If I Can Save One Child by Amanda Lees

Description from Goodreads:

"France, 1942: Robert curls sleepily into me, his tiny hand grasping mine like a lifeline. He’s been so brave, this little boy who has been through the unimaginable. As his eyes close, I wonder how much longer we can go on. But I promised to save him. And I can’t give up now…

Young linguist Elisabeth has been working for the British secret service since the war began, rescuing downed pilots and Jewish refugees. Now the Gestapo are on her her next mission must be her last. Or she may never see the white cliffs of Dover again.

But she can’t even think about abandoning her post when so many remain in danger. So when daredevil fellow agent Guy arrives with a frantic plea, there was never any doubt that Elisabeth would help. Somewhere in occupied France is a little boy, the last survivor of a Jewish orphanage, desperately trying to make his way to safety. They have to save him.

Elisabeth knows the mission may be suicide. But she also knows she could never live with herself if she didn’t try to save this child. And so she and Guy set off on one last journey together, into the mountains. For freedom – for this child – they’ll risk it all…"

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Once again, Amanda Lees has created an emotional roller coaster that contains oodles of tension and action with a romance thrown in.

The main character of Elisabeth is excellent, as are all of the characters in this book.  What I particularly liked was that the focus was on the bravery of ordinary men and women who risked their lives to help desperate people escape the despicable regime that had invaded and taken over their country but whilst there were parts that dealt with the atrocities of the invading force, this wasn't the main focal point which was a nice change.

If I have one complaint, it's that I would have liked to have found out what happened to one particular character who turned collaborator and seen him get is comeuppance however, that's only a blip in what is otherwise an excellent book.

Full of action and suspense with a plot that was absolutely riveting, this is a book that I would recommend to lovers of this genre and I must thank the author, Bookouture and NetGalley for enabling me to read this powerful story.

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Read my reviews of other books by Amanda Lees:

The Silence Before Dawn [Audiobook]

 The Midwife's Child

One Wrong Turn by C.M.Ewan

 

Description from Goodreads:

"Late at night...

Abi and Ben are driving home down foggy country roads, arguing about having had to cut short their weekend away when they take a wrong turn. Abi’s driving, but her eyes leave the road for a moment as she says something to Ben – just as he gasps. A man is in front of the car, waving a torch. Abi swerves to avoid him.

You see a family stranded...

Ben tells her they should stop and go back, but Abi refuses. It’s dark, the roads are isolated and they don’t know this stranger. But, as Abi continues on, they see a broken-down car. Every instinct is still telling Abi to drive by, but then she notices the woman holding a car seat with a baby in it.

Would you stop?

For a moment, Abi hesitates, but they can’t leave a mother and baby on the side of the road. Agreeing to give the family a lift, they set off again. But now these strangers are inside their car and it might be the worst mistake they have ever made..."

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Well ... that was a ride and a half!

Abi and Ben have cut their weekend away short and a returning home in dense fog when they take a wrong turn.  A man appears out of the fog but Abi doesn't want to stop so drive on.  Further up the road, a woman with a baby car seat stands next to a car with its hazard lights on ... should they stop?  Would you?

Of course they do but in doing so, they set into motion a nightmare that you would never see coming.  

This book is non-stop, yes it's a bit OTT but it's absolutely riveting and I raced through it desperate to see how it would all work out and I wasn't disappointed.  With great characters, a fast pace, full of suspense and tension and some great twists, this is a book that I found difficult to stop reading.

Many thanks to the author, Pan Macmillan, Macmillan and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of this riveting read.

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Read my review of A Window Breaks also by C.M. Ewan

Message Deleted by K.L. Slater

 Description from Goodreads:

"Saffy is waiting to go into a job interview when she receives a text message from her best friend, Leona:

Can’t speak… don’t text or call… please just come

As Saffy struggles to understand what is happening the phone screen changes:

This message was deleted.

Saffy races to Leona’s house, but when her friend answers the door, she insists everything's fine. She doesn't know anything about the message. Saffy can tell something’s not right, but after looking around the house, she can’t think of anything else she can do.

Six hours later, Saffy gets a knock on the door. It's the police. Leona is missing, with her young child. There's blood everywhere.

And Saffy was the last one to see them alive..."

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I have read a few of K.L. Slater's books and have not been disappointed yet and I wasn't with this one.

The story centres around the main character, Saffy, who, whilst waiting for a job interview, receives some worrying messages from her best friend, Leona.  However, the messages soon disappear but Saffy is worried.  Abandoning her interview, Saffy races to Leona's house only to find everything appears to be ok however, all is definitely not what it seems and so it begins.

With great characters, an interesting and intriguing story line with some great twists and all told at a good pace, this is a riveting read that had me racing through it to find out just what the heck was going on so if you are a fan of this genre, I would give this a go.

Many thanks to the author, Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of this great read.

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Other books by K.L. Slater I have read and reviewed:

The Girlfriend

The Narrator

Husband and Wife

The Housemaid is Watching (The Housemaid #3) by Freida McFadden [Audiobook]

 🎙🎙🎙 Narrated by Ina Marie Smith and Lauryn Allman 🎙🎙🎙

Description from Goodreads:

"“You must be our new neighbors!” Mrs. Lowell gushes and waves across the picket fence. I clutch my daughter’s hand and smile back: but the second Mrs. Lowell sees my husband a strange expression crosses her face. In that moment I make a promise. We finally have a family home. My past is far, far behind us. And I’ll do anything to keep it that way…

I used to clean other people’s houses—now, I can’t believe this home is actually mine. The charming kitchen, the quiet cul-de-sac, the huge yard where my kids can play. My husband and I saved for years to give our children the life they deserve.

