The Last Thing to Burn by Will Dean

 

Blurb taken from Goodreads:

"He is her husband. She is his captive.

Her husband calls her Jane. That is not her name.

She lives in a small farm cottage, surrounded by vast, open fields. Everywhere she looks, there is space. But she is trapped. No one knows how she got to the UK: no one knows she is there. Visitors rarely come to the farm; if they do, she is never seen.

Her husband records her every movement during the day. If he doesn't like what he sees, she is punished.

For a long time, escape seemed impossible. But now, something has changed. She has a reason to live and a reason to fight. Now, she is watching him, and waiting ..."

📚📚📚📚📚📚

Wow ... that was one heck of a powerful read and one where the characters will stay with me for some time.

Jane - named so by her "husband" Lennie - was trafficked from her native Vietnam with her younger sister, she is kept captive on an isolated farm in what can only be described as squalid and run down conditions.  She is watched every minute of every day, she is not allowed to speak to anyone, she is not allowed to go anywhere - her day is regimented from start to finish and for each perceived transgression, the treasured possessions she has are slowly burned in front of her eyes.

This is a harrowing story of a desperate life of servitude and abuse; the scary thing is that it is happening to thousands of men, women and children the world over which makes it even more upsetting.  However, it is also a story of hope and the desperate will and strength to survive and fight back when things appear to be hopeless.

The whole book is written from "Jane's" perspective and she is an enthralling narrator.  The setting is just perfect and described scarily accurately - my job takes me into isolated farmhouses that are pretty bleak and dilapidated and this made the story even more real for me.  

This is not an easy read by any stretch of the imagination but despite that, I found it very hard to put down. I was drawn into the story hook, line and sinker; it grabbed me by the throat and didn't let go until the very last page ... it lingers still in the back of my mind and there are very few books that do this.

Highly recommended.

Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for my advance copy in return for an unbiased and unedited review.

👇👇👇👇👇👇

Connect with the author:

Twitter

Facebook

Instagram

Legend (A Claire Whitcomb Western #3) by D.V. Berkom

 

Description from Goodreads:

"Vengeance can be a fickle mistress…

In the aftermath of the gunfight at the O.K. Corral, Claire accepts a job transporting a convicted murderer to prison. But Harry, the bounty hunter who captured the outlaw, is none too pleased to be sharing the reward—and trusting a woman to have his back.

Will Claire and Harry settle their differences and work together to deliver their captive to justice? Or will the murderer kill again to escape the noose?"

📚📚📚📚📚📚

If, like me, you tend to bypass the Western or Historical Fiction genres thinking they might be boring or not what you usually enjoy, can I give you a little advice?  Don't ... take a look at the blurb and if it sparks even a little light of interest, give it a go ... you never know, you might enjoy it.  I have certainly enjoyed this series and it is way off what I normally read.

This is a very satisfying third and, supposedly the last, book in the series featuring Claire Whitcomb with "Retribution" being the first and "Gunslinger" being the second.  Claire is a strong female in a time when strong females were frowned upon and she has to work doubly hard to follow the line of work she wishes and to prove herself amongst a world full of men; she does this with grace, dignity and style in this story filled with action and adventure set in the Wild West.

What I particularly enjoy is the references to real historical figures and places such as Doc Holliday, Wyatt Earp, Calamity Jane, Tombstone and the OK Corral; these are people and places I have grown up with (my dad and husband being avid Western watchers) and with adding a great character like Claire in amongst it all brought it to life even more for me.

My only gripe, which has continued over the three books, is that they aren't long enough ... you no sooner start when you have finished but maybe that's my fault and I read too quickly!

Having said that, I still highly recommend this series and D.V. Berkom as a whole; you won't be disappointed with anything she writes because, let's face it, what's not to like - great characters, immersive stories that transport you to different times and places, action, adventure, thrills and spills; she writes about it all with the bonus of the lead characters being strong females that aren't afraid to kick some behinds!  So, have a look at her back catalogue and get reading.

