperson as a consulting detective, but the cases are not as plentiful as they might be and money is getting tight – until a case that reaches across the entirety of London lands in their laps.

It concerns a somnambulist, the disappearance of several mediums, and a cat stuck up a tree . . . the links with the cat are negligible, but there is only one team that can investigate the seemingly supernatural disappearances of the psychics and defy the nefarious purpose behind them.

Jesperson and Lane, at your service.

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I love books set in the age of spiritualism and this novel was perfect to satisfy that kind of reader craving. The plot works with an interesting idea that the author took to the next level, providing the reader with a richly detailed atmosphere and a story that won’t let go of you once it grabs your attention. If you like literature set in Victorian times, this will be one that you don’t want to miss.

This book takes you on a perilous journey, slowly building up the mystery with the introduction of new characters and impossible to figure out situations. I liked that the author took the time to create a good, solid background for her characters before she set out to solve the mystery. I felt like these characters were old friends and there is a certain sly humour to her work that keeps you smiling even at the most intense points in the novel.

Overall, this was a great book that kept me fascinated from the first page to the last and I look forward to hearing the thoughts and opinions of others who have read it. Definitely recommended for the amateur sleuths out there.

This review is based on a complementary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

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Toward a Secret Sky

Toward a Secret Sky by Heather Maclean

Shortly after 17-year-old Maren Hamilton is orphaned and sent to live with grandparents she’s never met in Scotland, she receives an encrypted journal from her dead mother that makes her and everyone around her a target. It confirms that her parents were employed by a secret, international organization that’s now intent on recruiting her. As Maren works to unravel the clues left behind by her mother, a murderous madness sweeps through the local population, terrorizing her small town. Maren must decide if she’ll continue her parents’ fight or stay behind to save her friends.

With the help of Gavin, an otherworldly mercenary she’s not supposed to fall in love with, and Graham, a charming aristocrat who is entranced with her, Maren races against the clock and around the country from palatial estates with twisted labyrinths to famous cathedrals with booby-trapped subterranean crypts to stay ahead of the enemy and find a cure. Along the way, she discovers the great truth of love: that laying down your life for another isn’t as hard as watching them sacrifice everything for you.–Goodreads

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was pleasantly surprised by what a great book with an intriguing story line this turned out to be. Sometimes I pick up a YA novel and just struggle the whole time to connect to the characters and get into it, but this one was different. I liked Maren, the main character right away and feeling close to her led me to enjoy the rest of the book. There is a bit of a Twilight feel to this–especially when one considers how Maren feels during the absence of her love interest, but it was different enough that it didn’t feel like a copy.

There is plenty of action in this novel to keep you going and the romance is sweet, but not overdone–as in it doesn’t take centre focus on every page of the book. I liked the way the author portrayed the secondary characters as well. No one felt like useless padding and everyone served a clearly defines purpose within the story.

I am looking forward to seeing where she goes with this series, and to reading the next book. If you want a book that will keep you busy for hours and make you feel things–this is a good one to choose. The descriptions were lovely, the story was exciting and the ending made me want more.

This review is based on a complementary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Two Nights by Kathy Reichs

Two Nights by Kathy Reichs

#1 New York Times bestselling author Kathy Reichs steps beyond her classic Temperance Brennan series in a new standalone thriller featuring a smart, tough, talented heroine whose thirst for justice stems from her own dark past.

Meet Sunday Night, a woman with physical and psychological scars, and a killer instinct. . . .

Sunnie has spent years running from her past, burying secrets and building a life in which she needs no one and feels nothing. But a girl has gone missing, lost in the chaos of a bomb explosion, and the family needs Sunnie’s help.

Is the girl dead? Did someone take her? If she is out there, why doesn’t she want to be found? It’s time for Sunnie to face her own demons because they just might lead her to the truth about what really happened all those years ago.–Goodreads

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I usually love Kathy Reichs, but I have to be honest, this book just didn’t give me the same thrill as her others. Perhaps it was the dry way it was written, being mostly dialogue based, or maybe it was the characters themselves, but either way, this is certainly not what I have come to expect from this author.

The plot is interesting, but I felt like this book just didn’t hit the mark. I wanted to like it and I stuck with it until the end, but even when I read the last page I still felt like it was missing something. There were entire sections of this book that I found my mind wandering away from and times when I switched to another book before coming back and reading more of it.

I had high hopes for this one, but it just wasn’t for me. I didn’t feel any connection to the main character, or the story itself.

This review is based on a complementary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

The Twilight Wife

The Twilight Wife by A.J. Banner

From bestselling author A.J. Banner comes a dazzling new novel of psychological suspense in the vein of S.J. Watson’s Before I Go to Sleep and Mary Kubica’s The Good Girl that questions just how much we can trust the people around us.

Thirty-four-year-old marine biologist Kyra Winthrop remembers nothing about the diving accident that left her with a complex form of memory loss. With only brief flashes of the last few years of her life, her world has narrowed to a few close friendships on the island where she lives with her devoted husband, Jacob.

But all is not what it seems. Kyra begins to have visions—or are they memories?—of a rocky marriage, broken promises, and cryptic relationships with the island residents, whom she believes to be her friends.

As Kyra races to uncover her past, the truth becomes a terrifying nightmare. A twisty, immersive thriller, The Twilight Wife will keep readers enthralled through the final, shocking twist.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is an interesting mystery with a few unexpected twists that will keep you turning pages long into the night.

The first couple of chapters in this book drew me in and I was hooked by the third. I liked the main character right away and wanted to know what was going on with her. After she began discovering that things weren’t as they seemed, my curiosity grew and the pages started flying by. This is a very exciting book from the beginning and only gets better as you get farther into it.

I love psychological suspense books that keep you guessing at what is really going on all the way to the end, and this one does that well. Even when you think you have it figured out, there is still something left to be revealed around every corner.

If you love the kind of books where you and the main character have to figure out the mystery together, this would be a good one to pick. Recommended.

This review is based on a complementary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Avery by Ken Kratz

And now, for some sour grapes and whining…

Avery: The Case Against Steven Avery and What “Making a Murderer” Gets Wrong by Ken Kratz
It’s time to set the record straight about Steven Avery.

