The Butterfly Wheel by Keith Short

Description from Goodreads:

"Jake Vickers lives life in the fast lane. He works hard, leads a frenetic social life and has a reputation as a womaniser. Everything is going for him…until a motorcycle accident leaves him wheelchair-bound.

With the help of his regular partner, Everly, he rebuilds his life – yet he can’t resist philandering again and this time, there are consequences…

He attracts a stalker, and while at first it seems innocuous it becomes macabre when first one casual girlfriend and then another is viciously murdered. Jake is now in the frame as prime suspect. He is struggling to keep the police at bay and, if he can’t clear his name soon, imprisonment for murder is looking likely. Life is worse than ever, until, out of the blue…

Help appears from the most surprising quarter. Everly shows skills he didn’t know she had. The three of them together can prove his innocence – but only by uncovering the killer’s identity…

The hunt is on for the sinister and elusive predator known as Mannequin."

📚📚📚📚📚📚

A really good and engaging thriller.

Jake's a bit of a lad and a horrific motorbike accident doesn't seem to change much however, when women he meets and show an interest in him are murdered, he becomes the prime suspect.  Facing a multiple murder charge, Jake needs all the help he can get if he's not going to be staring at the inside of a cell for the majority of his life.

With some great characters (not all of them particularly likeable), a growing sense of tension and some great twists and turns, the Butterfly Wheel develops into a really good and engaging thriller and my thanks go to the author and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of this book.

👇👇👇👇👇👇

Connect with the author:

Website

 

Surviving the Holocaust and Stalin by Vanessa Holburn

Description from Goodreads:

"The horrors of Auschwitz, Bergen-Belsen and labor camps were just the beginning of the struggle to survive for the Seiler family. As Hungarian Jews, they faced persecution of the very worst kind both from their own government and Nazi Germany. After liberation by the Soviets at the end of WWII they endured further punishment from the Stalinist regime concealed behind the Iron Curtain.

This memoir is drawn from a recently re-discovered cache of precious family letters and exclusive interviews with Marta Seiler, who translated those letters for the first time. Marta has supplemented the account with childhood memories and original photos.

The narrative is told through the voices of Marta, her mother Izabella and her father Lajos on a journey that takes us from 1935 to the present day. The reader is able to piece together the family’s personal challenges set against the backdrop of international political conflict. 

Exploring themes of resilience, identity and inherited trauma, by the end of the book we learn how Marta rediscovered her forbidden Jewish identity, found her place within the community and has moved toward a place of tolerance. 

In the tradition of oral history, Marta told her remarkable family story exclusively to journalist Vanessa Holburn. For Marta it’s important we learn the lessons of the past before they are lost for good."

📚📚📚📚📚📚

This is a compelling story of one family's experiences of being a Hungarian Jew before, during and after World War 2.

No matter how many of these types of books I read, it never ceases to shock me how 'human beings' can develop an insidious culture against others just because they are different be it religion, race or whatever.  What I didn't realise was how, even after the Russians liberated the death and labour camps created by the Nazi regime, the persecution of Jews continued for those living behind the 'Iron Curtain'.

This book has opened my eyes to the continued injustice and oppression that was inflicted upon the Jewish people by the Stalin regime despite the horrors they had been subjected to by the Nazis but what it also did was show the resilience, bravery and hope the Seiler family demonstrated despite the tragedies and hardships they encountered and experienced.

This is a must-read for people who are interested in European history and to ensure that the voices of those who went through one of the darkest periods of the twentieth century are not forgotten and I must thank Pen & Sword and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of this book.

📚📚📚📚📚📚

Making Leine: A Leine Basso Prequel by D.V. Berkom

 

Description from Goodreads:

"The untold story of Leine's early years.

Before she was Leine Basso, elite assassin, she was just Leine, sixteen years old and recently orphaned. Find out how she transformed from angry and alone to formidable assassin, The Leopard."

📚📚📚📚📚📚

I think I can safely say that I am a fan of D.V. Berkom's work and especially of her character Leine Basso.  She is one of my all-time favourite female characters from fiction; strong and brave but with flaws and a caring side and it was great to have a snapshot of her beginnings in Making Leine and finally to finding out how to pronounce her name!!!

This is a novella and, as such, isn't very long which, unfortunately, is my only gripe ... it finished way too soon ... I'm sorry, I'm selfish and I wanted more! But if you are new to Leine Basso, this is a great starter and will have you itching to press that "buy it now" button to get your next fix and you won't be disappointed.

I can highly recommend this series and once again, thank you to D.V for accepting me as a member her ARTeam and for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of Making Leine and my itchy little fingers/hungry eyes can't wait to read the next!

