Book Review / Swimming Pool Sunday by Madeleine Wickham (aka Sophie Kinsella)

 One shimmeringly hot Sunday in May, the Delaneys open their pool to the whole village for charity. Louise is there with her daughters, and while the children splash and shriek in the cool blue waters, she basks in the sunshine, attempting to ignore her estranged husband and dreaming of the new man in her life, a charismatic lawyer. The day seems perfect.

Then a sudden and shocking accident changes everyone's lives forever. Recriminations start to fly. Whose fault was it? Louise's new lover insists that she sues the Delaneys. Her ex-husband isn't so sure. Opinion in the village is split. Old friendships start to crumble. New ones are formed. Will the repercussions from the accident ever end?

Published:     3rd November 1997
Publisher:  Corgi
Goodreads :  Click here
Series or Stand-Alone:  Stand-Alone
Source:  Bought

 

MY REVIEW

 

Sophie Kinsella is a firm favourite for me, having loved most of her novels and enjoy both her style of writing and her sense of humour.  I had gone along for many years thinking that I had read most of her novels but then discovered in the past year or two that she had also written some novels, quite some time ago, under a pen name.  I knew that I had to give them a go.

I am not sure why she chose a pen name for this particular novel because it seems similar to her 'main' novels, the only difference I can see is that this has a cast of characters rather than a certain number of them and the sense of humor that I love in her main novels was missing from this. 

I really wanted to like this novel but, honestly, this was an OK story for me.  I enjoyed following the story and seeing what would happen after the accident but I didn't connect with any of the characters, so, honestly, wasn't really bothered one way or another what happened (except for the children, which I did feel sorry for...).   If this novel had a dose of the well known Kinsella sense of humour then maybe I would have enjoyed it more than I did.  

That said, this is not going to stop me from picking up the other novels written under this pen name because I am certainly intrigued to see what I think of them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Book Review / Doctor Sleep by Stephen King

 On highways across America, a tribe of people called The True Knot travel in search of sustenance. They look harmless - mostly old, lots of polyester, and married to their RVs. But as Dan Torrance knows, and spunky 12-year-old Abra Stone learns, The True Knot are quasi-immortal, living off the "steam" that children with the "shining" produce when they are slowly tortured to death.

Haunted by the inhabitants of the Overlook Hotel where he spent one horrific childhood year, Dan has been drifting for decades, desperate to shed his father's legacy of despair, alcoholism, and violence. Finally, he settles in a New Hampshire town, an AA community that sustains him, and a job at a nursing home where his remnant "shining" power provides the crucial final comfort to the dying. Aided by a prescient cat, he becomes "Doctor Sleep."

Then Dan meets the evanescent Abra Stone, and it is her spectacular gift, the brightest shining ever seen, that reignites Dan's own demons and summons him to a battle for Abra's soul and survival. This is an epic war between good and evil, a gory, glorious story that will thrill the millions of hyper-devoted fans of The Shining and wildly satisfy anyone new to the territory of this icon in the King canon.

Published:     24th September 2013
Publisher:  Scribner
Goodreads :  Click here
Series or Stand-Alone:  The Shining, Book 2
Source:  Bought

 

MY REVIEW

 

Having read and thoroughly enjoyed The Shining, I knew that I had to pick this one up pretty much straight away.  I had to know what came next in this story.  For obvious reasons, I am not going to go into any detail to avoid spoilers but as with reading the first book, I just couldn't put this down.  This story is a bit longer than its first book but I just didn't want the story to end!  It did take me longer than a day to read but no longer than a couple of days!

What I loved about this story is pretty much everything!  Despite the fact that book 1 and book 2 were written years apart, it really didn't feel like it.  Yes, time has moved on in the story but it really just felt like I had blinked and the time in story has just flown by.  The atmosphere and suspense felt the same as what I had experienced in the first book, but even better!  

And that ending was just perfect!

I did watch the movie not long after finishing the book and I really did enjoy that also.  It was a lot better than I thought it would be (obviously not as good as the book!) and a lot better than the movie of The Shining, for me anyway.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Book Review / The Shining by Stephen King

 Danny is only five years old but in the words of Old Mr Hallorann he is a ‘shiner,’ aglow with psychic voltage. When his father becomes caretaker of the Overlook hotel, Danny’s visions grow out of control.

As winter closes in and blizzards cut them off, the hotel seems to develop a life of its own. It is meant to be empty. So who is the lady in Room 217 and who are the masked guests going up and down the elevator? And why do the hedges shaped like animals seem so alive?

Somewhere, somehow, there is an evil force in the hotel – and that too is beginning to shine.

Published:     28th January 1977
Publisher:  Hodder & Stoughton
Goodreads :  Click here
Series or Stand-Alone:  Book 1, The Shining
Source:  Bought

 

MY REVIEW

 

For me, this is one of those stories that I have heard more often because of the movie with Jack Nicholson, not that I had watched it before I read this novel, but that it is a very popular movie.  Of Of course, the book is nearly always better than the movie so I knew I had to read this first before even attempting to watch the movie.  

What I loved about this story was the suspense.  There is so much of that in this novel it really did keep me on the edge of my seat and I have to admit that I read this book in one day because I just could not put it down!  Because I had heard of the story I had thought that the main character would have been the dad of the story, but it wasn't.  It was the son, Danny.  I liked that we were viewing the story from his perspective especially as he is the character who is the 'shiner'.  There are also nice moments between Danny and a new friend who is also a 'shiner' which I thought was a great additional level to the story.  

