The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn

Description from Goodreads:

"What did she see?

It’s been ten long months since Anna Fox last left her home. Ten months during which she has haunted the rooms of her old New York house like a ghost, lost in her memories, too terrified to step outside.

Anna’s lifeline to the real world is her window, where she sits day after day, watching her neighbours. When the Russells move in, Anna is instantly drawn to them. A picture-perfect family of three, they are an echo of the life that was once hers.

But one evening, a frenzied scream rips across the silence, and Anna witnesses something no one was supposed to see. Now she must do everything she can to uncover the truth about what really happened. But even if she does, will anyone believe her? And can she even trust herself?"

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An interesting psychological thriller full of suspense that although I enjoyed, it took me quite a while in before I connected with the main character, Anna, for some reason; I've been wracking my brains trying to think why but I just can't come up with an explanation and because of this, I don't think I enjoyed it as much as I could have which is a shame because it's a great story and not like anything I have read before.

The story is told completely from Anna's perspective but because of her fragile mental health and the wine and medication concoction, you question whether what she is saying is actually what is happening ... as she herself ends up doing.

I found it quite a sad book overall and I felt a lot of empathy for Anna and her situation but it was also a story of triumph over adversity with a gradual build up to the explosive ending which I found very satisfying.

Overall, a pretty good debut that is not full of the usual blood and violence ... it's definitely a slow burner that builds and builds to a satisfying conclusion.

I think this book would transfer really well to the big screen and I am pleased to note that it is in development as a major motion picture from Fox - it's just a shame that Alfred Hitchcock isn't alive to direct it!

Thanks to the publisher, HarperCollins UK HarperFiction and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest review.

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Author twitter:  AJFinnBooks

Publisher website:  HarperFiction

Life of Crime by Kimberley Chambers

Description taken from Goodreads:

"If you could get away with the perfect crime - would you?

HEAVEN HAS NO RAGE, LIKE LOVE TO HATRED TURNED.

NOR HELL A FURY, LIKE A WOMAN SCORNED."

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What a saga!

What a story!

Fantastic characters, cracking and clever plot, excellent twists, perfect pace ... this had it in bucket loads and had me totally absorbed from the start.

The story follows the life of Jason Rampling and the various capers and general dodgy dealings he uses and gets involved in in order to get away from his and his daughter's crappy life living with his alcoholic mother on a dire council estate.

Jason is an Arthur Daley or Del Boy kind of a character - you could call him a bit of a rogue - but I really warmed to him; yes he's not the kind of man I would want my daughter to bring home but there was something about him that I was drawn to and although I certainly didn't agree with everything he did, I did find myself having some sympathy for him despite the scrapes he got into being mostly of his own doing.  Melissa, another of the main characters, is another story ... oh my goodness, she is one character that had me going round in circles ... do I like her or don't I? and don't even get me started on Tracey!!!!  There are several other characters that I could mention but I would be going on for ages such is the ability of the author to bring these people to life and make them feel authentic and memorable.

This is a compelling and gripping take on the consequences of living a life of crime and I would most definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys a cracking read with not too much violence.

My thanks must go to the publisher, HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction, via Netgalley for my copy in return for an unbiased review.

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Author Website:  Kimberley Chambers Official Website

Author Twitter:  @kimbochambers

Author Facebook:  Kimberley Chambers

Publisher:  HarperCollins UK

While You Sleep by Stephanie Merritt

Description:

“A pacy, chilling psychological thriller, set to reinvent the genre. It begins, they say, with a woman screaming...Don't shut your eyes...In an isolated corner of a remote Scottish island lies the McBride house, a place that has forever been shrouded in shadows and secrets. In Victorian times, a mother and son perished there, and just one year ago, a local boy went missing-a scream the only clue as to his fate. For Zoe Adams, though, the McBride house represents a much-needed escape from her life in America, and from the tragedy that has befallen her. All she wants is to be alone, to finally find peace. Only the calm Zoe so desperately craves eludes her. For as night falls, she is disturbed by unsettling dreams, the sinister notes of a woman singing, an indistinct face at the window...Someone, or something, wants Zoe gone, and will stop at nothing to rid the house of her presence.”

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Full of atmosphere and mystery helped by the excellent description of the remote Scottish island and the characters makes this an enthralling read.

In an attempt to escape a failing marriage, Zoe rents an isolated and recently renovated house with a chequered history. It doesn’t take long for creepy things to start happening which spurs Zoe on to finding out more about the house’s history but as the story develops, you start to question whether the happenings are real, paranormal or a figment of Zoe’s imagination.

There are many twists and turns in this book which keeps you guessing as to what is going on and although I found it a struggle at times due to the sheer amount of questions you ask yourself, While You Sleep is an eerie and atmospheric story that is quite unlike anything I have read before.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my advance copy in return for an honest review.

