Fear by Dirk Kurbjuweit #bookreview

About Fear

YOU'D DIE FOR YOUR FAMILY.

BUT WOULD YOU KILL FOR THEM?

Family is everything.

So what if yours was being terrorised by a neighbour – a man who doesn’t listen to reason, whose actions become more erratic and sinister with each passing day? And those you thought would help – the police, your lawyer – can’t help you.

You become afraid to leave your family at home alone. But there’s nothing more you can do to protect them.

Is there?

'FEAR shifts our moral codes. It makes us sympathetic to violent revenge, accessories to murder. Do we want the victim to survive? No, we don't' - HERMAN KOCH, bestselling author of THE DINNER

My review of Fear

Wow! Where do I start with this book review? I absolutely loved Fear for its originality, creeping sense of unease and that knowledge that everything that happened was completely believable, and could happen to any one of us. This really is a compelling and challenging psychological thriller.

Fear is the first novel by Dirk Kurbjuweit to be translated from his native German, but is the author's seventh novel. He writes with cutting clarity, having based the novel om real life vents, those of being stalked. This somehow makes the events of the novel even more chilling.

Dieter Tiberius is the stalker. He lives in the basement flat. A man of a different social class to the rest of the building, and to the Tiefenthaler family: Randolph and his wife, who have two small children. He is described as being different from the very beginning of the story. He looks different and he acts differently, he is an outsider. From the way that his character is displayed on the page, we should be fearful of him. Does he deserve the violent revenge that is bestowed upon him? This is where the novel is very clever, in that my moral compass shifted as I read through the pages.

We learn at the beginning of the story that Hermann Tiefenthaler, father to Randolph, is in prison for manslaughter. The victim is Dieter Tiberius, but the true nature io the crime, and exactly what happened are not revealed until the very end of the story. We read Randolph's thoughts about what has happened, his relationship with his father, past and present and how he perceives his relationship to be with his wife. This is very much a slow burning and dark read about revenge and the need to protect your family at all costs. To completely understand the  motives of the Tiefenthaler family, we need to understand them, their character, and this is what the author does beautifully, through the telling of stories, encounters and how life was for Randolph growing up in a household that was full of guns.

Fear tackles some serious issues. Those of gun ownership, child abuse, social inequality and social class. How we are raised and the social class we are elevated to, all have equal importance in this novel. For me though, the heart of this novel came down to the fact that because the police would bot protect Randolph and his family from the torrent of psychological abuse that they were receiving, they felt they had to take matters into their own hands. The law is powerless to protect them from psychological abuse. This is in itself an interesting concept, that of a psychological attack, the written word, one spoken word against another. Whose version of events do we really believe?

Fear is a challenging read. Do we believe Randolph? Do we empathise with the victim? The real question is, how far would you go to protect your family? It will leave you reeling. My thoughts kept coming back to this book, days after reading it. This book is not published until January next year and it already has a huge following on social media. This book is going to be huge, and for very good reasons.

With thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an Advanced Reader Copy.

Fear is published January 25th 2018 by Orion Publishing Group. You can pre order the book on Amazon here.

About the author

Dirk Kurbjuweit is deputy editor-in-chief at Der Spiegel, where he has worked since 1999, and divides his time between Berlin and Hamburg. He has received numerous awards for his writing, including the Egon Erwin Kisch Prize for journalism, and is the author of seven critically acclaimed novels, many of which, including Fear, have been adapted for film, television and radio in Germany. Fear is the first of his works to be translated into English.

Blood Sisters by Jane Corry #bookreview

Three little girls set off to school one sunny May morning.

Within an hour, one of them is dead.

Fifteen years later, Alison and Kitty are living separate lives. Kitty lives in a care home. She can't speak, and she has no memory of the accident that put her here, or her life before it.

Art teacher Alison looks fine on the surface. But the surface is a lie. When a job in a prison comes up she decides to take it - this is her chance to finally make things right.