I am lucky to be a member of D.V. Berkom's ARTeam and was sent a copy of Legend before the official publication date of 12-January-2020 in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review and for which I am, once again, extremely grateful.

👇👇👇👇👇👇

Connect with the author:

Website

Facebook

Twitter

👀👀👀👀👀👀

Other books from D.V. Berkom that I have read and reviewed:

Gunslinger (A Claire Whitcomb Western Book 2)

Retribution (A Claire Whitcomb Western Book 1) 

Shadow of the Jaguar

Dakota Burn

Absolution

Dark Return

The Last Deception

The Body Market

Gathering Dark by Candice Fox

 

Description from Goodreads:

"Blair Harbour’s life as Hollywood’s top paediatric surgeon was perfect, until the night she was jailed for a murder she says she didn’t commit.

With ten years of freedom lost, her medical licence cancelled and her son being raised by foster parents, she’s ready to start again from scratch.

But when a former cellmate begs for help finding her missing daughter, Blair must risk it all to save a young life. Her only allies are a thief, a ganglord and the cop who put her away.

To do the right thing, Blair must mix with all the wrong people.

Will it put her new-found freedom on the line?"

📚📚📚📚📚📚

This is a book I have had on my "to-be-read" pile since August 2020 and given I had a few days off work over the festive season, I decided to try and catch up a bit ... one down and loads more to go!

I have read and enjoyed a couple of Candice Fox's books before so was looking forward to reading this new story set in America and although I wasn't blown away, I did enjoy the ride.

Set in Los Angeles, the story centres around two main characters and from whose perspective the book is written - Blair and Jessica.  Blair, as the blurb says, is restarting her life after being released from prison for murdering her neighbour.  Jessica is a Police Officer who put her there and who has just inherited a very expensive and exclusive property. 

The blurb makes the plot sound simple however, it is far from it.  Throw in Blair's ex cell-mate's daughter going missing, a gang leader, very disgruntled colleagues of Jessica, the legend of missing millions and then a gopher and what you have is a very complex story which is a bit OTT and unbelievable in parts with one too many coincidences but it keeps you hooked as you just need to find out how all these threads fit together and they do very satisfyingly and at a good pace.  I did find there were one or two chapters that just seemed to be thrown in for the sake of it rather than them adding to the story and it was a bit wordy in parts but overall, it kept my interest.

The ending leaves the door open for other stories to follow and I for one would like to see where Blair and Jessica go in both their personal lives and their potential partnership.

Thank you to Random House UK / Cornerstone and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.

👇👇👇👇👇👇

Connect with the author:

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

👀👀👀👀👀👀

The Spiral by Iain Ryan

 

Description from Goodreads:

"Erma Bridges' life is far from perfect, but entirely ordinary. So when she is shot twice in a targetted attack by a colleague, her quiet existence is shattered in an instant.

With her would-be murderer dead, no one can give Erma the answers she needs to move on from her trauma. Why her? Why now?

So begins Erma's quest for the truth - and a dangerous, spiralling journey into the heart of darkness."

📚📚📚📚📚📚

If there is one thing I really don't like, it's not finishing a book.  Luckily, it doesn't happen very often but, unfortunately, I was unable to finish The Spiral.

Why?  Well, I read to escape; I have enough complication in my work life so I tend not to read anything that takes too many brain cells as there aren't that many left after a day at work but this book just had me totally bemused almost from the very beginning and I just didn't have the stamina to continue.  

I struggled to get into the story, develop any feelings for the characters either way and I just ended up being completed baffled by the whole thing so much so that I just had to give up in order to remain sane!

As I said, I don't like not finishing a book and I really try to keep going but I just couldn't with this and I therefore have to apologise to the author.  I am acutely aware that this book will definitely appeal to lots of people but it just wasn't for me.