I should also mention that this book also touches on some real aspects of family relationships such as alcoholism and a brief reference to the hitting of the son by the father.  This just added another layer to the family dynamic which added to the chaos that follows. 

I have also watched the movie and boy is it different to the book!  I am not saying the movie is bad or anything, I did enjoy it, but the book was better by a long mile!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Book Review / The Devil and the Dark Water by Stuart Turton

 

A murder on the high seas. A detective duo. A demon who may or may not exist.

It's 1634 and Samuel Pipps, the world's greatest detective, is being transported to Amsterdam to be executed for a crime he may, or may not, have committed. Traveling with him is his loyal bodyguard, Arent Hayes, who is determined to prove his friend innocent.

But no sooner are they out to sea than devilry begins to blight the voyage. A twice-dead leper stalks the decks. Strange symbols appear on the sails. Livestock is slaughtered.

And then three passengers are marked for death, including Samuel.

Could a demon be responsible for their misfortunes?

With Pipps imprisoned, only Arent can solve a mystery that connects every passenger onboard. A mystery that stretches back into their past and now threatens to sink the ship, killing everybody on board.

Published:    6th October 2020
Publisher:  Sourcebooks
Goodreads :  Click here
Series or Stand-Alone:  Stand-Alone
Source:  Bought

 

MY REVIEW

 

After reading and thoroughly enjoying The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, I couldn't wait to pick up this novel.  Honestly, this story is not one that I would normally pick up as it is a 1600s mystery onboard a ship, but as I loved this author's writing from his first book I knew that I had to give this a go. 

I loved everything about this book, but to limit it to a few comments the first would be the characters and the mystery surrounding Old Tom.  The mystery surrounding this kept me hooked right until the very end, having not figured out what was going on before then!  The ending was very much a surprise.  You also have a bit of a backstory with one of the main characters Arent.  He has a past that we discover more of and is relevant to the story that is happening in this story.

I would highly recommend this novel, even if you don't think this is something you would normally pick up.  I wouldn't normally and this is now one of my favourite books of the year, and the author has been firmly placed on my favourite author list!

 

 

 

 

 

Book Review / The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton

 

 

Aiden Bishop knows the rules. Evelyn Hardcastle will die every day until he can identify her killer and break the cycle. But every time the day begins again, Aiden wakes up in the body of a different guest at Blackheath Manor. And some of his hosts are more helpful than others. With a locked room mystery that Agatha Christie would envy, Stuart Turton unfurls a breakneck novel of intrigue and suspense.

For fans of Claire North, and Kate Atkinson, The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle is a breathlessly addictive mystery that follows one man's race against time to find a killer, with an astonishing time-turning twist that means nothing and no one are quite what they seem.

Published:     1st October 2018
Publisher:  Raven Books
Goodreads :  Click here
Series or Stand-Alone:  Stand-Alone
Source:  Bought 

 

MY REVIEW

 

I can't tell you how much I have heard about this book and seen it literally everywhere!  I knew that I had to pick it up.  Even Goodreads says that it has over 200,000 ratings with a 3.88 average.  With all that in mind, I was definately intrigued.  I am always intrigued when I see high ratings like this, whether they are good or bad.  

Despite the fact that I have seen this everywhere, I had been avoiding reviews and spoilers, successfully which surprised me!  So, luckily, I went into this story pretty blind to what was going to happen.  I didn't really read the description on the back.  All I needed to know was that this character, Evelyn Hardcastle was going to die, seven times apparently!

There is a lot going on in this novel, with a lot of plot and a lot of characters.  This is not a book that you can read lightly or take down the beach or wherever that might be in the winter.  You need to concentrate and try and figure out the story at the same time as the main character who is jumping from host to host.  

At 505 pages long, it is not a short book but I am actually glad about that because I, honestly, I did not want the story to end.  I found this story a slow read also, because there is so many details, characters and plot it is almost impossible to speed ahead.  But this did not put me off reading the story, not one little bit.

There were two things that I loved the most about this story; the first being the bigger picture plot.  Obviously I can't tell you exactly what that is, because of spoilers, but let's just say that there's more to the story of Aiden than we lean for most of the book, until the very end.  The second part that I loved was the twists in the story.  There's a few and, to be honest, I wasn't expecting most of them.  There's a very big twist at the end that really surprised me!

Would highly recommend if you like being kept at the edge of your seat but do bear in mind that this is a long story written at a slow pace. 

 

 

 

Book Review / A Time for Mercy by John Grisham

 Jake Brigance, the protagonist of A Time to Kill, John Grisham’s classic legal thriller is back. This time he's at the epicenter of a sensational murder trial that bitterly divides the citizens of Clanton, Mississippi.

A Time to Kill is one of the most popular novels of our time. It established Jake as a classic American hero—a lawyer who seeks truth and justice at all costs, even when his life and reputation are on the line.

Brigance returned in 2013’s Sycamore Row, in which he once again found himself embroiled in a deeply divisive trial.

Now, in A Time for Mercy, Jake is the court-appointed lawyer for Drew Gamble, a young man accused of murdering a local deputy. Many in Clanton want a swift trial and the death penalty, but Brigance sees it another way. Once he learns the details of the case, he realizes he has to do everything he can to save Drew—who is sixteen. Jake’s commitment to the truth puts his career and the safety of his family at risk.

