The Stable Boy of Auschwitz by Henry Oster & Dexter Ford [Audiobook]

🎤🎤🎤 Narrated by William Hope 🎤🎤🎤

Description from Goodreads:

"This heart-wrenching memoir from a Holocaust survivor reveals the terrible realities of life in Auschwitz—and how a courageous young stable boy survived against all odds to tell his story.​ 

“ I couldn’t last much longer. But just as I was beginning to give up, I found myself in the Auschwitz stables, with rows of stalls filled with horses.” 

Henry Oster was just five years old when Adolf Hitler took power in 1933. He was the last survivor of the 2,011 Jews who were rounded up by the Gestapo and deported from Cologne. Assigned to back-breaking labor in the Auschwitz horse-breeding stables, Henry clung to the belief that if he made himself hard to replace, he might stay alive.

 

Henry was one of the 2,011 Jews who were deported from Cologne, through it all, he found the strength to survive and was one of only 23 to emerge alive from the concentration camps after the war.

 

How did one starving boy, alone and forgotten, survive this ultimate hell on earth?

The Stable Boy of Auschwitz is the heart-breaking, mesmerizing, and unforgettable true story that will destroy your faith in humanity . . . and then build it back up again."

Previously published as The Kindness of the Hangman.

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I have read a few books about the Holocaust during World War II but I have never listened to one before and, let me tell you, I found this audiobook just as powerful and heart-wrenching listening to William Hope's excellent narration.

Each book I have read about the Holocaust and World War II has provided another piece of history I was not fully aware of and The Stable Boy of Auschwitz is no different.  It charts the remarkable life of Henry Oster before, during and after the war.  

It is, as you can imagine, a very difficult book to read/listen to but it is also very powerful and inspirational and shows one boy's exceptional journey of survival from freedom, to the ghetto, to Auschwitz, on the forced marches, to Buchenwald and, finally, freedom again and is a story that should be shared as all survivors accounts should be.

I must thank Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for enabling me to listen to and share my thoughts of The Stable Boy of Auschwitz and for continuing to ensure that these stories continue to be published so they are not forgotten.

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Learn more about Henry Oster:

USC Shoah Foundation which links to a YouTube recording of his testimony

 

Until Proven Innocent by Nicola Williams

 

Description from Goodreads:

"Lee Mitchell is a young barrister from a working-class Caribbean background: in the cut-throat environment of the courtroom, everything is stacked against her.

On her doorstep in South London the 15-year-old son of the pastor at the local Black church is shot, and the local community is shattered. All evidence is pointing to infamously corrupt, racist police officer Sergeant Jack Lambert as the irredeemable suspect. His own boss - rebel-turned-copper Danny Wallace - is certain he is guilty.

Against her will, Lee is strong-armed into defending him. With cries of 'Black Lives Matter!' echoing in the streets, Lee is at the centre of the turmoil as lies, anger, and mistrust spiral out of control.

With the line between her personal and professional life becoming increasingly blurred, Lee keeps asking herself the same question: How can she defend the indefensible?"

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I really, really wanted to enjoy this but, alas, I didn't.

I usually enjoy a meaty, courtroom drama .. the build up, the backstory, the tension of a court case but Until Proven Innocent was quite a lot of waffle, with too many characters which caused me to become confused about who was who and, in the end, I just didn't care and I can't even remember what happened, why and who to.

Now, I am only one of loads of people who have read this and there are many 5* and positive reviews out there so if you like the sound of this, give it a go ... it might just be one for you but, unfortunately, not for me.

Thanks to Penguin General UK - Fig Tree, Hamish Hamilton, Viking, Penguin Life, Penguin Business and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of Until Proven Innocent.

The Holiday Home by Daniel Hurst [Audiobook]

🎤🎤🎤 Narrated by Zoë Mills and Richard Burnip🎤🎤🎤

Description from Goodreads:

"The perfect holiday or the perfect nightmare…

I sit sipping champagne in the warm water, bubbles frothing around me as I admire the breath-taking view of gorgeous blue skies and mountains. I can’t believe I’m here, at this stunning holiday home. It’s to die for…

My best friend and her husband have invited me and my family to their lakeside property for the weekend, to experience their luxury lifestyle. I’m not envious of their wealth, although I know my husband Ryan is. All I want is to escape from our recent troubles and get my marriage back on track.

