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Sunday 27 March 2022

Insomnia by Sarah Pinborough

 


Description from Goodreads:

"In this twisty, mind-bending thriller from the bestselling author of Behind Her Eyes, Emma Averell worries that her crippling insomnia is a sign that she’s slowly going insane—like the mother she’s worked so hard to leave in her past.

Emma Averell loves her life—her high-powered legal career, her two beautiful children, and her wonderful stay-at-home husband—but it wasn’t always so perfect. When she was just five years old, Emma and her older sister went into foster care because of a horrific incident with their mother. Her sister can remember a time when their mother was loving and “normal,” but Emma can only remember her as one thing—a monster. And that monster emerged right around their mother’s fortieth birthday, the same age Emma is approaching now.

Emma desperately wants to keep her successful life separate from her past, so she has always hidden her childhood trauma. But then she’s unable to sleep, and now losing time during the day, also one of the first symptoms her mother showed. Is the madness in her blood, just as her mother predicted? Could she end up hurting her family in her foggy, frenetic state? Or is she truly beginning to lose her mind?"

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This is one of those books that you are either going to like or not ... for me, I liked it.  It's a proper mind-messing read where you don't know what's real and what's imagined.

Emma, the main character, is not what I would call a particularly likeable one; mind you, not many of the characters in this book are if I'm honest but that doesn't really matter to me that much and, if anything, it makes it even more intriguing as you don't know where the story is going to go.

It does start off pretty slowly while the scene is being set but during this time, there is the slow drip, drip, drip of information and the creation of tension, suspense and misdirection that all comes together in the end.

This is a complex and original story which uses a touch of the "unknown"; it's dark, unnerving and unsettling and I would recommend to anyone who enjoys something a bit different in their psychological thrillers.

Many thanks to HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.

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The Resistance Girl [Audiobook] by Mandy Robotham

 


Narrated by Antonia Beamish

Description from Goodreads:

"Norway, 1942. War rages, and operation Shetland bus is in full swing. Under cover of darkness, Rumi Orlstad and other locals smuggle British agents, fugitives and supplies across the North Sea to the relative safety of Scotland.

But when one mission goes awry, and Rumi’s husband is lost to the dangerous waters, she retreats from the clandestine group, vowing never to take to the seas again.

Meanwhile, her childhood friend Anya has been placed in Lebensborn, one of Himmler’s secret Aryan maternity camps. And when Rumi learns the fate of Anya’s child, she knows she has no choice but to face her fears and help Anya flee from Nazi grip…"

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The first book I have read or listened to by this author and if her others are anything like this one, it won't be the last.

Following the lives of a small group of people in Norway during WWII, this is a compelling story of their bravery as part of the resistance movement.

With exceptionally strong characters and a powerful story, this is an important part of history that I was not familiar with and although this is historical fiction, it does weave actual events into the story which gives it a sense of realism and shows you what lengths 'normal' people will go to to protect freedom and whilst they have a strong regard for the danger they are putting themselves and, potentially, others in, the bigger picture is far more important.  A poignant read given the current events in Ukraine.

The narrator told the story with ease and kept me engaged and enthralled from beginning to end; her voice was perfect.

Recommended for anyone who enjoys a great story of bravery, love and the importance of family, friends and freedom.

Thank you to HarperCollins UK Audio and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.

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Turning Point (The Spread #5) by Iain Rob Wright

 


Description:

"Survival is about to get tougher.

Aaron Cartwright is not the young boy he used to be. He is something else now. Something not quite human. His friends no longer look at him the same way. But the mission hasn’t changed. The enemy needs destroying. The Earth needs reclaiming.

The problem is...

A new threat is about to arrive, and everything mankind thought it knew is about to be proved dead wrong.  "

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This is the fifth instalment of this series which needs to be read in conjunction with the others.

This is an excellent series which continues to capture me and I find myself taking every opportunity to snatch just 5 more minutes of reading to find out what is next to befall the excellent characters.

Be warned ... no one and nowhere is safe but that ending ... oh my!  I can't wait for the next which looks like it might be the last unfortunately.  

My thanks must go to Iain for accepting me into his "street team" and for providing me with an advance copy in return for comments and an honest, unbiased and unedited review.  


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Website where you can get 6, yes 6 books for free!


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Sunday 20 March 2022

The People Next Door by Tony Parsons

 


Description from Goodreads:

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

So why is Lana feeling so uneasy?

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

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

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

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

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Oh my gosh, I can't tell you how disappointed I am after finishing this.  I am a huge fan of Tony Parsons' books and have enjoyed a few of them but this just didn't do it for me in any way, shape or form and for that, I am extremely sad.

I couldn't get into the plot ... it seemed to drone on and without much of a purpose, little excitement or thrills.  I couldn't get into the characters .. I found them quite one-dimensional and boring and whilst I don't usually have a problem with suspending reality when reading thrillers, let's face it if you can't do that in a fiction book when can you, but this was just a tad OTT even for me and don't even get me started on the ending!

As I said, I am extremely sad to be so negative about this book but I certainly won't stop eagerly waiting for Tony Parson's next instalment and, if other reviews of The People Next Door are anything to go by, I am in the minority with this one so I urge you to give it a go.

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

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Sunday 13 March 2022

The Party at No 12 [Audiobook] by Kerry Wilkinson

 


Narrated by Tamsin Kennard and Andrew Kingston


Description from Goodreads:

"Hannah smiles at her guests. In this grand house rented specially for the evening, everyone admires the sparkling chandelier and raises a glass to say goodbye before Hannah moves away from this little town for good.
But the next day, one of them lies cold and lifeless in their bed…

The day of her leaving party, Hannah Ford is nervous. With so many secrets and lies over the years between her friends, and arguments between her sisters, is it really a good idea to gather everyone together? But her mother insists that, after Hannah’s divorce and job struggles, she deserves a send-off to remember. So they all plaster on fake smiles and put aside their rifts for an evening of celebrations.