Date of publication:  08/03/2018

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Publisher website: HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction

Publisher twitter: @HarperCollinsUK

Author website: Stephanie Merritt

Author twitter: @thestephmerritt

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Copycat by Alex Lake

Description:

“Your stalker is everywhere.
Your stalker knows everything.
But the real problem is that your stalker is you.

Sarah Havenant discovers–when an old friend points it out–that there are two Facebook profiles in her name.

One, she recognizes: it is hers. The other, she has never seen. But everything in it is accurate. Recent photos of her and her friends, her and her husband, her and her kids. Even of her new kitchen. A photo taken inside her house.

She is bemused, angry, and worried. Who was able to do this? Any why?

But this, it soon turns out, is just the beginning. It is only now–almost as though someone has been watching, waiting for her to find the profile–that her problems really start…”

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Copycat by Alex Lake is a great psychological thriller full of twists and turns that will mess with your mind. It’s a disturbing story of revenge written at a good pace with interesting characters. I admit it’s not the best psychological thriller I have ever read but it’s pretty good and well worth a few hours of your time.

My thanks to the publisher, HarperCollins UK, via NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest review.

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Alex Lake Books and Biography

Author Twitter: Alexlakeauthor

HarperCollins Publishers

Best Day Ever by Kaira Rouda

Description:

"A loving husband. The perfect killer?

‘I wonder if Mia thinks I have a dark side. Most likely as far as she knows, I am just her dear loving husband.’

Paul Strom has spent years building his perfect life: glittering career, beautiful wife, two healthy boys and a big house in the suburbs.

But he also has his secrets. That’s why Paul has promised his wife a romantic weekend getaway. He proclaims this day, a warm Friday in May, will be the best day ever.

Paul loves his wife, really, he does. But he also wants to get rid of her. And with every hour that passes, Paul ticks off another stage in his elaborately laid plan…"

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A disturbing but strangely compelling read!

The book is told from the perspective of Paul Strom who you quickly discover is a thoroughly vile and loathsome character who is so full of his own self-importance that you just want to jump in the book and wring his neck whilst giving him a good slap!!!!  I don't think I have ever disliked a character as much as Paul Strom .... I was desperate to see if/when he got what he deserved.

The book is not what I would call action filled but it is a slow burner and, I feel, this was deliberately done by the author to create tension and a sense of "something's going to happen here" and although it's not a massive surprise when it does, it is rather satisfying.

Overall, a pretty good book from an author I will keep my eyes open for in the future.

Thank you to the publisher, HQ, via NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest review.

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Author website:   Kaira Rouda

Author twitter:  @KairaRouda

Publisher website: HQ Stories

Publisher twitter:  @HQstories

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Let The Dead Speak by Jane Casey

“When eighteen-year-old Chloe Emery returns to her West London home she finds her mother missing, the house covered in blood. Everything points to murder, except for one thing: there’s no sign of the body.

London detective Maeve Kerrigan and the homicide team turn their attention to the neighbours. The ultra-religious Norrises are acting suspiciously; their teenage daughter and Chloe Emery definitely have something to hide. Then there’s William Turner, once accused of stabbing a schoolmate and the neighborhood’s favorite criminal. Is he merely a scapegoat, or is there more behind the charismatic façade?

As a body fails to materialize, Maeve must piece together a patchwork of testimonies and accusations. Who is lying, and who is not? And soon Maeve starts to realize that not only will the answer lead to Kate Emery, but more lives may hang in the balance.

With Let the Dead Speak, Jane Casey returns with another taut, richly drawn novel that will grip readers from the opening pages to the stunning conclusion. “

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Once again, I have not been disappointed by Jane Casey; she has delivered and written an excellent book that I really enjoyed. Great story line that is full of suspense and keeps you enthralled. The characters are fantastic and believable; I particularly like the working relationship between Kerrigan and Derwent which comes across as being very genuine. Highly recommended read to anyone and you don't have to have read the previous books in the series as this holds up as a stand-alone however, I would suggest you do as you won't be disappointed.

A massive thank you to the publisher, HarperCollins UK, and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest review.

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Publisher website: https://www.harpercollins.co.uk/

Author Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/JaneCaseyAuthor

Missing: Presumed by Susie Steiner

Description from Goodreads:

“Mid-December, and Cambridgeshire is blanketed with snow. Detective Sergeant Manon Bradshaw tries to sleep after yet another soul-destroying Internet date – the low murmuring of her police radio her only solace.