The Netflix series Making a Murderer was a runaway hit, with over 19 million US viewers in the first 35 days. The series left many with the opinion that Steven Avery, a man falsely imprisoned for almost 20 years on a previous, unrelated assault charge, had been framed by a corrupt police force and district attorney’s office for the murder of a young photographer. Viewers were outraged, and hundreds of thousands demanded a pardon for Avery. The chief villain of the series? Ken Kratz, the special prosecutor who headed the investigation and trial. Kratz’s later misdeeds—prescription drug abuse and sexual harassment—only cemented belief in his corruption.

This book tells you what Making a Murderer didn’t.

While indignation at the injustice of his first imprisonment makes it tempting to believe in his innocence, Avery: The Case Against Steven Avery and What Making a Murderer Gets Wrong and the evidence shared inside—examined thoroughly and dispassionately—prove that, in this case, the criminal justice system worked just as it should.

With Avery, Ken Kratz puts doubts about Steven Avery’s guilt to rest. In this exclu- sive insider’s look into the controversial case, Kratz lets the evidence tell the story, sharing details and insights unknown to the public. He reveals the facts Making a Murderer conveniently left out and then candidly addresses the aftermath—openly discussing, for the first time, his own struggle with addiction that led him to lose everything.

Avery systematically erases the uncertainties introduced by the Netflix series, confirming, once and for all, that Steven Avery is guilty of the murder of Teresa Halbach.
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

It’s rather amusing that in the blurb for this book the word “indignation” is tossed out, considering what you find when you open the cover and read the contents.

When I first saw this book, I was intrigued by the idea that this might contain crucial details about the Steven Avery case that the Netflix show did not offer to viewers. Perhaps it does just that, but it is so buried in the mire of Ken Kratz trying to systematically take down “Making a Murderer” and defend his position (no pun intended) that one nearly forgets at times that this book is about Mr. Avery at all.

Whether you like him or don’t, believe him or not, this book, for me, seemed to be more about why the author should not be viewed as a criminal than the man at the heart of it all. I really can’t keep track of the number of eye rolls that came with the reading of this book.

I understand that there are various addictions out there that do not get the proper respect and attention, and I am certainly not trying to discount those, but, according to the blurb, this book was supposed to be about Stephen Avery and the evidence against him. I thought, after finishing it, that it was more about the author than anyone else.

Needless to say, I found it disappointing.

My opinion of this case has not been swayed either way by reading this, but my opinion of Ken Kratz has gone down another few points, for all the good it does.

This review is based on a complementary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Little One by Timothy G. Huguenin

Little One by Timothy G. Huguenin

Death is cold.

Kelsea Stone can’t remember her childhood, and frankly, she doesn’t really care. She’s doing fine on her own in L.A. without any family to tie her down. But when she finds out her estranged birth parents have died and left her their house in Canaan Valley, West Virginia, she discovers more than just an inheritance waiting for her in the mountains. An angry presence lingers there, and it won’t rest until it has had its revenge.–Goodreads

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I didn’t think this was a bad book, but perhaps it was a little more on the younger reader side than I would have imagined from reading the description. Some of the actions of the characters seemed a bit silly to me and at times the story felt a little clunky, like it was afraid to move forward.

The plot is interesting and I was looking forward to solving the mystery at the heart of the book, but then I would fall into a spot where the story seemed to bog down and wonder if I really had the desire to finish it or not. Eventually, I did make it all the way to the end, but it was not without a struggle to keep paying attention.

My honest opinion is that this is a talented author that has a great imagination, but could have benefited from giving this book further consideration and the use of good beta readers before releasing it. If you cut out the portions of this that slow the story down, it would have been great. The setting was interesting and the descriptions were good.

This review is based on a complementary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

the Idea of You by Amanda Prowse

The Idea of You by Amanda Prowse

With her fortieth birthday approaching, Lucy Carpenter thinks she finally has it all: a wonderful new husband, Jonah, a successful career and the chance of a precious baby of her own. Life couldn’t be more perfect.

But becoming parents proves much harder to achieve than Lucy and Jonah imagined, and when Jonah’s teenage daughter Camille comes to stay with them, she becomes a constant reminder of what Lucy doesn’t have. Jonah’s love and support are unquestioning, but Lucy’s struggles with work and her own failing dreams begin to take their toll. With Camille’s presence straining the bonds of Lucy’s marriage even further, Lucy suddenly feels herself close to losing everything…

This heart-wrenchingly poignant family drama from bestselling author Amanda Prowse asks the question: in today’s hectic world, what does it mean to be a mother?–Goodreads

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a well-written, highly emotional novel about family and second chances–perfect for a quiet afternoon to yourself.

If you enjoy reading books that mirror real life and include tough decisions for the main character, this one will do nicely. I liked a lot of things about this book. The way the author described the relationships and emotional upheaval of her characters made me feel very close to the story early on, and there was enough going on in the story to keep the pages moving quickly. The setting was described adequately but without the minutia that can slow a story down.

Lucy was someone that I could easily identify with, and I cared what happened to her right away. I thought the author did an excellent job of hinting at what had happened to her earlier in life without giving away the entire end of the book early on. I was especially enthralled with the relationship between Lucy and her stepdaughter, as it rang so true.

This was an entertaining book that kept me busy for an entire afternoon and I would happily recommend it to those who like serious novels. It made me cry–but in a good way.

This review is based on a complementary copy from the publisher, provided through netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Another You by Jane Cable

Another You by Jane Cable

Sometimes the hardest person to save is yourself…

Marie Johnson is trapped by her job as a chef in a Dorset pub and by her increasingly poisonous marriage to its landlord.

Worn down by his string of affairs she has no self-confidence, no self-respect and the only thing that keeps her going is watching her son, Jude, turn into a talented artist.

But the 60th anniversary of a D-Day exercise triggers chance meetings which prove unlikely catalysts for change.

First there’s Corbin, the American soldier who she runs into as she’s walking on the cliffs. He is charming and has a quaintness about him, calling her an ‘English rose’.

Then there’s George the war veteran, who comes to dine at the pub, and his son Mark. George fascinates Marie with his first-hand accounts of the war, whilst Mark proves helpful in making sense of the pub’s financial situation.

And there’s Paxton. Another American soldier with an uncanny resemblance to Corbin. Young, fit and very attractive, Marie finds him hard to resist. But little does she know Paxton is also battling some inner demons.

As the heat of the summer intensifies, so do the issues in Marie’s life.

Why is Corbin so elusive? Why is the pub struggling to make ends meet? Why has Jude suddenly become so withdrawn and unhappy?

Can she help Paxton open up and begin to deal with his pain?

Or will she be shackled to the pub and her increasingly spiteful husband forever?