I would like to thank Zaffre Books / Bonnier Books UK and NetGalley for my advance copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.

The Spiral is due to be published on 31st December 2020 and I wish it good luck.

👇👇👇👇👇👇

Connect with the author:

Website

Twitter

Instagram

Gunslinger: A Claire Whitcomb Western (Claire Whitcomb Westerns Book 2)

 

Description from Goodreads:

"Never let tragedy define you.

After losing her family to renegade outlaws, Claire Whitcomb leaves Leadville, Colorado, headed for Tombstone. Armed with a Peacemaker, a rifle, and a letter of introduction to Wyatt Earp, Claire seeks a new life and new career in the Town Too Tough To Die. Along the way, she meets Isabella King, well-known actress and mistress of railroad magnate Jay Gould.

During an attempted train robbery Isabella’s security man is shot and killed, which leads her to hire Claire in his place. Unbeknownst to Claire, the actress is an assassin’s target.

Which means Claire is, too."

📚📚📚📚📚📚

I am not one for reading westerns or much historical fiction however, I am a fan of D.V.Berkom's work so was persuaded to read the first of the series "Retribution" and I surprised myself by enjoying it so jumped at the chance to read "Gunslinger" as I was itching to find out what Claire gets up to next.

D.V. has a great ability to create characters that you quickly become invested in and Claire is definitely one of those.  D.V. also creates strong, female characters that don't take any grief from the supposedly stronger gender and, again, Claire is most definitely one of these but her job is made even harder given the time and location in which this book is set.

I'm not going to go into the plot here, you will just have to read it, but what I will say is that you really get absorbed and transported to the Wild West and you are quickly captivated by the characters and drawn into this action packed story so much so that, before you know it, it's over and you are left wanting more and herein is the only gripe I have ... it's not long enough but maybe that's because I read too quickly!  

As I said, I usually give Westerns a wide berth as they are not my thing but this series has definitely made me think twice about doing this in the future and if you are of a similar opinion, I would suggest you do the same by giving this series a try ... you never know, you might change your mind and fine another genre to get your teeth into.

I am lucky to be a member of D.V. Berkom's ARTeam and was sent a copy of Gunslinger before the official publication date of 28-December-2020 in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review and for which I am extremely grateful and I don't have to wait long for book 3, "Legend", which is due to be published in January 2021 and which is already sat in my to-be-read pile just waiting for my hungry little eyes to be engrossed once again.

👇👇👇👇👇👇

Connect with the author:

Website

Facebook

Twitter

👀👀👀👀👀👀

Other books from D.V. Berkom that I have read and reviewed:

Retribution (A Claire Whitcomb Western Book 1) 

Shadow of the Jaguar

Dakota Burn

Absolution

Dark Return

The Last Deception

The Body Market

Good Girl (DS Grace Allendale #4) By Mel Sherratt

 

Description from Goodreads:

"Erin was a good girl. But someone wanted her dead…

When sixteen-year-old Erin Ellis is attacked, she dies in the arms of her best friend Molly, just metres from her home. Molly is the surviving girl but says she easily could have been the victim – it was a random mugging gone wrong.

 

With inconclusive evidence, DS Grace Allendale must dig deep within the tight-knit Stoke community for leads. And she soon finds that someone had a motive to kill Erin.

 

As the investigation unfolds, Grace is reminded of a horrifying case she worked on earlier in her career.

 

Is the past coming back to haunt her? And can she push through her fear to catch Erin’s killer before it’s too late?"

📚📚📚📚📚📚

I have never been disappointed by anything written by Mel Sherrratt so had no hesitation in reading this, the fourth in the series, and, once again, it was as good as I was expecting and, as an added bonus, you don't have to have read the others in the series, as this works well as a standalone so don't worry!

What we have in "Good Girl" is a pretty dark and hard-hitting police procedural which follows the investigation of DS Grace Allendale and her team into the apparent mugging and murder of a young 16 year old but as Grace delves deeper, all is not what it seems.