Filled with all the courtroom machinations, small-town intrigues, and plot twists that have become the hallmarks of the master of the legal thriller, A Time for Mercy emphatically confirms John Grisham's reputation as America's favorite storyteller.

There is a time to kill, a time for justice, and A TIME FOR MERCY.

Published:    13th October 2020
Publisher:  Random House
Goodreads :  Click here
Series or Stand-Alone:  Book 3, Jake Brigance
Source:  Bought

 

MY REVIEW

 

Having read both A Time to Kill (Book 1) and Sycamore Row (Book 2) immediately before picking up this novel, I was already fully immersed in this world, this town and familiar with the characters, which made it so much easier to get stuck in.  Now, you don't have to have read the previous books to pick up this one as, technically, the story doesn't carry on with each book as the stories have different plot lines, but it certainly does help if you read them as if they were a series.  I did and I certainly got the most out of these three books by doing that. 

What I loved the most about this story was being in the court room and watching as both the lawyers, the judge and the jury played their part, along with other side characters.  I find it fascinating seeing the court case unfold in the court room, lawyer against lawyer with the judge mostly in the middle.  You also have the conflict between the police and the law, as the victim was a police officer, but not necessarily a good one...

Of course, once again, I would highly recommend.  To get the best out of this world and the characters, I would recommend reading both A Time to Kill (book 1) and Sycamore Row (book 2) before this one, but you don't have to if you don't want to. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Book Review / Sycamore Row by John Grisham

 Seth Hubbard is a wealthy man dying of lung cancer. He trusts no one. Before he hangs himself from a sycamore tree, Hubbard leaves a new, handwritten, will. It is an act that drags his adult children, his black maid, and Jake into a conflict as riveting and dramatic as the murder trial that made Brigance one of Ford County's most notorious citizens, just three years earlier.

The second will raises far more questions than it answers. Why would Hubbard leave nearly all of his fortune to his maid? Had chemotherapy and painkillers affected his ability to think clearly? And what does it all have to do with a piece of land once known as Sycamore Row?

Published:     22nd October 2013
Publisher:  Doubleday
Goodreads :  Click here
Series or Stand-Alone:  Book 2, Jake Brigance
Source:  Bought

 

MY REVIEW

 I read this novel immediately after finishing A Time To Kill, which I would highly recommend doing even though, technically, the story does not follow on.  You are in the same town with a lot of the same characters, so from A Time To Kill you know the history of what they have previously been through.  With this story, we are moving forward in time a number of years and we see Jake Brigance as the lawyer in town again taking on a case (or being made to take a case by a local judge).

This story has a very different story to A Time to Kill.  This story is mainly about a rich guy who dies and wants to leave all his money to his maid and at the time this novel is set this is very much frowned upon not only because she is a maid but because of her colour.  This story takes a few turns that I was not expecting and the reveal near the end where we see why Seth Hubbard choose to leave what he did was perfect.  

Of course I would highly recommend, but to get a better experience I would recommend reading A Time to Kill first, although you do not have to. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Book Review / A Time to Kill by John Grisham

 Before "The Firm" and "The Pelican Brief" made him a superstar, John Grisham wrote this riveting story of retribution and justice. In this searing courtroom drama, best-selling author John Grisham probes the savage depths of racial violence, as he delivers a compelling tale of uncertain justice in a small southern town, Clanton, Mississippi.

The life of a ten-year-old girl is shattered by two drunken and remorseless young men. The mostly white town reacts with shock and horror at the inhuman crime. That is, until her black father acquires an assault rifle and takes matters into his hands.

For ten days, as burning crosses and the crack of sniper fire spread through the streets of Clanton, the nation sits spellbound as young defense attorney Jake Brigance struggles to save his client's life, and then his own. 

Published:     1st November1993
Publisher:  Doubleday
Goodreads :  Click here
Series or Stand-Alone:  Book 1, Jake Brigance
Source:  Bought

 

MY REVIEW

 

I know I have only just read this in the past year or two but when I realised that A Time For Mercy was coming out and also that Sycamore Row was also featured in the same town with some of the same characters, I knew I had to re-read this to make sure I was fully immersed back into this world again.

Despite the difficult story line, I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of re-reading this novel.  This novel deals with a lot of sensitive issues including rape and racial inequality and its interesting to see how these are dealt with as the story goes along.

What I liked the most was the interactions between lawyer, police wardens and the judicial system.  Its a delicate balance and each person plays their part with the lawyers playing against each other, whether that is fairly or not.

This is a must read for everyone!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Book Review / The Castaways by Lucy Clarke

A SECRET BEACH. A HOLIDAY OF A LIFETIME.
WISH YOU WERE HERE?
THINK AGAIN…

It should be like any other holiday.

Beautiful beaches.
Golden sunsets.
Nothing for miles.

You’ll never want to leave.
Until you can’t…

 

Published:     18th March 2021
Publisher:  HarperCollins
Goodreads :  Click here
Series or Stand-Alone:  Stand-Alone
Source:  Bought

 

 

MY REVIEW

 

Lucy Clarke has been on my favourite author list for a very long time now and I can't tell you how excited I was to read this one.   Yes I did buy this when it first came out in paperback, but I can't tell you why it too me so long to read except for the fact that instead of putting this on my TBR cart it went on my bookshelf with all the other books I have for this author and over time I thought that I had already read it.  Imagine my excitement all over again when I realised that I hadn't!