But someone is watching Kitty and Alison.

Someone who wants revenge for what happened that day.

And only another life will do...

My review of Blood Sisters

Blood Sisters is a thoroughly gripping, unsettling and entertaining read from Jane Corry. I read this book fairly quickly, as I was simply unable to put it down. I had to find out what had happened that fateful day and who was behind the present day act of revenge. The chapters are also short, which helped to propel me quickly through the book, from one cliffhanger to the next. Nothing is as it first seems with this book, it really is a clever read. 

Blood Sisters is a novel of two stories. The story of before the accident in 1991 and the story fifteen years later. The novel flips backwards and forwards between the two with ease, there is no confusion as to what timeframe you are in. We are also given two different viewpoints, those of Kitty, and her stepsister, Alison. 

Alison is an art teacher, who teaches an evening class. Her speciality is working with glass. It is while working at the college that she reads an advert, a job vacancy for an art teacher at the local prison. Alison takes the job, believing that she can make a difference, but this is the start of a harrowing journey that harks back to her past. I found Alison to be a complex, but likeable character. She is the good girl, the good sister, who carries the guilt with her in what happened 15 years ago. I couldn't help but pity her.

Kitty, on the other hand is portrayed as the bad sister, the girl who was spoilt, who was petty and self centred. She now lives in a care home, has a learning disability and is confined to a wheelchair, unable to communicate with others, although as a reader we are able to hear her innermost thoughts and feelings. She answers questions and states her feelings to us, the reader, with the other characters having to guess what she is trying to tell them. I found the portrayal of Kitty and her disability hugely refreshing.  Instead of focussing upon the disability, we focus on her, and this made a refreshing change. It was clear to me, that the author had either a personal understanding of individuals with disabilities and learning difference, or that she had conducted a lot of research. Either way, Kitty was hugely believable, as were the other residents living in the care home.

This is a slow burning psychological thriller to begin with, but the pace soon dramatically picks up through the energetic and complex plot, helped by the short chapters. I was constantly wondering who wanted to seek revenge for what had happened all those years ago. Who really was the good sister, and was what happened truly an accident? So many questions whirled around my mind as I raced to finish the book.

Blood Sisters is a novel about guilt, about the secrets we all hide and the bond that stepsisters share. It really is an enjoyable read.

Blood Sisters is published by Penguin on 29 June and is available to pre order on Amazon here.

With thanks to NetGalley and Penguin for the Advanced Reader Copy

About the author

Jane Corry is a writer and journalist who has written regularly for numerous newspapers and magazines including The Daily Telegraph Weekend section, the Mail on Sunday and Woman. She has spent time working as the writer-in-residence of a high security prison for men - an experience that helped inspire My Husband's Wife, her début thriller. 'I love twists and turns that keep the reader guessing until the very end! My husband says I'm a nightmare to watch dramas with as I love to work out who did it before the final revelation!'

You can find Jane on Twitter at @JaneCorryAuthor and on Facebook at JaneCorryAuthor.

Jane runs regular writing workshops and speaks at literary festivals all over the world, including The Women's Fiction Festival in Matera, Italy. Until her recent move to Devon, she was a tutor in creative writing at Oxford University. She is also an associate member of the Royal Literary Fund.

Many of Jane's ideas come during her morning dog-jog along the beach followed by a dip in her wetsuit. (She's an all-year-round swimmer provided the sea isn't dangerous.) Jane also loves tennis, walking, reading, yoga, the 'Quiet' train carriage (a great 'office' for writing) and her family. She's still coming to terms with being an empty-nester but makes up for it with lots of long-distance nagging! Jane's second husband was a bachelor family friend who is also Godfather to her children. He makes her laugh every day although they can't agree on how to load the dishwasher!

Little Girl Lost by Carol Wyer

About Little Girl Lost

Her breath rose and fell in fearful gasps but it was too late. She could already see what she dreaded most. The back seat was empty.Her little girl was gone.