With believable characters, an authentic and frighteningly realistic story line written at a great pace and with sensitivity, given the subject matter which is difficult to read at times, this is another excellent book.

Thank you to Avon Books UK, a division of HarperCollins, and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.

👇👇👇👇👇👇

Connect with the author:

Twitter

Website

Facebook

Out For Blood (DI Eve Hunter #2) By Deborah Masson

 

Description from Goodreads:

"A young man, the son of an influential businessman, is discovered dead in his central Aberdeen apartment.

Hours later, a teenaged girl with no identification is found hanged in a suspected suicide.

As DI Eve Hunter and her team investigate the two cases, they find themselves in a tug-of-war between privilege and poverty; between the elite and those on the fringes of society.

Then an unexpected breakthrough leads them to the shocking conclusion: that those in power have been at the top for too long - and now, someone is going to desperate lengths to bring them down...

Can they stop someone who is dead set on revenge, no matter the cost?"

📚📚📚📚📚📚

After reading and enjoying the first in this series, Hold Your Tongue, I was looking forward to getting my teeth into this one and I wasn't disappointed.  I will say that although you don't necessarily have to have read the first, I do think you will enjoy this second one more if you do.

This is a gritty police procedural set in Aberdeen, Scotland which delves into the seedy and repulsive world of human trafficking but what does the death of a privileged young man and the apparent suicide of a young woman have in common?  On first impressions, absolutely nothing however, DI Hunter and her team set about investigating and what they find is worse than they expected.

Mainly written from Eve's perspective interspersed with other characters and those of an unknown young woman, this gave insight from all the important protagonists in this book and provided a well-rounded view of the situation from all angles.  The characters are well developed and believable with the relationships between Eve and her wider team excellently portrayed.

The story is a difficult one to read in parts but, I felt, was dealt with respectfully but with no holds-barred which made it feel authentic making me feel both sad and angry in equal measure that these things are likely to be happening to someone right now!  The pace is good, it does start off a little slow but increases as the story develops and this follows the pace of the investigation, again making it feel believable and, once again, the author manages to keep the identity of the killer well hidden which kept me guessing and second guessing throughout.

Overall, I have no hesitation in recommending this to others who enjoy a cleverly written and gripping police procedural and I look forward to reading the next instalment in what is a great series with DI Hunter fast becoming a favourite character of mine.

I was fortunate enough to have been invited to read an advance copy by Transworld Publishers, part of Penguin Random House UK, via NetGalley in return for an unbiased and unedited review and for which, I am thankful.

👇👇👇👇👇👇

Connect with the author:

Twitter

Facebook

The Last Resort by Susi Holliday

 

Blub from Goodreads:

"Seven strangers. Seven secrets. One perfect crime.

When Amelia is invited to an all-expenses-paid retreat on a private island, the mysterious offer is too good to refuse. Along with six other strangers, she’s told they’re here to test a brand-new product for Timeo Technologies. But the guests’ excitement soon turns to terror when the real reason for their summons becomes clear.

Each guest has a guilty secret. And when they’re all forced to wear a memory-tracking device that reveals their dark and shameful deeds to their fellow guests, there’s no hiding from the past. This is no luxury retreat—it’s a trap they can’t get out of.

As the clock counts down to the lavish end-of-day party they’ve been promised, injuries and in-fighting split the group. But with no escape from the island—or the other guests’ most shocking secrets—Amelia begins to suspect that her only hope for survival is to be the last one standing. Can she confront her own dark past to uncover the truth—before it’s too late to get out?"

📚📚📚📚📚📚

Hmmm ... this is a really difficult book to review for me because I am in two minds as to whether I really enjoyed it or not!

The premise is excellent and it started off really well and, I thought, this is going to be good but alas it soon became a tad boring and I gradually lost interest the further on I went.  I was hoping for that "wow" ending that might redeem the book a little but, for me, it didn't really happen.

