You'd Look Better as a Ghost by Joanna Wallace

Synopsis from Goodreads:

"I have a gift. I see people as ghosts before they die.

Of course, it helps that I'm the one killing them.

The night after her father's funeral, Claire meets Lucas in a bar. Lucas doesn't know it, but it's not a chance meeting. One thoughtless mistyped email has put him in the crosshairs of an extremely put-out serial killer. But before they make eye contact, before Claire lets him buy her a drink, even before she takes him home and carves him up into little pieces, something about that night is very wrong. Because someone is watching Claire. Someone who is about to discover her murderous little hobby.

The thing is, it's not sensible to tangle with a part-time serial killer, even one who is distracted by attending a weekly bereavement support group and trying to get her art career off the ground. Let the games begin..."

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I really enjoyed this debut probably more than I should!  It feels all kinds of wrong when I am rooting for a serial killer but Joanna has created the character of Claire so well, that I wanted her to succeed in her endeavours and not get caught.

Claire is a quirky but likeable character; the story is told almost entirely by her and from her point of view which makes for some interesting and her dark but sometimes amusing perspectives.  I particularly enjoyed the sections dedicated to her childhood which shed some light on the beginnings of her 'unusual' life choices.

Written at a good pace with some great twists and turns, excellent characters and great story line, You'd Look Better as a Ghost is a must read for those of you who enjoy reading books with strong female protagonists who lead unconventional lives.

Thank you to the author, Serpent's Tail / Viper / Profile Books and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of You'd Look Better as a Ghost.

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Call Me Mummy by Tina Baker

 

THIS MOTHER'S DAY YOU WILL CALL HER MUMMY

Glamorous, beautiful Mummy has everything a woman could want. Except for a daughter of her very own. So when she sees Kim - heavily pregnant, glued to her phone and ignoring her eldest child in a busy shop - she does what anyone would do. She takes her. But foul-mouthed little Tonya is not the daughter that Mummy was hoping for.

As Tonya fiercely resists Mummy's attempts to make her into the perfect child, Kim is demonised by the media as a 'scummy mummy', who deserves to have her other children taken too. Haunted by memories of her own childhood and refusing to play by the media's rules, Kim begins to spiral, turning on those who love her.

Though they are worlds apart, Mummy and Kim have more in common than they could possibly imagine. But it is five-year-old Tonya who is caught in the middle...

CALL ME MUMMY. IT'LL BE BETTER IF YOU DO.

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For a debut this is pretty successful and certainly had me reading way too late into the night.

This is a dark, disturbing and harrowing read but totally addictive.  With fantastic characters and an all-too-real story line, this is a book that gets you hooked pretty quickly and doesn't let you go until the last full stop at the end.

Told from the perspectives of the kidnapper, the mother and the child, this provides insight from all aspects of the story which makes it all the more gripping.  There are also snippets of social media posts which add a further dimension.

This book is about so much more than child abduction and, as a consequence, does contain swearing and abuse so if you are upset by these, I would probably give this a miss but if you "enjoy" (and I say that loosely) reading something on the darker side, then Call Me Mummy is the book for you.

Thank you to Serpent's Tail / Profile Books / Viper via NetGalley - I received a free review copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest unedited feedback.

Another author to look out for in the future.

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