But as events unfold, Marie finally realises that she is not trapped, but stuck, and that it is down to her to get her life moving again.

Perfectly blending the complexities of twenty-first century life with the dramatic history of World War Two, Another You is a charming tale that will warm your heart.

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I noticed with Jane Cable’s previous novel that she has a way with descriptions. Setting this book in Dorset, she did a beautiful job describing the area and creating the perfect atmosphere for a book that is part romance, part history and part–everything else. I wanted to be on that beach admiring Old Harry or in the pub awaiting a drink and a sandwich as I read this.

If you enjoy immersing yourself in emotional novels that are well-paced and have a lot to do with the study of a person’s life, this one will make you feel right at home. This is not a fast paced book, but it isn’t slow or boring either. Marie is a complex character with many different layers that are revealed throughout this novel and even without the addition of great secondary characters, she is enough to make you want to keep reading.

Jude became my favourite character in this novel early on, but there are many that are interesting and will keep you turning pages, wanting to know more about them. This book could have been based on any one of us and it is this feeling of reality and of being able to identify with situations and internal struggles of the characters that makes this such a heart-wrenching book.

I liked the different paths this novel took to get to an ending that is subjective to the beliefs of the reader. Jane Cable gave us enough information to appreciate things that were happening in the story, but not so much that we feel like we can’t use our imaginations just a little as well. I think everyone will walk away from this book with a little bit different opinion on what was really going on.

This is an emotional book, with themes of new love, loss and forgiveness included in the story. If you like literary novels, this would be a good one to choose.

This review is based on a complementary copy from the publisher, Provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Dead Seeping Shaman by Elizabeth Kane Buzzelli

Dead Sleeping Shaman by Elizabeth Kane Buzzelli

The End Timers, a cult-like group, have descended on part-time journalist and aspiring mystery author Emily Kincaid’s small Michigan town. With dire warnings that the end of the world is just two weeks away, the entire community has been disrupted by psychics, cult followers, believers and disbelievers alike. But when Emily’s latest job assignment leads her to an eerily motionless woman propped against a tree, she realizes that at least one person’s world has come to an end all too soon.

Emily soon learns that the victim, an eccentric psychic and leader of a shamanic healing group, harbored painful memories of the area and had mysterious ties to certain members of the cult. Turning to her friend Deputy Dolly Wakowski for help, she’s stunned to learn that Dolly has turned in her badge and joined the cult, leaving Emily to fear for her friend’s sanity and forcing her to try to solve the case on her own.

As the days tick away to the end of the world, Emily has to navigate her way through a crowd of true believers, a group of shamanic well-wishers, and a suspiciously secretive cult leader to rescue her friend and catch a killer—all the while dreading that these few precious days may be her last.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Elizabeth Kane Buzzelli is a rather rare jewel among writers. She can make you laugh, keep you interested and make you angry with a certain character all at the same time. It is these conflicting emotions that make me return to her writing time and again.

In this book, Emily literally stumbles upon the scene of a murder and once more, things are not as simple as they might first seem. I am always thrilled to see what she and Dolly do with the information they gather. I love the interaction between those two ladies, and for me, Dolly is always what makes the book.

There is more ex-husband drama to be had in this story, and it gave me a good reason to smile, watching the way Emily shuts him down. I liked the way the story flowed and thought the mystery was interesting and original.

I love the setting of these stories and the way the author describes the place that her main character lives as well as the surrounding areas. She makes great use of not only proper word choices, but of the seasons, the time of day, etc. for a full immersion reading experience.

This book kept me entertained for the better part of a day, with few breaks in between. If you like mysteries that think outside the box, this is perfect.

This review is based on a complementary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Somebody’s Baby-Donna Alward

Somebody’s Baby by Donna Alward

Number three [Somebody’s Baby] in Alward’s Darling, Vermont, series is a fantastic friends-to-lovers tale featuring a true-to-life wary-of-commitment couple.- – RT Bookreviews

Veterinarian Rory Gallagher chose a different path from his brothers, both of whom became first responders in the lovely little town of Darling, Vermont. Rory’s always had an affinity for animals–and the ladies. Known for his impressive track record in breaking hearts, Rory never meant to hurt anyone; he’s just never been in a hurry to settle down. It’s not as if he needs to pay a visit to the town’s famed Kissing Bridge to magically find love. He’ll know The One when he sees her. . .right?

Oaklee Ferguson is the kid sister of Rory’s best friend–and, even now that she’s all grown up, remains immune to the pet-doctor’s charms. When she shows up at Rory’s clinic late one night–devastated after hitting a stray dog with her car–Rory’s so-called -bedroom eyes- are the last thing on her mind. Still, his care and kindness toward the dog, and his concern for her feelings, catches Oaklee by surprise. . .and soon the two (and rescued dog makes three!) begin to share a deep connection that neither could have ever imagined. Could it be that love has been waiting for them by the bridge all along?

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What do you get when you put together two commitment phobic people and add a cute dog? A really good Donna Alward novel.

In the beginning of this novel, I really struggled to like Oaklee. She had been mentioned in the previous novel, but no one really got a good feel for her and in this book, she just struck me as such a spoiled brat. As the novel progressed, I came to understand more about her and gradually began to like her.

Rory I liked from the start. I have to say, I was fooled by the title of this book, thinking it might be further developments from the last involving Willow and Ethan, but I was glad the author went the way she did with this. Not only did we get more experience learning about Darling, but we also got to explore more members of the Gallagher family in depth. These books make you feel like you just came home again after being away for years.

This one didn’t have quite the same emotional effect on me that the last one did, but I still enjoyed it–the ending was a nice touch, especially.

If you are looking for a sweet, romantic read, this is a good book to choose.

This review is based on a complementary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Awwe Shucks:)

Someone to Love by Donna Alward

The latest offering in the Darling, Vermont series is an emotionally poignant, can’t-put-it-down, opposites-attract tearjerker. A true treasure from page one to the beautiful, touching ending. Alward’s witty dialogue drives this powerful tale, but it’s her little boy costars and her paradoxical, damaged hero and heroine that make hearts sing and rule every page of this sweet and steamy love story.- – RT Bookreviews Top Pick! on Someone to Love

SOME WISHES DO COME TRUE

Ethan Gallagher is a firefighter in Darling, Vermont, who followed tradition and pledged his love on the Kissing Bridge to ensure lifelong happiness. A few years later, he’s a widower with two rambunctious boys who no longer believes in magic. But even he has to admit that free-spirited Willow Dunaway fills him with wonder…and an attraction he cannot deny.