The characters aren't particularly likeable but that doesn't really matter in this book and I ended up looking forward to seeing what inventive ways were going to be employed if/when they were to die but it was all rather "meh" and anti-climatic.

What I did like was the setting of the remote island, the mystery surrounding why they were all there and how the advanced technology was used but I wanted more tension and excitement ... there are times throughout the book where it ramped up a little but they didn't last long enough and there were too many down-times and periods of inactivity for me.

I think there will be many, many people out there who will love this book particularly those who prefer a more slower paced mystery so please don't take my word for it and give it a go if you like the sound of the blurb.

Many thanks to SJI Holliday and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.

👇👇👇👇👇👇

Connect with the author:

Website

Twitter

Facebook

Instagram

Kill A Stranger by Simon Kernick

 

Description from Goodreads:

"WHAT WOULD YOU DO TO SAVE YOUR LOVED ONE?

AND DO YOU KNOW WHO SHE REALLY IS?

They took your fiancée.

They framed you for murder.

You're given one chance to save her. To clear your name.

You must kill someone for them.

They give you the time and place.

The weapon. The target.

You have less than 24 hours.

You only know that no-one can be trusted...and nothing is what it seems."

📚📚📚📚📚📚

I have no shame in saying that I am a huge fan of Simon Kernick's work so was absolutely chomping at the bit to read this latest outing and I wasn't disappointed.

What we have here is a gripping and twisty plot of secrets and lies which is full of twists and turns that keep you guessing to the very end.   Written at a strong pace, this book will have you turning the pages and your head spinning trying to work out just what the heck is going on ... in the way good thrillers do!

The cast of characters aren't particularly likeable, to the point where you don't really care what happens to any of them and actually look forward to them getting their comeuppance, but they are interesting and well developed and perfect for the story line.

Highly recommended for Simon Kernick fans and lovers of action packed thrillers that make you use your brain.

Thanks must go to Headline and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.

👇👇👇👇👇👇

Connect with the author:

Website

Twitter

FaceBook

The Embalmer (The Tattoo Thief 3) by Alison Belsham

 

Blurb from Goodreads:

"Has the ancient Egyptian cult of immortality resurfaced in Brighton?

When a freshly-mummified body is discovered at the Brighton Museum of Natural History, Detective Francis Sullivan is at a loss to identify the desiccated woman. But as Egyptian burial jars of body parts with cryptic messages attached start appearing, he realises he has a serial killer on his hands. Revenge, obsession and an ancient religion form a potent mix, unleashing a wave of terror throughout the city. Caught in a race against time while battling his own demons, Francis must fight to uncover the true identity of the Embalmer before it's too late..."

📚📚📚📚📚📚

Full of action, suspense, gritty scenes and loads of tension, this is a great read that I thoroughly enjoyed despite this being the third instalment of this series but the first I have read.  It does work as a standalone but I think it would be even better had I read the other 2 beforehand.

The characters are strong, as are the storylines which made things fast-paced and interesting which had me totally immersed from the start.  The writing style is easy to read and although told from different points of view, I didn't find it hard to keep up and, in fact, felt this enhanced my reading experience.

The only thing I have to complain about is myself!!  Why haven't I come across the first 2 in the series before? I must have been walking around with my eyes closed!

Thank you to Orion Publishing Group and NetGalley for my advance copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.

👇👇👇👇👇👇

Connect with the author:

Website

Twitter

Facebook

Retribution (A Claire Whitcomb Western Book 1) by D.V.Berkom

 

Description from Goodreads:

"They took everything. Now she wants revenge.

Spring 1880: Claire Whitcomb and her family are building a good life near the boomtown of Leadville, Colorado, when tragedy strikes: a group of renegades attack, killing everyone but Claire and burning their home. Not knowing who to turn to, Claire teams up with Mart Duggan, the town’s tough-as-nails marshal, to track down the outlaws responsible. Duggan and his friend, Thomas, a local Ute, skirt the law to get results, but that’s fine by Claire.