Then I overhear Ryan having a whispered conversation late one evening, and he says something that sends a shiver down my spine. In this beautiful paradise my whole world is turned upside down.

Just when I think things can’t get any worse, I discover a second secret. The truth is even more shocking than I imagine, and now I have no idea who to trust.

This was meant to be the perfect holiday, but someone isn’t going to survive it…"

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I have listened to one of Daniel's previous books, The Couple in the Cabin, and really enjoyed it but this just didn't hit the spot for me unfortunately.

Nicola and her family have been invited to spend the weekend with her best friend and her family in their luxurious but isolated cabin in the wilds of Scotland but things soon go awry when Nicola overhears something that turns the idyllic weekend break into a nightmare.

Sounds good doesn't it ... well, it started off well and although I didn't really get on with any of the characters, it didn't really bother me but as the story progressed, it became a little predictable and I wasn't overly surprised or enthralled by how it developed.

The narrators did a great job and did try to bring tension and excitement to the story but, alas, it didn't really work for me but it won't put me off reading or listening to Daniel's books in the future; this one was just didn't work for me unfortunately.

My thanks go to Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for enabling me to listen to and share my thoughts of The Holiday Home.

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Check out my review of The Couple in the Cabin also by Daniel Hurst

 

The Close by (Maeve Kerrigan #10) by Jane Casey

Description from Goodreads:

"At first glance, Jellicoe Close seems to be a perfect suburban street – well-kept houses with pristine lawns, neighbours chatting over garden fences, children playing together.

But there are dark secrets behind the neat front doors, hidden dangers that include a ruthless criminal who will stop at nothing.

It’s up to DS Maeve Kerrigan and DI Josh Derwent to uncover the truth. Posing as a couple, they move into the Close, blurring the lines between professional and personal as never before.

And while Maeve and Josh try to gather the evidence they need, they have no idea of the danger they face – because someone in Jellicoe Close has murder on their mind."

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Yet another cracker from Jane Casey in her excellent Maeve Kerrigan series that never gets stale and whilst this may be book 10 in the series, I think you could just about get away with it as a standalone but I really would recommend you read the rest of the books if only because they are all excellent!

The Close is yet another gripping read with the right mix of intrigue and action, red herrings and plot twists.  Being a fan of Maeve and Josh, I loved that they were working undercover together acting as a couple and it really brought a different dimension and added tension to the story and kept my grubby little eyes reading as fast as they possibly could.

Highly recommended series and I can't wait for the next and many thanks to HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of The Close.

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Other books by Jane Casey I have read and reviewed:

The Kill (Maeve Kerrigan #5)

Let the Dead Speak (Maeve Kerrigan #7)

Cruel Acts (Maeve Kerrigan #8)

The Cutting Place (Maeve Kerrigan #9)

The Killing Kind

 

Hell Bay (DI Ben Kitto #1) by Kate Rhodes [Audiobook]

🎤🎤🎤 Narrated by Stephen Perring 🎤🎤🎤

Description from Goodreads:

"DI Ben Kitto needs a second chance. After ten years working for the murder squad in London, a traumatic event has left him grief-stricken. He’s tried to resign from his job, but his boss has persuaded him to take three months to reconsider.

Ben plans to work in his uncle Ray’s boatyard, on the tiny Scilly island of Bryher where he was born, hoping to mend his shattered nerves. His plans go awry when the body of sixteen year old Laura Trescothick is found on the beach at Hell Bay. Her attacker must still be on the island because no ferries have sailed during a two-day storm.

Everyone on the island is under suspicion. Dark secrets are about to resurface. And the murderer could strike again at any time."

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This is the first book by Kate Rhodes I have read or listened to and it definitely won't be the last as Hell Bay was gripping and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

DI Ben Kitto returns to the place of his birth, the beautiful but bleak Scilly Isles, with the intention of taking some time following a tragedy which has resulted in him wanting to resign from his job as a detective in the murder investigation team in London but being told by his superiors to take some time out instead.  

Unfortunately, this doesn't quite work out when a young girl is found on a remote beach having been stabbed to death and left to the mercy of the sea.  The culprit must be one of the islanders and it is Ben Kitto who is tasked with investigating but what he uncovers is an island full of dark secrets.