What I loved about this novel (and is the same for every one of her novels so far) is the suspense.  A great build up, with twists and turns and a final reveal that more often than not I didn't see coming.   This was no exception.  What really made this a five star for me among many things was the final reveal at the end with a further twist right at the very last few pages.   Loved it!

If you love a good thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat, you need to pick this one up!

 

 

Book Review / 'Salem's Lot by Stephen King

 

 

'Salem's Lot is a small New England town with the usual quota of gossips, drinkers, weirdos and respectable folk. Of course there are tales of strange happenings—but not more than in any other town its size.

Ben Mears, a moderately successful writer, returns to the Lot to write a novel based on his early years, and to exorcise the terrors that have haunted him since childhood. The event he witnessed in the house now rented by a new resident. A newcomer with a strange allure. A man who causes Ben some unease as things start to happen: a child disappears, a dog is brutally killed—nothing unusual, except the list starts to grow.

Soon surprise will turn to bewilderment, bewilderment to confusion and finally to terror . . .

Published:     17th October 1975 (this version 11th May 2021)
Publisher:  Hodder & Stoughton
Goodreads :  Click here
Series or Stand-Alone:  Stand-Alone
Source:  Bought

MY REVIEW

I can't tell you how much I enjoyed this novel.  At 768 pages long, it took a while but I loved every minute!  We follow not only the main character, Ben Mears, who returns to 'Salem's Lot (also known as Jerusalem's Lot) after an accident changed his life, with the memory of a traumatic experience in an old house in 'Salem's Lot when he was a kid, but also a lot of the characters in town as things change when newcomers come into town (other than Ben).

What I loved about this story was the suspense.  It was a very slow build, but well worth sticking with it.  I can't think of a single moment in this story where I was bored or didn't feel like I wanted to continue and that, for me, is a sign of an amazing 5 star read!  With this novel first being published back in 1975 I really didn't feel like it had either aged badly or felt like it was set in the old days.  For me, you could pick up this story and pop it down into any town anywhere in these times and it would mostly be relevant.   I think that is what added to the suspense, the fact that this could literally happen anywhere, if you believe. 

What I also loved, and I am not sure whether it was just the particular version of the book I bought, was when I I thought the story was over, there was an additional couple of short stories at the end going forward a bit in time and seeing how the town was after the events of the main story.  

This book kept me on the edge of my seat and would recommend for those who like a good vampire story or like to be spooked!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Book Review / Tap to Tidy by Stacey Solomon

 

If you're reading this, then we have something in common .... Whether it's a love of getting crafty, meticulously organising or making fun-shaped snacks!

I find it hard to sit still, but losing myself in a craft project or tidying a drawer is my form of meditation. It's a chance for me to forget about the things going on in the world around me for a minute.

I hope this book helps you to lose yourself for a moment, too - and that you enjoy reading it and even, maybe, having a go at some of the bits inside.  

Published:     4th March 2021
Publisher:  Ebury Publishing
Goodreads :  Click here
Series or Stand-Alone:  Stand-Alone
Source:  Bought

 

MY REVIEW

 

I don't know about you but I love a bit of organising, whether that's tidying up your home (of course, including your bookshelves) or your life.  I am always on the hunt for a good book with lots of great tips and hints.  I was recommended this book from a friend.

Although a lot of the hints and tips I have come across before, I had so much fun reading this.  It has a great combination of helpful tips and hints, recipes and a bit of biography of the author herself, which gave the book a personal touch.  

This book would be ideal for those who are just starting out in their organisational process or those who find it hard to keep organised. 

 

 

 

 

 

Book Review / Horrorstor by Grady Hendrix

Something strange is happening at the Orsk furniture superstore in Cleveland, Ohio. Every morning, employees arrive to find broken Kjerring bookshelves, shattered Glans water goblets, and smashed Liripip wardrobes. Sales are down, security cameras reveal nothing, and store managers are panicking.

To unravel the mystery, three employees volunteer to work a nine-hour dusk-till-dawn shift. In the dead of the night, they’ll patrol the empty showroom floor, investigate strange sights and sounds, and encounter horrors that defy the imagination.

A traditional haunted house story in a thoroughly contemporary setting, Horrorstör is designed to retain its luster and natural appearance for a lifetime of use. Pleasingly proportioned with generous French flaps and a softcover binding, Horrorstör delivers the psychological terror you need in the elegant package you deserve.

Published:     23rd September 2014
Publisher:  Quirk Books
Goodreads :  Click here
Series or Stand-Alone:  Stand-Alone
Source:  Bought
 

 

MY REVIEW

 

I can't tell you how much fun I had reading this book and I certainly won't tell you how much I bought this book purely for the cover art and art inside!  

This is such an odd story but I just couldn't stop reading!   It is certainly creepy at the beginning but when the day is done and three of the employees at Orsk are left to investigate what goes on after dark, that is when the fun begins!

What I loved the most about this story was simply how bizzare and fun it was.  I can't tell you specific details, to avoid spoilers, but this story is pretty much like a downward spiral where the story slowly descends down it bit by bit, page by page.