Abigail lives the perfect life with her doting husband and adorable baby Izzy. But someone knows a secret about Abigail and they want the truth to be told.

When Izzy is snatched from a carpark, it becomes a case for Detective Robyn Carter. Someone has been sending threatening messages to Abigail from an anonymous number. What is Abigail hiding?

Robyn’s instincts tell her there’s a connection between Izzy’s abduction and two murders she is investigating. But the last time she acted on impulse her fiancé was killed. To break this case and earn her place back on the force, she must learn to trust herself again – and fast. Robyn is on the hunt for a ruthless serial killer. And unless she gets to the twisted individual in time a little girl will die …

Gripping, fast-paced and nail-bitingly tense, this serial killer thriller will chill you to the bone. Perfect for fans of Angela Marsons, Rachel Abbott and Karin Slaughter.

My Review of Little Girl Lost

     

Little Girl Lost is a detective story/fast paced thriller. We begin by reading about Alice, a little girl, who is only eight-years-old,  who lives in a big house with her mother, step dad Paul, and step siblings, Natasha and Lucas. We learn that her mother is engaged to Paul, a big movie actor and that Alice feels rejected and shunned due to this new relationship, as her mother seems to have no time to spend with her.  Her only true friend would seem to be that of her toy rabbit, Mr Big Ears. The prologue deals with a life changing event for Alice, that sets the tone and pace for the entire story. It deals with a sexual assault, upon Alice, and I did find this upsetting to read, as it was fairly graphic in its depiction. I will admit that I nearly gave up reading, but I wanted to give the book a chance, and I am so very glad that I did. This is by far the most graphic and disturbing part of the book, in my opinion at least.

I do feel that the subject matter of the book may not be to everyone's taste, as the novel is centred around child sexual abuse, and is greatly disturbing. But, I do feel that the author tackles this subject with great empathy, sensitivity and knowledge upon the subject. The events that take place are given context, they are not simply there as a 'shock factor', as they are integral to the plot.

So, Little Girl Lost is the first book in the Detective Inspector Robyn Carter series, and I found this character hugely compelling and likeable. Having suffered her own losses in life, she busies herself in her work and is dedicated and passionate.

We are also introduced to Abigail Thorne, and her husband Jackson, who have a little girl, Izzy. It is later on in the novel that they are then introduced to Robyn, as Izzy goes missing. At this point Robyn is investigating the disappearance of Lucas and is convinced that his case is linked to that of several murders that have taken place.

This novel took me a while to get into because of the varying points of view. We read Robyn's thoughts, as well as those of Abigail's and then of Alice, both past and present. However, once I was around a quarter of the way through, I quickly settled into the pace and way of storytelling and found the plot completely captivating. I was gripped until the very end, not knowing who was telling the truth and how all of these separate events were connected. It really is a very clever story.

Little Girl Lost, is a tough read, there is no denying this, simply because of the subject matter. It did however, keep me guessing and thoroughly entertained. I  look forward to reading the second novel in the Detective Inspector Robyn Carter series.

With thanks to the publisher, Bookouture and NetGalley who provided me with an Advanced Reader Copy.

Little Girl Lost is available to buy from Amazon here.

About the author

Carol E. Wyer is an award-winning author whose humorous books take a light-hearted look at getting older and encourage others to age disgracefully. More recently she has chosen to write for the "dark side" and embarked on a series of thrillers, starting with the gripping best-seller, Little Girl Lost.

Her book Grumpy Old Menopause won The People's Book Prize Award for non-fiction 2015.

Carol has been interviewed on numerous radio shows discussing 'Irritable Male Syndrome' and 'Ageing Disgracefully' and on BBC Breakfast television. She has had articles published in national magazines 'Woman's Weekly' featured in 'Take A Break', 'Choice', 'Yours' and 'Woman's Own' magazines and writes regularly for The Huffington Post.

Carol is a signed author with Bookouture and Delancey Press.