Even though I’m wary of our new neighbor Mrs. Lowell, when she invites us over for dinner it’s our chance to make friends. Her maid opens the door wearing a white apron, her hair in a tight bun. I know exactly what it’s like to be in her shoes.

But her cold stare gives me chills…

The Lowells’ maid isn’t the only strange thing on our street. I’m sure I see a shadowy figure watching us. My husband leaves the house late at night. And when I meet a woman who lives across the way, her words chill me to the bone: Be careful of your neighbors.

Did I make a terrible mistake moving my family here?

I thought I’d left my darkest secrets behind. But could this quiet suburban street be the most dangerous place of all?"

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I have listened to the first in this series which introduced me to Millie but for some reason, I missed number two.  However, I really feel this, the third in the series, can easily be listened to/read as a standalone successfully - I think I did miss out on the development of Millie but it did not affect my enjoyment of this book.

Millie, her husband and two young children have recently moved their dream new house on a quiet street in a good area but soon things start to go awry and when their neighbour is found dead with stab wounds and his throat cut, Millie's husband is arrested but is he guilty or is there something much more disturbing going on?

This was a good listen; the narrators did a great job and kept me going back to listen to more.  The first third of the book was a bit slow but it set the scene well; the last two thirds were fast paced and I made excuses to make a cake just so I could keep listening.  The characters are a mixed bunch - some good, some bad and some very annoying - but a great mix and it was nice to see Millie's development.  The plot was great and the mystery intriguing; I did see one of the twists but not the last one which took me by surprise in a nice way!

Overall, a great book to listen to and lose yourself for a few hours and I must thank the author, Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for enabling me to listen to and share my thoughts on this great story.

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Read my review of the first book in the series:

The Housemaid

The Lost Victim (Kate Marshall #5) by Robert Bryndza

 

Description from Goodreads:

"When school girl Janey Macklin disappeared from the seedy side of London in 1988, her case went cold, with no body and no witnesses. Now, thirty years later, private detective Kate Marshall has been approached by a true crime podcast producer with an intriguing question they need her help answering: What if Janey was killed by Peter Conway, the notorious Nine Elms Cannibal?

The contract would be the most lucrative of Kate’s career, but it comes with a price of its own, dredging up a sordid, complicated past that she would sooner forget . . . one that the paparazzi are determined to keep in the headlines.

As Kate and her partner, Tristan, scour King’s Cross for clues, no two leads seem to point in the same direction. The last person to see Janey alive has already been tried, convicted, and then acquitted of her murder, Peter Conway is in poor health and fading fast, and the line between their clients and their suspects is blurring with each new revelation about the case.

With little to work from, can Tristan and Kate wade through clandestine phone calls, decades-old secrets, and deteriorating DNA evidence to solve Janey’s murder, or will she remain one of London’s countless missing persons, forever lost to time?"

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I love this series starring Kate Marshall and Tristan; it's so good and whilst this may not be the best out of the 5 books so far, it's still pretty damn good and had me racing through it to find out how it was all going to pan out.

Kate and Tristan make a brilliant partnership, I love how they bounce off and support each other; they are very believable and very likeable and their appeal grows with each book that comes along.

With great characters, an intriguing and clever plot with twists and turns aplenty and whilst it was written at a slightly slower pace and with less scenes of peril than his previous books in this series, it was no less riveting.

I am definitely a Mr Bryndza fan and would recommend his books to anyone who loves a great thriller and many thanks to Raven Street Publishing and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of this latest outing for Kate Marshall and Tristan and I can't wait for the next.

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Other books by Robert Bryndza I have read and reviewed

Check them out:

Nine Elms (Kate Marshall #1)

Shadow Sands (Kate Marshall #2)

Darkness Falls (Kate Marshall #3)

Devil's Way (Kate Marshall #4)

Fatal Witness (Detective Erika Foster #7)

Lethal Vengeance (Detective Erika Foster #8)

Fear the Silence

Vengeance is Mine by Michael Wood

Description from Goodreads:

"A GRUESOME MURDER

Twenty years ago, a young girl vanished from a quiet street in Northumberland. When her body was found in an attic close to her home, the whole neighbourhood was shocked.

A DEVASTATING SECRET

For her entire life, Dawn Shephard has never known her father. But when news breaks that a murderer is about to be released from prison, her mother has no choice but to reveal his identity.

THE ORIGINS OF EVIL

As Dawn digs into her father’s history, she lands on a chilling connection. And the closer she gets to the truth, the more dangerous it becomes. Just how far will she go to discover if a killer’s blood runs through her veins?"

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I love Michael Wood's DCI Matilda Darke series but this is a standalone thriller from him which is equally as good.

Once again, Mr Wood deals with difficult issues; the murder of a young teenager and the impact this has on not only the victims family but also the family of the perpetrator which increases in intensity when the murderer is released. 

With excellent characters, a riveting plot and written at a good pace using a style and language that really draws you in, grabs you by the throat, flings you around and doesn't let go until the end.   

I would definitely recommend this book and others by Michael Wood; I haven't been disappointed yet and my thanks must go to the author, HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of yet another cracker from Michael Wood.

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Other books by Michael Wood I have read and reviewed:

For Reasons Unknown (DCI Matilda Darke #1)

The Murder House (DCI Matilda Darke #5)

Stolen Children (DCI Matilda Darke #6)

Time Is Running Out (DCI Matilda Darke #7)

Survivors Guilt (DCI Matilda Darke #8)

The Lost Children (DCI Matilda Darke#9)

Silent Victim (DCI Matilda Darke #10)

Below Ground (DCI Matilda Darke #12)

The Seventh Victim