The Wilderness Retreat by Jennifer Moore

Description from the Publisher:

"As Bella drops her son off at university, she’s devastated. It’s been the two of them ever since Asher was born. The only thing helping her through is an upcoming week-long wilderness retreat in Sweden, a surprise gift from her sister and Asher.

The lodge is modern and luxurious – but the surrounding forest is foreboding. Named Dead Man’s Forest after the legend of a local bandit left to die inside a wooden coffin, there are rumours that, on quiet nights, you can still hear the scratching of his fingernails against the lid.

When someone begins leaving unsettling notes, and a figure from her past comes back to haunt her, Bella’s unease grows. This certainly isn't the restful retreat she signed up for. And when another guest suddenly disappears, Bella fears she might not make it home alive…

The holiday seems idyllic until the person who ruined Bella’s life years ago arrives, threatening everything she’s worked hard for and will do anything to protect. Suddenly, a terrified Bella is trapped in the wild, knowing someone wants her dead…"

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Hmmm ... I've got to admit that I struggled with this book.  I finished it but only just and only with a bit of skim reading along the way.

What I liked about it:  the setting and the general creepiness.

What I didn't like about it:  the main character ... well, actually, most of the characters if I'm honest, the repetitive nature of some of the story, the dream sequences, lack of anything much happening most of the time and whilst the "mystery" was intriguing in the beginning, the twist was, for me, pretty obvious.

I'm sorry I didn't enjoy this as much as I was hoping but I guess you can't please everyone all of the time and there are plenty of very positive reviews for this book so if it sounds like your kind of story, give it a go.

Thank you to HQ and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of The Wilderness Retreat.

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The War Pianist by Mandy Robotham

Description from Goodreads:

"Pianist: NOUN. Informal. A person who operates or controls a radio transmitter – often in code.

July, 1940

Blitz-ridden London: Marnie Fern’s life is torn apart when her grandfather is killed in an air raid. But once she discovers that he’d been working undercover as a radio operative – or Pianist – for the Dutch resistance, Marnie knows she must complete his mission – no matter the cost…

Nazi-occupied Amsterdam: At the other end of the wireless, fellow pianist Corrie Bakker is caught in a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse as she desperately tries to keep her loved ones out of the line of fire – even if it means sacrificing herself…

Bound together by the invisible wires of their radios, the two women lead parallel lives in their home cities, as both are betrayed by those they trust the most. But when the Nazis close in on one of them, only the other can save her…

Two cities. Two spies. But which woman survives?"

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Who knew radio operators during WWII were known as pianists?  I certainly didn't.

The story is told from the perspectives of the two pianists ... Marnie in London and Connie in Amsterdam.  Marnie and Connie are exceptionally strong characters and the author transported me into their worlds amongst the bombs of the blitz and the invasion of the Nazi's where trust can be a dangerous thing.

With oodles of tension, the fear palpable and the bravery and courage of those working against the Nazi war machine excellently portrayed, the War Pianist is a gripping story and whilst this is a work of fiction, it felt authentic and was totally riveting.

Many thanks to Avon Books UK and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of The War Pianist.

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Check out my review of The Resistance Girl;

an audiobook also by Mandy Robotham

 

 

The Dead of Winter by Stuart MacBride

 👉due to be released 16-Feb-2023👈

Description from Goodreads:

"It was supposed to be an easy job.

All Detective Constable Edward Reekie had to do was pick up a dying prisoner from HMP Grampian and deliver him somewhere to live out his last few months in peace.

From the outside, Glenfarach looks like a quaint, sleepy, snow-dusted village, nestled deep in the heart of Cairngorms National Park, but things aren't what they seem. The place is thick with security cameras and there's a strict nine o'clock curfew, because Glenfarach is the final sanctuary for people who've served their sentences but can't be safely released into the general population.

Edward's new boss, DI Montgomery-Porter, insists they head back to Aberdeen before the approaching blizzards shut everything down, but when an ex-cop-turned-gangster is discovered tortured to death in his bungalow, someone needs to take charge.

The weather's closing in, tensions are mounting, and time's running out - something nasty has come to Glenfarach, and Edward is standing right in its way..."

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I have enjoyed a number of Stuart MacBride's books before; I enjoy his writing style, his dark sense of humour, twisty plots and excellent characters - The Dead of Winter is no different and I loved it.

DI Victoria Montgomery-Porter (also known as Bigtoria but don't let her hear you call her that!) and her underling, DC Edward Reekie are tasked with transporting a dying prisoner to spend his final days in the village of Glenfarach a 'special' village where ex-prisoners live when they can't be released back into full freedom.  A straight-forward job I hear you say however it turns into anything but when a resident is found tortured to death and no one can get in or out as the weather closes in.