Willow’s come back to Darling a different girl than the one who left after high school. Overcoming her past and owning her own business has made her into a strong, independent woman. Single dad Ethan appeals to her in a way she didn’t expect, even though settling down is the last thing on her mind. But after fire destroys the local food bank, the town rallies, and a fling between Ethan and Willow leads to unintended consequences. Can they find a way out of their heartbreak to make a home in each other’s hearts?

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I haven’t been huge on romance novels for a while, fearing that they all tend to be the same story just recycled. That is, with a few exceptions, and Donna Alward’s books are a definitely an exception. This book made tough-hearted me cry at various points from the beginning to the end.

When I picked this book up, it didn’t take long at all for me to become absorbed in the story. Every once in a while, I find a main character that I wish was real so I could become friends with them, and that character in this case, was Willow. How cool is she? Into Yoga and Natural foods, friendly, caring and the kind of person you want to see succeed. Not only that, but she was just the right level of messed up to make a story like this work. I love imperfect characters. Plus, I want to visit the Purple Pig.

Ethan was also very well-written. I liked that he came off as a bit of a grumpy git in the beginning and then softened as time went on. If you are struggling to believe in true love, this might be the book that changes your mind. Darling is a lovey little town with a lot to offer the reader. After spending some time with these novels, you will probably wish you lived there, too. I know I did.

These books are amazing. Written with just enough steam to keep you interested, but not so much that they are offensive in any way. The love story is sweet but realistic and the descriptions of the town are wonderful. This was a great book. Recommended to all romance fans.

This review is based on a complementary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

The Missing Ones by Patricia Gibney

The Missing Ones by Patricia Gibney

The hole they dug was not deep. A white flour bag encased the little body. Three small faces watched from the window, eyes black with terror.

The child in the middle spoke without turning his head. ‘I wonder which one of us will be next?’

When a woman’s body is discovered in a cathedral and hours later a young man is found hanging from a tree outside his home, Detective Lottie Parker is called in to lead the investigation. Both bodies have the same distinctive tattoo clumsily inscribed on their legs. It’s clear the pair are connected, but how?

The trail leads Lottie to St Angela’s, a former children’s home, with a dark connection to her own family history. Suddenly the case just got personal.

As Lottie begins to link the current victims to unsolved murders decades old, two teenage boys go missing. She must close in on the killer before they strike again, but in doing so is she putting her own children in terrifying danger?

Lottie is about to come face to face with a twisted soul who has a very warped idea of justice.

Fans of Rachel Abbott, Karin Slaughter and Robert Dugoni will be gripped by this page-turning serial killer thriller, guaranteed to keep you reading late into the night.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I’m really not sure what to think about this book when it comes to recommending it. It was a great book, with excellent writing and a strong plot that never let me down, but it is also a rather graphic novel that included subjects that I try to avoid if possible–including sexual abuse. I think it takes a strong individual to read a novel with this kind of subject matter and not recoil a bit.

The crimes are interesting and the web of intrigue the author builds makes you want to keep turning pages to find out how things are connected and why they happened in the first place. There is a wide net of suspects and it is hard to guess the ending, particularly with the red herrings the author tosses into the mix. I liked the descriptions of the setting and the way the weather and time of year played into the story.

For the first book in a new series, this was complex, engaging and exciting and made me want to read the next book before I even finished this one, but, as mentioned above, there is some tough subject matter in this novel, and it may not be for everyone.

Overall, I thought this was an excellent book and really enjoyed the voice of this author.

This review is based on a complementary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

 

Belle Grove by Katherine Winfield

Belle Grove by Katherine Winfield

The Eastern Shore fishing town of Corsica, Maryland is about to be shaken again from its idyllic way of life.

 

Julie Seevers, owner of a local herb shop, is spending too much time on her business and her marriage begins to suffer from neglect. Julie’s summer assistant, Tabs Tucker, a misanthropic teen, is on a quest to find her father. And Julie’s best friend, Libby Langston, who is looking for something to ignite the languor of the hot summer, decides to help Tabs in her quest.

 

But when Sonia Barnes, a newcomer to town, enters the shop they soon discover they are on a twisted path of betrayal, lies, clairvoyance, and even murder.

 

Haverford House, the first in the Corsica Series, earned a five-star review from Clarion/Foreword Reviews and was a finalist in the INDIEFAB Book of the Year Award.

 

Belle Grove continues the journey by weaving rich and unique characters through a mysterious plot set against the mystically beautiful backdrop of the Eastern Shore.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

“Belle Grove,” is one of those stories that pulls you in early and charms you enough that you know you will not rest until the last page has been read. From the characters to the descriptions of the beautiful East coast, there are so many things to love about this novel.

I am always happy when a longer novel is longer for a reason and is not filled with pointless exposition and fluff. This book takes full advantage of the length, offering the reader characters that they have time to get to know and a rich, atmospheric setting that makes you feel as if you are right there in the middle of the action. I loved the herb shop and the various other locations the author used as a backdrop for her story.

One of the things that made me love this book so much was the understated magic. Instead of being in your face from the first page, the author slowly weaves magical realism into her story, making it feel very natural and not hitting the reader over the head with it. Each of the characters are memorable in their own way, but there are definitely favourites that stand out early in the story.

If you are looking for something to read that will take you away from daily life and transport you somewhere else, “Belle Grove,” might be just the book you have been looking for.

This review is based on a complementary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Serpentine by Thomas Thompson

Serpentine by Thomas Thompson

With compelling style and suspense this true-crime book reconstructs the bizarre, bloody journey of a mesmerizing but sinister young man named Charles Sobhraj. Sweeping back and forth over half the globe — from the boulevards of Paris to the slopes of Mount Everest to the underbellies of Bangkok and Hong Kong — Sobhraj left in his wake a trail of baffling mystery and inexplicable horror. He also led the police of a dozen nations on a chase that ended at least twelve and possibly twenty-four corpses later with a mere seven-year prison sentence in Delhi. Besides offering a riveting narrative of serial murder and a years-long manhunt, this singular volume examines the lives not only of the intelligent, charismatic, conscienceless, and thoroughly dangerous Sobhraj but also of the unsuspecting victims that he drugged, robbed, sometimes tortured, and without a qualm often killed. A chilling tale of deadly coincidences set in exotic, glamorous locales, Serpentine offers a reading experience as frightening as it is unforgettable.