The ending was what did it for me.  I was wondering how such a bizarre story would end up and I did have some options that I was hoping might happen, but none of those came up.  Instead I was given a completely different ending but it turned out that it was the ending I wanted but never knew I wanted!

This was such a creepy but fun novel that I would highly recommend!

 

 

 

Book Review / The Judge's List by John Grisham

In The Whistler, Lacy Stoltz investigated a corrupt judge who was taking millions in bribes from a crime syndicate. She put the criminals away, but only after being attacked and nearly killed. Three years later, and approaching forty, she is tired of her work for the Florida Board on Judicial Conduct and ready for a change.

Then she meets a mysterious woman who is so frightened she uses a number of aliases. Jeri Crosby’s father was murdered twenty years earlier in a case that remains unsolved and that has grown stone cold. But Jeri has a suspect whom she has become obsessed with and has stalked for two decades. Along the way, she has discovered other victims.

Suspicions are easy enough, but proof seems impossible. The man is brilliant, patient, and always one step ahead of law enforcement. He is the most cunning of all serial killers. He knows forensics, police procedure, and most important: he knows the law.

He is a judge, in Florida—under Lacy’s jurisdiction.

He has a list, with the names of his victims and targets, all unsuspecting people unlucky enough to have crossed his path and wronged him in some way. How can Lacy pursue him, without becoming the next name on his list.

 Published:     19th October 2021
Publisher:  Doubleday
Goodreads :  Click here
Series or Stand-Alone:  Book 2, The Whistler
Source:  Bought

MY REVIEW

This book has been on my to buy and read list for ages as knowing this was coming up.  Having read The Whister reasonably recently I was very excited to read more about the character of Lacy and find out what she is up to next.  

I would recommend that you read The Whistler before picking this up not only because it is an excellent book but also there are small spoilers in this book to what happened in the first and genuinely it does help to get a background of the characters and how the Judicial Conduct Authority works.

What I loved the most about this book was the fact that you see this story in, basically, three characters' eyes.  Firstly you have Lacy who works at the Judicial Conduct Authority and is asked to look into this matter.  Secondly, you have Jeri who comes forward suspecting a sitting Judge for not only killing her father but also a number of others.  Lastly, you have the Judge himself and what is going on in his mind at various points in the story.  Having these three perspectives gives so much more depth to the story than just having one viewpoint.  You are seeing both good and evil with a race to find out who will win. 

What I also enjoyed was the way the story ended.  I won't go into too much detail here because of spoilers but I will say that although it may not be a satisfying ending for some it felt realistic and a very good twist that I wasn't expecting.

Do  pick up The Whistler before picking this up but a great edge of your seat read you need to pick up. 

 

 

 

 

Book Review / The Gatecrasher by Madeleine Wickham

 

Everything's coming up roses for Fleur Daxeny, as she goes through more rich men than she does designer hats... if that's humanly possible. Beautiful, charming, and utterly irresistible, her success at crashing funerals to find wealthy men is remarkable. But behind Fleur's Harvey Nichols wardrobe, is a woman with a mysterious past. 

Fleur wastes no time in seducing her latest conquest, the handsome and rich widower Richard Favour, and she swoops into his life like a designer-clad tornado. His children are caught up in a whirlwind as their father's new girlfriend descends on the family estate leaving chaos and excitement in her perfume-scented wake. Soon, more than one family member is suspicious of Fleur's true intentions.
 
Fleur is not one to wear her heart on her Chanel sleeves, but she soon finds herself embracing Richard and his lovable family. But just as Fleur contemplates jumping off the gold-digger train for good and enjoying the ride of true love, a long-buried secret from her past threatens to destroy her new family. Fleur is thrown into a race against time to prove herself to Richard before it's too late.  Can she trust her heart or will she cut ties and run away as fast as her Prada pumps can take her?

 

Published:     5th September 2017
Publisher:  Piatkus Books
Goodreads :  Click here
Series or Stand-Alone:  Book 45, In Death
Source:  Bought
 

 

MY REVIEW 

 

Having recently read and enjoyed The Wedding Girl, I was looking forward to picking this up.  I was expecting a similar theme/plot where the main character either makes a mistake or has a bad character trait they can't get out of and the rest of the story is watching that play out, and I wasn't wrong.  That didn't mean that I didn't enjoy it.  This was just the type of story that I was looking for at the time and that is what I got. 

What I loved about this story was the main character Fleur.  You can obviously see that she has a problem and seemingly she is ok with it and carries on, irrespective of the people she hurts along the way and those people didn't seem to show that much distress from what I read in what she was doing.  

There were not many characters I liked in this story, for many various reasons, but there was one character that I really disliked and that was Richard's son when he featured more nearer the end of the novel.  He was very pushy and, to put it simply, very annoying.  Now this may have been for good reasons and maybe he was concerned for his father, but the way this character came across I felt was completely unacceptable.

That said, I would highly recommend this if you are looking for a no frills story that keeps you entertained all the way through.

 

 

 

 

 

Book Review / The Catch by T M Logan

 Ed is delighted to meet his twenty-three year old daughter's fiancé for the first time. Ryan appears to be the perfect future son-in-law. There's just one problem. There's something off about Ryan. Something hidden in the shadows behind his eyes. And it seems that only Ed can see it.