She’s gunning for the men who destroyed her life—and won’t settle for anything less than retribution."

📚📚📚📚📚📚

I am lucky enough to be a part of D.V. Berkom's advance reader team and I was sent a copy of this prior to it's release on 20-Nov-2020 for which I will be eternally grateful because what we have here is an introduction to what I believe will be another excellent series featuring a strong female character.

I am not normally one for reading westerns, in fact I usually give them a wide berth and don't even bother reading the blurb but given I have read several of D.V. Berkom's books featuring the excellent Leine Basso, when I was asked if I would like to receive an advance copy, I thought why the heck not and I was so pleased I did.

Claire, her husband Josiah and 3 children move to the Wild West in search of a new life however, tragedy strikes when Josiah and the children are brutally killed and Claire is left alone.  It soon transpires that Claire is being accused of the murders and so she teams up with Mart and Thomas to clear her name and seek revenge.

This is a fast paced read with excellent characters, great setting and exciting plot.  If I have one complaint, it's that it's over way too quickly; I was left wanting to read more now ... oh well, I will just have to wait to see what scrapes and adventures Claire finds herself mixed up in and how her character develops as she roams the Wild West on her trusty steed, Rose.

Thank you to D.V. Berkom for writing another absolute cracker, for giving me the opportunity to broaden my horizons and for introducing me to another genre ... now hurry up and get the next one finished 😉

👇👇👇👇👇👇

Connect with the author:

Website where you can get 2 free e-books

Facebook

Twitter

Pinterest

Goodreads

📚📚📚📚📚📚

Other books from D.V. Berkom that I have read and reviewed:

Shadow of the Jaguar

Dakota Burn

Absolution

Dark Return

The Last Deception

The Body Market

Silent Night by Nell Pattison

 

Description from Goodreads:

"What happened while they were sleeping?

A school for the deaf takes an overnight trip to the snowy woods. Five teenagers go to sleep, but only four wake up. Leon is missing, and a teacher’s body is found in the forest…

Sign language interpreter Paige Northwood is brought in to help with interrogations. Everyone at the school has a motive for murder – but they all have an alibi.  

As Paige becomes increasingly involved, she suspects there’s something sinister going on. With the clock ticking to find Leon, only one thing is certain: the killer is among them, and ready to strike again…"

📚📚📚📚📚📚

This is the second book featuring the British Sign Language interpreter, Paige Northwood, and the second I have read and although you don't particularly have to have read the first (The Silent House), it does help.

Here we have a complex story of the murder of a teacher and the disappearance of one of his pupils; the police employ Paige as the interpreter but she soon becomes embroiled in the investigation whilst she is also having to deal with a lot of angst in her own life and herein lies the problem for me.  The story already covers a lot of themes; the deaf community, bullying, coercion, domestic abuse, relationships and that's before we get to the murder and the missing child!  On top of all this, there is a lot of time taken up about Paige and, I felt, it was just too much and I found it became more and more tedious, repetitive and annoying so by the end, it had an impact on my enjoyment of the book.  I am sure however that there are many out there who will find this focus on the main character and her story appealing as opposed to the crime itself but it just spoiled it a bit for me I'm afraid.

Putting that aside, the twists and red herrings were excellent and I was constantly trying to guess who-done-it.  The characters were well developed and interesting.  The pace was a little slow to begin with but picked up in the second half/final third. The look into the frustrations experienced by the police when witnesses/suspects don't cooperate and withhold vital information was infuriating and probably pretty accurate!

Overall, a pretty solid book but just a bit too much focus on the main character for me.

Thank you to Avon Books UK via NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy in return for an unbiased review.