To learn more about Carol, go to www.carolewyer.co.uk or follow Carol on Twitter: @carolewyer. Carol blogs at www.facing50withhumour.com and www.grumpyoldmenopause.com

He Said/She Said by Erin Kelly

 

About He Said/She Said

You don't want to be left in the dark. Twisty, gripping and thought-provoking, HE SAID/SHE SAID is the suspense novel everyone is lining up to read and rave about.

'A tour de force - a gripping, twisting, furiously clever read that asks all the right questions and keeps you guessing until the very end.' Ruth Ware, author of The Woman in Cabin 10

'I'm calling it: THIS is the book I wish I'd written' Clare Mackintosh, author of I See You

In the hushed aftermath of a total eclipse, Laura witnesses a brutal attack.

She and her boyfriend Kit call the police, and in that moment, four lives change forever.

Fifteen years on, Laura and Kit live in fear.

And while Laura knows she was right to speak out, she also knows that you can never see the whole picture: something is always hidden... something she never could have guessed.

My Review of He Said/She Said

 

He Said/She Said is a fast paced, gripping and compulsive read. Once I began to read I could not put it down, I was hooked from the very beginning. If you love complex characterisations, twisted plots and an enjoyable story to boot, then you will love this book. I did!

 

The story we are told begins fifteen years previously, when Kit and Laura attend an 'eclipse festival' in Cornwall, on Lizard Point. Kit had travelled with his twin brother, Mac, along with Mac's girlfriend (and Laura's best friend), Ling. Laura had to attend a job interview and so traveled to meet them a few days later. They had funded the trip by manning a tea tent at the festival, selling the then, much drunk, spiced chai tea.

 

It is from this point onwards that the loves of Kit and Laura changes forever. After viewing the eclipse, Laura stumbles upon a purse that is in the grass, and on her search to find the recipient, stumbles upon a rape. We later learn that the woman's name is Beth and the man accused of rape is Jamie. The four characters lives from that moment on become entwined, when Kit and Laura are asked to provide witness statements and to then stand as witnesses during the rape trial. I won't say any more about what happens, but this is the beginning of their new lives.

 

This book is a dark read, and a thought provoking one, especially around the issue of rape and that of consent. It is very obvious that he author has done lots of research and provides us with an utterly plausible storyline with regards to the violation of rape victims when in a court of law, and the fact that it is very often their word against the accused. Very often it is the victim who is forced to plead her innocence, with sexual habits, past sexual partners, and state of mind all coming into play.

 

Kit and Laura are captivating characters, each telling their own story via alternating chapters in the book. In doing so, we get a fully rounded account of what has happened during the past fifteen years, helping us to fill the gaps and shed light on the present day. However, it is vary difficult to know who is telling the truth, and it is only during the last few pages of the book that we fully understand what has happened between them. To say that I was shocked, would be a huge understatement. At first I thought that the title of the book referred to the version of events as presented by Jamie and Beth, but in fact I now understand that the book is about Kit and Laura, and their relationship, and that there are always two sides to every story.

 

This book very much centres around the eclipse, with Kit and Laura, being eclipse chasers. I thought that this would put me off, but in fact it did the opposite. I found the information about the eclipse fascinating, and just heaped to add a further layer to the story. All of the important events that happen to Kit and Laura seem to revolve around the eclipse, so it is a part of them, part of who they are as a couple.

 

Erin Kelly is a very talented writer. By the end of the book In felt like I  knew Beth, Kit and Laura, that I knew their souls, what made them tick and what had shaped them, and this is very difficult to achieve. It is these complex characters that make the book a gripping and fascinating read. In truth, I did not like any of them, but that didn't matter, I didn't need to like them, merely understand them, and this was achieved by the end of the book.

 

He Said/She Said is a thoroughly enjoyable read, and a book that I highly recommend.

With thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an Advanced Reader Copy.

 

He Said/She Said is published by Hodder and Stoughton on April 20th.

 

The book is available to pre order from Amazon here.