Terrified that his daughter is being drawn in by a psychopath, Ed sets out to uncover her fiancé's dark past - while keeping his own concealed. But no-one believes him. And the more he digs, the more he alienates her and the rest of the family who are convinced that Ryan is 'the one'.

Ed knows different. For reasons of his own, he knows a monster when he sees one... 

 

Published:     11th June 2020
Publisher:  Zaffre
Goodreads :  Click here
Series or Stand-Alone:  Stand-Alone
Source:  Bought
 

 

MY REVIEW

 

 I can't tell you how much I enjoyed this novel.  I had only read one other book by this author before (Lies - and thoroughly enjoyed that also) was wishing for great things.   As I always hope with thrillers, this kept me at the edge of my seat all the way through.

What I loved the most about this story was the suspense.  This is what kept me at the edge of my seat.  Who is Ryan? Is he bad or good?  What would Ed do to find out?  Just some of many questions I had at the start.  You also have the apparent downward spiral that Ed goes down in his pursuit of the 'truth'.  

If I had to grumble about anything (and its only a very little grumble) I felt that the book felt a bit long for the thriller.  At 431, I would consider that a larger thriller that works well if there is complex scenarios and areas where you need to pay more attention to, but this story I feel could have been cut down to at least 350 and it would still be excellent.

Would highly recommend!  Can't wait to read more from this author!

 

 

 

 

 

Book Review / The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires

Fried Green Tomatoes and Steel Magnolias meet Dracula in this Southern-flavored supernatural thriller set in the '90s about a women's book club that must protect its suburban community from a mysterious and handsome stranger who turns out to be a blood-sucking fiend.

Patricia Campbell had always planned for a big life, but after giving up her career as a nurse to marry an ambitious doctor and become a mother, Patricia's life has never felt smaller. The days are long, her kids are ungrateful, her husband is distant, and her to-do list is never really done. The one thing she has to look forward to is her book club, a group of Charleston mothers united only by their love for true-crime and suspenseful fiction. In these meetings, they're more likely to discuss the FBI's recent siege of Waco as much as the ups and downs of marriage and motherhood.

But when an artistic and sensitive stranger moves into the neighborhood, the book club's meetings turn into speculation about the newcomer. Patricia is initially attracted to him, but when some local children go missing, she starts to suspect the newcomer is involved. She begins her own investigation, assuming that he's a Jeffrey Dahmer or Ted Bundy. What she uncovers is far more terrifying, and soon she--and her book club--are the only people standing between the monster they've invited into their homes and their unsuspecting community.

 

Published:     7th April 2020
Publisher:  Quirk Books
Goodreads :  Click here
Series or Stand-Alone:  Stand-Alone
Source:  Bought 

 

 

MY REVIEW

 

I adore this novel!  Its been a while since I read a horror novel and I am so happy that this was what I had picked up.  I had been meaning to pick this up since it came out back in 2020, but never got around to it, until now.   

Although this a very typical story of someone new coming to the neighbourhood who could be not quite as they seem and a person/people from that neighbourhood goes in hunt for the truth and try to expose the newcomer for this, I loved every minute of the journey.  There are many twists and turns that kept me turning those pages very quickly!  

What I loved the most was the history to the story.  I wont' go into too much detail as that would spoil the story, but there is a certain amount of history that we see and gets revealed as the story goes on that I found fascinating.  Also, that ending!  LOVED IT!

 

 

 

 

 

Book Review / Spellbook of the Lost and Found by Moira Fowley-Doyle

One stormy summer night, Olive and her best friend, Rose, begin to lose things. It starts with simple items like hair clips and jewellery, but soon it’s clear that Rose has lost something bigger; something she won’t talk about.

Then Olive meets three wild, mysterious strangers: Ivy, Hazel and Rowan. Like Rose, they’re mourning losses - and holding tight to secrets.

When they discover the ancient spellbook, full of hand-inked charms to conjure back lost things, they realise it might be their chance to set everything right. Unless it’s leading them towards secrets that were never meant to be found . . .

 

Published:     1st June 2017
Publisher:  RHCP Digital
Goodreads :  Click here
Series or Stand-Alone:  Stand-Alone
Source:  Bought

 

 

MY REVIEW

 

I had so much wanted to enjoy this book.  Anything to do with witches, supernatural or spellbooks always stand out to me that I need to give it a go.  I think this is very much one of those novels that just wasn't for me.  I have given this three stars because it was ok and because I did enjoy the writing style; so will look out for other novels by this author and will give them a try.

For me, this story lacked a catch.  Something in the plot or a certain character that would suck me into the story, intrigue me to the point where I need to read more to find out what is going on.  That just didn't happen for me here.  I haven't looked at other reviews for this book yet but will certainly do that once I have finished this so I am not sure how others have found this.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Book Review / The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix

 

 A fast-paced, thrilling horror novel that follows a group of heroines to die for, from the brilliant New York Times bestselling author of The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires.

In horror movies, the final girl is the one who's left standing when the credits roll. The one who fought back, defeated the killer, and avenged her friends. The one who emerges bloodied but victorious. But after the sirens fade and the audience moves on, what happens to her?

Lynnette Tarkington is a real-life final girl who survived a massacre twenty-two years ago, and it has defined every day of her life since. And she's not alone. For more than a decade she's been meeting with five other actual final girls and their therapist in a support group for those who survived the unthinkable, putting their lives back together, piece by piece. That is until one of the women misses a meeting and Lynnette's worst fears are realized--someone knows about the group and is determined to take their lives apart again, piece by piece.