Over the airwaves come reports of a missing woman – door ajar, keys and phone left behind, a spatter of blood on the kitchen floor. Manon knows the first 72 hours are critical: you find her, or you look for a body. And as soon as she sees a picture of Edith Hind, a Cambridge post-graduate from a well-connected family, she knows this case will be big.

Is Edith alive or dead? Was her ‘complex love life’ at the heart of her disappearance, as a senior officer tells the increasingly hungry press? And when a body is found, is it the end or only the beginning?”

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This is a pretty good book, not the best I’ve read, but pretty good. There are some great characters, especially the lead protagonist DS Manon Bradshaw with whom I felt able to connect with. The writing flowed well making it easy to read. The story kept my interest throughout and I felt the police investigation aspect was quite believable.

This is the first in a series of books featuring DS Bradshaw, I am tempted to read more.

Thanks go to the publisher, HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction and NetGalley for my copy in return for an unbiased review.

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Publisher website: HarperCollins UK

Publisher twitter: HarperCollinsUK

Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough

"Deliciously addictive"

Description taken from HarperCollins UK website:

"Don’t Trust This Book

Don’t Trust These People

Don’t Trust Yourself

And whatever you do, DON’T give away that ending…

Behind Her Eyes has been called the new Girl on the Train and Gone Girl . This is one psychological thriller you will not want to miss.

Louise

Since her husband walked out, Louise has made her son her world, supporting them both with her part-time job. But all that changes when she meets

David

Young, successful and charming Louise cannot believe a man like him would look at her twice let alone be attracted to her. But that all comes to a grinding halt when she meets his wife

Adele

Beautiful, elegant and sweet Louise's new friend seems perfect in every way. As she becomes obsessed by this flawless couple, entangled in the intricate web of their marriage, they each, in turn, reach out to her.

But only when she gets to know them both does she begin to see the cracks Is David really is the man she thought she knew and is Adele as vulnerable as she appears?

Just what terrible secrets are they both hiding and how far will they go to keep them?

Fully realized characters, peerless writing, a tank of a plot that sustains the suspense right to the end, and a whammy of a finale. It takes a lot to catch me out, but this one did. It'll get you too’ Joanne Harris"

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Well … how the heck am I going to review this! The description does not even come close to describing what this book is about and I can’t say much without giving away any spoilers so you will just have to trust me when I say that you will either love it, hate it or just sit there scratching your head wondering what the flippin’ heck just happened there!?!

I finished reading this book quite some time ago (January 2017) and even now I can remember the story, the characters and the ending … I read a lot of books many of which I can’t recall the details with as much clarity as I can this one; that’s got to say something on it’s own hasn’t it?

This book is quite unique and like nothing I have read before. I found it deliciously addictive with the slow buildup of tension and suspense with an unbelievable ending that will have you sitting there with you mouth open either saying “wow, that was brilliant” or “wow, that was ridiculous” (whichever takes your fancy); I for one thought it was great and couldn’t wait to tell people about it the next day … and I still am months later.

Thank you to the publisher, HarperCollins UK, HarperCollins Fiction via NetGalley for the copy I received in return for an unbiased review.

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Author Website - Sarah Pinborough

Author Twitter - sarahpinborough

Publisher Website - HarperCollinsUK

Publisher Twitter - HarperCollinsUK

For Reasons Unknown by Michael Wood

“A brilliant début”

Blurb from Goodreads:

“Two murders. Twenty years. Now the killer is back for more…

A darkly compelling debut crime novel. The start of a brilliant series, perfect for fans of Stuart MacBride, Val McDermid, and James Oswald.

DCI Matilda Darke has returned to work after a nine month absence. A shadow of her former self, she is tasked with re-opening a cold case: the terrifyingly brutal murders of Miranda and Stefan Harkness. The only witness was their eleven-year-old son, Jonathan, who was too deeply traumatized to speak a word.

Then a dead body is discovered, and the investigation leads back to Matilda's case. Suddenly the past and present converge, and it seems a killer may have come back for more…”

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What a great book and, hopefully, the first of a series of many involving DCI Matilda Darke and the fantastic cast of excellent supporting characters. Well written at a great and unrelenting pace, the story follows the investigation of a cold case and the, possible, link to a recent murder.

As I am an avid reader of crime fiction, it takes something special to get me so enthused and Michael Wood has managed it with this one. Brilliant, interesting and complex characters from the main players to those fulfilling a bit-part role. The storyline is scarily believable and has you hooked from the first chapter and doesn’t let go until the very end. The mix between getting to know the characters, the police investigation and the action is just right.

What more can I say? One of the best books I’ve read this year and thanks go to the publisher, HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction/Blue Door via NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest review.

Now I’m off to buy the next in the series - Outside Looking In

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Author Twitter - MichaelHWood

Publisher website - HarperCollins UK