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Whilst the story of Charles Sobhraj is an interesting one, this book could have benefited from being shorter, in my opinion. The author did a excellent job of researching and fact collecting, but the book was so bogged down by minutia that at times, it became boring and the flow of the story was lost on me.

Even so, if you can wade through the many details, you will likely find this book very interesting. The early life of serial killer Charles Sobhraj was recounted in such a manner that you can get a clear and concise portrait of his mental struggles, including his co-dependent relationship with his mother and his fiery temper, often fueled by the fair-weather relationship with his biological father.

As the book progresses and Charles ages, it becomes clear that he has a very elastic sense of right and wrong and that he lives his life as he chooses, with only his own satisfaction in mind. His moral sense is absolutely misguided and the author makes this perfectly clear.

If you are looking for a true crime book that will make you stop and think about nature Vs. nurture, this is a good one to choose. Overall, I thought it was very entertaining.

This review is based on a complementary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Those Who Lie by Diane Jeffrey

Those Who Lie by Diane Jeffrey

Emily Klein doesn’t know she has killed her husband until the day of his funeral.
At first, signs point to a tragic accident. Yet, as Emily pieces together the events before his death – events which led to her own memory loss – she begins to suspect that her husband’s death may have been the result of more than a terrible twist of fate…

But the accident is only the beginning. Because while Emily’s physical scars will heal, the trauma of the accident has awakened old ghosts. She hears strange sounds, catches things that can’t possibly be there in the corner of her eye. Before long, everywhere she looks, she seems to see her husband.

And suddenly, Emily finds herself asking the most dangerous question of all.

Can she really trust herself?

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I thought this was a decent book, but it didn’t grab me from the very beginning and refuse to let go. It was more like it was evenly paced and I didn’t want to set it down and forget about it, but wasn’t overly, ferociously determined to get to the end either. It was good, and definitely intriguing, but I felt there were some areas, such as how the MC felt about her husband’s death that could have been explored in more depth before the end of the novel.

Still, this book has a lot going for it and a lot to recommend it. Even when I was half way or so through the book, I never really knew who I could trust. Even the main character seemed to be on shaky ground and that made it far more interesting. I liked her personality and the way she presented herself when there was trouble happening all around her. Emily is a strong female character with a lot of determination to survive and find answers to both her murky past and her present situation.

The secondary characters were also interesting and made the book worth reading. This novel has a twisty plot that will keep you reading, and keep you questioning what you think is really going on. Overall, it was a pleasure to read.

This review is based on a complementary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Expecting to Die by Lisa Jackson

Expecting to Die by Lisa Jackson

The menacing woods of Grizzly Falls, Montana, are not for the faint of heart. But for some, they’re the perfect setting for partying and pranks. They don’t know there’s a rapt audience amid the tangled trees, a killer with a different kind of game in mind, for whom the woods are dark and deep and perfectly deadly.

Some places earn their bad reputation through tall tales or chance. Grizzly Falls is different. Here, killers aren’t just the stuff of legends and campfire lore. Someone is in the night-time shadows, watching the local teens play around in the moonlit woods. Waiting for the right moment, the right victim. Waiting to take away a life.

Detective Regan Pescoli is counting the days until her maternity leave. Exhausted and emotional, the last thing she needs is another suspected serial killer. Especially when her daughter, Bianca, is swept up in the media storm. When a reality show arrives in town, the chaos only makes it harder for Pescoli and her partner, Selena Alvarez, to distinguish rumor from truth.

Another body is found and another. And as the nightmare strikes closer to home, Pescoli races to find the terror lingering in the darkness, where there are too many places to hide and countless places to die.

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I love series that are set in small towns and Grizzly Falls is one of those places where you come to feel like you know everyone there and could easily navigate the streets if you came to visit. It’s also the perfect setting for a book where a killer need a place to hide–with the forest and mountains and location out of the way of the modern world surroundings. The author takes full advantage of that and thrills her readers from beginning to end with “Expecting to Die.”

I’ve always had a thing for Lisa Jackson books because I know the suspense will be high and it will be hard to guess the ending, and this book is no exception to that rule. This novel has a pretty large cast of characters and gets more complex as the plot moves along, but is never confusing. I liked Bianca a lot in this book and although some of the subject matter could have gone awry and become worthy of an eye-roll, it never did. Lisa Jackson could turn just about anything into a solid hair-raising story, just as she proved with this book.

I’m a glutton for punishment. I love reading thrillers at night, when the house is dark, or when we are out in the wilderness somewhere camping and away from civilisation. This is just the kind of novel that would scare the living daylights out of me in such a situation (it did, at night, on the couch) and so if you, like me, want to go prematurely grey with worry over what is stalking you that you can’t see but can feel just beyond the tree line, this is the book for you.

In the end, this was a great book with a lot to recommend it. If you love stories that never stop and hardly slow down, surprise endings and characters that make you care what happens to them, this is a great book to choose. Read the rest of the series as well, they’re a lot of fun, too.

This review is based on a complementary copy from the publisher, provided by netgalley. All opinions are my own.

The United States of Absurdity

The United States of Absurdity: Untold Stories from American History by Dave Anthony

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I thought this book was hilarious. I loved the way the narration pointed out the finer points in the stupidity of history, and thought the running commentary on absurd history was great. This book may not be for the feint of heart, as there are some very strange, as well as…ewww, moments included in it. If, however, you are a brave individual with a strong stomach, I say go forth and populate the earth with the knowledge that you gain from this book. Just don’t sue me for your psychiatry bill. Go for the authors instead. They are at the root of this mess.

This is the kind of book that makes you laugh at inappropriate times and in the worst of places. It also makes you feel lucky that we live in modern times, until you realise that history is doomed to repeat itself because we are all morons that don’t learn from books like this. Then you feel something else.

In any case, I’d recommend this book to anyone who wants a good laugh and to learn about the stupids that came before us. If nothing else, it will make you think. Thoughts you might not want to share. Those are the best kind.

This review is based on a complementary copy from the publisher, provided through netgalley, who must have decided my stomach strength passed the test and decided to offer me the book in exchange for an honest review.

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Confrontation with Evil by Steven A. LaChance

Confrontation with Evil: An In-Depth Review of the 1949 Possession That Inspired the Exorcist by Steven A LaChance

Known as the 1949 St. Louis Exorcism, the story of possessed child Roland Doe was immortalized in the groundbreaking novel and film The Exorcist. Much has been written about the case, but the truth has been shrouded in secrecy…until now.