In the morning, one of the guests is found dead.

Hannah is desperate to tell the police. But every single guest has something to hide, or someone to protect. The group insists: they will deal with this themselves.

After all, it must have been an accident. Perhaps too much wine, on a night where emotions were running high.

But what if it wasn’t?

And what if this was just the first victim?"

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When a group of women get together for a going-away party, there is likely to be some drama or other but no one could predict what was going to happen at No 12.

"Everyone’s invited. Someone will never leave."

This was entertaining.  I listened to the audiobook and thoroughly enjoyed it.  The narrators did a great job of portraying each of the different characters; they drew me in and kept me there until the end.

The characters are an interesting bunch of people; not particularly likeable but interesting nonetheless.  The plot is engaging with the requisite twists and turns which keeps you guessing and the pace is good.

Overall, an enjoyable listen and whilst I haven't read or listened to anything by this author before, I will certainly keep an eye out in the future.

Thank you to Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for my audio copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.

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The Nurse by Claire Allan

 


Description from Goodreads:

"Someone is watching her. She just doesn’t know it yet.

The unputdownable new book from the bestselling author of Her Name Was Rose.

Everyone has a secret. But some are worse than you could ever imagine.

Nell Sweeney has led an ordinary life. Every day she walks to and from the hospital where she works as a nurse, believing that no harm can befall her.

Until one day she is taken.

Because someone out there has a secret. Someone out there has been watching Nell – and they’ve been watching others like her too.

Nell is the unlucky one – she was in the wrong place at the wrong time. And if she isn’t found soon, someone will make sure that she isn’t the last woman to be taken…"

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Oh my word!  Well that was a disturbing and dark book but I found myself racing through it and literally couldn't put it down .. a cliché I know but absolutely true in this case.

What can I say?  Gripping, frighteningly realistic and topical, dark, tense and heart-wrenching ... just a great book all round really.  I must add a warning though, it does deal with violence towards women and whilst this is, as you can imagine, not pleasant, it is I feel an honest portrayal of what is going on in the world today.

Written from the perspective of all the main characters, this is a fast-paced and engrossing read with a twist that caught me by surprise.

I haven't read anything by this author before but will certainly be keeping my eyes open in the future and my thanks must go to Avon Books UK and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review and for introducing me to another new author.


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Never Seen Again by Paul Finch

 


Description from Goodreads:

"Jodie Martindale and her boyfriend were kidnapped a decade ago.

Her boyfriend was found dead the next week.

Jodie was never seen again.

Journalist David Kelman, once a hotshot but now washed up, illegally comes into possession of Jodie's brother's old phone.

And on that phone is an unheard voicemail from two years ago.

The voice is unmistakeably that of Jodie Martindale.

The message begins an obsession for Kelman - which takes him down a rabbit hole of lies, to a dark and deadly truth..."

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I admit to being a fan of Mr Finch's work, having read and thoroughly enjoyed a few of his previous works and Never Seen Again is yet another one to add to the collection.

Here we have a twisty and dark thriller with a plot that is complex which although develops quite slowly, it ramps up and quickly becomes a rollercoaster of a ride with lots of tension and action. 

The characters are excellent and well developed.  The main character, David, is a journalist who starts off with few scruples and, as a consequence, I found he isn't a particularly likeable person ... at the start at least; he does grow on you as the story progresses.  He and his sidekicks, Anushka and Norm, make a great team and I wonder if there is more to come from them?  I certainly hope so.

Overall, a great read and I my thanks must go to Orion Publishing Group and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.

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Sunday 6 March 2022

One For Sorrow (DI Callanach #7) by Helen Fields

 


Description from Goodreads:

"One for sorrow, two for joy

Edinburgh is gripped by the greatest terror it has ever known. A lone bomber is targeting victims across the city and no one is safe.

Three for a girl, four for a boy

DCI Ava Turner and DI Luc Callanach face death every day – and not just the deaths of the people being taken hostage by the killer.

Five for silver, six for gold

When it becomes clear that with every tip-off they are walking into a trap designed to kill them too, Ava and Luc know that finding the truth could mean paying the ultimate price.

Seven for a secret never to be told…

But with the threat – and body count – rising daily, and no clue as to who’s behind it, neither Ava nor Luc know whether they will live long enough to tell the tale…"

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This is an absolute cracker of a book; totally absorbing, riveting and a rollercoaster ride of emotions.

This is the first one in the series I have read ... I know, I know, where have I been?  However, I do feel this can be read quite successfully as a standalone even though I know there is quite a lot of back story that I have missed.  This didn't affect my enjoyment of this book one little bit though so don't let it put you off; if anything, it has forced me to put the previous 6 on my wish list it's just a shame my birthday has been an gone ... do you think I can ask for them as a Mother's Day gift foregoing the usual card, flowers and chocolates?  I would say so 😀

From start to finish, I literally couldn't put it down ... yes I know this is a bit cliché and is said far too often but in this instance, it is a totally accurate statement.  With excellent and believable characters, a fast pace and a tense and thrilling plot that had me guessing to the end, this is definitely going to be one of my books of 2022.

This has got everything you could want from a crime thriller from beginning to end and on that, the ending ... I actually gasped out loud and frantically swiping at my Kindle screen wanting to find out what happens next only to realise that there was no more which has left me waiting very impatiently!

Bravo Helen Fields, bravo ... just wow!

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

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