But the thing about these final girls is that they have each other now, and no matter how bad the odds, how dark the night, how sharp the knife, they will never, ever give up. 

 

Published:     13th July 2021
Publisher:  Berkley Books
Goodreads :  Click here
Series or Stand-Alone:  Stand-Alone
Source:  Bought

 

 

MY REVIEW

 

Having only discovered this author recently, I couldn't wait to pick up this latest novel.  I was intrigued about this as having earlier this year read Final Girls by Riley Sager and wondered what Grady's take on this would be.

What I loved with this story was the idea that there is a support group for final girls which is something I had not read before (there may be novels about this somewhere that I haven't come across) and the idea that there is someone out there trying to kill the final girls, I found amusing (and horrified at the same time, of course).  Just when these girls thought they had been through their worst, this then happens!

I have to admit that I did get bored in a few places and by the end of the novel I had predicted most twists and turns, so I would have loved to have had more surprises in this one but I still enjoyed the journey this story took me on.  If I were to recommend what book to read first written by this author I do have to admit that although this was good, his other books are a lot better. 

 

 

Book Review / Survive the Night by Riley Sager

 

It's November 1991. George H. W. Bush is in the White House, Nirvana's in the tape deck, and movie-obsessed college student Charlie Jordan is in a car with a man who might be a serial killer.

Josh Baxter, the man behind the wheel, is a virtual stranger to Charlie. They met at the campus ride board, each looking to share the long drive home to Ohio. Both have good reasons for wanting to get away. For Charlie, it's guilt and grief over the murder of her best friend, who became the third victim of the man known as the Campus Killer. For Josh, it's to help care for his sick father. Or so he says. Like the Hitchcock heroine she's named after, Charlie has her doubts. There's something suspicious about Josh, from the holes in his story about his father to how he doesn't seem to want Charlie to see inside the car's trunk. As they travel an empty highway in the dead of night, an increasingly worried Charlie begins to think she's sharing a car with the Campus Killer. Is Josh truly dangerous? Or is Charlie's suspicion merely a figment of her movie-fueled imagination?

What follows is a game of cat-and-mouse played out on night-shrouded roads and in neon-lit parking lots, during an age when the only call for help can be made on a pay phone and in a place where there's nowhere to run. In order to win, Charlie must do one thing--survive the night.  

Published:    29th June 2021
Publisher:  Dutton Books
Goodreads :  Click here
Series or Stand-Alone:  Stand-Alone
Source:  Bought

MY REVIEW

I can't tell you how excited I was to pick this up.  I have thoroughly enjoyed each and every Riley Sager book that has come out so far.  I was intrigued to find out how I get on with this book as I have seen mixed reviews, so I thought maybe this was a marmite book (you either love it or hate it)!

I read this in one sitting and couldn't put it down.  What I loved the most was the fact that you have Charlie who makes a very dumb decision to hitch a ride, right at the time where her friend has been killed and the killer is on the loose.  Now, you would think this was a very easy story with no surprises or twists as you already have the intended victim and killer in the car.  What else could be surprising?  There were certainly one or two twists that I wasn't expecting.  I have to admit that I did guess the ending but only right near the end and just before it was revealed.

Loved this latest novel from an author who is now firmly on my favourite author list!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Book Review / The Wedding Girl by Madeline Wickham

 

 

At the age of eighteen, in that first golden Oxford summer, Milly was up for anything. Rupert and his American lover Allan were all part of her new, exciting life, and when Rupert suggested to her that she and Allan should get married, just so that Allan could stay in the country, Milly didn't hesitate, and to make it seem real she dressed up in cheap wedding finery and posed on the steps of the registry office for photographs.

Ten years later, Milly is a very different person. Engaged to Simon - who is wealthy, serious, and believes her to be perfect - she is facing the biggest and most elaborate wedding imaginable. Her mother has it planned to the finest detail, from the massive marquee to the sculpted ice swans filled with oysters. Her dreadful secret is locked away so securely she has almost persuaded herself that it doesn't exist - until, with only four days to go, her past catches up with her.

Suddenly, her carefully constructed world is about to crash in ruins around her. How can she tell Simon she's already married? How can she tell her mother? But as the crisis develops, more secrets are revealed than Milly could possibly have realised...

 
Published:     9th December 2010
Publisher:  Black Swan
Goodreads :  Click here
Series or Stand-Alone:  Stand-Alone
Source:  Bought

 

 

MY REVIEW

 

I have read and thoroughly enjoyed most of the novels written by Sophie Kinsella (there are one or two that I haven't got to yet) but hadn't actually picked up any of the novels that she wrote under the pen name Madeline Wickham. 

I really enjoyed this.  You have the main character, Milly, who made a very big mistake when she was younger (which she didn't think was a mistake at the time) and now the time has come where she has to deal with that before she is able to move on with her life.  Just the perfect plot line to have a lot of fun reading!

Honestly, no I didn't like many of the characters in this story and didn't agree with some of the things that were done, said and not done etc but that doesn't really matter.  I don't need to like them or agree with their choices but I did enjoy watching their choices play out in the novel.  