👇👇👇👇👇👇

Connect with the author:

Twitter

Facebook

Shadow Sands (Kate Marshall #2) by Robert Bryndza

 

🌟🌟🌟 Expected publication date 3 November 2020🌟🌟🌟

Description from Goodreads:

"When Kate Marshall finds the bloated body of a young man floating in the Shadow Sands reservoir, the authorities label it a tragic accident.

But the details don't add up: why was the victim there, in the middle of the night? If he was such a strong swimmer, how did he drown?

Kate is certain there is more to this case than meets the eye. As she and her research assistant Tristan Harper dig deeper, they discover a bloody trail that points towards an active serial killer hiding in plain sight. People have been silently disappearing for years, and when another woman is taken, Kate and Tristan have a matter of days to save her from meeting the same fate."

📚📚📚📚📚📚

I stupidly thought that you wouldn't be able to better or even come close to be as good as the first in this series "Nine Elms", which was one of my all time top reads, but I was so wrong ... Mr Bryndza has written another doozy of a book that I absolutely gobbled up.  You don't have to have read the first story as this works as a stand alone BUT you really should!

Once again, I was totally engrossed from the first to the last word and became totally invested in the strong characters and their stories.  The pace felt spot on for me and the tension, particularly when the story is being told from the victim's side, was spine-tinglingly good.  Similarly, when the story is told from the killer's point of view, there were times when I got shivers up my neck he was so cold and matter-of-fact about the terror he was inflicting on a fellow human being - it was perfect.

As I've said, the characters are strong.  The relationship between Kate and Tristan feels natural and genuine and I really feel for them as they go through their own struggles as if they were real people such is the strength of how they have been developed by the author.  I thought it was genius to have Peter Conway (from Nine Elms) make an appearance and I hope we get to "see" more of him in subsequent books.

Mr Bryndza says "there are lots more books to come, and I hope you stay with me for the ride!" ... well, I certainly will and can't wait for the next instalment.

Highly recommended for readers who love dark, exciting, suspense-filled stories that despite making you feel ill at ease at times, you read on into the night.

I am so grateful to Little, Brown Book Group and NetGalley for providing my advance copy in return for an honest and unbiased review.

👇👇👇👇👇👇

Connect with the author:

Website

Twitter

Facebook

Taken by Lisa Stone

 

Description from Goodreads:

"Have you seen Leila?

8-year-old Leila Smith has seen and heard things that no child should ever have to. On the Hawthorn Estate, where she lives, she often stays out after dark to avoid going home.

But what Leila doesn’t know is that someone has been watching her in the playground. One day, she disappears without a trace…

The police start a nationwide search but it’s as if Leila has vanished into thin air. Who kidnapped her? What do they want? Will she return home safely or is she lost forever?

A thriller with a difference!"

📚📚📚📚📚📚

Having previously read and enjoyed "Stalker" by Lisa Stone, I certainly wasn't going to pass the opportunity to read this one and I wasn't disappointed.

What we have in "Taken" is a complex and gripping story of the abduction of 8 year Leila whose life is far from perfect being the daughter of a mother (Kelsey) prostituting herself and fighting addiction who has already had her older children taken from her.

Told from multiple points of view, we get a real insight into all the main characters which is not as confusing as it sounds believe me ... it works really well and, I believe, it makes the characters more believable and memorable.

The pace is perfect, the plot is absorbing, despite it being a little unrealistic in parts, and I did get the twist fairly early on but it was such that I continued to question myself until it was revealed.

Overall, a thought-provoking and enjoyable read which deals with some difficult subjects that, sadly, are prevalent within today's society but without the usual gratuitous violence which made a refreshing change.

Thank you to HarperCollins UK / HarperFiction and NetGalley for my copy in return for an unbiased review.

👇👇👇👇👇👇

Connect with the author:

Website

Twitter

Facebook

BookBub

The Chalet by Catherine Cooper

 

Description from Goodreads:

"Four friends. One luxury getaway. The perfect murder.

