The Resident by David Jackson

🌟🌟🌟 out 16th July 2020 🌟🌟🌟

Description from Goodreads:

"THERE'S A SERIAL KILLER ON THE RUN AND HE'S HIDING IN YOUR HOUSE

Thomas Brogan is a serial killer. Having left a trail of bodies in his wake, and with the police hot on his heels, it seems like Thomas has nowhere left to hide. That is until he breaks into an abandoned house at the end of a terrace on a quiet street. And when he climbs up into the loft, he realises that the can drop down into all the other houses on the street through the shared attic space.

That's when the real fun begins. Because the one thing that Thomas enjoys even more than killing, is playing games with his victims. And his new neighbours have more than enough dark secrets to make this game his best one yet...

Do you fear The Resident? Soon you'll be dying to meet him."

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This is the first David Jackson book I have read and it certainly won't be the last ... The Resident is a deliciously eerie and unnerving read which I thoroughly enjoyed however I did have to send my husband up to the attic to make sure there were no gaps between us and the next door neighbours as I live in a terrace!!!

This is a totally engrossing psychological thriller told from the perspective of the main protagonist Brogan and what an excellent character he is ... a perfect bad guy but with a vulnerable side to him that almost makes you feel sorry for him ... I say almost because he is one sick and deranged individual who enjoys playing with his victims before inflicting pain and suffering.

There is plenty of dark humour to lighten this dark book and with a simple and straight forward plot written at a good pace, this is a great read that I have no hesitation to recommend to readers out there who enjoy a book that takes the mundane of daily life and turns it into something sinister.

Thank you Serpents Tail / Profile Books / Viper Books via NetGalley for my advance copy in return for an unbiased and unedited review.

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How I Lost You by Jenny Blackhurst

Description from Goodreads:

"I have no memory of what happened but I was told I killed my son.

And you believe what your loved ones, your doctor and the police tell you, don't you?

My name is Emma Cartwright. Three years ago I was Susan Webster, and I murdered my twelve-week-old son Dylan. I was sent to Oakdale Psychiatric Institute for my crime, and four weeks ago I was released early on parole with a new identity, address, and a chance to rebuild my tattered life. This morning, I received an envelope addressed to Susan Webster. Inside it was a photograph of a toddler called Dylan.

Now I am questioning everything I believe because if I have no memory of the event, how can I truly believe he's dead?

If there was the smallest chance your son was alive, what would you do to get him back? "

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Oooooo ... this was good and I am annoyed with myself for not reading it earlier when it first came out in 2015 but better late than never I always say!

The book starts with a letter written by convicted child killer Susan Webster to the Parole Board seeking early release from her prison sentence that was handed down following her conviction for the murder of her 3 month old son, Dylan ... a murder she has absolutely no recollection of but had to admit she committed the crime because everyone was telling her she did.  On release, Susan, now called Emma, is making attempts to rebuild her life however when she receives a picture of a toddler called Dylan, she starts to ask questions and so begins Susan/Emma's search for the truth of what actually happened on that fateful day.

Written mainly from the perspective of Susan/Emma with flashbacks of other characters, it's told at a good pace with good tension and twists.  The characters are excellent and well developed but if I have one gripe, it's that Susan/Emma is a little naive and quick to trust despite her situation of having to live under a new identity to protect herself which I found a little odd.

Overall, I found this a gripping story that had me captivated until the end and I will most definitely read more from this author.

Thank you to Headline via NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest and unedited review and I can only apologise that it has taken me so long to get round to reading it.

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The List by Carys Jones

⭐⭐⭐ On sale in e-book on 1st July 2020 ⭐⭐⭐

Description from Goodreads:

"Five names on a list.

The first two are dead.

The third one is yours.

Beth Belmont runs every day, hard and fast on the trail near home. She knows every turn, every bump in the road. So when she spots something out of place - a slip of white paper at the base of a tree - she's drawn to it.

On the paper are five names. The third is her own.

Beth can't shake off the unease the list brings. Why is she on it? And what ties her to the other four strangers?

Curiosity getting the better of her, Beth looks up the first two names, only to find that they're both dead.

Is she next?

Delving into the past of the two dead strangers, the truth Beth finds will lead her headlong into her darkest and most dangerous nightmares..."

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This is a dark, psychological thriller about paranoia and disturbing secrets all told within an original plot and from 3 perspectives; Beth, the writer of The List and Ruby.

Beth is a loner with no friends or family to speak of apart from a seemingly ideal boyfriend.  She seems to have the perfect life, aside from recurring horrific nightmares, but it soon becomes clear that she has a dark and disturbing past that she is keen to forget and put behind her.