Full of dark humour, violence, gore and unsavoury characters along with a fast paced plot full of twists and turns, this was a book I really enjoyed.  There are many laugh-out-loud moments, moments that make you wince and several "no way" moments that had me swiping my screen at a great rate of knots desperate to find out how it was all going to end but also not wanting it to.

It's all a bit crackers and not particularly plausible but I loved it from start to finish and I must thank Random House UK, Transworld Publishers and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of The Dead of Winter.

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Other books by Stuart MacBride I have read and reviewed:

No Less the Devil

The Coffin Maker's Garden (Ash Henderson #3)

Cold Granite (Logan McRae #1)

All That's Dead (Logan McRae #12)

The Girl in the Pink Shoes (Lucy Kendall #1) by Stacy Green [Audiobook]

 

🎤🎤🎤 Narrated by Amelia Sciandra 🎤🎤🎤

Description from Goodreads:

"My baby girl. This morning she was so excited for school. I bought her new shoes last night. Pink, sparkly shoes. She loved them so much. She wore them for the first time today. And now she is gone....

It is every mother’s worst nightmare. Eight-year-old Kailey Richardson skips out of the school gates in her brand-new pink shoes and never makes it home. Between the school and the safety of her shiny red front door, someone has taken her.

Private Investigator Lucy Kendall sees the fliers of a smiling, gap-toothed Kailey and knows she won’t be able to sleep until the little girl is found. Having lost her own sister to the darkest evil, she is determined to help find Kailey before it is too late.

As Lucy talks to Kailey’s friends, desperate to find out who has taken the happy little girl, she begins to form a worrying picture of the days before Kailey’s disappearance. The blue car idling in the street outside the school. The friendly man across the road. And Kailey’s mother, Jenna, hollow-eyed and jumpy, clutching Kailey’s teddy bear and not telling Lucy everything.

Lucy has promised Jenna she will do everything to find her daughter. But then she discovers Jenna has a connection to the prime suspect in Kailey’s disappearance...and one that brings Lucy’s past rushing back to haunt her. Time is running out to find Kailey, but will Lucy be able to save this innocent little girl before her own demons destroy her?"

Previously published as All Good Deeds

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This is the first book in the Lucy Kendall series and the first by Stacy Green I have either read or listened to and it certainly won't be the last.

Lucy has her demons from her childhood as well as the ones she carries from her previous work in Child Protection Services and now she is a private investigator but with a secret - exacting her own punishment against those who have managed to escape justice for the heinous crimes they have perpetrated against children so when 8 year old Kailey goes missing on her way home from school, Lucy doesn't waste any time getting involved but what she discovers is shocking.

With excellent, strong characters, an upsetting but plausible story line with some great unexpected twists, The Girl in the Pink Shoes is a great start to a series.  I grew to like Lucy and her band of helpers and I look forward to seeing where things go for her in future books.

The narration was understated and perfect - Amelia Sciandra did a great job and kept my interest and the story moving along nicely and my thanks to Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for enabling me to listen to and share my thoughts of The Girl in the Pink Shoes.

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The Stolen Twins by Shari J. Ryan

👉due to be published 14-Feb-2023👈

Description from Goodreads:

"Auschwitz, 1944: “You can’t leave me,” I whisper, my hand trembling as I reach for her cheek. “You can’t. We’re in this life together, always, just you and me.” This utterly heartbreaking yet beautifully hopeful World War Two page-turner tells the story of identical twin sisters in Auschwitz. Born minutes apart, Arina and Nora have never left each other’s side—until now…

The cattle car is dark, except for the light filtering through the boarded windows. There are too many of us to count, crushed up against each other. The air is stuffy, carrying the scent of our terror—none of us know what awaits us when this train stops. I cling onto Mama’s hand and Nora, my twin sister, clutches Papa’s.

After what feels like forever, the train stops. We spill out of the carriage, the sun blinding us after being imprisoned in darkness for so long. There are people everywhere, soldiers separating children from their parents, husbands from wives.

We’re in some sort of queue, and a man in a dark-green SS uniform walks by, glancing at everyone he passes. “Twins, twins,” he shouts. My heart falls into the pit of my stomach.

“Right here,” says Mama, hesitation in her voice. “My daughters are twins.” My eyes widen, and Nora trembles. Papa tries to tell Mama to be quiet, but it’s too late.