👇👇👇👇👇👇

Connect with the author:

Website

Twitter

Facebook

Pinterest

BookBub

👀👀👀👀👀👀

More of D.V. Berkom's books I have read and reviewed:

The Body Market (Leine Basso #4)

The Last Deception (Leine Basso #6)

Dark Return (Leine Basso #7)

Absolution (Leine Basso #8)

Dakota Burn (Leine Basso #9)

Shadow of the Jaguar (Leine Basso#10)

A Plague of Traitors (Leine Basso #11)

Fatal Objective (Leine Basso #12)

Retribution (A Claire Whitcomb Western #1)

Gunslinger (A Claire Whitcomb Western #2)

Legend (A Claire Whitcomb Western #3)

The Marriage Act by John Marrs

Description from Goodreads:

"What if marriage was the law? Dare you disobey?

Britain. The near future. A right wing government believes it has the answer to society’s ills – the Sanctity of Marriage Act which actively encourages marriage as the norm, punishing those who choose to remain single.

But four couples are about to discover just how impossible relationships can be when the government is monitoring every aspect of our personal lives, monitoring every word, every minor disagreement…And it will use every tool in its arsenal to ensure everyone will love, honour and obey!"

📚📚📚📚📚📚

Set in a time not too far away, this is a dark and rather creepy tale that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Would you 'upgrade' your marriage if it meant getting preferential treatment ... the best jobs, the best houses, better health care, education, etc., etc., etc.?  But then what if that meant artificial intelligence was listening in to snap shots of your conversations and then analysing them to make sure you are keeping to the terms of your marriage?  And if not, a scale of interventions would be put into action.  Would you still do it?  Well, The Marriage Act will probably make you think again!

Mr Marrs certainly gets you thinking and poses really interesting questions and dilemmas in this well plotted, perfectly paced book told from the viewpoints of his well created characters and with some great twists and turns.

Thoroughly enjoyable and quite an unsettling book that actually doesn't feel that far from becoming a reality!  How many have an Alexa, Siri or similar digital voice assistant in the home or on your wrist that just sits there?  I'm not a conspiracy theorist, however I imagine it wouldn't take much for a law to be passed in the name of improving the economy or society in some way, then a switch is flicked and the process would start ... definitely not beyond the realms of reality and very scary!

This is the second of Mr Marrs' books I have enjoyed and I will definitely read more in the future and thanks must go to Pan Macmillan, Macmillan and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of The Marriage Act.

👇👇👇👇👇👇

Connect with the author:

Website

Twitter

Facebook

Instagram

Amazon

TikTok

👀👀👀👀👀👀

Check out my review of Keep It In the Family also by John Marrs:

In The Dark by Claire Allan

💥💥💥 due to be published 19-Jan-2023 💥💥💥 

Description from Goodreads:

"My name is Nora Logue. You’ve probably heard of me – most people have.

I am the mother of Daisy Logue. Seven years ago, I took her for a walk in the woods. Only I came out.

I have no memory of what happened that day.

I have tried to rebuild my life. Met a man, had another child – Luca. But I can’t let go of Daisy, or give up hope of seeing her again.

And now, I have the chance to find out what happened to her.

But what if pursuing the truth about my daughter risks my son’s life?"

📚📚📚📚📚📚

A compelling and addictive read that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Seven years ago, Nora walked into the woods with her daughter Daisy but walked out of them alone.  She has no recollection of what happened and there has been no sign of her since.   Did Nora murder her little girl or was she taken for a fate worse than death?  Theories abound but nothing can be proven. 

Izzy is making a documentary about Daisy's disappearance and whilst Nora has agreed to be a part of that process, she is understandably worried about the repercussions ... she continues to be plagued by people who believe she killed her daughter and the documentary is only going to inflame this but she is desperate to remember but at what cost to her, her new marriage and Luca, Nora's second child.

The more Izzy delves into the past and snippets of memories come back to Nora, the more intriguing the story becomes.

Full of tension, twists and turns and with great characters, this is a book that had me reading on into the night desperate to find out what happened to Daisy and I wasn't disappointed.

My thanks go to Avon Books UK and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of In The Dark.

👇👇👇👇👇👇

Connect with the author:

Website

Twitter

Facebook

👀👀👀👀👀👀

Check out my review of The Nurse also by Claire Allen:

The Judas Tree by Amanda Jennings [Audiobook]

Narrated by Joe Jameson

Description from Goodreads:

"At a bleak boys boarding school in Cornwall in the eighties when bullying is rife, Will and his best friend Luke are involved in a horrific incident that results in Luke leaving.

Twenty-five years later their paths cross again and memories of a painful childhood come flooding back to haunt them both.

Will’s wife, Harmony, is struggling after a miscarriage that has hit her hard, and wishes Will would open up about what happened. But as Will withdraws further, she finds herself drawn to the charismatic stranger from her husband’s past, Luke, and soon all three are caught in a tangled web of guilt, desire and revenge…"

🎧📚🎧📚🎧📚🎧

I was unsure where this story was going for most of it but I was intrigued and once it got there, it had me hooked.

Will is married to Harmony; their marriage is somewhat strained and when they meet Will's childhood friend, Luke, at a party, things begin to unravel in spectacular style.