The writer of The List is just that ... but why and what does she have to do with Beth and what are her intentions given that the first two people on The List are dead?

Ruby is a teenager in an institution placed there following her part in a totally heinous and horrific attack on a vulnerable child ... what does she have to do with Beth and the writer of the list?

This is a story that although is a work of fiction, is not beyond the realms of reality unfortunately which makes it a hard and emotional read in places.  It's also a slow burner which builds in tension as the whole story emerges and Beth's life unravels and this is the only complaint I have, it wasn't as fast paced as I would have liked with a bit too much description which affected the flow for me but, having said that, I would still recommend to dark, thriller lovers who enjoy reading something a bit different for the norm.

Many thanks to Orion Publishing Group via NetGalley for my advance copy in return for an honest review.

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The Young Survivors by Debra Barnes

⭐⭐⭐ out 23 July 2020 ⭐⭐⭐

Description from Goodreads:

"What if everyone you loved was suddenly taken away?

Five siblings struggle to stay together as the tides of war threaten to tear them apart. When Germany invades and occupies France in the Second World War, the five Laskowski children lose everything: their home, their Jewish community and most devastatingly their parents who are abducted in the night. There is no safe place left for them to evade the Nazis, but they cling together, never certain when the authorities will come for what is left of them.

Inspired by the poignant, true story of the author’s mother, this moving historical novel conveys the hardship, the uncertainty and the impossible choices the Laskowski children were forced to make to survive the horrors of the Holocaust."

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This is not your usual memoir about the Holocaust ... well not one I have ever read before anyway ... it's the true story of what is was like for a family of Jews living in France during World War II.

Written from the perspective of three of the children, the story tells of their harrowing experiences during the German occupation of France and having to move from place to place, losing the adults in their lives and being separated from their siblings.

This is a heart-rending story but also a story of survival, bravery and hope and I want to thank the Duckworth Books Group via JellyBooks for my copy in return for them analysing my reading data and an honest review although this wasn't compulsory.

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The Four Symbols (The Black Sun Trilogy) by Eric Giacometti & Jacques Ravenne

Description from Goodreads:

"In a Europe on the verge of Collapse, the Nazi organization Ahernebe is pillaging sacred landmarks across the world. Their aim is to collect treasures with occult powers, which will help them establish the Third Reich. The organization's head, Himmler, has sent SS officers to search a Tibetan sanctuary in a forgotten valley in the Himalayas, whilst he travels to a monastery in Spain, to find a mysterious painting. Which ancient power do the Nazis believe they hold the key to?

Meanwhile, in London, Churchill has discovered that the war against Germany will also be a spiritual one: their light must the occult if they are to win. . ."

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I must admit that I really, really struggled with this book because although the story was good and the way the author weaved historical fact with fiction was well done and it was clearly well researched, it was just too slow for me and there was too much jumping from scene to scene making it hard for me to keep track as it didn't flow particularly well and I didn't get the excitement or tension that I was hoping for.

I accept that this is my view and this book will certainly appeal to a lot of people ... you just have to see how many 4 and 5 star reviews this has got to prove that but it just wasn't for me.

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

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All Fall Down (Helen Grace #9) by M.J. Arlidge

⭐⭐⭐ out 11 June 2020 ⭐⭐⭐

Description from Goodreads:

"You have one hour to live."

Those are the only words on the phone call. Then they hang up. Surely, a prank? A mistake? A wrong number? Anything but the chilling truth... That someone is watching, waiting, working to take your life in one hour.

But why?

The job of finding out falls to DI Helen Grace: a woman with a track record in hunting killers. However, this is one case where the killer seems to always be one step ahead of the police and the victims.

With no motive, no leads, no clues - nothing but pure fear - an hour can last a lifetime..."

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This is another great addition to this series of books starring DI Helen Grace and another that keeps you on your toes, guessing to the end and reading way into the night.  Although this is the ninth in the series, it does work well as a standalone however, you do lose a bit of the history of the characters which helps to flesh them out and explain their motivations but not enough to detract from what is a great book.

The premise of the story is like nothing I have read before ... the killer lets the victim know they are going to die within the hour!  What would you think?  What would you do?

From the very beginning, the action starts and the pace doesn't let up throughout culminating in a heart-stopping, breath-holding finale. 

There are twists, turns, trials and tribulations aplenty which made for an exciting read and I most definitely look forward to number 10.

Many thanks to Orion Publishing Group via NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest and unbiased review.

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