The Nazi catches sight of us. “Twins,” he says again, pausing to inspect Nora and me. “Yes, you are, aren’t you? You two are going to come along with me.”

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Oh my word ... what a story!! I don't think there are any superlatives that captures adequately how I felt about this book and how good it was ... I was breathless and on pins from the very first to the very last word.

The story is told from the viewpoints of Jewish twins Arina and Nora and from multi timelines from their life with their parents in Hungary, through the horrors of being twins at the hands of the monster that was Mengele in Auschwitz and their road to rebuilding their lives in France and the USA.

It is a powerful story of survival, loss, resilience, hope and the power of love; I was absolutely rivetted and devoured it in quick time and have no problem recommending this to those of you who love getting totally immersed in a wonderful book that will have your emotions in tatters and my thanks must go to Bookouture and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of The Stolen Twins.

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Those People Next Door by Kia Abdullah [Audiobook}

🎤🎤🎤 Narrated by Tania Rodrigues 🎤🎤🎤

Description from Goodreads:

"You can choose your house. Not your neighbours.

Salma Khatun is extremely hopeful about Blenheim, the safe suburban development to which she, her husband and their son have just moved. Their family is in desperate need of a fresh start, and Blenheim feels like the place to make that happen.

Not long after they move in, Salma spots her neighbour, Tom Hutton, ripping out the anti-racist banner she put in her front garden. She chooses not to confront Tom because she wants to fit in. It's a small thing, really. No need to make a fuss. So Salma takes the banner inside and puts it in her window instead.

But the next morning she wakes up to find her window smeared with paint. This time she does confront Tom, and the battle lines between the two families are drawn. As things begin to escalate and the stakes become higher and higher, it's clear that a reckoning is coming… And someone is going to get hurt."

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This is a tense story of how one seemingly innocuous action can spiral out of control resulting in tragedy and heartache.

Salma, Bill and Zain move into their new home in the hopes of making a fresh start.  The move has stretched them financially but they are determined to make the best of things and when they are invited to a barbecue in order to get to know their neighbours, things appear to be going well. However, when Zain's banner is removed from their front garden and dumped on their lawn by their neighbour, Tom, things quickly start to escalate culminating in a horrendous incident which leaves on of the characters in a coma and another standing trial for attempted murder.

This a really tense and, sadly, believable story of how misunderstandings, intolerance and lies can ruin lives.  The characters aren't particularly likeable and this did mean that I actually didn't care what the outcome was for any of them but I did enjoy getting there and the twists and turns along the way!

The narrator, Tania Rodrigues, was excellent and really brought the story to life.

I have never read or listened to anything by Kia Abdullah before but I will certainly be keeping my beady eyes and ears open in the future and I must thank HarperCollins UK Audio and NetGalley for enabling me to listen to and share my thoughts of Those People Next Door.

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What July Knew by Emily Koch

👉 due to be published 09-Feb-2023👈

Description from Goodreads:

"Summer, 1995.

July Hooper knows eighteen things about her mother.

Like number thirteen: she loved dancing on the kitchen table. And number eight: she was covered in freckles.

And then there's number two: she died after being hit by a car when July was small.

She keeps this list hidden in a drawer away from her father. Because they're not allowed to talk about her mother. Ever.

But an anonymous note slipped into July's bag on her tenth birthday is about to change everything she thinks she knows about her mum.

Determined to discover what really happened to her, July begins to investigate, cycling around the neighbourhood where her family used to live. There she meets someone who might finally have the answers.

July wants her family to stop lying to her, but will the truth be harder to face?"

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I have read and enjoyed a couple of Emily's books before and this was no exception and something a little different to my usual reads.

July has had a difficult start in life having lost her mum very early in her life but as she nears her tenth birthday and wants to find out more about her mum, her life becomes even more difficult especially when she is not allowed to ask any questions otherwise there are "lessons" that she needs to learn.

I absolutely loved July and was immediately drawn to her and her story.  Her innocence was endearing and I matched her desire and need to find out more about her mum and what happened to her.

This was a tough read in parts as it deals with domestic and child abuse and although it isn't gratuitous, if these are triggers for you, I would think strongly whether you want to read it.

Although it's a little slow to start, there is a pervading sense of unease amongst the drip drip of information that makes you want to keep reading and I would recommend to those of you who enjoy a great mystery but, more than that, a strong story of friendship, family and finding out where you belong within that complicated structure.

Thanks to Random House UK, Vintage and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of What July Knew.

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Other books by Emily Koch I have read and reviewed:

Keep Him Close

If I Die Before I Wake