Join Steven A. LaChance, as he shares the shocking evidence for how a family’s grief over the death of an aunt progressed into a full-blown demonic possession. While the conventional story is that Roland Doe brought the demonic infestation upon himself, LaChance convincingly suggests an alternative interpretation, and provides new insights into the nature of possession itself.

The events of 1949 culminated in grueling exorcism rites, but the story doesn’t end there as LaChance guides readers through the stunning aftermath that forever changed the Catholic church and the city of St. Louis.

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I ended up giving this a full five stars, simply for the interest factor. It kept me turning pages. I can’t say that I fully accept everything about this case as fact, regardless of who has dissected it and reported on it, but the author’s arguments were convincing, for his in-depth research and unique personal experiences.

Honestly, I found most of the value in the first half of the book. It was written from a new angle, spending more time focusing on the family and clergy and their poor decisions regarding the treatment of the boy in question, rather than blaming the entire event on the child himself.

You can come at this book from many different directions and probably form a million different opinions based on your faith and your own experiences, but one thing is for sure, something happened that no one will ever be able to completely explain.

The latter half of the book did not lose my interest, but I saw it as more speculation than proven fact. I would have liked to have seen more witness interviews included to back up the ideas of the author.

Still, this was a fascinating look at a case that still draws interest today. If you are interested in the case, you want to read this one.

This review is based on a complementary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

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A Taste for Murder

A Taste For Murder by Burl Barer

Frank Rodriguez, a much-loved counselor of troubled teens, lies dead on the bedroom floor. His wife and step-daughter are in shock, and so is the medical examiner when he performs the autopsy. Aside from being dead, Frank is in perfect health.

Demanding to know the cause of her husband’s death, Angie Rodriguez badgers the police, insisting that Frank was murdered. The cops attribute her assertions to overwhelming grief, but soon they too believe that Frank didn’t die of natural causes.

When the police enlist their number one suspect to help in the investigation, things spiral out of control until police are dealing with a daring plot to murder Angie’s best friend, and allegations of another homicide so evil and perverse that even seasoned L.A County Detectives are shocked beyond belief … and so will the readers!

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a quick read, that will make you wonder how much you really know about the people around you. For the most part, I enjoyed this book. The author was a bit heavy on inserting themselves into the story via interjection of personal opinion, but otherwise, the facts were there and the flow of the story worked well. I do understand that it was intended to be a rather conversational book rather than a boring recount of documented events, so I suppose that is why it comes across as opinionated.

The central figure in this book is a truly awful person that will make you thank your lucky stars that she is not your mum, sister, daughter, friend or worst case scenario, wife. I was disgusted by her actions, and as far as the possibility that she committed the earlier crime mentioned in the book, well, it really wouldn’t surprise me.

I believe this book is so striking, because it is not fiction. To think that there are people in the world that would go to such lengths to obtain what they want is disturbing and terrifying. This book takes you on a journey through the life and mind of a person who was damaged at an early age, and never recovered. If you are sensitive to things that are sexual in nature, this might be a book that you want to prepare yourself for.

Mostly, I thought this was a really good read with a lot to recommend it. I would definitely give it a solid four stars for the way it was written, the intrigue that the writing style created and the fact checking. However, it lost a star for me near the end when the central figure was compared to a well-known, overweight, Star Wars character. Professional? I think not.

Interesting read.

This review is based on a complementary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

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The Graveyard Apartment

The Graveyard Apartment: A Novel by Mariko Koike

A terrifying tale of a young family who move into an apartment building next to a graveyard and the horrors that are unleashed upon them.

One of the most popular writers working in Japan today, Mariko Koike is a recognized master of detective fiction and horror writing. Known in particular for her hybrid works that blend these styles with elements of romance, The Graveyard Apartment is arguably Koike’s masterpiece. Originally published in Japan in 1986, Koike’s novel is the suspenseful tale of a young family that believes it has found the perfect home to grow in to, only to realize that the apartment’s idyllic setting harbors the specter of evil and that longer they stay, the more trapped they become.

This tale of a young married couple who are harboring a dark secret is packed with dread and terror, as they and their daughter move into a brand new apartment building built next to a graveyard. As strange and terrifying occurrences begin to pile up, people in the building begin to move out one by one, until the young family is left alone with someone… or something… lurking in the basement. The psychological horror builds moment after moment, scene after scene, culminating with a conclusion that will make you think twice before ever going into a basement again.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

After finishing this book, I was left with a lot of jumbled opinions and feelings. In some ways, this book is everything I hope for in a horror novel. It is certainly full of suspense and makes you want to keep turning the pages to find out what happens next. On the same hand, the never ending suspense was what killed it for me. I like it when things are tense in a book like this, but when that happens, I also expect there to be a big payout and the longer the author waits to give me that, the bigger and better I expect it to be.

After following the lives of this family from the beginning of the book, I truly found the ending to be a huge disappointment. With all the buildup throughout the book, the creepy happenings and the odd events, I thought some moment of absolute horror when good fights evil was sure to happen, but that was not the case. For me, this book just fizzled out, as if the author couldn’t figure out how to end it, so they just left it.

I wanted answers to the underground tunnels. I wanted to know why things were happening. I’m still wondering.

I think that all in all, this is a good book and is worthy of a recommendation, but don’t say I didn’t warn you about the end. I was left with questions, and books that do that annoy me.

This review is based on a complementary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

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the Wicked Boy

From the internationally bestselling author, a deeply researched and atmospheric murder mystery of late Victorian-era London

In the summer of 1895, Robert Coombes (age 13) and his brother Nattie (age 12) were seen spending lavishly around the docklands of East London — for ten days in July, they ate out at coffee houses and took trips to the seaside and the theater. The boys told neighbors they had been left home alone while their mother visited family in Liverpool, but their aunt was suspicious. When she eventually she forced the brothers to open the house to her, she found the badly decomposed body of their mother in a bedroom upstairs. Robert and Nattie were arrested for matricide and sent for trial at the Old Bailey.

Robert confessed to having stabbed his mother, but his lawyers argued that he was insane. Nattie struck a plea and gave evidence against his brother. The court heard testimony about Robert’s severe headaches, his fascination with violent criminals and his passion for ‘penny dreadfuls’, the pulp fiction of the day. He seemed to feel no remorse for what he had done, and neither the prosecution nor the defense could find a motive for the murder. The judge sentenced the thirteen-year-old to detention in Broadmoor, the most infamous criminal lunatic asylum in the land. Yet Broadmoor turned out to be the beginning of a new life for Robert–one that would have profoundly shocked anyone who thought they understood the Wicked Boy.