I am intrigued to see how I get on with the other novels written in Sophie Kinsella's pen name...  I am guessing that most of them will be pretty similar but with different scenarios and characters but we'll see...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Book Review / Summerwater by Sarah Moss

On the longest day of the summer, twelve people sit cooped up with their families in a faded Scottish cabin park. The endless rain leaves them with little to do but watch the other residents.

A woman goes running up the Ben as if fleeing; a retired couple reminisce about neighbours long since moved on; a teenage boy braves the dark waters of the loch in his red kayak. Each person is wrapped in their own cares but increasingly alert to the makeshift community around them. One particular family, a mother and daughter without the right clothes or the right manners, starts to draw the attention of the others. Tensions rise and all watch on, unaware of the tragedy that lies ahead as night finally falls.

 

Published:     20th August 2020
Publisher:  Pan MacMillan/Picador
Goodreads :  Click here
Series or Stand-Alone:  Stand-Alone
Source:  Bought

 

 

MY REVIEW 

I know it is probably not the season for reading this type of book but I bought it a while ago and have been meaning to read it for ages now, so I decided now was going to be the time!  This is a new author to me, so I was very intrigued to find out how I would get on.

This was an interesting read for me because I liked it but equally I was a bit bored in parts with it.  I did enjoy the writing style and would certainly pick up other novels from this author but this story was really just not for me.  I like a novel with a plot and direction of where the story is going; this was not that type of book.  It really doesn't have a plot (or one that I could see) and was more about character development and interaction, which I do generally like but I just could not connect with any of the characters here and really wasn't invested in what was going on because of that.

That said, as I mentioned, I did enjoy writing and I am intrigued to find out what other books this author has to offer and whether they have a similar theme of no plot or otherwise and how I would get on with that...

 

 

Book Review / Roar by Cecelia Ahern

 From the bestselling author of P.S., I Love You, a fiercely feminist story collection that illuminates, sometimes in fantastical ways, how women of all kinds navigate the world today—soon to be an Apple TV+ series from the creators of GLOW starring Nicole Kidman, Cynthia Erivo, Merritt Wever, and Alison Brie!

In this singular and imaginative story collection, Cecelia Ahern explores the endless ways in which women blaze through adversity with wit, resourcefulness, and compassion. Ahern takes the familiar aspects of women's lives—the routines, the embarrassments, the desires—and elevates these moments to the outlandish and hilarious with her astute blend of magical realism and social insight.

One woman is tortured by sinister bite marks that appear on her skin; another is swallowed up by the floor during a mortifying presentation; yet another resolves to return and exchange her boring husband at the store where she originally acquired him. The women at the center of this curious universe learn that their reality is shaped not only by how others perceive them, but also how they perceive the power within themselves.

By turns sly, whimsical, and affecting, these thirty short stories are a dynamic examination of what it means to be a woman in this very moment. Like women themselves, each story can stand alone; yet together, they have a combined power to shift consciousness, inspire others, and create a multi-voiced Roar that will not be ignored.

 

Published:     16th April 2019
Publisher:  Grand Central Publishing
Goodreads :  Click here
Series or Stand-Alone:  Stand-Alone
Source:  Bought

 

 

MY REVIEW

Cecelia Ahern is one of my favourite authors of all time, so of course I was looking forward to picking up this one.  Unfortunately it one of those that I put under the category of I bought it when it came out but hadn't got around to actually reading it yet..  

As with most books, I don't usually read the description on the back.  I only have a quick glimpse of any wording on the front and leap right in.  Honestly, with this book I wished that I had read a little more into it because it was not what was I was expecting it to be.  Yes it was a book about empowered women, which I want to read a lot more of but the stories in this novel were less realistic than I would have hoped.  You had someone being swallowed up by a floor etc.  

I am going to have to put this under the category of this is just not for me, which I am really sad about because I really wanted to love this.  It was interesting to read but I won't be re-reading it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Book Review / My Best Friend's Exorcism by Grady Hendrix

 

Abby and Gretchen have been best friends since fifth grade, when they bonded over a shared love of E.T., roller-skating parties, and scratch-and-sniff stickers. But when they arrive at high school, things change. Gretchen begins to act….different. And as the strange coincidences and bizarre behavior start to pile up, Abby realizes there’s only one possible explanation: Gretchen, her favorite person in the world, has a demon living inside her. And Abby is not about to let anyone or anything come between her and her best friend. With help from some unlikely allies, Abby embarks on a quest to save Gretchen. But is their friendship powerful enough to beat the devil?

 

Published:     17th May 2016
Publisher:  Quirk Books
Goodreads :  Click here
Series or Stand-Alone:  Stand-Alone
Source:  Bought

 

 

 

MY REVIEW

 

I can't tell you how much I enjoyed this book.  It has been so long since I read a horror novel.  Of course, this book was completely a cover buy.  I mean, look at it.  It looks stunning!  How would I not want to pick it up and read more! This story covers the type of horror that I love to both read and watch.  Horror that is not too gory but creepy and a bit 80s cheesy as well.  

There are so many aspects of this story that I loved.  Firstly you have all of the 80's culture references which, as I was a kid in the 80s, I remembered a lot of them.  Next, there was a great story build up.  Yes I knew that there was something wrong but I wanted to see it play out and see what each of the characters do.  Of course, I also wanted to find out what on earth was going on.   There are so many more that I could list but I don't want to spoil the story for you.

This book was so much fun to read.  I couldn't put this down and actually read it in one sitting!