With great characters, a fantastic setting and a great plot written at a perfect pace, Hell Bay is a gripping story that had me guessing and second guessing myself from the start and made all the better by the great narration of Stephen Perring who, despite the numerous different characters, did an excellent job.

Definitely recommended and I will be looking out for the rest of the series to feast my beady eyes or ears on and my thanks go to Simon & Schuster Audio UK and NetGalley for enabling me to listen to and share my thoughts of Hell Bay.

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The Institution by Helen Fields

 Description from the Publisher:

"They’re locked up for your safety.

Now, you’re locked in with them.

Dr Connie Woolwine has five days to catch a killer.

On a locked ward in the world’s highest-security prison hospital, a scream shatters the night. The next morning, a nurse’s body is found and her daughter has been taken. A ransom must be paid, and the clock is ticking.

Forensic profiler Dr Connie Woolwine is renowned for her ability to get inside the mind of a murderer. Now, she must go deep undercover among the most deranged and dangerous men on earth and use her unique skills to find the girl – before it’s too late.

But as the walls close in around her, can Connie get the killer before The Institution gets her?"

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Yet another gripping read by Helen Fields and one I very much enjoyed

It has everything - a gruesome murder, an isolated creepy location, serial killers, twists, turns, action and fantastic characters all wrapped up in an excellent story that was hard to stop reading even the parts that were quite gruesome.

Dr Connie and her partner, Baarda, are a great team and I would really like to read more about their work together - if there are more stories in the pipeline ... sign me up!

A very tense and riveting read that I highly recommend and thank you Avon Books UK and NetGalley for enabling be to read and share my thoughts of The Institution.

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Other books by Helen Fields I have read and reviewed:

One For Sorrow (DI Callanach #7)

The Last Girl to Die

Look Both Ways by Linwood Barclay [Audiobook]

 

🎤🎤🎤Narrated by Ako Mitchell🎤🎤🎤

Description from Goodreads:

"These headlights are watching you…

The media have descended on Garrett Island, a small, isolated community that is the setting of a visionary experiment. All the residents’ cars were sent to the mainland and for the past month the islanders have been “driving” the Arrival, a revolutionary autonomous vehicle. With a simple voice command, an Arrival will take you wherever you want to go and, because the fleet is networked and aware of one another, car travel is now 100% safe. The future, it seems, has arrived.

As the excitement reaches a fever pitch, Sandra Montrose – islander, single mom, and public relations executive – prepares for Arrival Inc.’s flashy press event. Sandra is more than ready for this new world. Her husband died after falling asleep at the wheel and she’s relieved that her two teens, Archie and Katie, will never need driver’s licenses.

But as the celebratory day gets underway, disaster strikes. A visiting journalist has vanished, possibly murdered. Before long, the Arrivals run amok, no longer taking orders from their passengers. They’re starting to organize. They’re beginning to hunt. And they seem hell-bent on killing any human they encounter.

Is this all just a tragic accident, a technological malfunction with deadly consequences? Or were the vehicles programmed to act this way in a cruel act of corporate sabotage? Or could it be that the Arrivals have a mind of their own?

Fasten your seatbelts – it’s going to be a bumpy ride."

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I would say that this book is a cross between Christine and The Terminator and is one crazy ride!

Garrett Island's inhabitants have had all their cars removed and self-driving and fully automated 'Arrivals' given to them as an experiment.  Arrivals are aware of each other and of everything around them ... gone are accidents, speeding, dints and scrapes; well, that's the theory anyway and it works until someone throws a spanner in the works and all hell breaks loose.

There's some great characters; I especially liked Bruce, Kate and Archie.  The story is solid and the action comes thick and fast and whilst I found it a very entertaining story which I enjoyed, I think I would have enjoyed it even more had I read the actual book as the narration just didn't do it for me unfortunately and it just didn't seem to be right for the story somehow. 

Overall, a great book that makes you think twice about what the future is likely to hold and my thanks go to HarperCollins UK Audio, HQ and NetGalley for enabling me to listen to and share my thoughts of Look Both Ways.

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Other books by Linwood Barclay I have read and reviewed:

Find You First

Take Your Breath Away