At a time of great tumult and uncertainty, Robert Coombes’s case crystallized contemporary anxieties about the education of the working classes, the dangers of pulp fiction, and evolving theories of criminality, childhood, and insanity. With riveting detail and rich atmosphere, Kate Summerscale recreates this terrible crime and its aftermath, uncovering an extraordinary story of man’s capacity to overcome the past.

The Wicked Boy: The Mystery of a Victorian Child Murderer by Kate Summerscale

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

And just like today, music, video games and exposure to a culture caught in a downward spiral are to blame for everything! Damn those penny bloods!

Yep. The first half of this story is where none of the redemption is, but where most of the stuff worth reading is found. This author is great at taking her research and turning it into an easily readable and interesting story. She is great with details and makes excellent connections that she points out to the reader without sounding pretentious.

Robert was certainly a mystery all on his own. Trying to assess his motive, his reactions and the causes behind his behaviour after the death of his mother are enough to make this book worthy of reading and sharing with others.

I was immediately fascinated by this story and by the characters themselves. Kate Summerscale chose an interesting group of subjects for this book, and knowing that they were more than just simple figments of an author’s imagination made it that much more compelling. Still, I struggled through the latter half of this book. I felt the author ran out of worthy information to convey and much of the last part of this was just padding to create a longer book. Needless information on the people Robert met and was incarcerated with, or in the service with bored me. Very few of the character sketches of these people turned out to be important.

When I finished, I walked away glad to have had the opportunity to read this book. If you enjoy real life mysteries and the Victorian era, this should satisfy.

This review is based on a complementary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

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the Sister by Louise Jensen

The Sister by Louise Jensen

Grace hasn’t been the same since the death of her best friend Charlie. She is haunted by Charlie’s words, the last time she saw her, and in a bid for answers, opens an old memory box of Charlie’s. It soon becomes clear there was a lot she didn’t know about her best friend.

When Grace starts a campaign to find Charlie’s father, Anna, a girl claiming to be Charlie’s sister steps forward. For Grace, finding Anna is like finding a new family, and soon Anna has made herself very comfortable in Grace and boyfriend Dan’s home.

But something isn’t right. Things disappear, Dan’s acting strangely and Grace is sure that someone is following her. Is it all in Grace’s mind? Or as she gets closer to discovering the truth about both Charlie and Anna, is Grace in terrible danger?

There was nothing she could have done to save Charlie …or was there?

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Even after finishing this book, I struggled with what I thought of it. On one hand, this is an entertaining and mysterious read with enough complexities to keep you hungrily reading. On the other, some of the characters have so few redeeming qualities that it is hard to feel anything for them other than dislike.

Grace is an interestingly flawed character, but the kind that you want to like. Ever read a book and wish you could slap some sense into the main character because things they entirely miss are so plainly obvious to you, as the reader? That was how I felt about Grace. I understand falling apart at the seams after a tragedy, but there comes a point when you have to move on…and I almost felt like the idea of her grief was the only thin thread holding this book together. Everything else that happened was only possible because the main character was such a clueless mess.

I hated Anna and was mistrustful of her intentions from the very beginning. As the story progressed, I hated her even more, along with Grace’s husband. It was hard for me to read the ending of this book and not think…”that’s it?” As I truly wanted retribution for Grace.

In the end, this wasn’t a bad book, but one that I felt left more questions than answers.

This review is based on a complementary copy from the publisher, provided by Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

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Jessica

Jessica by Helena Hann-Basquiat

Who is Jessica?
There are rumours that I keep a writer trapped in my basement… but I assure you… Jessica is and always was here of her own free will. Until one day she disappeared, and I began to realize that everything I thought I knew about her was wrong. Everyone has a terrifying story about Jessica B. Bell. Some of them are even true.

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What makes for a truly terrifying read? For me it isn’t all about the cover or some creative monster that jumps out of the closet or hides under the bed. I want the author to know, instinctively what scares the hell out of me. I want to face my worst nightmare staring back at me from the page and wonder how the author knew what I feared most and how to bring it to life. Jessica, will do that to you. If you don’t want to sleep at night, perhaps you should read this book.

I think what I liked about this the most, was that I was never sure who was crazier–the people who wrote it, the characters, or me. Just when I thought I had it all figured out, something unexpected happened and the story shifted, leaving me questioning everything I thought I knew up to that point.

This book is filled with good, old-fashioned psychological thrills and terror. That seems to be hard to find these days, and I appreciated that the authors allowed the reader to think for themselves, not over evaluating every little thing and immersing them in miles of pointless description.

If you want to read something different, that will terrify and excite you in equal measure, you can’t go wrong with Jessica.

Dead Dancing Women by Elizabeth Kane Buzzelli

Dead Dancing Women by Elizabeth Kane Buzzelli

Fans of Sarah Graves will love the Emily Kincaid mysteries by Elizabeth Kane Buzzelli!

“Every woman who’s ever struggled with saying no, fitting in, and balancing independence against loneliness will adore first-timer Emily.” —Kirkus Reviews

Following an ugly divorce and the death of her father, Emily Kincaid decides what she needs most is peace and quiet and time to think, so the part-time journalist and full-time struggling mystery writer relocates to a remote house in the woods of northern Michigan. When a severed head shows up in her garbage can, Emily knows she’s been singled out, and suddenly her peaceful solitude feels a lot like isolation and vulnerability.

Discovering that the victim was a member of the Women of the Moon, a group of older local ladies who sing and dance around a bonfire in the woods late at night, Emily’s at a loss to know why anyone would want to hurt one of them. The women claim it’s a harmless act in praise of Mother Earth, a way to feel young again, but certain townspeople don’t see it that way. As Emily digs deeper, more of the women are turning up dead.

Knowing she’ll have to root out a killer to save her peaceful paradise, Emily teams up with the cantankerous Deputy Dolly and begins navigating between eccentric town gossips and reclusive neighbors who would rather be left alone. When the killer gets too close for comfort, Emily knows she’ll have to put aside her fears before the natural life she’s chosen comes to a grisly and very unnatural end.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When I began this book, I looked at the cover and the title and thought it would be a gritty, forensics based crime novel. Instead, it is rather like a more complex cosy mystery, but one that I fell in love with rapidly.