French Alps, 1998

Two young men ski into a blizzard… but only one returns.

20 years later

Four people connected to the missing man find themselves in that same resort. Each has a secret. Two may have blood on their hands. One is a killer-in-waiting.

Someone knows what really happened that day.

And somebody will pay."

📚📚📚📚📚📚

For a debut novel, I think this worked pretty well and it was a nice, quick read.

The plot is set in two time frames - 1998 follows the story of the death of a young man whilst on a skiing holiday with his brother and their girlfriends.  Fast forward to 2020 and we find ourselves in the same ski resort, with a group of people who are somehow connected to that death.  It's told from multiple points of view so you do have to keep your wits about you but it does work well for the story.  In amongst this, we have a mystery narrator - that of a child and her difficult childhood spent in and out of foster care which I found heart breaking - how does she fit into the story?

I am not going to give away any of the plot or provide any spoilers as to do so would ruin it for others but what I will say is that I did see the twist coming from a mile away which took a bit of the suspense and head-scratching away somewhat.  Having said that, it is a very clever plot which did make me second-guess myself a couple of times but in the end, I was right.

The characters are thoroughly awful; I think if I was stuck with them, I'd do away with the lot of them!  I'm not sure whether it was the author's intention to make them so unlikeable but I felt it actually worked really well in the context of the story and I admit to secretly hoping something bad would befall them all!

Overall, this is a creditable debut and I will be looking out for more from this author in the future and I should thank HarperCollins UK / HarperFiction via NetGalley who invited me to read The Chalet in return for an unbiased review.

📚📚📚📚📚📚

Connect with the author:

Website

Twitter

Facebook

Instagram

The Stolen Sisters by Louise Jensen

 

Blurb from Goodreads:

"Three little girls missing. One family torn apart…

Leah’s perfect marriage isn’t what it seems but the biggest lie of all is that she’s learned to live with what happened all those years ago. Marie drinks a bit too much to help her forget. And Carly has never forgiven herself for not keeping them safe.

Twenty years ago these three sisters were taken. What came after they disappeared was far worse. It should have brought them together, but how can a family ever recover?

Especially when not everyone is telling the truth . . ."

📚📚📚📚📚📚

This is a thought-provoking and emotional story of 3 sisters who were abducted 20 years ago and how that traumatic event has impacted on them as they have grown into adults.

I haven't read anything by Louise Jensen before and although I am unable to absolutely rave about this book, I will say that it's a well-crafted story that will appeal to many, many readers.

Why am I not raving about this?  To be honest, it's hard to explain exactly why and I don't really understand it myself!  It started off brilliantly and I was definitely hooked but it just seemed to take too long to get anywhere and although there were surprises, they just didn't hit the spot for me and I didn't get that feeling of excitement and anticipation unfortunately.  I don't think this is a fault of the author rather than of me as a reader who is used to reading rollercoaster-of-a-ride books which I don't think this is; I feel it's more of a family drama type story with mystery and tension thrown in. 

The story is told in the then and now and from a variety of viewpoints; this isn't as confusing as it sounds and I actually found this worked well for the most part however, I felt that the "then" parts worked better for me and were more engrossing than the "now".

The characters are an interesting bunch, not all of them particularly likeable but all the main ones are well fleshed out.

What I thought shone throughout was the strong relationship between the sisters and the way their horrific experience impacted on their lives and their mental health; this was expertly done with sensitivity and I have no shame in admitting that there were parts that made me a bit emotional - I am the youngest of 3 sisters and I did wonder how we would have turned out if this had happened to us but I quickly stopped that because it is too horrific to contemplate.

Like I said at the beginning, I am unable to say this has been one of my best reads of 2020 but I will certainly read more by this author in the future. 

 

Thank you to HQ (an imprint of HarperCollins UK) via NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.

📚📚📚📚📚📚

Connect with the author:

Website

Twitter

Facebook

Instagram

YouTube