With increasing tension and a realisation that things are becoming more sinister, I found The Judas Tree almost impossible to stop listening to and this was helped by the narrator, Joe Jameson, who was great; he kept me engaged and really brought the characters to life.

This is a very powerful story of how bullying and trauma in childhood can impact the rest of your life and shape the choices you make and if ever there was an advert not to be a bully, this is it and I must give my thanks to HarperCollins UK Audio and NetGalley for enabling me to listen and share my thoughts of The Judas Tree.

👇👇👇👇👇👇

Connect with the author:

Website

Twitter

Facebook

Instagram

 

The Innocent One by Lisa Ballantyne

💥💥💥 due out 12-Jan-2023 💥💥💥

Description from Goodreads:

"Innocent

Ten years have passed, but everyone remembers the Angel Killer. Sebastian Croll was just eleven years old when accused of murdering his playmate.

Criminal solicitor Daniel Hunter helped prove Sebastian's innocence in a trial that gripped the nation, and now the past is being unearthed when he gets a call from his old client.

Or guilty?

Sebastian's university professor has been brutally murdered and everyone who knew her is in the frame. As Daniel steps in to represent Sebastian for a second time, news about the boy's past spreads like wildfire, instantly branding Sebastian as guilty.

With tensions around the country rising, can Daniel prove once again that Sebastian is the innocent one? Especially when he realises it's not just Sebastian in danger, but himself . . ."

📚📚📚📚📚📚

I didn't realise this was a follow on from a previous book (The Guilty One) but I don't think it detracted too much from my reading enjoyment of this, the first book by Lisa Ballantyne I have read.

Eleven year old Sebastian was acquitted of murdering his friend and Daniel Hunter was his solicitor.  Fast forward 10 years and Sebastian is studying at Cambridge when one of his tutors is brutally murdered.  Sebastian is in the frame and he appoints Daniel as his solicitor once again.

The story focuses on Daniel, the difficulties he is experiencing with his marriage, reconciling a difficult childhood and the fallout from representing Sebastian previously as well as having to deal with the uncertainty surrounding Sebastian's innocence/guilt now.

This was a bit of a slow burn but I thought this worked quite well with this particular story especially as I hadn't read the previous one.  There was definitely a growing sense of tension and unease from the start with me wondering where it was going and how it was going to play out and I wasn't disappointed.

Recommended to mystery thriller lovers and thanks to Little, Brown Book Group and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of The Innocent One and for introducing me to another author to look out for in the future.

👇👇👇👇👇👇

Connect with the author:

Website

Twitter

Facebook

 

Devil's Way (Kate Marshall #4) by Robert Bryndza

💥💥💥 due out 12-Jan-2023 💥💥💥

 

Description from Goodreads:

"THE TRUTH HIDES IN THE DARK

Kate Marshall’s investigation into a young boy’s disappearance sends her down an unexpectedly twisted path in a riveting thriller by multi-million bestselling author, Robert Bryndza.

When Private Investigator Kate Marshall is rushed to hospital after being pulled into a riptide current in the sea, the near-death experience leaves her shaken. During her recovery, she befriends Jean, an elderly lady on the same ward. Jean tells the harrowing story of how her three-year-old grandson, Charlie, went missing eleven years ago during a camping trip on Dartmoor.

By the time Kate is well enough to go home, she's agreed to take on the case, but when Kate and her trusty sidekick Tristan start to look at the events of that fateful night, they discover that Jean has a dark past that could have put Charlie in jeopardy.

Was Charlie abducted? Or did he fall into Devil's Way? A rushing river that vanishes into a gorge close to where they were camping.

When Kate and Tristan discover that a social worker who flagged concerns about Jean and her daughter was found brutally murdered shortly after Charlie vanished, it makes them question everything they thought they knew about the family..."

📚📚📚📚📚📚

My 1st review of 2023 and what a cracker it is.

This is 4th in the Kate Marshall series and, in my opinion, this is a great series.  This might not be the best one out of the 4 but it is equally as good.  You don't have to have read any of the previous books as this works well as a standalone, but if you want my advice, I would read them anyway because they are really very good!

The characters are really strong and I am now quite attached to Kate and Tristan; they make an excellent partnership and I am particularly enjoying their character development as each book comes along.  The pace was perfect for me and the story was full of intrigue and although I guessed the twist ... eventually, I really enjoyed how it all played out.

Mr Bryndza is now one of my go-to authors and I highly recommend his books and I must thank Raven Street Publishing and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of Devil's Way.

👇👇👇👇👇👇

Connect with the author:

Website

Twitter

Facebook

Instagram

YouTube

👀👀👀👀👀👀

Other books by Robert Bryndza I have read and reviewed:

Nine Elms (Kate Marshall #1)

Shadow Sands (Kate Marshall #2)

Darkness Falls (Kate Marshall #3)

Fatal Witness (Detective Erika Foster #7)