The Devil's Prayer by Luke Gacias

Description from Goodreads:

"A nun commits suicide in front of thousands in Spain. In Australia, Siobhan Russo recognises that nun as her mother, Denise Russo, who disappeared six years ago.

In search of answers, Siobhan travels to the isolated convent where her mother once lived. Here she discovers Denise’s final confession, a book that details a heinous betrayal that left her crippled and mute, and Denise’s subsequent deal with the Devil to take revenge. In the desperate bargain Denise made with the Prince of Darkness, she wagered Siobhan’s soul.

As Siobhan discovers the fate of her soul, she learns that hidden within the pages of her mother’s confession is part of The Devil’s Prayer, an ancient text with the power to unleash apocalyptic horrors.

And now her mother’s enemies know Siobhan has it.

Can Siobhan escape an order of extremist monks determined to get the Prayer back? Can she save the world from its own destruction?

Explicit Content Warning: "The Devil’s Prayer" is a historical horror thriller that contains brutality, rape, sex, drug abuse and murder. Readers may find its content offensive and confronting."

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First of all I want to say thank you to the author and NetGalley for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

Secondly, I want to apologise to the author because I just didn’t like it. I found it boring, boring, boring with way too much information that didn’t add anything at all. It was hard to read, it felt awkward and didn’t flow. I can overlook this a little if the story is engaging but, for me, this just wasn’t and I ended up skipping large amounts of the historical information (I tried to get into it, really I did) and finished (yes, I did manage to) rolling my eyes. If it had been a real, physical book (I was reading an e-copy), there is no doubt in my mind that I would have thrown it across the room and then promptly into the bin.  Again, I apologise to the author because I know it must have taken ages to write this book and you will have put your heart and soul into it but you can't please everyone.

I don’t know what else to say to be honest, I don’t want to go into everything I didn’t like about it but let's just say it was the majority of it but once again, if other reviews are anything to go by, I am in the minority so please don't take my word for it - it was actually shortlisted for the Australian Shadow Award - Best Australian Horror Novel of 2016 - maybe I missed something????  Anyway, if you enjoy historical/religious/paranormal/horror books and you don't mind getting a bit confused by the writing style or enjoy being overloaded with information, then give this a go.

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

The Bone Field by Simon Kernick

Description from Goodreads:

“From the best-selling author of Stay Alive, The Final Minute and The Witness.

When the bones of a 21-year old woman who went missing without trace in Thailand in 1990, are discovered in the grounds of an old Catholic school in Buckinghamshire, an enduring mystery takes on a whole new twist. Her boyfriend at the time, and the man who reported her missing, Henry Forbes, now a middle-aged university lecturer, comes forward with his lawyer and tells DI Ray Mason of the Met’s Homicide Command that he knows what happened to Kitty, and who killed her.

So begins a hunt for the truth that will focus on a ruthless crime gang, a rich, dysfunctional family with a terrible past, and a highly ambitious man so cruel and ruthless that he must be brought down at any cost…”

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Once again Simon delivers a fast-paced, gritty novel with strong characters and an intriguing story line that forces you to read on into the night and I thank the publisher, Randomhouse UK Cornerstone, and NetGalley for my copy in return for a review.

As the blurb above indicates, the story follows the investigation into the disappearance of Kitty Sinn who went missing in Thailand in 1990’s but whose bones are discovered in Buckinghamshire; there’s no trace of her coming back into the country so how did they get there? And so it begins … the roller-coaster ride that is Simon Kernick’s books.

For me, one of Simon’s great gifts is to create characters that you care about and DI Ray Mason, in this second outing, is fast becoming one of those; there is a depth to DI Mason that makes him believable and I look forward to getting to know him more. Tina Boyd needs no introduction; she is my favourite female character EVER. She is feisty, brave, unorthodox at times but always with the best of intentions and the perfect person to have on your side. However, where Tina goes trouble is usually not too far behind.