Emily Kincaid is a great main character to lead a book like this. She’s witty, funny and determined. She doesn’t show a lot of fear, but isn’t TSTL either. She’s compassionate for the people around her, not just the victims, but the suspects as well. She interacted well with the supporting characters, including the four-legged ones.

This book has that hometown feel that makes you want to return for another novel. You start feeling as if you belong among the citizens and recognise the sights, sounds and scents of the local diner or the woods surrounding you. There were a few quirky spots in this book where I struggled to suspend belief, but for the most part, this was a great book that kept me happily turning pages.

I was hoping the author would delve a bit deeper into the nature and goddess worship aspect of the book, but sometimes not over describing also works, and in this case, she made it more about the characters than the religious practises. In the end, I saw why.

This would be a great book for anyone that wants something more substantial than a fluff cosy, but doesn’t want to wade through all of the CSI details. The characters are memorable, especially Dolly–loved her–and the plot is interesting.

I look forward to reading more of this author’s work and encourage you to check it out for yourself.

This review is based on a complementary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

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Hey, Yo!

Formality. In the age of easy self-publishing and digital books, where has it gone? I understand addressing someone you know pretty well by first name. I understand addressing someone you don’t know by their first name if that’s what they introduce themselves as, or if they have a name tag with only their first name on it.

What I don’t understand, is the finer art of the email query in modern society and the digital age. If you want someone to do you a favor, or consider your work for publishing, or become your agent, your reviewer, your proofreader, editor, whatever role you wish them to play, can you not take the time to at least spell their name correctly and check to see if they even take the kind of work you are trying to push?

Bart Smith is an editor. Now, of course he would never be so narcissistic as to expect anyone to actually address him as Mr. Smith, and certainly not Mr. Smith, Editor in Chief, but he really hopes you will read through your email at least once before sending it, so that you do not end up with this:

“Dear Barf,”

or his other favourite:

“Dear Fart,”

Also, he is a science fiction editor. His profile says so. He has submission guidelines posted clearly on his website. So, please do not send him your book about how to create stunning quilts.

It is hard to get people to notice your work. We all know this. Sometimes it seems nearly impossible to stand out. Rather than being cutesy and trying to address another busy person who is simply trying to get through their work day as if you have known them forever, or being funny (because we all know that makes us book professionals laugh,) try getting your foot in the door by spelling our name right. After that, ensure that we take your kind of offering, and find out if there are any other restrictions or guidelines you should be aware of. Are we closed to unsolicited submissions? Do we only accept books or certain kinds of books during specific months of the year? Are we accepting books at all?

I know. Who died and left me the pretentious bitch of the year award? I did. That’s who. I got hit in the head with a random book someone threw at me and it knocked me a good one on the temple. Coma. Very sad for my husband and kids. Please send condolences. When I came back from the other side and chose not to go toward the light, I made a decision. I’ve seen a library the size of Manhattan waiting for me when I die. Shelves and shelves of books that await me. I’ve got a library almost that big now, in fact. And I keep getting more and more queries (if one can call them that–Dear Lonia, Dear Tonia, Dear Reviewer, Hey! Sonia!) The only ones I look at are the ones where the person actually seems to be speaking to me.

A couple of final thoughts. Being careful and addressing someone properly as well as sending a good, clean query where everything is spelled right and geared toward the kind of work the person accepts will get you everywhere.

Do not keep emailing them if they do not respond to you right away. They could be ignoring you for a reason. They might just be busy. You don’t want to become an example used in this blog.

If you are sending out multiple queries at the same time, please remember to use the BCC function in your email. I do not want to know that you sent this email out to a thousand other people. I don’t want their email addresses, and I don’t appreciate them all having mine. Think before you ink.

Sometimes standing out is as simple as being better at the most obvious thing.

Ionia wears a helmet in public now. Don’t make more reviewers paranoid like Ionia.

Love to you all.

 

From Tours to Paris by Linda Kovic-Skow

From Tours to Paris by Linda Kovic-Skow

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Usually, I am not much for memoirs, but Linda Kovic-Skow writes such personal and intriguing memoirs that hers are one of my dedicated exceptions to this rule.

From Tours to Paris is an interesting read of a young woman experiencing life and love away from home. From financial worries to matters of the heart, this honest memoir leaves nothing out. Written from the authors journals and her memories, this is a heartfelt book that will keep you turning pages and happily entertained until the very end.

I liked that she included so much emotion in this book, describing her experiences and love affairs both with the city and some genuinely interesting people. This is the kind of book that reminds you good food, good friends and your will to survive trying situations can get you through almost anything. I could identify easily with many of her thoughts and feelings.

Particularly, I was impressed with the way Linda chose to end this book. I didn’t feel that anything was left hanging and although I was curious about what happened later in her life, I felt satisfied at the end.

Overall, this was a pleasant and enjoyable read that roused a lot of emotion and curiosity within me. Even if you are not a huge fan of memoirs, this book will most likely still delight you. It gets my vote.

This review is based on a complementary copy from the author, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

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On Deadly Ground by Simon Clark

On Deadly Ground by Simon Clark

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book. It can be really terrifying, really grotesque and yet, somehow, one of the most entertaining and strange books I have read in the past few years.

I’m usually not one for post-apocalyptic drama, I tend to avoid those books on purpose, but there is something very captivating about this author’s writing style and the way he approaches his plots. I like that you really don’t know until well into the book if people are just imagining things or if they are really happening. Simon Clark didn’t take long to get into the meat of the story and bring some excitement along, and that kept me going into a longer book than I tend to choose.

This book highlights the desperation people would feel if something changed the world so suddenly, and shows both the darker and lighter sides of the human situation. The dialogue was believable and easy to digest and I was really impressed with the author’s ability to create three-dimensional characters that I either loved or hated with a passion. There are plenty of heart-pounding moments in this novel, and I wasn’t ever sure how things would turn out. The relationships are fiery and intense and the disaster elements were very well described.

What I didn’t love in this book, was all the pointless sex scenes. Not that I’m a prude, but they felt forced, and there were so many of them that it all began to feel a bit monotonous. I think the book would have been better if there were fewer of them, or if they had been more varied.

Overall, this is a great book with a lot to recommend it. I enjoyed my journey through this book, and happily recommend it to others..but you might need a strong stomach and a nightlight. Hell, you might want to read from the highest ground you can find even.

Great book.

This review is based on a complementary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

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