The Secret Pianist by Andie Newton

💥💥💥 Release date 12-January-2024 💥💥💥

Description from Goodreads:

"Sisters. Traitors. Spies.

When a British RAF Whitley comes under fire over the French coast and is forced to drop their cargo, a spy messenger pigeon finds its way into unlikely hands… 

The occupation has taken much from the Cotillard sisters, and as the Germans increase their forces in the seaside town of Boulogne-sur-Mer, Gabriella, Martine and Simone can’t escape the feeling that the walls are closing in. 

Yet, just as they should be trying to stay under the radar, Martine’s discovery of a British messenger pigeon leads them down a new and dangerous path. Gaby would do anything to protect her sisters but when the pianist is forced to teach the step-daughter of a German Commandant, and the town accuses the Cotillards of becoming ‘Bad French’ and in allegiance with the enemy, she realises they have to take the opportunity to fight back that has been handed to them. 

Now, as the sisters’ secrets wing their way to an unknown contact in London, Gaby, Martine and Simone have to wonder – have they opened a lifeline, or sealed their fate?"

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I loved this book.  It has everything that makes it a winner for me.  Fantastic characters (based on real people), excellent story (based on real events), suspense, tension, love, loss and hope.

I don't think there's much more to say about this book except go and read it ... you won't be disappointed especially those of you who enjoy reading this genre.

Many thanks to the author, HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of this riveting and emotional book.

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Read my review of A Child for the Reich also by Andie Newton

 

My Husband's Lies by Liz Lawler [Audiobook]

🎙🎙🎙 Narrated by Gabrielle Nellis-Pain 🎙🎙🎙

Description from Goodreads:

 "The police are coming, they’re going to arrest me.’ My blood runs cold at his words. My husband is accused of murder. He swears he is innocent – so why won’t he tell me where he really was that night?

I feel so lucky to have my handsome husband Mark and our blue-eyed little boy. Everyone says we’re the perfect family. I used to believe them.

But everything changes when Mark comes home from a work trip with dark circles under his eyes. That night I jump at a hammering at the door. The police want to question him about the murder of a beautiful, blonde young woman. Mark swears he had nothing to do with it, that she was a colleague, nothing more.

Mark is a respected airline pilot, and the model husband and father. It seems impossible that he would be involved in something like this. But he won’t say a word about where he really was. I believe that he’s not a killer – but I know he’s hiding something. It wouldn’t be the first time.

Then my husband is attacked. I sit by his hospital bed praying for him to wake up, tears streaming down my face. The police say it’s an accident. But what if someone has done this to him?

I go rigid with fear when I see someone hidden in the garden, watching the house. Are they coming to hurt us too? I’ll do anything to protect my precious little boy – and I have to start by uncovering my husband’s lies..."

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I haven't read or listened to anything by Liz Lawler before but after listening to this, I certainly won't be making that mistake again!

My Husband's Lies is a riveting listen; a great plot, brilliant characters and written at a great pace.  The narrator did an excellent job of drawing me into the book and not letting me go until the end. Great twists, some of which I saw coming but I definitely enjoyed the ride to get there.

Definitely recommended to those of you who enjoy a good thriller and many thanks to the author, Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for enabling me to listen to and share my thoughts of this captivating audiobook.

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The Couple's Revenge by Daniel Hurst

💥💥💥 Due to be published 04-January-2024 💥💥💥

Description from Goodreads:

"How far would you go to protect your child?

I knew something was wrong. It’s a mother’s instinct.

I could tell when my son started hiding things from me. He used to walk to school with a mischievous grin on his beautiful face. Now he avoids eye contact and keeps his head down.

Since I discovered he’s being bullied by a classmate, I’ve spent every day worrying, my stomach churning with anxiety from the moment he leaves the house to the second he walks back through the door.

Everyone keeps telling me I’m overreacting, but I won’t risk my child’s safety. My husband and I try to talk to the other boy’s parents, but it only makes things worse…

Then our precious child is hurt. Enough is enough. It has to stop. Even if that means taking matters into our own hands.

Because we know the truth about the family targeting our son – it’s not the first time they’ve done this.

So the question is, exactly how far will we go to get revenge?"

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I have read a few of Daniel Hurst's books so knew I would be in for a bit of a treat with this one and I wasn't disappointed.

This is quite a dark story about revenge and how far parents will go to protect their child.  The characters are great, although not all of them likeable, the story is riveting and builds nicely from the start with an unexpected twist at the end.  

All in all, a really good thriller that sent me through all manner of emotions whilst reading it and only what I would expect from Daniel Hurst! 

Many thanks to the author, Bookouture and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of this dark book.

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Check out my reviews of other books by Daniel Hurst:

The Holiday Home

The Couple in the Cabin

Her Husband's Mistake

My Daughter's Husband

The Woman on the Ledge by Ruth Mancini

💥💥💥 Due to be published 04-January-2024 💥💥💥

Description from Goodreads:

"A woman falls to her death from a London bank’s twenty-fifth-floor roof terrace.

You’re arrested for her murder.

You tell the police that you had only met the victim the previous night at your office party. She was threatening to jump from the roof, but you had talked her down.

You’ve got nothing to do with this tragedy. You’re clearly being framed.

So why do the police keep picking holes in your story? Even your lawyer doesn’t seem to believe you.

It soon becomes obvious that you’re keeping secrets.

But who are you trying to protect? And why?

Obsession. Intrigue. Revenge."

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I haven't read any of Ruth Mancini's books before but after reading this, I won't make that mistake again. 

I'm not going to give any details about the story or plot as to do so might give the game away but what I will say is that this book is like nothing I have read before, in a very good way, and that is saying something as I read quite a lot!

With excellent characters, a riveting and intriguing plot and with twists and turns that keep you guessing right to the end, The Woman on the Ledge is a must read for any psychological thriller fans.

Many thanks to the author, Random House UK, Cornerstone, Century and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of this riveting thriller.

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Code Name Butterfly by Embassie Susberry

 💥💥💥 due to be published 04-Jan-2024 💥💥💥

Synopsis from Goodreads:

"Inspired by the incredible true story of Josephine Baker in the French Resistance, this is a heart-wrenching, unforgettable tale of the strength of the human spirit in the darkest days of World War II.

Paris, 1941. Journalist Elodie Mitchell has found bohemian Paris a huge culture a shock compared to her hometown of Chicago – but she loves the new-found freedom she's felt walking its streets. That is until the threat of Nazi occupation starts to loom larger by the day.

After a mysterious man invites her to a Josephine Baker show, Elodie is perplexed but dazzled by the decadence of the performance. But when Elodie is mistaken for Josephine and whisked backstage, she realises that the star's glamorous shows have been hiding a darker, far more important movement than anyone could have possibly imagined.

As Elodie gets embroiled in a whisper network of spies working to resist the occupation of France, she is given an assignment to go undercover as Josephine's cousin. Her mission? To gather crucial information that will protect not only the country she now calls home, but all the people within it who she has grown to love so dearly – and getting caught is not an option.

A heart-breaking wartime epic of love, bravery, survival and one woman’s stand against prejudice in all its forms."

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This is quite different from the 'usual' historical fiction set around World War II and one which, although is mostly fictional, it is based on real people and true events and one which I enjoyed.

The description says it all really so I won't repeat it but it is a story about bravery and courage, loss and heartbreak, love and friendship and one that is important to read. 

It's a bit of a slow burner with most of the "action" taking place in the final third of the book but the "slower" part really sets the scene of what life was like for young, black people during this period and their contribution to the Resistance which is not often written about.

Thank you to the author, Avon Books UK and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of this enlightening book.

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