I admit to being a fan of Simon’s work and always look forward to his next outing; the way this book ended has me chomping at the bit for the next one.

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Author website - http://www.simonkernick.com/

Author's Twitter - @simonkernick

Publisher's website - Randomhouse UK, Cornerstone

Flytrap by Simon Kernick

Description from Goodreads:

“THE EXCLUSIVE NEW SHORT STORY YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO STOP READING

Also includes a sneak preview of Simon Kernick's blistering new thriller, The Bone Field.

Him

He has an addiction that he cannot quench. His solitary life sailing the Caribbean is the only way he can survive. That is, until, he meets…

Her

A widow with nothing left to lose, she finds herself on his sleek forty-foot yacht. He’s handsome and charming; exactly what she’s been looking for.

But the night doesn’t go exactly as they had planned, and only one of them will get out alive.”

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A great short story that I wish had been a bit longer but even though it’s only 40 odd pages, it had me hooked which I think is the skill of the author who, I admit, I am a big fan of.

The book is written with short, succinct chapters written alternately between “Him” and “Her” perspectives. I can’t say too much without giving the game away but they are both not particularly nice people and you just know it’s not going to end well for one of them! Despite its shortness, it’s full of twists with the major one being at the end … I actually let out a “noooooooo” because I didn’t want it to end so if Mr Kernick has any plans to flesh this out a bit or continue where it leaves off … I would read it.

As an added delight, we are treated to a preview of Mr Kernick’s new novel The Bone Field, which I have read, thoroughly enjoyed but have yet to type my review … I am a bit behind!

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Author website - http://www.simonkernick.com/

Author's Twitter - @simonkernick

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Other books of Mr Kernick's that I have reviewed:

Click here for review

Click here for review

Click here for review

Click here for review

I really would recommend reading Mr Kernick's work, I have never been disappointed yet.

The Two O'Clock Boy by Mark Hill

           

Description from Goodreads:

“TWO CHILDHOOD FRIENDS...ONE BECAME A DETECTIVE...ONE BECAME A KILLER...

One night changed their lives

Thirty years ago, the Longacre Children's Home stood on a London street where once-grand Victorian homes lay derelict. There its children lived in terror of Gordon Tallis, the home's manager.

Cries in the fire and smoke

Then Connor Laird arrived: a frighteningly intense boy who quickly became Tallis' favourite criminal helper. Soon after, destruction befell the Longacre, and the facts of that night have lain buried ...until today.

A truth both must hide

Now, a mysterious figure, the Two O'Clock Boy, is killing all who grew up there, one by one. DI Ray Drake will do whatever it take to stop the murders - but he will go even further to cover up the truth.

Discover the gripping, twist-filled start to a fantastic new London-set crime thriller series starring morally corrupt DI Ray Drake - the perfect new addiction for fans of Luther.”

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This is the debut novel for Mark Hill and, I think, a successful one and I want to thank the publisher, Little, Brown Book Group UK, and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest review.

I admit to being a crime book addict so I can be hard to please but I really enjoyed this one. The story is a familiar one of past misdemeanors coming back to haunt you but it’s told in a quite unique way. The characters are great particularly DI Ray Drake who is far from perfect and isn’t afraid of bending the rules; I found him compelling and I was desperate to find out how far he would go to hide the past. DS Flick Crowley has recently been promoted and is the lead investigator into the gruesome murders of people from Ray’s past and their families but she finds herself hampered by Ray who wants to keep the past buried however, it becomes clear that this is not going to be possible as the killer, named The Two O’Clock Boy, has him and his daughter in his sights.

This is a compelling read with great characters, an intricate plot which is well written at a great pace and, I think, will be enjoyed by readers who enjoy a dark story with twists and turns and a satisfying ending.

Mark Hill has created an interesting and complex character in DI Ray Drake and I am very much looking forward to the next installment in the series.

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Author website - http://markhillauthor.com/

Author twitter - markhillwriter

Publisher website - Little, Brown Book Group